Season the chicken thighs with salt and black pepper on both sides.
Heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Add the chicken thighs skin-side down and cook for 5-7 minutes until the skin is golden brown and crispy. Flip and cook for another 3 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
In the same pan, add the diced onion and red bell pepper. Sauté for 4-5 minutes until softened.
Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Stir in the rice, turmeric, cumin, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes to toast the rice and spices.
Pour in the chicken broth and stir to combine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Return the chicken thighs to the pan, placing them on top of the rice mixture.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through (internal temperature of 165°F).
Remove the lid and sprinkle the frozen peas over the rice. Cover and let sit off the heat for 5 minutes to warm the peas.
Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro before serving.