This one pan rice and chicken dinner is a mixture of chicken breasts, basmati rice, peppers, onions, and corn, cooked together with green chiles and salsa verde, resulting in a flavorful dinner that cooks up in just one skillet. This Green Chile Chicken and Rice Skillet is the perfect weeknight dinner when you are short on time and don’t want to waste time washing extra dishes.
This Green Chile Chicken and Rice Skillet is a quick, easy, and flavorful dinner. Cooked up in one skillet, it is a simple weeknight dinner, perfect for busy nights when you want something comforting and delicious but don’t have a lot of time to spend cooking and cleaning up dishes. I like to cook this in my favorite enameled cast iron braiser pan because it can go from stovetop to oven to serving – plus it looks beautiful doing it. Honestly, this pan has been the best investment I have made in my kitchen recently. It has become my go to skillet for everything from quick pastas to easy one pan skillet dinners.
But back to the recipe. Cheesy one pan rice and chicken dinners are a staple for weeknight dinner menus. Offering an easy and comforting meal that comes together quickly. But let’s be honest, sometimes chicken and rice skillets can be be a little bland and boring. Not this one!
This recipe is packed with layers of flavor. The chicken is coated in a super simple spice rub with chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper, before getting a quick sear in a hot skillet. The spices coat the chicken and toast up, adding the first layer of flavor. Next adding in sliced onions, jalapeno, peppers, and corn adds extra pops of subtle sweetness and spice. As this skillet dinner bakes up in the oven, the salsa verde, green chiles, and garlic flavors penetrate throughout the rice and chicken, resulting in a super flavorful dish.
When everything is just about cooked up, I top it off with some cheese, pop it back in the oven just until the cheese melts, and you are ready to serve a super quick and flavorful meal.
How Should I Serve This Green Chile Chicken and Rice Skillet?
To serve this Green Chile Chicken and Rice Skillet, serve it right out of the pan – no need to dirty any more dishes. You can top it off with a variety of different toppings. I just squeezed a little lime over it, and called it a day, but that is only because I didn’t have any cilantro. This was definitely missing the fresh herbaceousness that cilantro brings, so don’t be like me, and make sure you have plenty of cilantro on hand for this one.
Some other topping ideas include:
- Squeeze of Fresh Lime Juice
- Chopped Fresh Cilantro
- Sliced Green Onions
- Diced Jalapeno
- Extra Salsa Verde
- Sliced Avocado
- Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt
Looking for More One Pan Dinners?
If you like this one pan rice and chicken skillet, check out some of my other skillet and one pan recipes that will help you get dinner on the table quickly and are perfect for busy weeknights.
- Maple Mustard Salmon, Brussels Sprouts, & Sweet Potato Sheet Pan Dinner
- Squash and Wild Rice Skillet with Apple Chicken Sausage
- Pork Tenderloin with Apples, Sweet Potatoes, Thyme, and Maple Mustard Sauce
- Oven Baked Chicken Thighs with Fennel and Lemon
If you make this Cheesy Green Chile Chicken and Rice Skillet recipe don’t forget to comment and rate the recipe below to let me know what you think! You can also share your photos and tag me @NamasteHomeCooking on Facebook or @NamasteHomeCooking on Instagram. I love hearing from everyone!
Green Chile Chicken and Rice Skillet Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast (2 lg breasts)
- 1 onion (sliced)
- 1 bell pepper or poblano pepper (sliced)
- 1 jalapeno (sliced and seeds removed if desired)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 1 cup water (or chicken broth)
- 1 1/2 cup salsa verde
- 1 4 oz can diced green chiles
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 cup shredded cheese (monterey jack, pepper jack, colby jack, or a combination)
Optional Toppings
- cilantro
- lime juice
- extra salsa verde
- green onions
- sliced jalapeno
- sour cream
- sliced avocado
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°
- In a small bowl mix together salt, pepper, cumin, and chili powder
- Lay chicken breasts flat on a cutting board, press your hand firmly down on the flat side of the breast and using a sharp knife, slice each in half lengthwise. Season both sides of chicken liberally with seasoning mixture.
- In hot oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tbsp avocado oil. Add chicken and sear 2 - 3 minutes per side.
- Remove chicken from skillet, and add sliced onions, peppers, jalapeno, garlic, and rice, sauté 1 - 2 minutes to soften veggies and lightly toast rice.
- Add water, salsa verde, green chiles, and frozen corn to skillet. Stir to combine. Return chicken to skillet, nestling it in the rice and veggies.
- Cover and bake 20 minutes. Fluff rice with fork, and top with cheese.
- Return to oven uncovered, and bake 5 minutes until cheese is melted and chicken reaches an internal temperature of at least 165°