Enjoy this easy one-pot cheesy Mexican chicken and rice recipe full of tender chicken, gooey cheese, and delicious Mexican rice perfect for a weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
1poundchicken breast cut into one inch cubes
6teaspoonstaco seasoning-divided
½teaspoonsalt
3tablespoonsolive oil
½mediumoniondiced
2teaspoonsminced garlic
2cupschicken brothlow sodium
14.5ouncesdiced tomatoes with green chiliescanned Rotel or similar product
1tablespoontomato paste
2cupscornfrozen or drained from a can
15.5ouncesblack beanscanned, drained
1mediumred bell pepperchopped
1cuplong grain white rice
1mediumlime
1cupcheddar cheese shreddedI used sharp cheddar, shredded
Instructions
Place the cubed chicken, two teaspoons of taco seasoning and the salt into a large bowl. Mix well until the chicken pieces are fully coated.
In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Place the onion and the garlic in the pan, heating and stirring to soften the onions, about two minutes.
Add the chicken to the onions and stir well. Continue stirring and cooking the chicken until it just begins to brown and there is not more pink on the outside, about 6-8 minutes. Note that the chicken will continue to cook so a tiny bit of pink on the inside is ok.
Place the chicken broth, tomatoes, four teaspoons of taco seasoning and tomato paste in the pan. Gently stir until the taco seasoning and the tomato paste have dissolved into the liquid.
Add the rice, corn, black beans, and bell pepper to the pan. Stir the mixture well so the seasoning dissolves into the pan. Turn the burner to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Then cover the pan and bring the heat down to a simmer (medium low) so that the entire edge of the pan is bubbling, but not the center.
Cook the rice mixture for 20 minutes, then give the rice mixture a good stir so any liquid on top is fully mixed in. Cover and cook on medium for another 3-4 minutes or until the liquid is mostly absorbed.
Squeeze the juice from one lime over the entire dish and stir. Add more salt to taste if needed.
Sprinkle shredded cheese over the top and cover. Allow the rice to sit for 1-2 minutes or until the cheese melts, Serve with your favorite garnishes in a bowl, or load into tortillas to make burritos if you prefer. Enjoy!