This one-dish meal full of chicken, rice, vegetables, black beans, cheese and a home-made taco seasoning that gives it an authentic Mexican kick.
When a Mexican-inspired meal is so colourful and laden with healthy ingredients, how could it not the best? This skillet dinner would be perfect for anything from a Cinco de Mayo celebration, pot luck or a simple family weeknight meal. It’s so easy; you just simply cook and serve everything in the same skillet. With its eye-catching presentation, everyone will be standing in line for their turn to dig in.
You’ll be surprised to know this dish is low-carb since it’s made with only ½ cup of rice and yields at least 8 servings. Because it’s bulked up with meat, vegetables, beans and cheese, it’s satisfying and tastes amazing just like any comfort food should.
What goes in this skillet dinner
There are lots of bright fresh ingredients in this dish including a homemade taco seasoning that has chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper in it.
Preparation & process
Be sure and have all the ingredients prepped, sliced and diced in advance because the cooking process goes fast. You can even enlist the kids to help with the prep!
Brown the ground chicken.
Sauté the onion, garlic, red & green bell peppers and jalapeño until tender.
Add the rice, tomatoes, broth and lime juice and bring to a boil.
Add the black beans, corn and taco seasoning, cover with a lid and simmer until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.
Remove from heat, remove the lid, sprinkle with cheese and transfer the skillet to a preheated oven.
What does it look like when it comes out of the oven
Perfectly cooked rice with a bubbly golden cheese top is what comes out of the oven.
Recipe tips
• You could easily replace the ground chicken with ground beef if you prefer.
• This recipe works best with long grain white rice, or if you prefer, basmati or jasmine rice, but not suitable for brown rice.
• Feel free to adjust the spice level to suit your taste.
• Ideally a cast iron skillet works great for this dish but if you don’t have one, any other oven-proof skillet will work.
• Have extra limes on hand for serving – it adds an extra zing to the dish.
Making this skillet dinner ahead of time
This skillet dinner can be made ahead early in the day or up to two days ahead. In this case, I suggest you transfer the cooked ingredients from the skillet to a 9” x 12” greased casserole dish. Top with the cheese as directed, cover with foil wrap and refrigerate. Remove the dish from refrigerator 30 minutes before popping it in a preheated oven with the foil covering on. Increase the baking time by 15 minutes to ensure the rice is heated through. Remove the foil covering for the last 15 minutes of baking time.
With this fun, casual meal, you can bring a Mexican fiesta to your family dinner table just in time for Cinco de Mayo or at any time of the year!
Mexican Fiesta Chicken & Rice Skillet
A Mexican-inspired one-dish meal served right out of the skillet filled with chicken, rice, onions, bell peppers, black beans, corn, tomatoes, and cheese.
Ingredients
Taco seasoning
- 2 teaspoons up to 1 tablespoon chili powder (as desired)
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Chicken and rice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 450 g ground chicken (1lb)
- 1 medium onion diced (about 1 ½ cups)
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 each red and green pepper diced (about 1 cup each)
- 2 jalapeño peppers seeded and diced
- ½ cup long grain white rice
- 1 cup diced canned tomatoes
- 1 ¼ cups chicken broth
- ¼ cup lime juice freshly squeezed
- 1 cup black beans rinsed and drained
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
Toppings and garnish
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese for topping (about 150 grams)
- 2 green onions sliced for garnish
- Cilantro, for serving
- Lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
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In a small bowl mix the taco seasoning. Set aside.
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In a 12” oven-proof skillet (preferably a cast iron skillet) over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add ground chicken and cook while breaking it up with the back of a wooden spoon until golden-brown.
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Add onion and garlic and cook until tender, about 2 minutes.
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Add red and green diced peppers and jalapeño pepper. Cook while stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes until the peppers are just tender.
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Add rice, canned tomatoes, broth, lime juice. Stir to combine well, bring to a light bubble and cook for 2 minutes.
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Add black beans, corn and taco seasoning. Stir well to combine the ingredients. Bring to a light bubble and cook for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover with a lid, and simmer for 15 - 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender.
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Meanwhile, while the rice cooks, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
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Once the rice is done, remove from heat, sprinkle top with shredded cheese and transfer the skillet, uncovered, into the preheated oven. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
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Remove from the oven and sprinkle top with sliced green onions and cilantro. Serve right out of the skillet with lime wedges.
I love one dish meals. And this looks amazing! I’m adding this to my meal plan for next week!
What a great recipe. So full of flavour and a big hit with the family. Didn’t have ground chicken but cut up chicken breasts into small pieces and it came out fine. Thanks Rita!
Excellent recipe Rita. Easy to put together and so full of flavour. I didn’t have ground chicken so just cut chicken breasts into small pieces and it came out great.
Wendy, so glad you loved this recipe. Now you’ve inspired me to try it with small pieces cut chicken breasts instead of ground chicken! Thanks for letting me know!
Just made this for dinner tonight……it came together so easily and tastes great !!!
Susan, Thank you for making my recipe! Glad you found it easy to make and that you loved the taste! It’s a really popular one at our house too! Rita