Go Back
–+ servings
southwest chicken and rice in a skillet with a wooden spoon inside.
Print Recipe
4.80 from 5 votes

Southwest Chicken And Rice Skillet

This delicious quick and easy Southwest Chicken and Rice Skillet is a one-pan meal that’s full of fresh colorful ingredients and bursting with layers of flavor! It’s perfectly spiced sautéed tender chicken cooked together with rice, black beans, and fresh salsa and then topped with cheddar cheese! It's so darn tasty, you'll want to make it every week!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4
Calories: 582kcal
Author: Joanna Cismaru

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter unsalted
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 1 pound chicken breasts skinless and boneless cut into bite size pieces
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 cup long grain rice uncooked
  • 1 cup salsa
  • 1 cup black beans
  • 2 cups chicken broth low sodium
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
  • 2 green onions chopped
  • ½ medium tomato diced
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for about 3 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally.
  • Add the chicken cubes to the skillet and season with chili powder, cumin and oregano. Cook for another 3 to 5 minutes until chicken is no longer pink.
  • Add the rice, salsa, black beans and chicken broth to the skillet and stir until everything is well combined. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover the skillet with a lid. Cook for 15 minutes covered.
  • Turn off the heat and allow the rice to rest for another 5 minutes before removing the lid. Fluff the rice and chicken with a fork, then sprinkle the cheddar cheese over the rice and cover with the lid again. Wait for 1 to 2 minutes until the cheese melts.
  • Finally, remove the lid and garnish the rice with chopped green onions and diced tomatoes.

Notes

  1. Rinse the rice before cooking. Just put it under cool running water in a strainer to remove any debris and powdery starch. Doing this will result in fluffier cooked rice. 
  2. Coat the chicken in spices. Once you add the spices to the pan with the chicken be sure to coat the chicken well in them as it cooks to create the most flavor.
  3. Do not disturb the lid. For the 15 minutes that the rice is cooking, do not remove the lid. This will disrupt the steaming process and potentially result in rice that is not cooked properly.
  4. Leftover southwest chicken and rice will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months in an airtight container.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 582kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 116mg | Sodium: 862mg | Potassium: 1062mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1599IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 282mg | Iron: 3mg