One-Pan Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice
How much do you love the one-pan dinners? They're a busy person's dream, right? You toss a bunch of stuff together, let it cook, serve it up to an appreciative crowd (hopefully) all the while knowing that there's only one pan to clean up at the end!! I'm a huge fan of them and this latest version that puts a new zesty little spin on classic chicken and rice is destined to be one of your new weeknight favorites!
Let's be honest, doesn't Tex-Mex just make everything more fun? What is not improved by the addition of black beans, Ro-Tel spicy tomatoes, gooey, melted Monterey Jack and crushed up taco chips?!! I mean, really?!!
Every bite is a little bit spicy, a little bit earthy, what with the rice and beans and a whole lot crunchy and cheesy. Tons of flavor and texture!
Best part is that the whole shebang comes together in about 30 minutes with pantry staples which means that you can pretty much make this on any given night. It reheats well too and even tastes super at room temperature for those nights when everyone seems to be eating on a different schedule. And count yourself blessed if there are leftovers and you're the lucky one that gets to snag them for lunch the next day. So much love for the one-pan meals!!
One-Pan Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice
Makes 6 servings
Prep Time: About 1 hour
Ingredients
- 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into small bite-sized pieces
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 32 ounces low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups white rice
- One 10 ounce can Ro-tel Original Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles
- 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed
- 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- 5-6 ounces tortilla chips, crushed slightly
The Recipe
1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large, deep, broiler-safe skillet until very hot and cook chicken until browned on all sides, turning as necessary. Add broth, rice, tomato mixture along with juices, beans and a large pinch of salt, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits and stir well. Bring to a simmer, then lower heat to medium-low, cover skillet and simmer gently for about 20 minutes, until liquid has been absorbed, rice is tender and chicken in entirely cooked through.
2. Preheat the broiler. Remove from heat and stir in about 1/3 of Monterey Jack and season to taste with more salt and pepper. Sprinkle tortilla chips evenly over the top of the entire mixture and top with remaining cheese. Place skillet under the broiler for a few minutes, until golden brown. Watch carefully, it can go from just right to burned in a blink! Serve immediately.
Enjoy!
Note: Recipe adapted from One-Pan Wonders by Cooks Country. I simplified the cooking process of this a lot by cutting up the chicken into small pieces. Also upped the amount of broth, chips and cheese.
