This Queso Salsa Chicken & Rice is one of my favorite easy recipes to make when I am craving a Mexican style dish! It is a quick, easy and cheesy chicken dish that you can throw together in one pot. It also serves as an all-in-one meal so it’s perfect to add to your weeknight rotation!
Why you’ll love this easy Queso Salsa Chicken & Rice
- Quick & Easy: This recipe is an all-in-one one pot meal so you can dump all the ingredients in, bake it and enjoy without all the hassle of extra steps!
- Flavor Packed: This dish is packed with a blend of delicious flavors! Zesty salsa, savory rice and tender chicken come together to form a tasty meal that the whole family will love!
- Customizable: You can easily add your favorite veggies or toppings to make this recipe suit your family’s taste.
Ingredients
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts are flavorful and super juicy.
- Taco Seasoning- Taco Seasoning features a blend of spices such as salt, paprika, oregano, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder which pair perfectly for this dish.
- Spanish Rice- Spanish Rice features perfectly seasoned long grain yellow rice. Mexican Rice will also work in this recipe as well.
- Chicken Broth- Chicken Broth adds a savory flavor to the rice and provides moisture while cooking the chicken.
- Chunky Salsa- Chunky Salsa has a blend of diced tomatoes, jalapenos, onions, green chiles, and spices that add an extra kick to this recipe.
- Queso Dip- Queso Dip adds a rich cheesy flavor.
Top Tip
- Caution: Be sure to follow the rice to broth/water ratio of the packaging of rice you decide to use. This step is critical to getting the right consistency!
How To Make Queso Salsa Chicken & Rice
Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees and while it is warming up go ahead and cut up the chicken breast. You will need to cut them into equal 1-inch bite size pieces so that the cooking time is roughly the same.
Next, add the chicken pieces to a large bowl and sprinkle on a packet of your favorite taco seasoning mix. Then toss the chicken until every piece is nicely coated in seasoning.
Now in a 7×11 baking dish, pour the Spanish rice evenly in the bottom. Then pour the chicken broth on top and stir to combine. Now place the chicken pieces on top of the rice and spread them evenly throughout the casserole dish. Then top the chicken with a jar of your favorite salsa.
Bake the dish uncovered at 375 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until the rice is fully cooked and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Finish off by stirring the rice and chicken together then heat up your queso dip. Drizzle the queso on top of the chicken and allow dish to cool for 10-15 minutes prior to serving.
Variations
- Spice it up: If spicy is your thing then try using the hot version of Taco seasoning or add some chili powder in the mix prior to cooking.
- Toppings: Add extra topping such as sour cream, jalapeños, or fresh Pico De Gallo to really turn up the flavor!
- Stove Top Version: You can cook the rice and chicken on the stove top then combine everything together in a casserole dish when you finish cooking.
FAQ
What other types of rice can I use?
- I highly recommend using a Spanish or Mexican style seasoned yellow rice. I used Le Cana Spanish Style Seasoning Yellow Rice. Do not use white rice as it will not have the flavor needed to make this dish delicious.
Why is my dish soupy/dry?
- Getting the correct rice to broth ratio is super important. Read packaging suggestions for rice to broth ratio and precisely measure. If you add to much broth then your dish will be soupy, and if you don’t add enough, it will be dry.
What toppings do you recommend for this recipe?
- My favorite toppings are sour cream, fresh cilantro or Pico de Gallo for this dish! They pair really nicely, but if you were born with cilantro taste aversion you can substitute with green onions! However, any of your favorite taco toppings will work!
How can I cut down on cooking time?
- If you are on a pinch for time, you can bring the chicken broth to a boil prior to adding it to the casserole dish. That should cut the cooking time down to 25-30 minutes!
What other cheese could I use beside queso dip?
- Any Mexican blend cheese will work in place of the queso dip. It’s really up to your preference and what you have on hand.
Still have questions? Drop a comment below.
Looking for more Mexican recipes that will please the whole family? Check out these recipes.
Mexican Chicken & Rice Casserole
Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Ingredients
- 4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts diced
- 1 packet of taco seasoning
- 1 cup Spanish rice
- chicken broth
- 16 ounces chunky salsa
- ½ cup queso dip
Instructions
- Prep Work- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the chicken breast into equal 1-inch size pieces.
- Add the chicken to a large bowl and sprinkle on a packet of taco seasoning mix. Toss the chicken until every piece is coated in seasoning.
- In a 7x11 casserole dish, pour the Spanish rice evenly in the bottom. Pour chicken broth on top then stir to combine. (use the rice packaging suggestion for the correct rice to broth ratio) Place the chicken pieces on top of the rice and spread it out evenly. Pour jar of salsa on top of chicken.
- Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 40-50 minutes until the rice is fully cooked and the chicken reaches internal temp of 165 degrees.
- Stir the rice and chicken to combine then heat up the queso dip and drizzle it on top. Allow dish to cool for 10-15 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
What kind of queso did you use?
I use Gordo’s Brand found in the dairy section.
Good flavor. Go with lower sodium broth and seasoning. It’s still plenty seasoned. There was too much liquid with the salsa. Next time, I’ll cut back 1/4 or 1/2 cup of the broth.
I cut back a 1/2 cup of the broth and it was still too much liquid. I think I will try adding the salsa at the end
I also recommend following the liquid suggestion on the back of the box based on whatever rice you are using.
What is meant by Spanish rice? Long grain white rice?
I used Le Cana Spanish Style Rice. It is pretty much preseasoned yellow rice.
What was everyone’s queso preference?
I always use Gordo’s brand found in the dairy section.
Was looking for something new for dinner and came across your post. It was easy to make and very tasty.
Awesome! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I made this on the stove top, just cooked the rice and chicken seperately and combined after. It still turned out amazing! I have leftovers for lunch today, can’t wait!
Could you use white rice instead? Or box Spanish rice a roni?
you can however the flavor of the dish will be altered. However, I would use Spanish rice a roti over white rice.
Recipe flavor was great but it was very soupy! Going to tweak it next time in hopes it’s not so runny! Very good flavor tho!
I recommend reading the instructions on whatever rice you use for rice to broth/water ratio. If you do not get the measurement 100% right per their recommendation then it will be either dry or soupy.
Do you have to use rice , can you use pasta
I would not suggest pasta because it would likely be dry since there is no “sauce” to hold it together.