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!
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.
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.
FAQ
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
- 2 ½ cups 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. 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!
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.
What is meant by Spanish rice? Long grain white rice?
I used Le Cana Spanish Style Rice. It is pretty much preseasoned yellow rice.