One Pan Southwest Chicken and Rice! Even the rice is cooked in the same pan with the chicken! Made with fresh and whole ingredients, this will quickly become your favorite weeknight meal!
This one pot meal is fast, fresh and super easy to make! Crunchy fresh veggies, rice and chicken cooked up in the same pot, with all the Tex-Mex Southwest flavors that I love! Oh, did I mention healthy? You can add that to the growing list of reasons why you should whip up this 30 minute meal!
We are on day three of eating our way through this big old pot of yum, and I’ll be sorry to see it go. Super flavorful and fresh tasting. I still have rice left over, it will be going into the freezer for Taco Tuesday!
Hot to make One Pot Southwest Chicken and Rice!
Simply sear up your chicken that you sprinkled with a mixture of chili powder, cumin and a few other pantry staples. Add a pinch of cayenne if you like it spicy.
After a quick sear, set your chicken aside. In the same pan, sauté up your peppers, (I used poblano but bell peppers would work just fine), onion, corn and black beans. Add your uncooked rice, broth and enchilada sauce. (no enchilada sauce? See my sub list below).
Nestle your seared cooked chicken onto the rice and cook for 20-25 minutes. You got dinner and probably a lunch or two!
There are so many ways to make this one pot meal if you don’t have every ingredient on hand. Some of my easiest and favorite substitutions:
- Sub chicken pieces instead of whole chicken breasts to make more of a chicken and rice tex-mex goulash. See my Southwest Chicken and Rice Skillet.
- No corn or black beans? How about some carrots, celery or peas.
- No enchilada sauce? Just increase your broth to two cups and go a little heavier with the chili powder and cumin to make up for the spice in the enchilada sauce.
- Quinoa can be subbed for the rice without changing the recipe at all. It has the same cooking time as white rice.
Those are just a few ideas. This is a very forgiving recipe!
You can see all my Super Easy One Pot Recipes HERE!
One of my favorites is this One Pot Meatball and Pasta Skillet...who doesn’t love meatballs!!
To One Pot Easy Meals!
Clink!
Kathi
One Pot Southwest Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts, boneless boneless thighs would work as well
- 1 cup rice long grain works best
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 poblano pepper, chopped bell pepper will work as well
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup corn, frozen and thawed fresh or canned drained will work
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 14.5 ounce can black beans, drained
- 1 14.5 ounce can roasted diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 cup red enchilada sauce, store bought
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- In small bowl combine chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- Sprinkle chicken breasts with half of mixture. Reserving half of spice mixture for rice.
- Heat large skillet over medium high heat. Add olive oil until hot and just beginning to smoke.
- Sear chicken breasts on each side for about 3-4 minutes. They will not be cooked through but will continue to cook with rice mixture. Remove from pan and set aside.
- In same hot skillet add onion, pepper and garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes until just tender.
- Add black beans, corn, tomatoes, uncooked rice, enchilada sauce, remainder of spice blend and chicken stock. Bring to a simmer and stir. NOTE: This is a great time to taste. More chili powder, more salt? I almost always add more cumin !
- Nestle par cooked chicken breasts on top. Cover and cook 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and no moisture remains in the pan. (NOTE: Stir at least twice. Moving your spoon around the chicken breasts to keep rice from sticking to pan.
- Top with cheese if desired along with sour cream and salsa!
Nutrition
Deb Kowalec says
Tks for the info. I made it last night, winging it (no pun intended) at the amount of chicken to use and it was DELISH. I actually cut the chicken up into bite size pieces, dregging them in the spice mix, rather than cooking them whole.
Deb says
Hi Kathi,
This sounds DELISH!!!! What is the weight per breast/thigh – 6 oz, 8 oz???
Tks,
Deb
Kathi @ LaughingSpatula.com says
I used Costco chicken breasts which run about 6 ounces and thats what I calculated the nutrition information on. Thanks Deb!
Juliana says
My friends and I love this recipe, I am about to make this for the second time for my family 🙂 thank you
Kathi @ LaughingSpatula.com says
Thank you for taking the time to send such a nice note Juliana! We are thrilled you love this recipe!
Mary says
Kathi, are the chicken breasts boneless or with bone?
Kathi @ LaughingSpatula.com says
Hi Mary – I used boneless.
Hilda McGrann says
The recipe states tablespoons of Cumin and chili powder. I thought this was maybe a typo and use teaspoons. Am I right?
Kathi @ LaughingSpatula.com says
No not a typo. You are using it to season the chicken breasts and the remaining for the rice. Hope you like it!
Allison Knowles says
I noticed in the instructions that you said any rice would substitute if you kept the rice to broth ratio at 1:2 respectively, but in your recipe, the rice to broth ratio is 1:1.
Kathi @ LaughingSpatula.com says
Sorry for the confusion! Normally rice is 1:2 with liquid, but I only used 1 cup broth because of the addition of enchilada sauce. What I meant to say is, if you didn’t use enchilada sauce, you can ‘do most anything with the dish’, not use any kind of rice….I need to update my verbiage. I type like I talk! LOL! Thanks for the note!
Rachel says
I made this last night and I had to add additional water while the rice was cooking. I added a whole cup or so about 7 minutes into the cooking time because my rice mixture was out of water and not even close to being cooked.
Rachel says
Just made this tonight! It was delicious! I added a blob of butter to the rice to reduce some of the sticking, doused the entire thing with lime juice at the end and threw chopped cilantro over the top.
Kathi @ LaughingSpatula.com says
Thank you for the note Rachel! I am so glad you liked it. Love the addition of butter idea!
Amanda says
Do you know how the recipe should be tweaked for brown rice?
Kathi @ LaughingSpatula.com says
Hi Amanda – Full disclosure: I have not tried this! If subbing brown for the white rice: Simmer rice for 30 minutes before adding chicken back in and continue to cook for an additional 20 minutes. Again haven’t tried it but should work in theory as brown rice needs to cook for 50 minutes and white rice only 25. Let us know okay? thank you! Kathi
cakespy says
I’ll be honest, you had me at “one pan” but everything else that followed made this a definite necessity!! LOVE this recipe. 🙂
Susan @ Culinary Envy says
Can I just invite myself over for dinner please! This looks absolutely scrumptious and so easy. Love it and Pinned!
Kathi @ LaughingSpatula.com says
Thank you Susan!
Pretty says
you can’t beat a one pot dish, love the colours and the Mexican flavours.
Jacquie says
I don’t see rice in the ingredient list. How much do I need?
Kathi @ LaughingSpatula.com says
1 cup! Ugh, who forgets rice in the chicken and rice…I have updated. So sorry!
Chesarae says
Red or green enchilada sauce????
Kathi @ LaughingSpatula.com says
Red :).
Allison - Celebrating Sweets says
This looks SO tasty! I love the color on the chicken – gorgeous!
Cliona Keane says
This looks and sounds sensational! The colour of the seasoning on that chicken is making my mouth water!
Bintu - Recipes From A Pantry says
I love all the chili and cumin you have used to add flavour. This looks superb and all made in one pan too
Elaine @ Dishes Delish says
This one pot chicken dish looks so yummy and easy! I love that there is a Mexican flare to this dish! I can’t wait to make this for my husband, he’s going to love it.