Cheesy Chicken Rice Skillet
A hearty one-pan meal combining seasoned chicken, rice, Rotel, and tomato sauce, topped with creamy white queso and fresh cilantro for a comforting and flavorful dish.
Equipment
- 1 large skillet with lid
- 1 Knife and cutting board
- 1 measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breast or thighs cut into small pieces
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried cilantro
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup long grain white rice uncooked and rinsed
- 10 oz can Rotel
- 8 oz can tomato sauce
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- White queso cheese dip store-bought or homemade
- Fresh cilantro chopped
- Flour tortillas optional
- Tortilla chips optional
- Taco sauce or Pico de Gallo optional
Instructions
- Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Melt butter and add chicken.
- Season chicken with salt, black pepper, cayenne, cumin, dried cilantro, and chili powder. Cook until chicken is fully cooked, stirring occasionally.
- Push cooked chicken to the skillet edges. Add olive oil to the center and add rinsed rice, stirring to toast lightly for 2 minutes.
- Add Rotel, tomato sauce, minced garlic, and chicken broth. Stir to combine and mix chicken back in.
- Cover skillet and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.
- Top with white queso cheese dip and sprinkle with fresh chopped cilantro.
- Serve warm in flour tortillas or with tortilla chips. Optionally top with taco sauce or Pico de Gallo. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use chicken breast or thighs according to preference.
- Rinse rice to reduce starch and avoid stickiness.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days, reheat with broth or water.
- This meal is ready in about 30 minutes using one skillet.