So easy and made entirely in one pan, this Southwest Chicken and Rice is bursting with powerful flavors.ย It’s perfect for meal prep, and with plenty of variations, you’re sure to find one your family will love!
This Southwest Chicken and Rice recipe is perfect for when you want a hearty recipe that’s on the table fairly quickly!ย We love versatile chicken meals like my Creamy Garlic Chicken and French Onion Baked Chicken.ย This is one of my Chickenย recipes youโll definitely want in your dinner rotation!
EASY CHICKEN AND RICE
I’ve said it many times, and I’ll say it again… I’m a sucker for delicious Mexican/Southwest-inspired foods.
If I only got to have one last meal, I’m pretty sure it would be tacos of some kind… and that this rice would be alongside it!
Originally when I set out to develop this recipe, it was going to be something different.ย Like a cheese covered chicken fajita bake.ย Then I started thinking about how SO many great Southwestern meals come with rice; so why not include it IN the dish?
So this chicken and rice recipe has it all, fajita-spiced chicken, onions, peppers, tomatoes, beans, corn, flavorful rice, cilantro, lime juice… and of course, cheese!
HOW TO MAKE SOUTHWEST CHICKEN AND RICE
- Heat oil in large pot/pan and cook chicken.ย Don’t forget to season it with the fajita seasoning, and let it get some good golden brown color.ย Brown = flavor!
- Remove chicken to a plate.ย I like to cover mine with foil so it stays warm.ย The reason we don’t leave the chicken in the pot while the dish cooks is that it would get pretty overcooked.
- Add onion and bell peppers and cook.ย No need to wipe out the pan or anything, all those little browned bits in there after cooking the chicken are going to give off great flavor.ย Just cook until they’re soft.ย Then add garlic and cook a teeny bit more.
- Stir in tomatoes, drained black beans, spices and chicken broth.ย Give the bottom of the pot a good scrape with a wooden spoon, just to get any extra flavorful bits that are down there.
- Add the rice, stir, then cover and cook on low.ย Make sure to cover your pan with a tight fitting lid (or some aluminum foil if you don’t have a lid – just make sure it’s on fairly tightly).ย Cook the rice mixture about 20-23 minutes, stirring halfway through.
- Fluff rice, then add cheese, cilantro, lime juice, corn, and cooked chicken.ย Give it a good stir, then top with more cheese, cover and let sit (off the heat) for a few minutes until cheese is melted and everything is warmed through.
ADDITIONAL COOKING TIPS
- HOMEMADE FAJITA SEASONING – in case you like to make your own spice mixes (isn’t it fun?!), here’s my go-to chicken fajita mix.
- 1 Tbsp chili powder, 1/2 Tbsp paprika, 1 tsp granulated sugar, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp ground cumin, 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- STOVE BURNER – when I was testing this recipe I found that if I placed my pan on a larger burner, which generally burns hotter, my rice tended to stick to the bottom of my pan, no matter how low I had my heat.ย So if you have a medium sized burner, try that one instead.
VARIATIONS OF THIS RECIPE
- SPICY – if you like spice, then consider using a poblano pepper in place of the green bell pepper, and add a chopped jalapeno or two as well.ย You can also use some cayenne pepper in with the spices you add.
- VEGETARIAN – this recipe is made vegetarian by omitting the chicken, and using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
- NO RAW CHICKEN – I like to make this recipe with some rotisserie chicken (either homemade or store-bought), or leftovers of my Shredded Mexican Chicken recipe!ย Just omit the chicken from the recipe, and proceed as normal.ย Heat your shredded chicken and stir in at the end!
- OTHER MEAT – you could use pork, chorizo, andouille, shrimp… whichever one you feel like!
- TOPPINGS – I left this recipe with no toppings, as I wanted you to feel free to add any that you like.ย Sour cream, avocado/guacamole, salsa, jalapenos, tomatoes, onion, etc.
MAKING CHICKEN AND RICE AHEAD OF TIME
While the leftovers taste great, I don’t recommend making this entire meal ahead of time.ย However, there are definitely ways to prep ahead for this recipe.
- Chop up your chicken.
- Chop up your veggies (onion, both peppers, garlic).
- Combine seasonings.
- Measure out rice.
- Drain and rinse black beans and corn.
Dry rice and seasonings can be kept at room temperature in resealable bags, but the rest will need to be refrigerated separately.
STORAGE
Leftovers should be refrigerated in an airtight container for up 5-6 days.
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT FOR THIS RECIPE
- Braiser Pot – my favorite pot to cook one pot recipes in!
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Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast diced into bite-sized pieces
- 2 Tbsp olive oil divided
- 1 (1 oz) packet fajita seasoning mix
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 15 oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 15 oz black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp ground coriander
- 2 1/4 cups chicken broth reduced sodium
- 1 cup dry long grain white rice
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
- 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
- 2 Tbsp lime juice fresh if possible
- 8 oz can corn drained
Instructions
- Heat a large heavy bottomed pot that has a lid over MED HIGH heat. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil, then add diced chicken breasts. Sprinkle fajita seasoning mix over chicken and stir. Cook 6-8 minutes, until lightly golden brown and cooked through. Set chicken aside on a plate and cover to keep warm.
