Cheesy Mexican Chicken and Rice Skillet is an easy make-ahead weeknight dinner! It’s filled with tomatoes, corn, green chiles, cheese, and spices.
Get ready for your new go-to chicken dinner! Cheesy Mexican Chicken and Rice Skillet is a one pot meal filled with flavor and texture! First, the Mexican chicken marinade is so incredibly easy, you can always have it on hand in the freezer or ready to cook in the fridge. The chicken in this recipe is infused with so much smokey, savory flavors from the fresh garlic, chili powder, and cumin. It’s great for not only this recipe, but for quick tacos, quesadillas, burrito or taco bowls, or fajitas!
Then, to complete the meal, tomatoes, green chiles, corn, more mexican spices, rice, cheese, and scallions are added. We are talking one delicious one pot meal! It’s a great option for Taco Tuesday theme night dinners!
Marinate and Freeze Meat for Easy Dinners!
I absolutely love to use my freezer for meal prep and saving leftover ingredients. One of the best ways to use your freezer is to prep, portion out, and marinate chicken or beef or pork or seafood. Check out this and more Freezer Tips and Ideas for easy dinners!
The meat plus the few other ingredients all go into the storage bag or container. Then freeze or let them marinate for 1 hour up to overnight. Here are a few of my favorite ideas for marinating meat…
- Hungarian Paprika Chicken
- Garlic Lime Shrimp
- Fajita Pork Tenderloin
- Korean Flank Steak
- Mediterranean Chicken
Want more tips for making busy family dinners easier? Click here for my Free Printable 5 Simple Steps to Easy Family Dinners!
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Simple Ingredients and Swaps
Fridge and Fresh Ingredients
- Chicken Breasts Strips, Boneless Skinless – I always have raw boneless skinless chicken breasts in the freezer as they can last up to 12 months if in an airtight container or packaging. Check out all of my tips on Prepping and Storing Chicken for Easier Dinners.
- Fresh Garlic, minced – Fresh is best when it comes to garlic, but you can buy pre-minced garlic to save time or mince it in bulk and freeze it for use when you need it!
- Corn kernels – Freshly cut from the cob or frozen kernels will both work here.
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese – You can also use Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, or any other favorite shredded cheese.
- Scallions (green onions) – I love scallions for the green color and mild onion-flavor. You can swap with finely minced yellow or red onion or even shallots.
Pantry Ingredients
- Uncooked White Rice
- Canned Diced Tomatoes – I used San Marzano Tomatoes for this recipe. Diced is great because you want to get those tomato chunks, but if all you have is crushed or pureed, then that will work.
- Green Chilies – I used the small 4 ounce can of Goya Roasted Green Chiles as they are mild, but very flavorful.
- Dried Oregano – You can use fresh if you have it, but I always have dried on hand. If you don’t have it, you can leave it out or substitute with dried cilantro.
- Chili Powder – Chili Powder really provides the smokey flavor in this recipe.
- Ground Cumin – Cumin is the other smokey, traditional Mexican flavor in this recipe.
Simple Equipment for Cheesy Mexican Chicken and Rice
For this one pan dinner, you will need a large skillet/frying pan. I use my absolute favorite 12″ Ceramic Pan, which is great because food really does slide right off with minimal oil and I don’t have to worry about food sticking and burning. You could also make it in the oven in a dutch oven or small roasting pan with a lid.
Mincing garlic is made super easy with a Garlic Press.
Time Saving Prep-Ahead Steps for Mexican Chicken and Rice
We are all extremely busy and making dinner during the week can be overwhelming. Here are steps you can prepare ahead to save time on busy nights! (See the full recipe below)
If your chicken is not already cut into thin strips, do that now.
The chicken marinade recipe is super easy!
In a storage bag or storage container, add olive oil, garlic, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Mix together, then add the raw chicken breasts. You can marinade the chicken in the sauce for 1 hour up to 8 hours. You can also freeze the chicken in marinade at this point and use it up to 4 months later!
I also recommend cooking the rice ahead and then warming it up to save time.
Cooking Steps for Cheesy Mexican Chicken and Rice
Preheat a skillet on high, add a teaspoon of Olive Oil and spread around. Remove the marinated chicken breasts and add to the hot skillet. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until there is no longer any pink on the chicken.
Once the chicken is cooked, mix in the canned diced tomatoes, green chilies, frozen corn, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Turn down the heat and over Medium heat, cook covered, for 5 minutes. Then mix in the cooked rice and cook for a final 5 minutes covered.
Turn off the heat and mix in 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (the remaining will go on top) and chopped cilantro (leave a small amount for garnish).
Note, the chicken is cooked through when the internal temperature reaches 165°f.
Serve this with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of cheese and cilantro. Enjoy!
ENJOY! 😍 Carrie
Cheesy Mexican Chicken and Rice FAQS
This Mexican Chicken and Rice recipe is gluten free with the ingredients listed. Check all packaging ingredient labels to ensure that it does not contain gluten.
