This healthy chicken and rice skillet recipe is a sponsored post by USA Rice Canada, but, as always, all opinions are my own. #ReachForRice
This one pot Southwest chicken and rice skillet is sure to be a family favourite! It’s loaded with flavour from spices like cumin, cayenne and smoked paprika and packs a filling punch of nutrition from whole grain brown rice and chicken thighs. Garnish to your heart’s content! This is one delicious recipe!
Hi friends! How has January been treating you so far? I gotta say, it hasn’t been too bad around here. The weather hasn’t been ‘summertime level nice’, but decent for this time of year. And I’ve been cooking up a storm with all sorts of nutritious comfort food recipes, like this chicken and rice skillet.
Chicken and Rice Skillet
You know what I love about this recipe besides the awesome flavour? It’s SO easy to prepare! You just put all the ingredients in one pot and way to go! There’s not a kitchen full of dishes required and very minimal clean up. I don’t know about you, but I need more recipes like that in my life. To be honest, though, no matter what I do in the kitchen, I somehow always make a mess; hubby can attest to that.
Benefits of Rice
Are you a fan of rice like me? It’s eaten in our home on the regular. It’s so inexpensive (like, I bought a huge four pound bag of whole grain brown rice for less than $7!). I’m pretty sure I can feed the entire street for a week on it, LOL. Plus, it’s a delicious base for so many recipes like stir fry, veggie and rice bowls and, of course, this healthy southwest chicken and rice skillet.
The main reason why I love rice is because its nutritious!! Did you know that it’s low in calories (108 calories for half a cup), it’s gluten-free and loaded with fibre! Rice is also a plant-based protein and when combined with beans (like in this recipe), it’s giving you eight essential amino acids! That’s good stuff!
Trying to keep any healthy eating new year’s resolutions on track? Well, this recipe is for you!! And one thing about me, is that I will never sacrifice flavour. I’ve been there in my younger days, eating boring ‘diet’ foods. These days in my more experienced, (or, er) older wisdom, I’m all about real food. This chicken and rice skillet hits all the important check marks for me.
If you are thinking beyond dinner, this chicken and rice recipe is delicious for breakfast with a poached egg on top!
More Easy One Pot Recipes
Hope you love this easy chicken and rice recipe!
Southwest Chicken and Rice Skillet
Ingredients
Healthy Southwest Chicken and Rice Skillet
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion , peeled and minced
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 pound boneless and skinless chicken thighs , cut into bite-sized chunks
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1 cup whole grain brown rice , rinsed and drained
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 cup canned unsalted (or no salt added) black beans , rinsed and drained
- ½ bell pepper , cut into bite-sized chunks
- 1 cup corn kernels (from about 1 ear of corn or use 1 cup frozen corn)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (optional)
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
Garnish & Serving Ideas (optional)
- Tomato , diced
- Avocado , halved, pitted, peeled and sliced
- Cilantro , chopped
- Jalapeno or pencil chili , sliced
- Lime wedges , juiced
- Yogurt or sour cream
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat, then add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook an additional minute. Add chicken, salt, black pepper, cumin, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper. Stir for a minute. Add rice, salsa, black beans, bell pepper, and corn. Stir to combine. Add butter (if using) and stir. Add chicken broth and stir to combine.
- Bring broth up to a light simmer and cook, covered, for about 40 minutes. You may way to stir partway through to ensure it's not sticking. Also, ensure that the simmer is not too rapid so that the broth absorbs too quickly.
- When liquid is absorbed and rice and chicken are fully cooked through, turn off heat and let sit, still covered, for 10 minutes. Remove cover and stir. Portion and garnish, as desired, with any of the garnish ideas. Enjoy!
Notes
- When cutting the chicken, you want about 4 to 5 chunks per thigh. I left it on the larger size so it can withstand the cooking time. Chicken thighs can withstand longer cooking times than chicken breasts too.
- Keep in mind that the spicier the salsa you use, the spicier this recipe will be. If you are using a spicy salsa, you may want to omit the cayenne.
- When cooking this dish, it is important that it’s on a light simmer. You want the rice to cook and liquid to absorb, but you don’t want to burn the rice.
Nutrition (ESTIMATE ONLY)
Nutrition estimate (if provided) is based on 1 Serving.
Nutrition information (if provided) is provided as a courtesy and should be considered an estimate only. Ingredients can vary and Girl Heart Food makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are guidelines only.
Sarah
You know what? I DO love rice! I cook with it all the time, and it’s fabulous. I haven’t done much with brown rice, but I really should change that! This sounds so yummy 😀
Girl Heart Food
You should! Nice and hearty! Thanks Sarah 🙂
Natasha @ Salt & Lavender
I think I’d love this… especially with that avocado on top!
Girl Heart Food
I’m sure you would 😉 Thank you so much Natasha!
Agness of Run Agness Run
This is an exceptional lunch recipe which my family will love, Dawn! I love the combination of nutrient-dense ingredients which make this dish finger-licking!
Girl Heart Food
Happy to hear that, Agness! Thank you 🙂
Neha
This one pot meal sounds like my plan of a weeknight dinner. Thanks for such a wonderful and easy recipe. I love southwest flavors. Gonna give this one a try!
