Rinse the chicken thighs and pat them dry. Dice them into half inch pieces. Don't bother trimming them of all the fat. It will all be just fine, people.
Dice the red onion and garlic cloves.
Prepare the Mexican seasoning blend, if needed.
Heat the oil over medium heat in a 12-inch skillet (that has a lid!).
Add the chicken thighs, onion and garlic and stir to combine. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink on the outside (It does not need to be fully cooked on the inside yet as it will continue cooking with the rice).
Meanwhile, open the tomatoes and beans. Rinse and drain the beans. Measure out the rice.
Add the lime juice and Mexican seasoning blend. Stir to combine.
Add the tomatoes, beans, and rice.
Give everything a good stir to combine, turn the heat down to low, and put the lid on for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, chop the cilantro, dice the avocado, shred the cheese (if using), open the salsa, etc.
After fifteen minutes, remove the lid and taste the rice (carefully!). You want the rice to be completely cooked and to have absorbed a good amount of the tomato juice. It may need another three to five minutes or so. This is not a soupy dish when it's all finished.
When the rice is cooked and has absorbed a lot of the liquid, scoop generous portions into bowls and add toppings as desired.
Recipe by sprinting spoon at https://www.sprintingspoon.com/weeknight-mexican-skillet/