One skillet is all you need for this hearty, filling dinner that has all the flavors of your favorite chicken enchiladas, but with rice instead of flour tortillas.
I’ve been making this chicken & rice enchilada dish for dinner for so long I can’t even tell you. It is one of the easiest recipes I have and it all comes together in one skillet, which I love.
My family (especially my son) LOVES enchiladas but I don’t like the processed flour tortillas that go along with it.
This dish combines all those classic flavors found in chicken enchiladas only instead of rolling
it in a tortilla, rice is added and simmered in a homemade enchilada sauce so all that flavor gets absorbed into the rice.
Then it gets topped off with freshly grated cheese and popped under the broiler to get all melty, gooey and golden brown on top!
To make things super easy on you, you can shred up a cooked Rotisserie chicken instead of cooking the chicken on the spot. One tip I will give you however, is there is a LOT of rice, beans, corn and tomatoes in this recipe so the chicken can get a little lost if it’s shred or cut too small. Make nice big chunks of chicken so you feel you are eating more than rice for dinner.
Another note: this recipe makes its own enchilada sauce (which is primarily the crushed tomatoes and spices). So if the list of ingredients seems a little long or if you are wondering where the enchilada sauce is, there’s your answer.
There isn’t a family member who doesn’t like this dish. It is very versatile and can accommodate all taste buds. Please cut back on a spice or add more to your families liking and be sure to have a container for leftovers. It makes a lot.
Chicken and Rice Enchillada Skillet
Ingredients
- 1–2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- Â 2 Chicken Breasts
- 1 Cup Onion, diced
- 3 Cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 Red Pepper, diced
- ½ tsp Cayenne Pepper (optional)
- 1 Tbsp Dried Oregano
- 2 tsp Cumin
- 2 tsp Chili Powder
- 1 ½ tsp Coriander
- 2 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- Freshly ground Black Pepper
- 24 oz Canned Crushed Tomatoes (you can also used diced)
- 2 Cups Chicken Broth
- 1 Can Beans, drained and rinsed (black or cannellini work best)
- 1 ½ Cups frozen Organic Corn
- 1 Cup Rice (short, medium or long grain)
- 2 Cups Shredded Cheese (any type will do)
Instructions
- Season the chicken with a little salt and pepper and. Heat a little olive oil over medium high heat in large OVEN SAFE skillet.
- Add the chicken and cook each side until it is cooked through and no longer pink. Set aside. You can do this step the night before or use a Rotisserie chicken from the store for convenience.
- Add another Tablespoon of oil to the pan and add the onions and red pepper and cook over medium heat for approx. 3-4 min or until soft. Add the garlic and cook another minute more.
- Add all the dry spices and stir to incorporate and bring out their flavor.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and chicken broth. Bring it to a boil and add the rice. Cover and lower the heat to low so the rice can simmer. Cook according to rice directions (brown or long grain rice can take up to 45 minutes).
- Meanwhile, shred or roughly chop chicken.
- When the rice is cooked, add the beans and corn. Stir to combine. Add the chopped up chicken and sprinkle half the cheese into the rice and stir. Sprinkle the other half on top. Put it under a very hot broiler until it’s golden and bubbly.
- Serve with chopped cilantro, sour cream, guacamole if desired.
I LOVE this recipe
Omg. The chicken and rice and corn. Beans and spices. Then some pepper jack cheese melted all over. It’s the bomb. It makes A TON
We make this weekly now. I don’t know how we haven’t gotten sick of it but we haven’t. It’s so good. And if anyone wants to know about leftovers, this reheats very well. Better actually the next day
This is a favorite in our home!!!
I usually use three peppers to help make it a bit more veggie forward! I have also added canned mexi-corn.
I portion & freeze leftovers for quick weeknight dinners.