Home-style Southwest Chicken Skillet

Southwest Chicken & Rice Skillet Is a one-pot meal full of chicken, rice, bell peppers, corn, beans, and cheese. It is ready in less than 30 minutes and uses only one skillet for the whole meal!

This Straightforward Southwest Chicken Rice and Beans Skillet is the BEST!

This skillet meal actually started out as a meal we usually make while camping on the grill. With some adjustments on cooking time and ingredients, we adapted it to be able to eat it all year long.

The entire meal is made in one pan, so fewer dishes mean more time for everything else!

This meal is packed full of flavor while still using common ingredients. No crazy ingredients to search for, or weird items to find.

Southwestern Chicken Skillet Ingredients

• Chicken – we opt for boneless, skinless chicken breast or tenderloins but you can could use thighs if you prefer.
• Rice – our favorite is Basmati or Jasmine rice. We prefer that it’s less “sticky” than typical white rice. You could use any type of rice here.
• Taco Seasoning – we use our from-scratch version found Here.
• Black Beans – We prefer black beans in this recipe, but you could swap for pinto beans if that’s what you have on hand.
• Cheese – our favorite is cheddar. We love the flavor! If you want to go dairy free on this, you can always leave the cheese out entirely.
• Enchilada Sauce – we always use Gebhardt brand red enchilada sauce. The flavor and spice are right. You can use whatever brand happens to be your favorite or even make it from-scratch.
• Bell Peppers – Any color will do.
• Corn – This is completely optional. Sometimes we leave it out to save points, other times we leave it in. It’s completely up to you. It’s satisfying either way.

Tips for This Chicken Rice and Beans Recipe

When adding the rice to the skillet, be sure to stir it and submerge the rice. If you have rice that’s still left out of the liquid, it will become crunchy and hard rather than soft and fluffy.

Once the dish is covered, it’s important to turn it down to low heat. If you continue to cook it over higher heat, the rice won’t have a chance to cook through before the liquid has been absorbed.

Southwest Skillet Variations

• Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast – You can replace this with a variety of meats. Boneless skinless chicken thighs, ground beef, ground turkey, and even shredded beef all work great. Carnitas would also be an excellent option (check out our Carnitas recipe here).
• Basmati Rice – You can use whatever rice you like best. We find that Basmati stays firm well in the recipe without getting sticky. Jasmine and brown rice would also work well here.
• Black Beans – If you’re not a fan of black beans or don’t have any on hand, pinto beans, cannellini beans, and even ranch-style beans all taste great.
• Bell Pepper and Corn – You can use your favorite veggies here. To up the fiber veggies, you could add broccoli or even cauliflower.
• Toppings – You don’t have to stop with cheese as a topping. Sliced green onions, sour cream, guacamole, and salsa are all satisfying on top.

How to cook Southwest Chicken and Rice

(full recipe instructions with measurements and printable card are at the end of this post)

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, bell peppers, and taco seasoning, stirring and cooking until the chicken is no longer pink.

1. Add the rice to the skillet followed by the water. Stir to combine.

1. Cover and cook on low heat until rice is cooked through (about 15 minutes).
2. Remove lid and stir, fluffing the rice. Add in the black beans and corn.

1. Cook, stirring occasionally until beans and corn have heated through.
2. Pour enchilada sauce into the skillet, stirring until it is completely mixed through covering all pieces.

1. Top with cheese and enjoy!

Can this Southwest Chicken recipe be made ahead of time?

While we haven’t tried freezing this recipe, you could make it 2-3 days in advance and store in the refrigerator.

You would need to reheat when it’s time to serve and maybe add a touch of liquid like some additional broth, water, or enchilada sauce.

We're currently testing out freezer methods so we will come back and update this post once that has been figured out.

What to serve with Southwestern Chicken

This Southwest Chicken Skillet is a complete meal in itself. No need to serve anything else with it!

If you’d like to serve something on the side here are some ideas:

• A Side Salad
• Chips and Salsa
• Or a Fun Margarita

One of the reasons we love this meal so much is that it’s a whole meal in one pan. Fewer dishes and less work!

How to keep Southwest Chicken

If you happen to have any leftovers, you’ll need to store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

You can also freeze leftovers as well. Add them to a freezer safe container and store in the freezer for up 3 months.

When it’s time to reheat it, we're a big fan of reheating it in a skillet. Add it to a skillet over low heat and stir occasionally until it’s heated through.

You could also pop it in the microwave, cover it, and heat for about 1 minute.

Southwest Skillet FAQ’s