This easy one-pan chicken dinner has everything you love in a burrito, but is made in a skillet! Full of juicy white meat chicken, tender white rice, spices, tomatoes, and cheese, you’ll love this Chicken Burrito Skillet for a healthy dinner that comes together in no time.
An Easy Chicken Skillet Recipe
I love, love, love Mexican food! Don’t you? And, this chicken burrito skillet, though not exactly a super-authentic recipe, hits such yummy Southwest notes that I’m calling it a fiesta in a pan! 🎉
The recipe starts with easy and healthy chicken breast sautéed with a blend of Mexican-inspired spices, and then simmered gently with long-grain white rice, tomatoes, beans, and onions for a delicious burrito-bowl entree.
Topped with cheese, green onions, and cilantro, it’s a yummy dinner option that you and your family will love.
Recipe Ingredients
One great thing about this recipe is that it uses ingredients I almost always have on hand: chicken, cheese, canned tomatoes and beans, broth, onions, and garlic. So easy!
And, if you don’t have the fresh cherry tomatoes or cilantro for garnishing, don’t worry! You can leave out the garnishes, or get creative with what you have. (Keep reading below for other topping suggestions!)
- Chicken Breast: Cut up one pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces.
- Salt and Pepper: To taste.
- Olive Oil: For sauteing.
- Onion: I use one small yellow onion, finely diced, but you can substitute any kind of onion you like!
- Fresh Garlic: Mince the garlic.
- Rice: You’ll need 1 cup of uncooked, long grain white rice.
- Canned Tomatoes: Drain the tomatoes well.
- Canned Beans: I use one can of black beans, but you can use any kind. Make sure they’re well rinsed and drained.
- Cumin, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, and Chili Powder
- Broth: You’ll need about 2 ½ cups of low sodium chicken broth, or you can substitute vegetable broth, homemade stock, etc.
- Cheese: This recipe uses one cup of cheese; I recommend shredded cheddar cheese or Mexican blend cheese.
- Halved Cherry Tomatoes, Chopped Green Onions, and Fresh Cilantro: For garnish.
How to Make a Chicken Burrito Skillet
- Saute the Chicken. Season the cut-up chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Then, heat one tablespoon of the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for about 3 minutes, or until just browned on all sides. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
- Saute the Onions, Garlic,and Rice. Add remaining oil to the skillet. Add onions and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 20 seconds. Add the rice; cook and stir for 30 seconds.
- Add the Remaining Ingredients. To the onion, garlic, and rice, add the tomatoes and black beans. Season with cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and chili powder, and stir well to combine. Then add chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Return the Chicken to the Pan and Simmer. Return the sautéed chicken pieces to the skillet. Lower the heat to a steady simmer; cover, and continue to cook for 20 to 25 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. (Start checking around the 18-minute mark.)
- Add Cheese and Garnishes, and Serve. Remove the pan from the heat, stir, and then sprinkle with cheese and cover for 4 to 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Garnish with tomatoes, green onions, and cilantro.
- Enjoy!
Tips for Success
- Rinse the Rice: If you’re concerned about the rice clumping together or turning out gummy, try rinsing! Before cooking the rice, place it in a sieve or other strainer and rinse well under running water. Let it drain well over a bowl until it’s time to add it to the pan.
- Scrape the Pan: After cooking the chicken and the aromatics, be sure to stir well to help scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Be careful to use a wooden utensil or other nonstick-safe utensil, if you’re using a nonstick pan.
- Don’t Stir: While the dish is simmering, avoid stirring. Stirring rice while it cooks causes it to release extra starch, making the sauce thick and sticky.
Topping Ideas
There are so many delicious ways to top a plate of this delicious Chicken Burrito Skillet! Try one or more of the following:
- Sour Cream
- Guacamole
- Pico de Gallo
- Salsa
- Taco Sauce
- Chopped Fresh Mango, Pineapple, or Papaya
- Shredded Lettuce and Chopped Fresh Tomato
- Queso Dip
What Goes with a Chicken Burrito Skillet?
- Zucchini Fritters: If you have the time, it’s awesome to start this savory meal with a yummy appetizer. I love Zucchini Fritters because the fresh flavors of corn and zucchini go so perfectly with chicken, tomatoes, and beans, while the crispy air-fried texture makes a lovely complement to the indulgent burrito-bowl texture of simmered rice and chicken.
- Delicious Sangria: My easy Strawberry Lemonade Sangria makes a wonderful casual cocktail to serve with any Tex-Mex meal! You’ll love its fresh and fruity flavor!
- A Simple Dessert: What about a super-simple dessert that comes together in—wait for it— the microwave? That’s right! Whipping up a Chocolate Mug Cake is a good idea anytime, but it’s especially nice when you want a dessert on a busy weeknight! You can make just one, or a round of them, with just mugs and your microwave.
Can You Freeze this Skillet Recipe?
- Yes! You can portion the leftovers into single servings, and pop each serving into an airtight container and freeze for later!
- To reheat, place the portion on a microwave-safe plate, and microwave on medium for a minute at a time until heated through, stirring once or twice between heating.
