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.
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Notes
Nutrition
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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!
Has anyone tried to make this in a cast iron skillet? Anyone try it with uncooked chicken? Love some feedback!
Very similar to mine except I use about 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts with southwest seasoning (Mrs.Dash is a great one-no salt) then when almost done I add the salsa (16 oz jar), chicken broth, black beans, rice and I also use green chilis.( Have used bell peppers, onion and corn before different ways and love both versions.)
Cover then cook till rice is done. Delicious. So this one sounds easier and quicker-which is always a plus – I just happened to like my chicken getting seasoned while I cook it-tastes awesome.
I added one teaspoon cumin, one tspn smoked paprika, one tspn salt, one tspn smoked chipotle peppers. Topped with the onions plus fresh cilantro leaves and diced tomatoes. When I make this again I’ll up the chicken stock to two cups but cook for the same amount of time.
Another awesome dish. Will make again & again.
Super quick, easy and delicious recipe! I picked up a rotisserie chicken and added a can of corn to bulk it up. I did have to stir quite a bit to prevent sticking and add more broth to the pot I used since I didn’t have a heavy-bottomed one. The results were delicious and everyone went back for more. Will make again soon!
OMG! I just made this and it is incredible! I made my own salsa (I´m from Mexico so it´s prohibited to use store bought haha no it´s not) and added a serrano pepper to give it an extra kick and it turned out AWESOME! I can´t believe this only uses one pot, I love this recipe to death. Thank you!!
My only disappointment in this came from not having a tight fitting lid for my skillet. I had to simmer the mixture for a lot longer for the rice to finally cook. Next time, I’ll just cook it separately in my rice cooker.
Overall, the flavor is pretty good. I added a bunch more spices & herbs: smoked paprika, chile powder, Mexican oregano, cumin, black pepper, salt, garlic powder. Next time I might add a couple diced serranos.
I think I screwed something up… the rice didn’t really cook properly, but overall pretty good.
I can burn water (ask if you’re curious), and I was able to make this pretty easy. However, I think I used too weak of salsa as it didn’t have much bite left after cooking, and it was brilliant with hot sauce.
How would you recommend I do to add heat to this dish next time I cook it up?
Thanks again for putting this up, as I’m both a visual learner and a numbers guy, so I was able to grok this easily!
An easy way to add heat to any dish is to add a pinch (or two) of cayenne pepper. That should take care of it. :) OR, you could slice up a jalapeno and add that in the beginning, although that might be a little more difficult to control the level of heat.
This recipe jumped out at me so I decided to have a go. Here in the UK the ingredients came to £8, *but* I have enough to make about three meals – two really big ones – so it’s still very good value. I substituted spring onions for green onions and red kidney beans for black beans.
The bit in point one about using a heavy skillet is a great piece of advice – I used a nondescript metal pot and ended up with a layer of burned rice. That’ll teach me to skimp on kitchenware.
Taste-wise it’s surprisingly mild. I wolfed it down too quickly to remember the taste but I think I was expecting it to be really hot. I didn’t add any sauces or olive oil and the result was a bit dry, so perhaps I overcooked it. From prep to plate took about forty minutes in total and I like the easiness – “dump ingredients in pot, wait” – so I’m probably going to be absolutely sick of this in a week, ’cause it’s all I’m going to eat!
Yep, the flavor in this dish really depends on what type of salsa you get. So if you get a mild salsa, it probably won’t taste like much. Experiment with different salsas and you might get more flavor next time. :)
jfyi spring onions and green onions are the same thing just different names depending on which side of the pond you live. like courgettes and zucchini and eggplant and aubergine…
This looks absolutely delicious and I plan to try it later in the week! However, would it work to substitute pinto beans for the black beans in the recipe? I’m not much a fan of black beans, but I don’t have enough experience cooking with beans to feel confident in just subbing them out.
Yep, that should work just fine. :)
Can you use minute rice in this or will it get too mushy.
You’d definitely need to adjust the amount of liquid, but I’ve never used minute rice so I’m not sure how to adjust it. :(
i used 10min brown rice yesterday night and it was delicious
What kind of salsa did you use? It looks like Pace
I don’t remember specifically, but I tend to just buy the generic store brand. So, unless there was something else on sale, it was generic. :)
I’m the oldest sibling in a large family, so when I make this I usually double it and add a can of corn, then serve with tortillas or cornbread. The only problem I have with this recipe is that the leftovers somehow manage to disappear before I can pack any up for lunches.
Can’t wait to try the recipe. I just wanted to comment that the app you use, Ziplist, it seems like they no longer support their Android app. I don’t know if you’ve had similar issues, or with the iPhone app, but maybe consider switching services so that we can all use it? Thanks!
Hmm, they still advertise that they have an Android app. I would suggest contacting their support to see what’s up. I’m sorry it’s not working for you. :(
This was the most brilliant way to use up the rest of my thanksgiving left.
Fantastic recipe!