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One Pot Mexican Chicken and Rice is made of chicken, rice and vegetables cooked in a flavorful tomato broth. Everything cooks together in one pan and comes together in about 30 minutes, for a simple, flavorful meal with no mess and easy clean up!
Your family will love this Mexican chicken and rice recipe, and you’re going to love how easy it is to make. Be sure to try some of our other Mexican inspired favorites, like Pozole Rojo with Chicken and Mexican Sopes.
Table of Contents
Why We Love One Pot Mexican Chicken and Rice
Easy, One Pan Meal – This means less dishes so I’m totally here for that. All of the ingredients cook at the same time in one skillet for super easy clean up.
40 Minutes – I love a dinner that I can get on the table in about 40 minutes.
Great for leftovers – This dish freezes well and is great for leftovers the next day.
Ingredients Needed for Mexican Chicken and Rice
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts – Chicken thighs can be used instead.
- Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper
- White Rice – You need a long grain white rice; Jasmine or Basmati rice will also work.
- Chicken Broth – Adds lots of flavor to the dish. I recommend getting low sodium chicken stock or broth. You can use water as a replacement, but you’ll need to add salt.
- Tomato Sauce – A small can.
- Caldo de Tomate – This is tomato bouillon, a mix of powdered chicken bouillon and tomato powder with the flavors of onion, parsley and spices.
- Garlic – 2 teaspoons or 3 garlic cloves.
- Chili Powder
- Frozen Veggies – Peas & carrots or mixed vegetables
How to Make It
- Start by sauteing chunks of seasoned boneless, skinless chicken breast in olive oil. You can also use other cuts of boneless chicken. The key is for the pieces to be the same size to promote even cooking.
- Push the chicken to the side and add a teaspoon of olive oil to the empty side of the skillet. Add some long grain white rice and stir for a minute until the rice begins to turn translucent.
- Add tomato sauce, tomato bouillon, chicken stock, minced garlic, and frozen veggies to the skillet. Stir everything together and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover the pot and let it cook for 20 minutes or until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed.
- Let the chicken and rice sit for a few minutes before serving.
Serving Suggestions
This is a complete meal all in one pan, so there is no need to serve anything on the side if you don’t want to. Just top with avocado, sliced olives, green onions, and a squeeze of lime. However, if you’re looking to stretch this meal a little further, here are a few suggestions:
- Warm flour tortillas
- Cheesy quesadillas
- Olive Garden Salad
- Slow Cooker Mexican Beans
- Pico de Gallo
- Guacamole
- Classic Margaritas
Variations
Spicy – Want to crank up the heat? Add some diced jalapenos or cayenne pepper to the rice mixture.
Cheesy rice – At the end and after you’ve fluffed up the rice, sprinkle on some grated sharp cheddar or Jack cheese.
Rice – This recipe has not been tested with brown rice. It can be used, but will require an additional 20-30 minutes of cook time.
Add some black beans – Drain and rinse a can of black beans and add them in place of or with the vegetables.
What to Do With leftovers
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Freezing: To freeze, place leftovers in a freezer bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3-4 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheating: I find it best to reheat on the stovetop over low-medium heat. It may be necessary to add a small amount of water to rehydrate the rice. Reheat in the microwave for 60-90 seconds, stirring about halfway through.
- For the veggies, you can use any frozen veggies that you have on hand. Fresh can be used but I recommend cooking them separately and adding them at the end to keep them from getting mushy.
- Jasmine rice works great if you don’t have long grain white rice.
- The Caldo de Tomat is a granulated tomato bouillon. It’s usually found in the Hispanic aisle of the grocery store or at hispanic markets, but can be left out if you’re not able to find it. To get the tomato flavor, you can add a tablespoon of tomato paste instead.
More Easy Mexican Inspired Recipes
- Chicken Enchiladas
- Refried Beans Recipe
- Authentic Mexican Rice
- The Best Shrimp Fajitas
- Red Chicken Pozole Soup
- Mexican Sopes Recipe
One Pot Mexican Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- olive oil
- Salt & pepper
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 8 ounces canned tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon Caldo de Tomat (tomato bouillon) optional, can be left out
- 2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 1/2 cups frozen peas & carrots or mixed vegetables
Instructions
- Cut chicken into one-inch pieces and season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and add chicken. Cook until just barely browned, but not cooked through.
- Push chicken to the side and add a teaspoon of oil to the empty side of the pan. Add one cup of long grain white rice and saute for one minute, stirring constantly. Add remaining ingredients, stir, and bring to a boil.
- Cover and reduce heat to low for about 20 minutes or until rice is tender and fluffy. If there is still liquid in the pan, uncover and simmer until the liquid is reduced.
- Let sit for several minutes for the sauce to thicken, then garnish with sliced olives or cilantro if desired.
Notes
- Jasmine rice works great if you don’t have long grain white rice.
- The Caldo de Tomat is tomato bouillon and can be left out.
- For the veggies, you can use any frozen veggies that you have on hand. Fresh can be used but I recommend cooking them separately and adding them at the end to keep them from getting mushy.
- Leftovers:
- Refrigerate for up to 3-4 days
- Freeze for up to 4-6 months.
- Reheat in the microwave or on the stove top (recommended).
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
If you enjoyed this recipe, be sure to check out all of my one pot meals!
I found this recipe very bland. I added taco seasoning, onions, and finally a can of Rotel diced tomatoes with chili’s. It gets very thick if you don’t eat it immediately when done. So I’m going to just add beans and make a sort of soup/ chili.
I was so disappointed because I was looking forward to trying this. I won’t make it again.
It would definitely get very thick if you added all of those things to it. It sounds like it probably needed salt. That would elevate the flavors.
Very yummy and so easy!
Thank you Tori.
Absolutely delicious and so easy! Can add anything and still delicious! I used tomato paste in place of tomato bouillon. And bell peppers and onions. Turned out great!
Nice! Thank you for the awesome feedback Tara.
So quick, so easy and it tasted amazing!!! I will definitely be making this again!!!
Thank you Trisha! and thank you for stopping by to leave some feedback.