30 minutes, one pan, and minimal skill will get you a tasty, healthy weeknight dinner. A complete meal all in one bursting with tender chicken, tasty rice, and a great Mexican attitude.
Introduction
This is my quick and easy version of a Mexican flavored chicken and rice dinner. By using Minute Rice as the base and Rotel for most of the flavoring, it comes together in under 30 minutes.
What I wanted:
- I didn't want that bland white rice taste. The rice needed some "pop" to it.
- I wanted chicken included in the cooking method. Precooked chicken would work, but the is planning ahead, and I don't usually have that.
- Some great taste with a little spice.
- Easy and quick enough, I can do it after a 12 hour day.
- It must use things I always have — no special trip to the store.
Start with a couple of skinless boneless chicken breasts then add some onion, garlic, a few spices, a can each of RoTel and chicken broth. Finally, some minute rice and you are done. Really good.
I have no inspiration recipe for this. I wanted to do a stovetop chicken and rice, but Google was not my friend this time. Way too many recipes with cans of soup again. And again, I refuse to participate in that farce. I wanted tasty rice with a little spice.
My Rating
High 4 or low 5.
🐓The Chicken
While I chose skinless boneless chicken breast, you can use chicken tenders or skinless thighs. This is not a recipe that will produce wonderful skin on the chicken. But bone-in thighs are OK.
Precooked chicken, like rotisserie chicken, would work well for this recipe. Add about 3 cups of shredded chicken after cooking the onion along with the chicken broth.
🌶️The Rotel
Rotel is diced tomatoes with some mild green chilies along with a few spices. It comes in various heat levels, so use the version you want.
If you don't have, or don't want to use Rotel, then drain a 14-15 oz. can of diced tomatoes. A can of mild chilies would be nice to add, also.
📖Tex-Mex Casseroles
Easy Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
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Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
Start with things I always have on hand.
Trim and cut two skinless boneless chicken breasts. Cut into convent size pieces.
Take 1 tablespoon butter and melt over medium-high heat.
When the butter is starting to bubble, add the chicken. Cook about 5 minutes per side initially. While the chicken is cooking, dice a small or ½ medium onion and crush two large cloves of garlic.
After the chicken has cooked 10 minutes, add the onion and garlic. Cook until chicken has an internal temp of 160°. About five more minutes. (a total of 15 minutes)
Add one 14.5 oz can chicken broth, a 10.5 oz can RoTel, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and 1 teaspoon chili powder. Mix well and bring to boil over medium-high heat.
Add 2 cup Minute Rice and stir in well and get most of the rice off the top of the chicken.
Cover and remove from heat. In 5 minutes, stir well, and serve. It is done in 25 minutes.
📖The Recipe Card with Step-by-Step Instructions
30-Minute Mexican Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoons butter
- 14.5 oz chicken broth
- 10.5 oz RoTel
- 1 onion - small or ½ medium
- 2 cloves garlic - large crushed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 cups Minute Rice
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Take 1 tablespoon butter and melt over medium-high heat.
- When the butter is starting to bubble, add the chicken. Cook about 5 minutes per side initially. While the chicken is cooking, dice a small or ½ medium onion, and crush two large cloves of garlic.
- After the chicken has cooked 10 minutes, add the onion and garlic. Cook until chicken has an internal temp of 160°. About five more minutes. (a total of 15 minutes)
- Add one 14.5 oz can chicken broth, a 10.5 oz can RoTel, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and 1 teaspoon chili powder. Mix well and bring to boil over medium-high heat.
- Add 2 cup Minute Rice and stir in well and get most of the rice off the top of the chicken.
- Cover and remove from heat. In 5 minutes, stir well, and serve. Done in 25 minutes.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- You can use chicken thighs if you wish, and even bone-in should be fine.
- You can use precooked chicken, like a rotisserie chicken. Cook the onion, then add with the broth.
- This is made for Minute Rice, simmering for other rice will overcook everything else.
- Good refrigerated for 3-4 days. I never recommend freezing rice.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Originally Published September 10, 2013. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Phil Trokanski says
Hi Dr.Dan,
Question how big a pan is this 12 inch?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Phil,
Welcome to the blog.
That is a 12 inch. It will probably fit in a slightly smaller if that is all you have with a lid. Do not use cast iron due to the tomatoes.
Enjoy your dinner.
Dan
Mrs B says
I do a similar dish. I brown chicken and onion first then set aside. I then dry fry long grain rice in oil until rice changes colour. Then I add stock and taco sauce. Cover and simmer until rice is nearly done, then re add chicken and onions and some peas and corn. Takes a lot longer than your recipe.
DrDan says
Hi Mrs. B
I really like chicken and rice variations. I was "rice impaired" for many yrs and defaulted fool proof minute rice recipes. I still like it so it creeps into my cooking especially in dishes like this.
Thanks for the note
Dan
jessica mcmanus says
random question:)
I've noticed you use different forms of salt (ionized, kosher etc) how much does the form of salt you use influence a dish? Is it bad to use one over the other? Ive googled this question before when trying one of the tenderloin recipes but it was kinda confusing!
Dan Mikesell says
Let's talk basic salt. Table salt as pictured above. This is what I tend to use when cooking where it just dissolves. Diamond Crystal Kosher salt is larger grained and it take 50%. Morton kosher is even larger grain and it takes twice as much. So the equivalent is :
1 teaspoon table salt = 1 1/4 teaspoon Morton kosher salt = 2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
Outside of baking, salt is mostly to taste anyways. I always picture what I used but if I say salt, it is table salt or equivalent. If I say course salt I try to mean the salt pictured but really substitute back and forth between the Morton and Diamond Crystal since they are close.
Sea salt is about like Morton. The fancier designer salts (various seas salts etc.) seems strange to me. Somebody has much better taste buds than I do... The only difference is some trace minerals.
Remember salt is just sodium chloride, nothing magic. Anymore I tend to keep the Diamond Crystal next to the stove and just equilibrate when I measure.
John Whelan says
Looks good, but I only have/use long grain rice.
Chris says
Pinned it, I like Mexican rice so one with chicken is even better, right?
Heidi Menocal says
My mother used to make something like this with ground beef and regular rice. She called it spanish rice. I think I might try your version with long grain rice as I am not a fan of minute rice.
Dan Mikesell says
I'm sure a standard rice would do but I have never had good luck with them. I initially was going to do this stove top to oven with only partly cooking the chicken and long grain rice but I "chickened" out plus time is a big issue for me right now. If you do it, let me know. Dan
PS Note to others, DO NOT just substitute other rices into this technique. The technique needs to match the rice used.
Heidi Menocal says
I will try it soon with long grain rice. I will add more broth and less rice.