Today I thought I would share my salsa chicken and rice recipe. This is a very versatile recipe that I make and can be used a couple of ways. My original way was simply as a one pot dish with full pieces of chicken breasts covered in melted cheese over salsa rice. My usage of this recipe has evolved though through the years where sometimes I shred the chicken. This mixture can then be used inside tortillas as a burrito or put over nachos to make shredded chicken nachos.
If you are looking for a quick and easy meal, this is also a great option. It requires a little attention at the beginning, but then you can set a timer and leave it. This comes in handy on those days when you don’t really have the time to babysit a meal or have to get ready for soccer practice that night.
So without further ado, here you go!
Salsa Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 3-4 boneless chicken breasts
- 24 oz of your favorite salsa
- 4 servings of uncooked rice (amount varies based on type of rice you use)
- 4 oz of shredded cheddar cheese (more to taste)
- 1-2T of extra virgin olive oil
- water
- Tortillas or Nachos optional.
Directions
Start by heating up a 2 to 3 inch tall pan over medium heat. You’re then going to sear your chicken breasts on all sides in a tablespoon or two of extra virgin olive oil. You want to make sure the chicken is cooked about half way through. I try to make sure the chicken breasts are all around the same thickness so they can cook at the same rate.
After your chicken breasts are about 1/2 way cooked through, I add my salsa and rice. I then refill my salsa jar about 2/3rds full of water (approximately 2 cups) and dump that into my pan as well. The extra water is needed to cook the rice and will not make this dish soupy. Bring the pan to a slight boil and reduce heat to a low simmer, cover and cook for about 20-25 minutes. In this time the rice will cook, absorbing the water. At the very end I put shredded cheddar cheese all over the chicken, and replace my lid for a few minutes to melt the cheese.
I then either A. Serve each person a chicken breast over salsa rice or B. shred the chicken and return it to the pan, mix it up and put it over nachos or in tortillas. I typically add some extra cheese if I am shredding the chicken and sometimes add a little extra salsa as well.
I hope you enjoy this simple, versatile recipe!
Thanks for reading!
