In a hurry but looking for a tasty Mexican dinner recipe the whole family will love? Chicken Fajita Rice is made in one skillet, and is loaded with chicken, peppers, and other simple ingredients.
Sour cream and cheese make it extra creamy and delicious!
ONE PAN CHICKEN FAJITA RICE
I am always on the lookout for a great skillet meal, because let’s face it – who loves washing dishes? Not me! We’ve been enjoying this tasty mexican chicken skillet for months, and I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to share.
It is perfect for using leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken, but I also keep frozen diced chicken on hand for easy last minute meals like this one. So handy for hectic weeknights.
We enjoy it all year long, but I especially love serving it in the summer. Not only are fresh peppers, avocados and tomatoes available, but I love not having to heat up the oven.
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN FAJITA RICE SKILLET
(To skip my tips and tricks and just see the printable recipe card, simply scroll to the bottom of the post.)
Ingredients needed:
- butter (I use salted butter.)
- small onion (or half of a large onion if that’s all you have)
- half of a green pepper
- half of a red pepper
- clove of garlic
- raw rice (I used regular long grain white rice.)
- chicken broth (I use chicken base + water to make my broth.)
- sour cream (Light sour cream works just fine for this recipe.)
- cooked chicken (I use diced or shredded chicken breast, but you can use thighs if you prefer.)
- canned diced green chilies (don’t drain)
- salt and black pepper
- cumin
- chili powder
- shredded cheddar cheese
- Optional garnish: avocados or guacamole, tomatoes, additional sour cream, cilantro, lime
Don’t be put off by the long list of ingredients, this recipe really is extremely easy! You are going to need a good deep skillet though. I love this non-stick skillet, but you can also use a large cast iron pan.
- Saute the chopped onion in butter over medium heat in your skillet for about 3 minutes. Add the chopped peppers and cook 2 more minutes. Stir in the garlic.
- Stir in the uncooked rice, broth, sour cream, chicken, green chilies, salt, pepper, cumin, and chili powder. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.
- Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or till rice is tender. I like to stir it once or twice to make sure it cooks evenly.
- Sprinkle cheese over the top. Replace the lid and cook for 3-5 minutes till cheese melts.
- Serve hot with desired garnishes.
LEFTOVERS? Place any leftovers in a covered container, and they will last for up to 3 days. Leftovers are actually fantastic just heated in the microwave for a minute or two.
VARIATIONS:
- This recipe is easily adaptable. You can add more or less of any of the vegetables and spices to suit your taste. I love cumin, so I will sometimes add a little extra.
- Stir in some black beans to stretch the dish farther and add extra protein and fiber.
- I used white rice, but you can use brown. You will have to add a little extra water, and the cooking time will definitely increase.
- Feel free to switch out the cheese. I have also used half mozzarella/half cheddar with great results. Pepper jack would add a nice kick, but you can use any cheese that you love!
MORE MEXICAN RECIPES:
TASTY CHICKEN DISHES:
- Chicken ala King
- Crock Pot Chicken Pot Pie
- Teriyaki Chicken
- Maple Dijon Chicken
- Poppy Seed Chicken
- Sweet & Sour Chicken
- Chicken Fried Rice
- Mayonnaise Chicken
CHICKEN FAJITA SKILLET RECIPE
Chicken Fajita Skillet
Made in one pan, this creamy Mexican flavored chicken dish has all the wonderful flavors of fajitas. A perfect family dinner recipe any time!
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1/2 cup diced green pepper
- 1/2 cup diced red pepper
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 cup raw white rice
- 1 Tbsp low sodium chicken bouillon
- 2 3/4 cups water
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 3 cups of diced cooked chicken
- 1 4.5 oz can diced green chilies
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Garnish: avocados, tomatoes, sour cream, cilantro, lime, peppers
Instructions
- In a large skillet, saute onion in 2 Tablespoons butter over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Add the peppers and cook 2 more minutes. Stir in the garlic.
- Stir in the uncooked rice, bouillon, water, sour cream, chicken, green chilies, salt, pepper, cumin, and chili powder. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.
- Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or till rice is tender, stirring once or twice.
- Sprinkle cheese over the top. Replace the lid and cook till cheese melts.
- Serve hot with desired garnishes.
Notes
Recipe adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 497Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 99mgSodium: 625mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 4gSugar: 5gProtein: 25g
I hope you’ll give this chicken fajita bowl recipe a try! It is a perfect recipe to have on hand when you are short on time but want rave reviews at the dinner table. 🙂
Allyson Zea
This turned out soooo fantastic! Thank you for the easy recipe!!!
Kara Cook
You’re welcome, glad you enjoyed it! Easy recipes have been high up on my list lately, that’s for sure. π
Laura Reese
This was a delicious dinner recipe. I love this unusual combo. Such great flavors.
Kara Cook
So glad you enjoyed it Laura!
Heidi Neal
This was so delicious and easy to prepare! I had some tortillas on hand I needed to use up and it made a nice filler but was good alone tooπ.
Kara Cook
Glad you liked it! Love the idea of using it in tortillas, I bet my kids would go for that! It would be a perfect way to stretch any leftovers too. π