Salsa Chicken with Rice is a one-pan Tex-Mex delight, assembled in casserole form and garnished with grape tomatoes and fresh cilantro.
Move aside Taco Tuesday! This Mexican-inspired Salsa Chicken with Rice has everything you need and want - tender chicken, comforting Spanish rice mix, beans and corn, salsa, and melted cheddar cheese!
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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- This meal is a great way to use up any leftover salsa and shredded chicken that you may have in the fridge from other recipes.
- Leftovers can be reheated and enjoyed for an easy family meal or used as a filling for other Mexican recipes such as tacos!
- Save yourself extra cleaning by making this Salsa Chicken with rice in one skillet and casserole dish.
Salsa Chicken with Rice is another winner-winner-chicken-dinner! It’s flavorful, wholesome, and so easy to make!
🛒 Ingredients
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Note: The full list of this recipe ingredients with their amounts and options are listed in the recipe card below.
- rotisserie chicken - you will need 2 cups worth of meat. In place of that you may use leftover grilled chicken breast that's shredded or chopped.
- Spanish rice mix - we used Zatarain brand and found it perfect for this. Since the mix is seasoned we found we didn't need additional salt or pepper.
- Corn - we used frozen but you may use fresh cut off the cob.
- Onion - we used a yellow onion but you may also use white.
- Bell pepper - we used the green variety but you may also use red or a combination of the two.
- Salsa - we used the spicy chunky jarred variety. If you prefer, use the mild smooth sauce instead.
🗒 Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Cook the onion and peppers until tender (about 3-5 minutes).
- Add the butter and garlic to the skillet and cook until the butter is melted and the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the salsa, water and rice mix to the skillet and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and let simmer. Stir occasionally for 20 minutes or until the rice is tender.
- Add the black beans and corn and stir.
- Transfer the rice mixture to the prepared casserole dish.
- Sprinkle shredded chicken evenly over the top of the rice mixture.
- Pour the remaining salsa evenly over the chicken.
- Top the casserole dish with freshly shredded cheese.
- Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
- Garnish the salsa chicken rice dish with grape tomatoes and cilantro (optional).
🔪 Equipment
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You’ll need the following items to make this Salsa Chicken and Rice recipe successfully.
- sharp knife
- cutting board
- large skillet
- dry measuring cups
- liquid measuring cup
- 9"x13" baking dish or casserole dish
🤔 FAQs
These are the questions we are most frequently asked about making Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice Casserole recipe.
Absolutely! Salsa and rice are the perfect combinations, especially when using a Spanish rice mix as I have!
Yes! This dish provides a complete meal with lean chicken, carbs, legumes, and vegetables. It’s delicious AND nutritious!
Yes, you can. Salsa acts as a delicious topping over chicken, adding flavor to the meat while it cooks.
Yes. While I cooked my chicken before adding the salsa to it for this recipe, many do cook raw chicken in salsa and other sauces, whether in a skillet or pressure cooker.
👩🏻🍳 Tips
- Leftover salsa chicken with rice makes a delicious filling for tacos, burritos, and quesadillas.
- The rice mix with salsa and chicken can easily be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator or freezer to make this casserole recipe at a later date.
- Use up leftover shredded chicken in this recipe. You could also
- If you have an oven-proof skillet, consider assembling the rest of the recipe ingredient layers on top of the rice in the skillet and bake. That’ll save you from having to clean a casserole dish.
- If you’re cooking your chicken specifically for this dish, consider doing so the day before to save some time.
📚 Variations
- Cook regular long-grain rice for this dish instead of Spanish rice mix. You may like to add in some seasoning since the rice mix includes seasoning.
- Uncover the casserole dish for a few minutes before the end of the cooking time if you’d like a golden brown crust to form on the melted cheese topping.
- Speed up the cooking time in the skillet by using an instant rice mix instead of cooking dry, uncooked rice.
- Squirt some lime juice into the mix ingredients in the skillet while they simmer for a bit of a zing.
- Chopped chicken breast also works in this dish otherwise consider the convenience of rotisserie chicken. Turkey is another option.
- For added spice level, select a hot salsa.
- You can cook your own beans for this dish but then I recommend soaking and cooking them at least the day before.
- For extra meaty flavor, add in some cooked bacon pieces in addition to the shredded chicken.
🥫 Storage
Leftover Salsa Chicken with Rice can be stored in the casserole dish, covered tightly with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. You can also freeze this dish for up to 3 months and defrost it in the fridge before reheating it in the oven.
📗 Related Recipes
If you love Tex-Mex dishes and recipes, try my Spicy Beef Enchiladas, Taco Stuffed Zucchini Boats, or Creamy Guacamole Salsa. And does your family like to eat at Chili's restaurant? Then they're going to love our Copycat Chili's Chicken Monterey. Another Southwestern dish that simply explodes with flavor is our Fiesta Rice Salad with Tuna. It's simply irresistible and always the first to go at potlucks.