You can use chicken thighs in this recipe. I recommend boneless skinless chicken thighs. For 1 pound of chicken, you will likely need 5-6 boneless skinless thighs, depending on their size. The recipe instructions will be the same for thighs as the breasts.
You can make this Chicken and Rice ahead, making it great for meal prep! Reheat it in a microwave safe bowl and warm it for 1-2 minutes. Or place it in a covered pot on the stove on medium heat for about 10-15 minutes.
Cooked diced carrots, zucchini or red pepper would be great in this dish. You can also add black beans that have been cooked, drained, and rinsed. Finally, crushed tortilla chips, avocado, fresh cilantro, a squeeze of lime juice or queso fresco would all be great on this.
You can use this marinated chicken in any slow cooker, instant pot, or air fryer recipe calling for boneless skinless chicken breast strips. It’s also great for whole chicken breasts on the grill, broiled, or baked in the oven. Grilled chicken is great for chicken tacos too!
Have you tried this recipe? If so, please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating in the recipe below! I love to hear your feedback and your rating helps others to find this recipe. Thanks so much!
Cheesy Mexican Chicken and Rice Skillet
Ingredients
Chicken and Marinade
- 1 pound Chicken Breasts Strips, Boneless Skinless
- 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- 1 clove Garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Rice Skillet
- 1 cup Uncooked White Rice
- 2 teaspoons Olive Oil
- 28 ounces Diced Tomatoes
- 4 ounces Green Chilies
- 1 clove Garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 2 teaspoons Chili Powder
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 Cup Corn kernels, fresh or frozen
- 1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 4 Scallions (green onions), sliced
Instructions
Prep Ahead Steps
- If your chicken is not already cut into thin strips, do that now.
- In a storage bag or storage container, add olive oil, garlic, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Mix together, then add the raw chicken breasts. You can marinade the chicken in the sauce for 1 hour up to 8 hours. You can also freeze the chicken in marinade at this point and use it up to 4 months later!
- Cook the rice. Rinse the rice under water in a strainer until the water runs clear. Add to 2 cups of water with a pinch of salt and bring up to a boil. Turn the water down to a low simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Once the rice is done, turn off the heat, but leave the pot covered and undisturbed until you are ready to use. (NOTE: you can also do this step ahead and store the rice in the fridge. Just warm it up before adding it to the pot in the step below).
Skillet Cooking Steps
- Preheat a skillet on high, add a teaspoon of Olive Oil and spread around. Remove the marinated chicken breasts and add to the hot skillet. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until there is no longer any pink on the chicken.
- Once the chicken is cooked, mix in the canned diced tomatoes, green chilies, frozen corn, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Turn the heat to Medium and cook, covered, for 5 minutes. Then mix in the cooked rice and cook for a final 5 minutes covered.
- Turn off the heat and mix in 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (the remaining will go on top) and chopped cilantro (leave a small amount for garnish).
- Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of cheese and cilantro. Enjoy!
Notes
- Is this Marinated Chicken and Rice Gluten Free? This Mexican Chicken and Rice recipe is gluten free with the ingredients listed. However, as with any recipe that you find online, make sure that you double check all packaging ingredient labels to ensure that it does not contain gluten.
- Can I use chicken thighs in this Mexican Chicken and Rice? You can use chicken thighs in this Mexican Chicken and Rice. I recommend sticking with boneless skinless thighs for easy prep and cooking. Consider the amount of thighs that you will need as well. Generally, I estimate 16 ounces or 1 pound of chicken for 4 servings. That will likely mean 5-6 boneless skinless thighs, depending on their size. The recipe instructions will be the same for thighs as the breasts.
- Can I make this Mexican Chicken and Rice ahead and reheat it? You can absolutely make this Chicken and Rice ahead! This dish reheats beautifully and is a great meal prep option for enjoying several days during the week! To reheat, you can place it in a microwave safe bowl and warm it for 1-2 minutes. Or you can place it back in a pot covered on the stove and warm it on medium heat. It will take about 10-15 minutes.
- What else can I add to this Chicken and Rice recipe? You can either replace or add to the corn in this recipe. Cooked diced carrots or zucchini or red pepper would be great in this dish. You can also add black beans that have been cooked, drained, and rinsed. You could also add crushed tortilla chips mixed in or as garnish. Finally, avocado, fresh cilantro, or queso fresco would all be great on this.
mimi rippee says
Yum. My husband would love this! Not that I wouldn’t but I’d probably use half of the chicken and add avocado slices!!! Great seasoning.
Kristy Murray, Linger says
All of the spices in this Mexican Chicken Rice Dish are so yummy. I can almost taste the flavors through this computer. I love how easy you’ve made this recipe but how amazingly delicious it sounds. I can’t wait to try it. Thanks again for always sharing such great recipes.
Shel says
Delicious!! The recipe states it makes 4 servings but I think this would comfortably feed 6 people. There’s only two in our household and we had lots of leftovers to enjoy.
Carrie Tyler says
Hi Shel! You are right, this recipe could feed 4 if 2 adults and 2 teenage boys 🙂 But more likely can yield more servings for a typical family with kids. I’ll make that note in the recipe, so thanks for bring that to me!!