Cheesy Chicken Taco Rice

Tasty, delicious, and so cheesy - you're going to love this easy Chicken Taco Rice recipe that's made all in one pot! Classic tex-mex flavors with taco seasoned chicken, beans, corn, tomatoes, rice, and cheese that simmers in a seasoned chicken broth.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American, Mexican

Keyword chicken taco rice, one pot dinner

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings

Calories 449kcal

Author Jessica - Together as Family

Equipment

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2-3 thighs)
1 small onion finely diced
2 cloves garlic
1 packet taco seasoning
2½ cups chicken broth
1 can (15 oz) black beans drained & rinsed
1 can (11 oz) mexicorn drained
1 can (10 oz) Rotel
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1½ cups long-grain white rice (uncooked)
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Instructions

Prep : Cut the chicken breasts into small, bite-sized chunks, about 1-inch in size.
In a large skillet pan, over medium-high heat, add the olive oil, chicken chunks, and onion. Cook until the chicken is mostly cooked through and browned, and the onions have softened. About 8-10 minutes.
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, 1 small onion
Stir in the garlic and taco seasoning. Cook for an additional 30 seconds until very fragrant.
2 cloves garlic, 1 packet taco seasoning
Stir in the chicken broth, black beans, mexicorn, Rotel, and tomato paste. Bring to a boil.
2½ cups chicken broth, 1 can (15 oz) black beans, 1 can (11 oz) mexicorn, 1 can (10 oz) Rotel, 2 tablespoons tomato paste
Once boiling, stir in the uncooked rice. Cover the pan with a lid and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the rice is tender and most the liquid has been absorbed.
1½ cups long-grain white rice
Sprinkle the cheese over top and let it cook for a few minutes or until the cheese is melted.
^{* To speed this up, place the lid back on once you've added the cheese.}
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Serve with your favorite taco toppings. Enjoy!

Notes

Chicken : Boneless, skinless chicken breasts can also be used in this recipe on place of chicken thighs.

Protein Swap : Use 1 pound ground chicken, ground turkey, or ground beef if wanted. Cook and crumble the ground beef along with the oil and onion. Drain any excess grease and proceed with the recipe.

Do Not Use Minute Rice or Brown Rice : This recipe needs regular, uncooked white long-grain rice. Minute rice only needs minutes to cook, and the cook time on this recipe is 20 minutes which is needed for uncooked regular rice. Brown rice requires much different cooking like more water and more time. This recipe was specifically designed for white rice.

Use PreCooked Chicken : You can use precooked chicken instead of raw chicken. Instead of cooking the raw chicken in the skillet pan with the onion and olive oil, simply cook the onion in the oil and then add the garlic along with the cooked chicken and let it cook for about 1 minute. Then continue with the recipe adding the other ingredients.

Cheese Tip : For the creamiest melt, and best texture and taste, shred cheese using a box cheese grater from a block of cheese. Of course, the bagged shredded cheese will work fine but I personally recommend shredding your own. Use any variety if cheese you want!

Make It Spicy! : Add some chili powder, red cayenne pepper, or chipotle powder along with the other ingredient. You could also use a packet of spicy taco seasoning. Use a can of spicy heat level Rotel. Top the chicken taco rice with shredded Pepper Jack cheese. You could use sliced jalapeños as a garnish. Lots of ways to spice it up if wanted.

Nutrition