- To same pot, add remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil and butter. Add onion, and both bell peppers and cook 3-4 minutes, until softened. Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds or so, until fragrant.
- Add tomatoes, black beans, chili powder, cumin, paprika, coriander, and chicken broth. Stir together, then stir in rice.
- Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to LOW and simmer 20-23 minutes, stirring halfway through. When no excess liquid remains and rice is tender, turn off heat.
- Fluff rice with a fork, then stir in 1 cup cheese, cilantro, lime juice, corn, and cooked chicken. Top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese, cover and let sit a few minutes, until cheese is melted.
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Chef Tips
- If you have a burner that heats hotter than others, when it's time to simmer the rice, move it to a burner that doesn't heat quite as hot - so the rice doesn't stick to the bottom and burn.
- Rice can be baked if desired.ย In step 4 - omit written directions.ย Bake covered, at 350ยฐF for 35-45 minutes.ย Continue with step 5 as written.
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Scott says
Once again, I must’ve done something wrong without knowing. Not very appealing to the eyes and the taste is so-so
The Chunky Chef says
Happy to help troubleshoot if you’d like.
Sandy says
This is amazing! I saw this and immediately took chicken breasts out of freezer to make for our Daughter’s family. After chopping up chicken I tossed in the fajitas seasoning and refrigerated for 1.5 hours. I realized when I pulled out ingredients from pantry I was completely out of long grain rice. No problem, I used boil in the bag brown rice and removed the water from recipe. Simmered veggies in with tomatoes added chicken, black beans w/ 8oz corn stirred well then added two bags rice after cooking and small can green Chilies and stirred again. Placed all in a buttered 9×15. Topped with cheese and baked for 30 minutes. Family loved it. We’ll be making again soon.
Trina Barlow says
This turned out to be very yummy! I was a little skeptical bc we mostly prefer more Mex than TexMex, which I felt this was. And I considered cutting it in half for just the Hubby and me, but didnโt and Iโm glad!
So I subbed a jalapeรฑo for the green bell pepper, added a couple big spoons of both my homemade enchilada sauce and some hot salsa casera. Plus I started by slicing my chicken while partly frozen for easy slicing, then sprinkled plenty of fajita seasoning, mixed, covered and left to marinate while prepping the rest.
Overall small changes and the dish turned to be really tasty and easy.
I made fresh flour tortillas and wrapped a half cup or so of the cooled mixture in an uncooked tortilla, sprayed with oil, baked til crispy, then topped with enchilada sauce and cheese. Back in the oven just to melt the cheese. We devoured it!
Thereโs plenty of the โfillingโ left for a round 2 which I may just serve on a bed of shredded cabbage for crunch.
It would also do well to just scoop up with tortilla chips. Some refried beans, maybe a sweet corn cake? Delish! Will repeat this dish.
Andrew says
This recipe is a keeper in my book. Had some chicken legs that I didn’t feel like BBQing, so I searched for shredded chicken recipes. Glad I found this one first, it was amazing!
CC says
So good! Very easy to adjust to your preferences or what you have on hand. I used shredded chicken from my freezer, a jar of fire roasted habanero salsa because I didnโt have diced tomatoes, and a can of mixed beans in chili sauce because that was all I had. I added the chicken at the same time as the rice so it would be warmed through and would take on the flavors of the sauce and spices, which it did. We topped it with fresh tomatoes, avocado, sour cream, shredded cheese, and wrapped it in tortilla shells. It made a fantastic dinner and there was plenty leftover for lunches or another dinner. This would also be great over fresh lettuce for a southwest chicken salad. My husband says I need to add it to our rotation. Thank you!
Jennifer AXT says
Wonderful flavor , easy .
Elizabeth Mender says
Thanks! Pretty dang good! I have a family of 6 and of course each person has their own tastes, so I used your recipe, but shredded the chicken breast, slapped the filling onto tortillas and rolled and fried them. Then put out various sauces, salsa and dips and it was gone in less than 15 mins! Good stuff!
Lynda says
Yum ๐คค!!
Christy M Jaques says
I love this recipe, but am wondering if you could make it in a crock pot?
The Chunky Chef says
This recipe wasn’t designed to be cooked in a slow cooker, so I can’t say for certain if it would work well and what changes would need to be made. If you do some experimenting, I’d love to know how it turns out ๐
MrWhite says
Awesome recipe! My teen daughter normally hates all-in-one dishes. I made your recipe today and she loves it. It’s in her top 10 favorite meals now, lol.
Marlene says
It was delicious !
I loved your homemade fajita mix!!
Thank you for sharing!
Lynda says
Yum ๐คค!!
TR says
I just finished making this and sat down to have a bowl. finished it and went and got a second helping. I must say this is the best meal I’ve made off of Pinterest. This southwest chicken and rice is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!!!!! Bursting with bold flavors that all go well together. Already thinking about when I can fix for my daughter and her husband. Not to say I won’t take some for myself. Great recipe!!
Jenny says
Made this recipe today and it was a winner. We will definitely having it again.
Jenn says
This is one of my family’s favorite dishes! I add the zest of one lime as well as diced avocado at the end. I serve this with either taco chips or hot Naan bread cut into pieces. Great recipe!!