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Author:
Kevin Curry
One Skillet Taco Chicken & Rice
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I get it – some foods you just can’t live without. One of those foods for me is Mexican cuisine, specifically tacos – chicken and barbacoa tacos are my go to! Growing up in Texas I’ve had my weekly (probably more like daily) dose of spicy, tangy and smoky flavored food. Put simply – it’s life. So when it came time to change my eating habits, I was pretty bummed about the thought of giving up food with a lot of flavor and that gave me a lot of comfort.
So I didn’t.
I simply reconstructed the meals, swapping in calorie-conscious ingredients and relying more on flavor from herbs and spices and veggies, and less on calorie dense items like oils and butter. The result? A healthier flavor explosion.
This dish is one of those transformed meals. It takes little time and one skillet. So, you spend less time in the kitchen cooking AND cleaning, and more time doing what you love to do. What I love about this recipe too is that it’s easy to customize – you can swap chicken for lean beef or firm tofu/tempeh, and even use a different grain like quinoa, bulgur or jasmine rice.
One Skillet Taco Chicken & Rice
Ingredients
Substitution
Note
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice
- Chicken
- 1 1/2 lb chicken breast, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic
- 1/3 cup onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 7.5oz (~213g) canned no-salt black beans, drained
- 1 large beefsteak tomato, diced (OR 1 can diced tomatoes)
- 2 cups red enchilada sauce
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 cup shredded cheese (I used Mexican cheese blend of cheddar, Monterey Jack, asadero cheese)
- sea salt & pepper to taste
- Garnish
- fresh chopped cilantro
- avocado (remember the fat calories)
STEPS
Step 1
Set oven to 400F.
Step 2
Cook rice according to instructions and set aside to cool.
Step 3
Season chicken breast with smoked paprika, cumin and dried oregano.
Step 4
Set a deep (nonstick) skillet on medium heat, and once hot, add olive oil, garlic, onion and bell pepper. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes until the outside of the onion has slightly browned.
Step 5
Add chicken breast and sear and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes.
Step 6
Fold in the cooked brown rice, then stir in the black beans, tomato, enchilada sauce and water. Mix everything together and bring to a light simmer. Reduce the heat to low-medium, then cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes.
Step 7
Remove the top, stir up the chicken and rice and season to taste with sea salt & pepper. Sprinkle on some cheese (if desired), then bake for 5 to 7 minutes to melt the cheese.
Step 8
Garnish with fresh cilantro and avocado, then enjoy!
One Skillet Taco Chicken & Rice
Kevin Curry
INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice
- Chicken
- 1 1/2 lb chicken breast, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic
- 1/3 cup onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 7.5oz (~213g) canned no-salt black beans, drained
- 1 large beefsteak tomato, diced (OR 1 can diced tomatoes)
- 2 cups red enchilada sauce
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 cup shredded cheese (I used Mexican cheese blend of cheddar, Monterey Jack, asadero cheese)
- sea salt & pepper to taste
- Garnish
- fresh chopped cilantro
- avocado (remember the fat calories)
INSTRUCTIONS
-
Set oven to 400F.
-
Cook rice according to instructions and set aside to cool.
-
Season chicken breast with smoked paprika, cumin and dried oregano.
-
Set a deep (nonstick) skillet on medium heat, and once hot, add olive oil, garlic, onion and bell pepper. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes until the outside of the onion has slightly browned.
-
Add chicken breast and sear and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes.
-
Fold in the cooked brown rice, then stir in the black beans, tomato, enchilada sauce and water. Mix everything together and bring to a light simmer. Reduce the heat to low-medium, then cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes.
-
Remove the top, stir up the chicken and rice and season to taste with sea salt & pepper. Sprinkle on some cheese (if desired), then bake for 5 to 7 minutes to melt the cheese.
-
Garnish with fresh cilantro and avocado, then enjoy!
Nutrition per serving
Reviews
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Jun 13 2023
Yummy
yep! ??
Jul 12 2023
So easy, healthy and delicious!!!
Glad you like it.
Sep 26 2025
This was really good one! I think I made it now for the 2nd time after a long break. So much better than what I remembered. Too bad the kids didn’t like the beans.
ah, yeah – the beans can be hit or miss. if you wanna try it one more time, swap black beans with white beans (recommended) or red beans. if they still dont like it, just remove them (and replace with diced zucchini lol 😉 )
Sep 28 2025
How many servings is in this recipe?
Ah, yeah – it’s 6 servings.