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Fiesta Chicken is an easy one skillet dinner featuring juicy chicken breasts and classic Tex-Mex ingredients like rice, black beans, corn, and diced chilies. Perfect for busy weeknights!
Now that school is back in, weeknights in my house can get a little chaotic. There’s not always time to spend preparing a big dinner and the boys are always hungry. That’s when I turn to dishes like this fiesta chicken and rice. It’s an easy one skillet dinner that takes minimal effort on my part, is ready in under an hour, and is super filling. Not to mention super tasty, thanks to all the Tex-Mex flavors.
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Short on time, I already had ck breasts cooked in my IP. I added some more broth, and the rest of ingredients along with rice. Pressure cooked 6min released. I stirred in a small square of Velveeta when it was done. Totally awesome! Served with warm tortillas. This dish is a keeper. Thanks!!
Why You’ll Love This Fiesta Chicken Recipe
This is one of my favorite weeknight dinner recipes. Here are a few reasons why.
- One skillet dinner. You only need one pan to prepare this recipe! Everything cooks together in the same skillet which means it’s not only quick and easy but there will be few dishes to wash after.
- Tex-Mex flavor. Fiesta chicken is made with ingredients like taco seasoning, peppers, onions, black beans, and diced chilies. If you love Tex-Mex, you’ll love this recipe!
- Versatile. Customize your fiesta chicken by adding your favorite toppings then serve it on its own for dinner or enjoy it in tacos or burritos. Leftovers are great too!
What You’ll Need
Here’s an overview of what you’ll need for this Tex-Mex chicken dinner. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Butter
- Chicken breasts – Cut into 1-inch cubes.
- Salt & pepper
- Onions & red bell peppers – Diced. Add flavor to the dish.
- Chicken broth – Low sodium broth is best.
- Taco seasoning – You can use an envelope of taco seasoning or my homemade taco seasoning.
- Diced tomatoes – Do not drain as you’ll want to add the juices to the dish as well.
- Diced green chilies – For a bit of heat and a pop of color.
- Frozen corn
- Black beans – Drained and rinsed before using.
- White rice – You’ll want regular long grain white rice for this recipe.
- Colby jack cheese – You can substitute it with a Mexican cheese blend or similar if you want.
Topping Ideas
Customize your fiesta chicken by adding some toppings before serving. Here are a few ideas:
- Sour cream
- Guacamole or diced avocado
- Jalapenos
- Cilantro
- Diced tomatoes
- Green onions
- Crushed corn chips
How To Make Fiesta Chicken
Here’s how to make this easy one skillet dinner. You can find the printable version of the instructions in the recipe card below.
- Cook the chicken. Melt the butter over medium heat. Season the diced chicken with salt and pepper. Caute in the skillet for 5-7 minutes, until browned on all sides.
- Cook the veggies. In the same skillet, cook the onion and red bell pepper. Saute for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the broth, taco seasoning, diced tomatoes (with juices), and diced green chilies. Mix to combine.
- Cook. Return the chicken to the skillet, along with the frozen corn, black beans, and rice. Add additional salt & pepper if desired. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil then reduce the heat to low and cover the skillet. Let simmer for 20-25 minutes, until the rice is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid.
- Add the cheese. Remove the skillet from heat. Stir in the cilantro. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top, cover the skillet, and let sit for 5 minutes so the cheese melts.
- Enjoy. Serve with your desired toppings. Enjoy!
Tips & Variations
Here are a few tips for making this easy fiesta chicken recipe, as well as a few ways to customize it.
- Make your own taco seasoning. If you’re out of taco seasoning, you can make your own by mixing chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and oregano. Adjust the spices to your taste preference.
- Simmer on low. Once you combine the ingredients, be sure to reduce the heat to low to a gentle simmer. You don’t want to boil it as the rice won’t finish cooking before it absorbs the liquid.
- Make it spicy. For a spicy version, you can swap the tomatoes for a can of spicy Rotel or add some diced jalapenos or serrano peppers. You could also add in a pinch of cayenne or a splash of your favorite hot sauce.
- How do I know when this is done? Fiesta chicken is done when the rice is fully cooked and tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
Ways To Serve It
Truthfully, we’ve enjoyed bowls of fiesta chicken and rice as a complete dinner many times. Just add your favorite toppings and you’re good to go!
That said, if you want to make it a more complete meal, you can pair it with a simple salad or warm tortillas. It also makes a great filling for burritos and tacos.
Proper Storage
- Fridge. Store any leftover fiesta chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat. To reheat, place the fiesta chicken in a skillet over medium heat. Stir occasionally until heated through. Alternatively, you can microwave individual portions for 1-2 minutes, stirring halfway through.
More Easy Chicken Recipes
Fiesta Chicken
Fiesta Chicken is an easy one skillet dinner featuring juicy chicken breasts and classic Tex-Mex ingredients like rice, black beans, corn, and diced chilies. Perfect for busy weeknights!
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 chicken breasts cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup onion diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper diced
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 ounce taco seasoning
- 15 ounces petite diced tomatoes , with juices
- 4 ounces diced green chilies
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 15 ounces black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
- 1 1/2 cups Colby jack cheese shredded
- Optional toppings: Sour cream guacamole, jalapenos, additional cilantro
Instructions
- In a deep skillet with a fitting lid, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Season the chicken cubes with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper.
- Add the chicken to the skillet and sauté for about 5-7 minutes, until the chicken is browned on all sides. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add the diced onion and red bell pepper. Sauté for 3-4 minutes until the onion is translucent and the bell pepper is slightly softened.
- Stir in the chicken broth, taco seasoning, petite diced tomatoes with their juices, and diced green chilies. Mix well to combine.
- Return the cooked chicken to the skillet. Add the frozen corn, black beans, and rice. Stir to ensure everything is evenly distributed.
- Taste and season with additional salt and black pepper if needed.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and cover the skillet. Let it simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until the rice is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid.
- Once cooked, remove the skillet from heat. Stir in the chopped cilantro.
- Sprinkle the shredded Colby jack cheese evenly over the top. Cover the skillet again and let it sit for 5 minutes, allowing the cheese to melt completely.
- Serve the Fiesta Chicken hot, garnished with sour cream, guacamole, jalapenos, or extra cilantro if desired. Enjoy!
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Nutrition
Calories: 800kcal | Carbohydrates: 91g | Protein: 53g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 136mg | Sodium: 1907mg | Potassium: 1461mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 2604IU | Vitamin C: 61mg | Calcium: 437mg | Iron: 6mg
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6 comments on “Fiesta Chicken”
YES IT WAS VERY GOOD I MAKE A LOT OF YOUR RECIPES PS THERE GOOD
Short on time, I already had ck breasts cooked in my IP. I added some more broth, and the rest of ingredients along with rice. Pressure cooked 6min released. I stirred in a small square of Velveeta when it was done. Totally awesome! Served with warm tortillas. This dish is a keeper. Thanks!!
Thank you Deb!
I’m making this tonight. Can it be cooked in a crockpot?
Hi Joyce. I haven’t tried it in a a slow cooker yet but yes I believe it would do fine if you have the time for it to cook.
Sounds like something my husband would really enjoy! Just the 2 of us but leftovers are a plus!!!!