Have leftover shredded chicken from this recipe? Use it up in over-wholesome meals such as BBQ Chicken Pizza, Avocado Chicken Salad, and Southwest Chicken Tortellini Soup With Spinach. And if you want to make the next TikTok sensation, only better, be sure to serve your family Easy Chicken Cobbler Casserole.
🍽 Serve with
This wholesome salsa chicken with rice has been garnished with grape tomatoes and cilantro but you could also serve each portion with a dollop of sour cream and tortilla chips.
📞 Chiacchierata (chat)
If there's one thing I've learned in life, it's that you can never go wrong with one-pot recipes, and you certainly can’t go wrong with incredibly flavorful one-pot Tex-Mex meals like this easy and mouth-watering Salsa Chicken with Rice!
Whether it's for a quick and easy weeknight meal or for your next potluck, this salsa chicken with rice is guaranteed to be a hit!
Another huge hit you've got to try is our Chicken Caprese Pasta recipe. It combines the favorite Italian antipasto salad of fresh mozzarella, sweet tomatoes, and spicy fresh basil with chicken and pasta.
And we have several Mexican flavored dishes on our menu rotation. And one of our favorites during the colder weather is our Chili's copycat Southwestern Chicken Soup recipe. We load it up with toppings and it's amazing!!
Tutti a tavolo, è pronto!
What's new? Check out my All Our Way Store on Amazon. We'll be adding more items we love and use or wish we had to make cooking fun and easy.
📝 Recipe Card
Salsa Chicken with Rice bake is an easy one-dish meal for all those Tex-Mex lovers out there! This chicken casserole includes shredded chicken, Spanish rice mix with softened veggies, beans, corn, salsa, and melted shredded cheddar!
Another South of the Border dish I'm sure you'll enjoy is Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta. Tender juicy chicken, veggies, and pasta are coated in a spicy Cajun sauce. It only takes 30 minutes from start to finish.
If you love rice in your main dish, you've got to try our Classic Jambalaya Recipe. It's a jumble of ingredients that come together to form the perfect dinner or party food.
And next time your family is looking for a quick and easy Mexican dinner or snack, make them a Fajita Chicken Quesadilla recipe. They will be singing your praises!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
📖 Recipe
Zesty and Cheesy Salsa Chicken and Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced ( may red instead or a combination of the two)
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2¼ cups water
- 6 oz. Spanish rice mix we used 1 box of the Zatarain brand
- 1½ cups chunky salsa jarred variety (may substitute the smooth)
- 15 oz. black beans drained and rinsed
- ⅔ cup frozen corn
- 2 cups rotisserie chicken shredded (280g)
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese may also use plain cheddar cheese
- Grape Tomatoes, Cilantro garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉. Lightly grease a 13"x9"inch casserole or baking dish with vegetable spray. Set aside.
- Pour the olive oil into a large skillet and over medium-high heat cook and onion and peppers until tender. This will take about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and butter to the pan. Cook until the butter is melted and the garlic is fragrant.
- Pour the water into the pan and add the rice mix and ½ cup of the salsa. Stir until well mixed and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and let simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until rice is tender.
- Add the rinsed black beans and corn. Stir. Transfer the rice mixture to the prepared casserole dish and spread the ingredients evenly in the dish.
- Sprinkle the shredded chicken evenly over the top of the Spanish rice mixture.
- Pour the remaining 1 cup of salsa evenly over the chicken.
- Top with the Monterey Jack cheese. Cover the baking dish with foil and transfer the dish to the oven.
- Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
- Garnish with grape tomatoes and cilantro, if you wish. You may also serve the recipe topped with sour cream, and corn chips.
Notes
- Leftover salsa chicken with rice makes a delicious filling for tacos, burritos, and quesadillas.
- The rice mix with salsa and chicken can easily be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator or freezer to make this casserole recipe at a later date.
- Use up leftover shredded chicken in this recipe. You could also
- If you have an oven-proof skillet, consider assembling the rest of the recipe ingredient layers on top of the rice in the skillet and bake. That’ll save you from having to clean a casserole dish.
- If you’re cooking your chicken specifically for this dish, consider doing so the day before to save some time.
- Cook regular long-grain rice for this dish instead of Spanish rice mix. You may like to add in some seasoning since the rice mix includes seasoning.
- Uncover the casserole dish for a few minutes before the end of the cooking time if you’d like a golden brown crust to form on the melted cheese topping.
- Speed up the cooking time in the skillet by using an instant rice mix instead of cooking dry, uncooked rice.
- Squirt some lime juice into the mix ingredients in the skillet while they simmer for a bit of a zing.
- Chopped chicken breast also works in this dish otherwise consider the convenience of rotisserie chicken. Turkey is another option.
- For added spice level, select a hot salsa.
- You can cook your own beans for this dish but then I recommend soaking and cooking them at least the day before.
- For extra meaty flavor, add in some cooked bacon pieces in addition to the shredded chicken.
Nutrition
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