This Easy Baked Salsa Chicken and Rice is a super easy Mexican-inspired weeknight meal made in only one pan! On the table in about 30 minutes!
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I don’t know about your family but in the Busy Baker house we are back at it – and by “it” I mean the busy fall back-to-school and back-to-activities season that seems to always take us by surprise at the end of summer. I think we do a pretty good job of avoiding the unnecessary busyness and opting for a more stable and structured family life (because, do 5 and 7 year olds really need to be in 20 different activities? I think not.), but that doesn’t mean I’m not reaching for easy one pan meals, like this Easy Baked Salsa Chicken and Rice, several times a week just to get through the dinner hour.
Between school, piano lessons, dance class, and just the regular old family responsibilities like never-ending laundry (can I get an amen!?) and making sure my family gets fed 3 times a day, I depend on meal planning and easy weeknight meals like this one to ensure I’m not going crazy on the daily. And because maintaining a healthy diet is very important to us – we deal with a few food allergies and intolerances in our family – our easy weeknight meals have GOT to be healthy too!
This Easy Baked Salsa Chicken and Rice is one of our faves – it’s super simple to throw together, it’s packed with veggies and delicious fat-free salsa, it’s made with whole grain rice (substitute brown rice if you like that!) and low-fat chicken breasts, AND it’s on the table in about 30-35 minutes. I mean, what’s not to love!?!?
LOOKING FOR MORE EASY WEEKNIGHT MEAL IDEAS?
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Looking for even more easy meals? Try my One Pan Vegetarian Lentil Curry recipe, or these delicious Slow Cooker White Bean and Lentil Chili Stuffed Sweet Potatoes!
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I hope you love this Easy Baked Salsa Chicken and Rice as much as we do! Let me know in the comments below, what’s your favourite Mexican-inspired easy weeknight meal? I’d love to know!
KITCHEN PRODUCTS I RECOMMEND:
Looking for even more weeknight meal ideas? You’ll LOVE these:
- Easy One Pot Pasta Primavera
- Creamy Enchilada One Pot Pasta
- Crispy Oven Fried Chicken
- Skillet French Onion Stuffed Chicken
- Skillet Pesto Caprese Stuffed Chicken Breasts
- Chicken Breasts with White Wine Mushroom Sauce
LOOKING FOR MORE EASY WEEKNIGHT MEAL IDEAS?
Get my Quick and Easy 4-Week Meal Plan Guide!
Recipe Video
Watch the video below to see exactly how I make this spicy recipe. You can find more delicious recipe videos on my YouTube channel
Easy Baked Salsa Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 chicken breasts (about 3 oz each)
- 1 tablespoon low sodium taco seasoning
- 2 bell peppers (I use red and green) chopped
- 1 1/4 cup long grain white rice
- 3 cups low sodium chicken stock
- 1 1/2 cups fat free salsa
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- chopped cilantro and sliced jalapenos for serving optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Heat a large oven-safe skillet over high heat and add the olive oil.
- Sprinkle the 4 chicken breasts with the taco seasoning on both sides and sear the chicken in the pan on both sides. The chicken breasts will only need about 2 minutes per side over high heat - the idea is not to cook the chicken through, but just to develop some flavour on the outside of the chicken and in the pan. (Feel free to skip this step to save time - see recipe notes)
- Turn off the heat under the pan. Remove the chicken breasts to a plate and add the chopped bell peppers, rice, and chicken stock to the pan, stirring everything together.
- Add the chicken breasts back in, nestling them into the rice mixture.
- Spoon the salsa over top of the chicken breasts and then top them with the shredded cheese.
- Add the whole pan to the oven, uncovered, for about 25-35 minutes, or until the rice is cooked and the chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit or 74 degrees Celsius. (Because pans and oven temperatures vary, this can affect baking time. Use an instant-read thermometer for best results).
- Once the chicken and rice are cooked through, remove the pan from the oven and serve with a sprinkling of fresh cilantro, some sliced jalapenos (optional), and even a dollop of sour cream, if desired.
Jenn says
Crazy in love with this cozy dish!
Amanda says
This dish is so tasty!! Its always a big hit!
Dorothy Reinhold says
This will be perfect for a busy weeknight. Give me extra jalapenos!
Jacque Hastert says
What a delicious and easy meal that is perfect for dinner tonight. I have everything pulled out and ready to go. Thank you!
Catalina says
This will be a new favorite in our house. This dish is so perfect for weeknight dinner!
Allyson says
I make this all the time for dinner and it’s perfect!
Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says
I’m drooling this is everything I love!
Deanne says
Love this dish, but it never cooks in 30 minutes. Usually takes 60, but it is delicious. Wonder what I’m doing differently.
Ana Ghiran says
Hey Deanne, thank you so much for reaching out. Are you by any chance using a gas oven? Those tend to be a little less reliable. I suggest getting an oven thermometer and adjusting the temperature accordingly; also, if you have a convection setting that would speed up the cooking process.
Don Rockwell says
I also find it needs more time to absorb more fluids and I tend to reduce the amount of chicken stock .
Don Rockwell says
Very , very good.
The Busy Baker says
Thanks!🙂
Janine says
Hi. Could I use pasta instead of rice?
The Busy Baker says
Hello Janine, I wouldn’t recommend that, but you could try my Baked Salsa Chicken and cook some pasta on the site. Happy cooking ☺️
https://thebusybaker.ca/easy-baked-salsa-chicken/
Kristen Nagle says
have you ever added corn or black beans? was thinking about those additions
Chrissie says
Yes! I’ve added both from time to time and it works great! I usually use canned (or frozen) corn, and canned black beans.
Paula says
Hello! Thanks for sharing this recipe. Would cooking time be about the same with quinoa instead of rice or should I just cook the quinoa on the side? (Know quinoa typically cooks faster than rice.) My hubs is prediabetic, so we’re watching carbs …
The Busy Baker says
I suggest that you follow my Baked Salsa Chicken recipe and just cook quinoa on the side. Happy cooking☺️
https://thebusybaker.ca/easy-baked-salsa-chicken/
Janet Bradley says
I would give this 10 stars if I could. I just made this for myself and my husband last night. It was ABSOLUTELY
FANTASTIC. My husband who is no a Chicken lover, said that I could make this one again.
‘Thanks for the GREAT recipe!!!!
Milan Clinkingbeard says
Tasty but definitely took longer than 35 minutes. I will reduce the liquid next time. At 50 minutes it was still soupy and the rice was not cooked.
Chrissie says
Thanks for your feedback. It sounds like maybe your oven wasn’t hot enough…the rice definitely shouldn’t take that long to cook!
A Baumann says
I omitted the cheese due to dietary restrictions and it was delicious.
The Busy Baker says
Thank you!!
Courteney the Pampered Chef girl says
Very very good! Family all loved it and it’s super easy. I did 1 1/3 cups of rice with the required broth. Just a bit more was required for me to get the liquid absorbed and rice texture that we like.
I baked it in an enamelled cast iron baker and at 400 degrees.
The Busy Baker says
I’m so happy you and your family enjoyed it!☺️
Sue says
Can you prep this and bake the next day?
The Busy Baker says
I have never tried it myself so I couldn’t tell you, but if you do try, please let us know! Happy cooking ☺️
Sue says
Can you make this a day ahead?
The Busy Baker says
You can, however, it is best served freshly cooked. If cooking it ahead, you may need to add a bit more stock when you reheat it to keep it moist enough.