This cheesy one pot Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice Skillet is loaded with corn, peppers, and black beans for a hearty, delicious meal. It’s ready in just 30 minutes and cleanup is a breeze!
Through the magic of one pot cooking, there’s no need to cook the rice in advance for this easy skillet meal. My Stuffed Pepper Skillet is another rice based one pot recipe that has become a reader favorite.
As we inch closer to the holiday season, I thought it was time to revisit this truly amazing one pot Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice. Whether it’s family time, decorating, gift wrapping, shopping, or school events, these shorter fall and winter days are WAY too busy to worry about pulling together a complicated meal.
Every time I make this yummy chicken and rice with a Southwest twist, I marvel at just how quick and easy it is. And the fact that there’s just one skillet to clean once the whole thing is done is a HUGE bonus after an exhausting day.
With all the hustling and bustling that will be going on for the remaining weeks of the year, quick and easy meal ideas are absolutely in order.
Table of contents
Ingredient Notes
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts – Cut into bite size pieces.
- Yellow onion – Diced.
- Red or orange bell pepper – Diced.
- Shredded cheese – Sharp cheddar, Monterey Jack, or a combination of both.
- Frozen corn – There’s no need to thaw it in advance. It’s just tossed in straight from the freezer.
- Jalapeno – Seeded and diced.
- Green onion – Thinly sliced.
- Long grain white rice – Uncooked. I love Jasmine rice. or Jasmine rice.
- Canned diced tomatoes – Drain the juice from the can.
- Low-sodium chicken broth
- Canned black beans – Rinsed and drained
- Spices – Chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, onion powder, salt and pepper.
- Olive oil
- Garlic – Minced.
Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice calls out for toppings like sour cream, sliced avocado, cilantro, and salsa. Add the toppings you love!
How to Make Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice Skillet
- Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper and sauté until the chicken is lightly browned. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set it aside.
- Add additional oil to the pan, if needed. Add the onion, red bell pepper, and jalapeno and cook and stir for a couple of minutes. Add the garlic cook until the veggies have softened. Add the uncooked rice and cook for just a couple of minutes to lightly toast the rice.
- Next, stir in the diced tomatoes, chicken broth, black beans, all the spices, and the cooked chicken. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Remove the cover and stir in the frozen corn. Cook, covered, for another 5 minutes. Remove the cover and sprinkle the cheese over the top. Cover and continue to until the cheese has melted. Garnish with green onion and serve.
Serving Suggestions
Serve Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice in bowls with lots of great toppings like avocado, sour cream, cilantro, and salsa. Have leftovers? Wrap them up in tortillas for lunch the next day.
This protein loaded meal is definitely hearty enough to serve on its own but I always set out tortilla chips and salsa. If you’re feeding more than 4 or 5, you could add any of the recipes below to bulk up your menu.
More Easy One Pot Meals
- One Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Chicken Broccoli Rice Bake
- Spanish Rice with Ground Beef
- Skillet Chicken Parmesan
- Skillet Shepherd’s Pie
For easy dinner inspiration, check out my entire collection of One-Pot Meals.
Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice Skillet
Video
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus additional if needed
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
- ½ teaspoon salt
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup diced yellow onion
- ½ cup diced red or orange bell pepper
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 cup long grain white rice (like Jasmine), uncooked
- 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
- 2 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 cup frozen corn, do not thaw
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheese, sharp cheddar, Jack, or a combination of both
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
Optional Toppings:
- salsa, avocado, sour cream, cilantro
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch skillet (use a skillet that has a lid) over MEDIUM-HIGH heat. Add the chicken and season with the salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 to 6 minutes or until the chicken is lightly browned. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken to a dish and set it aside.
- Add the remaining oil to the pan. Add the onion, red bell pepper, and jalapeno and cook, stirring occasionally, for a couple of minutes. Add the minced garlic and continue to cook for another minute or two until the veggies have softened.
- Add the uncooked rice and cook for just a couple of minutes to lightly toast the rice. Stir in the drained diced tomatoes, chicken broth, black beans, all the spices, and the cooked chicken. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to LOW, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Remove the cover and stir in the frozen corn. Cook, covered, for another 5 minutes. Remove the cover and sprinkle the cheese over the top. Cover and continue to cook over LOW heat until the cheese has melted.
- Sprinkle with the green onion and serve with optional toppings.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
This recipe was originally published on December 9, 2014. It has been updated with new text and images.
Tex-Mex Inspired Recipes
This is delicious, my wife tells me, and she’s not one to pass around compliments indiscriminately. My problem though, what to do with all the leftovers; can I freeze some? Make burritos with it and be more creative with condiments? With only two of us, I need more hungry people at my house, or to find people in need.
Hi Tim. Glad you’re loving the recipe! Leftovers have never been an issue around here so I’ve not tried freezing it. I think it work out fine, though. But, yes, it’s great as a burrito filling!
My family enjoys this recipe
This was very good. I am only cooking for the two of us now and there were plenty of left overs, which I love. Another simple meal to gently reheat on a busy day. Cook once eat twice. This meal will go into rotation. Thanks Valerie
This recipe was awesome! My husband kept going back for more! Next time I’m going to try it with steak! Thank you!
This was so delicious! It might be the first recipe I’ve tried that got all the seasonings right and wasn’t bland (I’m 52). The only thing is that I wanted to use instant brown rice so I only used 2 cups of broth and even then had to cook down all the liquid, but that was probably my own fault. I will make this again!
Exactly what I was looking for, thanks for putting up.
Sooo good! Added cayenne pepper for a kick. The leftovers we used in loaded burritos the next night! Yum!
I made this last week and really enjoyed it. I enjoyed it so much, I made it again this week but I used hamburger instead of chicken and both versions were awesome.
This recipe was amazing! I was expecting it to be good BUT not this good! I’m definitely adding this to my recipe vault. Thank you so much for sharing!
This was a huge hit because I don’t like seasoning packets and other processed ingredients. I made it with chicken the first time. I used ground beef the second time and we liked it just as much or more. Putting this into our meal rotation.
I agree! The seasonings are what make it special. Thanks, Gwen. 🙂