CHICKEN BURRITO SKILLET
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup uncooked long grain rice
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, well drained
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans, well rinsed and drained
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 2 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese or Mexican blend cheese
- Halved cherry tomatoes, for garnish
- Chopped green onions, for garnish
- Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
- Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet set over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook for 3 minutes, or until just browned on all sides. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
- Add remaining oil to the skillet and set over medium-high heat. Add onions to the hot oil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until starting to soften.
- Stir in garlic and cook for 20 seconds. Add rice; cook and stir for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and black beans.
- Season with cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and chili powder, and stir well to combine. Add chicken broth and bring mixture to a boil.
- Return chicken pieces to the skillet. Lower heat to a steady simmer; cover and continue to cook for 20 to 25 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Start checking around the 18-minute mark.
- Remove from heat; stir, then sprinkle with cheese and cover; let stand for 4 to 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
- Garnish with tomatoes, green onions, and cilantro. Serve.
30 Comments
Sara Welch
Dec 10, 2020 at 10:45 pmMade this for dinner last night and loved the spin on a typical burrito! Hands down delicious!
Katerina Petrovska
Dec 11, 2020 at 8:11 pmI am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Amanda
Dec 10, 2020 at 11:06 pmMade this just the other day and my whole family loved it, they could not get enough!
Katerina Petrovska
Dec 11, 2020 at 8:11 pmThat’s great! I am very glad you and your family enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Allyson Zea
Dec 11, 2020 at 3:19 pmThis is the perfect easy dinner! I make this at least twice a month!
Katerina Petrovska
Dec 11, 2020 at 8:10 pmThat’s great to hear! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Catalina
Dec 11, 2020 at 10:38 pmThis dish has all the ingredients that I love! Must try it!
Katerina Petrovska
Dec 14, 2020 at 7:06 pmThat’s great to hear! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂 Thank YOU! 🙂
Beth
Dec 11, 2020 at 10:47 pmOh my goodness my family and I are going to love this recipe! Looks so delicious and tasty! I can’t wait to give this a try!
Katerina Petrovska
Dec 14, 2020 at 7:06 pmThank you so much! I hope you and your family enjoy it! 🙂
Sandra
Dec 14, 2020 at 5:00 pmThis is so good! A huge hit with my family!
Katerina Petrovska
Dec 14, 2020 at 7:04 pmThank you so much! I am very glad you and your family enjoyed it! 🙂
Tom
Mar 9, 2021 at 8:56 pmGoing to try this soon. For nutritional purposes, how mu+h is a serving? A cup?
Amy Gledstone
Jun 5, 2021 at 3:19 amYummy! I am very uncreative when it comes to meals and deciding what to cook night in night out is harder than actually cooking. I am so happy to find a new recipe that’s quick, easy, tasty and fits in a very tight budget
Katerina Petrovska
Jun 5, 2021 at 10:18 amI hope you enjoy it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Shelly
Aug 19, 2021 at 6:23 pmVery good! I left the beans out because I don’t like them lol but it was super easy and tasted wonderful
Katerina Petrovska
Aug 25, 2021 at 10:00 amThank YOU! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Sara Callaway
Aug 23, 2021 at 6:09 pmO.M.G…. I loved this recipe and it turned out so good. The best part is that it’s all in one pan, gotta love that.
Katerina Petrovska
Aug 25, 2021 at 9:57 amThat’s great to hear! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Eva Barbarasch
Apr 5, 2022 at 9:17 pmI want to try it. Can you substitute cauliflower rice for long grain rice? If so, do you reduce the chicken broth.
Katerina
Apr 6, 2022 at 7:44 amHi!
I have not tested this recipe with cauliflower rice. At a glance, yes, you will definitely need to reduce the liquid, but without testing it, I can’t say by how much. Maybe a cup or 1 1/2 cups less, but that’s just a guess.
Tiffiney
Jun 6, 2022 at 7:21 pmCan you make this with brown rice?
Katerina
Jun 8, 2022 at 9:57 amActually, brown rice takes longer to cook, about 45 minutes, versus white rice that takes about 20 minutes.
Wifeoftaxman
Jul 11, 2022 at 7:54 pmHonestly this recipe was just meh for me. The rice was terribly over done and mushy. I would reduce the cooking time to 12 min like my regular rice cooking time. The dish needs much more flavor. I added a tbsp of chili powder when I cooked it and 1/2 tsp of everything else and still it was pretty bland to me. It def needs salt. I might have used salsa instead of canned tomatoes for additional flavor. I might try this recipe again with all those changes
Ganny
Feb 21, 2023 at 6:52 pmI added whole kernel Corn. My family loved it.
Katerina Petrovska
Feb 27, 2023 at 2:49 pmThat’s great! I’m very glad you and your family enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
betty bishop
Mar 10, 2023 at 12:20 pmTHIS WAS SUCH A DELICIOUS SURPRISE. MADE IT AND IT WAS A BIG HIT.
WAS EVEN MORE DELISH THE NEXT DAY!
THANK YOU
Katerina Petrovska
Mar 14, 2023 at 3:24 pmThat’s great to hear! I’m very happy everyone enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Carmen
Apr 24, 2023 at 7:54 pmTurned out really good. I used a can of seasoned chili beans but that was the only thing I changed.
Katerina Petrovska
Apr 26, 2023 at 1:32 pmI’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