This quick and easy Baked Salsa Chicken and Rice is made completely in one pot and is ready in under 40 minutes! The perfect quick weeknight dinner is Mexican-inspired and full of tender chicken, fluffy rice, black beans, corn, salsa, and so many great spices!
Easy Baked Salsa Chicken And Rice
This one pot dinner is the perfect option for a busy weeknight! It is full of so many great flavors and will make enough to feed the whole family, plus leftovers to enjoy for lunch the next day. This weeknight dinner was inspired by our blog favorite salsa and rice side dish. This recipe is bringing it to the next level and adding some protein to round out the perfect dinner that is going to wake-up your taste buds.
Interested in making your own salsa at home? Try our Blender Salsa – so good!!
What You Will Need
- olive oil – just swirl some in the pan to sear your chicken.
- boneless, skinless chicken breasts – we love using these for this dish but you could also use chicken thighs.
- sweet yellow onion & garlic – the perfect flavors that are the best way to start any chicken casserole.
- kosher salt & ground black pepper – simple seasonings that are always a must when making chicken.
- canned green chiles – a traditional ingredient in so many Mexican-inspired recipes.
- chunky mild salsa – we love using a mild salsa but if you want more of a kick you can grab a medium salsa or hot salsa from your local grocery store.
- long grain white rice – there are a variety of different long grain white rice options you can pick or use a long grain brown rice for a little added nutrition.
- chicken broth – just grab your favorite or use some homemade chicken broth!
- cumin, chili powder, & garlic powder – the perfect combination of seasonings that brings this recipe alive.
- canned black beans & frozen corn – just make sure you give your black beans a rinse and you could also use canned corn, if you don’t have frozen.
- toppings: shredded cheese, sour cream, & fresh cilantro – we love these on top, especially the melty cheese but feel free to use any of your favorite toppings!
How To Make Baked Salsa Chicken And Rice
You can begin this easy one pot chicken casserole by warming some olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Once it is hot, season the chicken with salt & pepper and then sear it on all sides. Set it aside and add the onion and garlic to the pan for about 1 minute. Next, add the salsa, rice, beans, chiles, & corn to the skillet.
Pro tip: if you have especially large chicken breasts you can simply butterfly them to reduce their overall cook time.
Then add the broth and seasonings, mix with a large spoon to fully combine. Bring everything to a simmer.
Now nestle your seared chicken breasts on top, cover with a lid, and move your skillet to the middle rack of a preheated oven to bake at 400 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until the rice and chicken are fully cooked.
If you are topping with shredded cheese you will want to add it after removing from the oven so that it gets nice and melty. Then top with all of your favorites and enjoy!
Storage Tips
This recipe definitely makes quite a large amount of food so you will most likely have leftovers, which is always a win in my book! I love enjoying leftovers for weekday lunches. After the baked salsa chicken and rice casserole has cooled you can place it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Love chicken and rice – try our Teriyaki Chicken and Rice for a different spin!
Made this recipe and loved it?! We would love it if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and review – it is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that as well. THANK YOU!
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Baked Salsa Chicken and Rice
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner/Entree
- Method: Stove Top + Oven
- Cuisine: Mexican-Inspired
Description
Baked Salsa Chicken and Rice – a delicious and easy this baked salsa chicken recipe is packed with flavor and perfect for a busy weeknight!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/2 – 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 4oz can diced green chiles
- 1 16oz jar chunky mild salsa
- 1 1/4 cup long grain white rice
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen corn
- Toppings: Cheese, sour cream, fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Bring large braiser or cast iron skillet to medium-high heat. Add olive oil, swirl to coat.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper; sear on both sides and then move to a plate.
- In the same pan, add onion and garlic. Move around pan until they soften, approx. 1 minute.
- Add green chiles, salsa, rice, broth, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, black beans and corn. Stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and nestle the chicken breasts on top.
- Cover and move to the oven, middle rack. Let cook 20-25 minutes or until rice and chicken are fully cooked (it’s okay if there is a little liquid left – it will get soaked up).
- Remove from oven and cover with cheese and serve with sour cream and fresh chopped cilantro.
Notes
- Dairy-Free: easily make this dairy-free by using a dairy-free cheese and sour cream option.
- Storage: store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Alissabeth says
Taste is there. Everyone loved it. Only issue is the rice doesn’t cook completely and it was in 40 minutes.
Erin says
So glad to hear you enjoyed it, Alissabeth! That’s so odd the rice didn’t cook all the way for you – I have made this recipe numerous times and never had an issue. Did you use long grain white rice? Most long grain white rice brands provide directions to cook for approx. 20-25 minutes so that is super odd it took over 40. What brand/variety did you use?