Girl Heart Food
Yay! Hope you enjoy it, Neha!
Shauna | Linden & Lavender
One pot meals are the way to go! This recipe sounds great- I need to switch up my weekday routine so as to not have too much pasta. Plus, everything is better when those toppings are included!
Girl Heart Food
They sure are 😉 Gotta love the garnish! Thanks Shauna!!
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice
I love easy meals like this! Especially when they’re filled with southwest flavors, one of my favorites! I could easily make a meal out of this for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Such a delicious dish! Pinned! Happy Monday to you!
Girl Heart Food
Thank you so much, Gayle! Have a great week 🙂
Marissa
I was just saying to Keith that we need more go-to weeknight meal that can be made in one pot and this fits the bill perfectly – so many flavors that we both love! Thank you, my friend!
Girl Heart Food
Yay! Happy to hear that! Thanks Marissa 🙂
Charlotte
I love a good southwest dinner and this looks perfect for weeknight dinner. yum!
Girl Heart Food
Thanks Charlotte! It sure is 🙂
Christina
These types of recipes are my absolute favorite! I love southwest flavors, I love healthy, and I love easy to prepare! Meaning, I straight up LOVE this recipe and I can’t wait to try it! Pinning!
Girl Heart Food
Woo hoo! Thanks so much, Christina – appreciate that! Have a great weekend 🙂
Jessica
Yum yum yum! I love one-pot meals and this sounds so so delish! I can see adding this to our weekly meal planning lineup!
Girl Heart Food
Me too! Thanks a million, Jessica! Hope you love it 🙂
Vanessa @ Zest & Simmer
I love skillet meals like this, and this one has some of my favourite flavours in it!!! Great job with this one! 🙂
Girl Heart Food
Me too! Thank you so much, Vanessa 🙂
Leanne | Crumb Top Baking
Love that this is a one pan meal Dawn! My husband can also attest to the huge mess I make in the kitchen, so one pot meals are a win in our house! I also love that this dish is both hearty and healthy! A perfect winter meal! Happy weekend!
Girl Heart Food
It sure is! Thanks Leanne! Happy weekend to you too 🙂
Katherine | Love In My Oven
This is totally my kind of meal, Dawn!! I love skillet meals, I love rice, I love chicken, I love southwest spices….seriously, there is nothing NOT to love in here!! Can’t wait to try it and let you know how we love it!! I hope you have a great weekend!!
Girl Heart Food
Happy to hear that, Katherine!! You’re too sweet! Yes, do that! Hope you love it as much as we do. Have a great weekend too 🙂
Ann
I can so relate to making a mess in the kitchen. The concept of “clean as you go” is totally lost on me, so this recipe is made for me! Rice is a staple around here for sure. I’ve recently started making it over the weekend and re-heating as needed throughout the week. It reheats beautifully, and rice-based dishes make the best leftovers I find 🙂
Girl Heart Food
Glad to hear I’m not the only one 😉 I try to clean as I go, but in the end, it’s still a mess, lol. It definitely does reheat lovely, perfect for busy weekdays 🙂
Sues
This NEEDS to be added to my weekly meal plan. Loving it!!
Girl Heart Food
It does, it does! Thank you Sues!
Thao @ In Good Flavor
I can really get into this dish! It has great flavor, fortifying, easy to make, and looks DELICIOUS! And it’s chicken and rice, which I’m always in a mood for!
Girl Heart Food
Woo hoo! Thanks Thao! It really is quite tasty 🙂 Hope you get a chance to try it out!
Katie Crenshaw
This is the perfect weeknight meal for my family. Every ingredient in this is something my daughter would actually eat…which is a small miracle!! YUMMMM! Thank you for the great recipe.
Girl Heart Food
It sure is 😉 That’s awesome to hear! Thank you Katie 🙂
[email protected]
This has Thursday night dinner written all over it! My hubby loves anything with rice – he’ll be a happy guy! Have a wonderful weekend, my friend! XOXO
Girl Heart Food
It really does 😉 Thanks Annie! Have a great weekend too! XOXO
Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen
This is my favorite kind of dinner–easy, but delicious and nutritious. And comforting too! All those spices make me smile :). I’m glad your weather is a little better; berry season will be here before we know it and I can’t wait! Have a great weekend, Dawn!
Girl Heart Food
Totally! So happy to hear that, Kelsie! Have a wonderful weekend 🙂
David @ Spiced
We absolutely love rice around our house, too! This southwestern version is not just calling my name…it’s screaming my name! As in, I need to stop everything I’m doing and go make this one for dinner. I love the flavors you’ve got going on here, Dawn! Thanks for sharing, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend ahead! 🙂
Girl Heart Food
Woo hoo! Happy to hear that, David! You really do 😉 Have a wonderful weekend too 🙂
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen
Thank goodness you’ve posted a healthy recipe today Dawn, since mine was a little on the not so healthy side! This looks like something Tom and I would both enjoy too! Pinning. Happy weekend!
Girl Heart Food
Haha! Thank you Mary Ann! Hope you get a chance to try it out soon 🙂 Happy weekend to you too!
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers
Love all the flavours you’ve got going in this skillet! A great quick and easy meal 🙂
Girl Heart Food
Thank you Jennifer 🙂