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!
I’m a vegetarian so left out the chicken and bumped the rice up to 2 cups. I also added a tsp. of ground cumin and some chopped yellow onion for extra flavor. I was surprised that it was ready in about 15 minutes (I guess I had the heat up too high?) but the rice was cooked and the flavors great. So easy and delicious! Thanks!
For a broke grad student with no extra time for extravagant meals, this was perfect. Thank you so much! (I also squeezed a tinyyyy bit of lime juice on the top when I was done and it was really good).
So perfect
Made this tonight for my roommates and they all loved it! There’s only a little left for my lunch tomorrow and I made a double batch! It was wonderful!
Taking the ovwvriee, this post is first class
This is a delicious recipe. It’s so simple to prepare that it reminds me of a more delicious and healthier version of a box of chicken helper.
Yum! This is delicious. And fast. It gave me a good excuse to use up a chicken a roasted a few days ago. I used brown rice in mine. I parboiled the brown rice for about 20 minutes, then proceeded with the recipe as written. It worked great. The rice was fluffy and cooked thoroughly.
I agree with other’s opinions on the salsa. I used mild (what I had on hand) and it does make the dish a little bland. I’ll experiment with another type of salsa and probably throw in a hot pepper next time; I added some cayenne, as I do with most southwest dishes, but it didn’t add much heat. Still tasty, though!
Thanks! Worked great for 5 days of lunch. Cheap easy meal prep.
Hi Beth! I’m sure you’ve been asked this before but is this freezer friendly? I want to portion out and freeze but not sure how it would hold up with the cheese an everything.
Yep, this one works great in the freezer. Cheese, surprisingly, freezes really well. You can even freeze extra block or shredded cheese. :)
Thank you for always replying, your blog is the best! I plan my meals throughout the week with your recipes ;)
I made this and included a can of hominy, almost makes it taste like it’s in a corn tortilla.
This recipe is so good.
had this for dinner tonight and i wish i had taken you more seriously when you said you wished for ten more bowls. all i can say is next time i make this, i will have to double it. the only change i made was to use beans i made myself in my crockpot.
So I took a crack at making this with brown rice, and since I was currently out of beans (I make all mine from dry and store them in ziplock in the freezer) I used green lentils. Doubled the liquid. So so so so so good. Took a little bit longer, but not bad. I’ve made this twice for my night shifts now, as the big dose of complex carbs and protein (and general tastiness) keeps my stomach full without sending me into a carb coma the way white rice does. Super excellent!
I’m currently a college student at Texas A&M with little spending money due to the fact that I pay all of my own bills. This recipe has been a LIFE SAVER! I’ve made it 3 times in the past 4 weeks and I’m about to make it again! It’s so easy and delicious and my best friend and her roommate have asked for the recipe. Thank you so much for everything you do!
Hands down one of my favorite dishes – it’s so easy and delicious. I usually squeeze a bit of lime over the cheese and serve on tortillas or as it is!
Love this recipe… I use it and tweak it all the time
Most recent version also included red onion, cooked down ahead of time, a few cloves of garlic and a can of corn. So good!! I Tupperware it without cheese, then add the cheese when I reheat leftovers.