Southwest Chicken & Rice

The perfect one pot meal with chicken, rice, veggies, and fajita seasoning!

I feel like it has been so long since I made a one pot rice recipe. I was looking forward to this one because it reminds me of a recipe I used to make all the time when I was first blogging 14ish years ago. This one has a few differences - namely it’s made in a skillet instead of the crockpot. I like that this is a one pot meal and I don’t have to dirty everything in the kitchen. This recipe has bell peppers and corn like the other one, but this one also has tomatoes and black beans as well. It’s a really well balanced dish and again…one pot for the win!

What You Need:

• 1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced into bite-size pieces

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil

• 1 packet fajita seasoning mix

• 1 Tbsp. butter

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced

• 1 red bell pepper, diced

• 1 green bell pepper, diced

• 3 cloves minced garlic

• 1 can (15 oz) fire roasted diced tomatoes

• 1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained

• 1 tsp. chili powder

• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

• 1/2 tsp. paprika

• 1/4 tsp. ground coriander

• 2 1/4 cups chicken broth

• 1 cup dry long grain white rice

• 1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese

• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced

• 2 Tbsp. lime juice

• 1 can (8 oz) corn, drained

Directions:

1. Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat.

2. Add diced chicken and season with fajita seasoning.

3. Stir and cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until lightly golden brown and cooked through.

4. Remove chicken from skillet, set aside chicken on a plate, and cover to keep warm.

5. In the same skillet, add remaining 1 Tbsp. oil with 1 Tbsp. butter.

6. Add onion and bell peppers. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until softened.

7. Add garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds.

8. Add tomatoes, black beans, chili powder, cumin, paprika, coriander, and chicken broth. Stir together.

9. Add rice and stir, making sure it is submerged in the liquid.

10. Bring to a boil. Cover with a lid and reduce heat to low.

11. Simmer for 20 to 23 minutes, stirring halfway through, until no excess liquid remains and rice is cooked.

12. Turn off heat. Fluff rice with a fork.

13. Stir in 1 cup cheese, cilantro, lime juice, corn, and cooked chicken.

14. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Cover with the lid and let stand for a few minutes until cheese melts.

Recipe from The Chunky Chef