So, you remember how much you love those Taco Chicken Bowls? And how they’re so easy because you just pour everything into the slow cooker and press go? Well guess what… You can do it in a skillet, too! Except this Southwest Chicken Skillet only takes about 30 minutes! #nolies
As long as you have some precooked chicken, whether from a store bought rotisserie or some shredded chicken that you made yourself, those yummy taco chicken bowls are about a half hour away from being in your belly. This Southwest Chicken Skillet version may even be a bit easier because there’s no need to cook the rice separately—it cooks right along with the beans, salsa, and other goods in the skillet. It’s ridiculously simple and it’s so tasty that today after I ate some for lunch I said, “I wish I had ten more bowls of that.”
Other Topping Ideas
I don’t know why beans, rice, and salsa are so good together, but I hope I never stop discovering new ways to eat them together. This is my favorite way so far. If you want to make it even more fancy, you can experiment with more toppings, like sour cream, diced avocado, or cilantro. Maybe even some crispy tortilla strips for crunch? Yum!!
Southwest Chicken Skillet
Servings 4 to 6Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice* ($0.33)
- 1 cup salsa ($0.65)
- 1.5-2 cups precooked shredded chicken** ($3.50)
- 1 15oz. can black beans ($0.49)
- 1 Tbsp chili powder*** ($0.30)
- 1 3/4 cups chicken broth**** ($0.23)
- 1 cup shredded cheese ($1.00)
- 2-3 green onions, sliced ($0.26)
Instructions
- In a large skillet, combine the rice, salsa, chicken, black beans (drained), chili powder, and chicken broth. Stir until everything is evenly combined.
- Place a tight fitting lid on the skillet, turn the heat on to high, and let the skillet come to a full boil. As soon as the skillet comes to a boil, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Make sure it is simmering the entire time, turning the heat up slightly if needed (you should be able to hear it simmer quietly).
- After 15 minutes, turn off the heat, and let it rest with the lid in place for 5 more minutes. Finally, remove the lid, and fluff the mixture with a fork. All of the liquid should be absorbed and the rice should be tender. Sprinkle 1 cup of shredded cheese over top, replace the lid, and let it sit for a few minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Meanwhile, slice the green onions. Sprinkle the green onions over the melted cheese and serve hot.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!Video
Scroll down for the step by step photos!
How to Make Southwest Chicken Skillet – Step by Step Photos
First step – so easy. In a large skillet combine 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice, 1 cup salsa, 1.5-2 cups of shredded chicken, 15oz. can black beans (drained), and 1 Tbsp chili powder. Try to use a heavy skillet with a thick bottom because that will help the rice cook evenly and help prevent it from scorching on the bottom.
Add 1.75 cups of chicken broth.
Stir everything together well. You really want to make sure the rice is evenly distributed throughout the skillet. Place a lid on the skillet, turn the heat up to high, and let it come to a full boil. As soon as it reaches a full boil, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer undisturbed for 15 minutes. Make sure it’s simmering the whole time. Turn the heat up just slightly if it stops simmering, but keep it as low as possible to prevent the rice from scorching or sticking to the bottom.
After 15 minutes, turn the heat off and let it sit for 5 minutes without removing the lid. Finally remove the lid and it should look like this – all of the liquid is absorbed and if you dig down with a fork to where the rice is, it should be tender. Most of the meat and beans will be on top and the rice will be underneath.
Fluff it up with a fork to mix everything back together. Sprinkle the shredded cheese over top, then place the lid back on top and allow the steam to melt the cheese. Once melted, sprinkle the green onions over top.
And that’s it! you’re ready to dig in.
Now that I have some pre-cooked shredded chicken in my freezer, I can have this Southwest Chicken Skillet ANYTIME I WANT! Woot!
This is a great base recipe that sounds like it can be easily adapted to other add-ins. Would you please let me know how I would adjust it so I can use brown rice instead of white? Thanks!
I think I would increase the broth to 2 cups and you’ll probably need an extra 20 minutes or so of simmering.
Made this tonight and my family gobbled it up! I was amazed that so few ingredients had such a rich flavor. Great recipe, Beth!
I cheated a bit and used some precooked quinoa I had in the freezer. Probably not as good as it would have been with the rice but not bad. :)
I don’t have any chicken but have some ground beef. Do you think that it would taste good with the beef? I was thinking I would brown it first, remove it from the pan and then stick it in at the end before putting on the cheese.
I think that’s an excellent plan!
This is going to be tonight’s Sunday supper. I am hooked on your recipes. (I’ve made Kung Pao Chicken four times since you’ve posted it and am cooking my way through your book.) Thanks so much for breathing new life into my repertoire!
i know you use a stainless steel skillet here, but is it possible to use a cast iron pan as well?
Yep, a cast iron will work really well because it heats very evenly. Just make sure you have a lid. :)
Oh, my kids would love this. Me too! Pinned.
This looks delicious! I’m just wondering about how many cups you would say this ends up making? I want to adapt this for using my rice cooker (wouldn’t exactly be hard), though I’m not entirely sure mine is big enough for all of this
It was about six cups total. :)
This looks so good, I can’t wait to make it! I don’t have any chili powder though, do you have any suggestions on creating one from other spices?
Try adding a little cumin, garlic powder, and maybe a touch of oregano. You’ll still be missing that mild chile pepper flavor, though. The salsa carries most of the flavor weight in this dish, so I’m sure it will still be awesome!
Thank you very much! I’ll give it a shot, tonight! And afterwards, I’ll get some real chili powder.
LOVE LOve love!!! Making this tomorrow. Since I’m trying to eat less meat, I’ll try doubling the beans… maybe use pintos and black. Yummumum
I’m a veg and I was just going to skip the chicken, but I love the idea of adding pinto beans too! Thanks!
I am really, really enjoying all of the one-pot meals you’ve been doing lately! There’s something about them that’s even easier than your other recipes – not that anything is ever particularly time consuming or hard. They just have a lovely, beautiful way of combining flavors!
Presto – I can make this. I have leftover chicken and all else in my pantry. Thanks!
This looks so yummy!
Yes!! Thank you for these one dish/pot/skillet meals! Exactly what I need
This looks fantastic and will be a great way to use up reserved chicken after making stock. I only have basmati rice – any idea if the cooking time would need to be adjusted for that? So many of your recipes are go-to staples for us, thanks for all of your efforts!
Basmati should cook in a similar time to long grain white rice. It’s usually just brown and white that have the major differences in cooking time. :)
How did yours turn out? I made it using reserved chicken ftom stock and it came out a little bland. I’m thinking it was either the extra moisture in the chicken or just three loss of flavor due to making the stock, but I don’t know.