One-Skillet Spanish Rice Chicken

One-Skillet Spanish Rice Chicken is incredibly flavorful and a well-rounded dish that combines tender chicken with seasoned rice, creating a savory, comforting meal. Perfect for busy weeknights or a casual family dinner!

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What You’ll Love About One-Skillet Spanish Rice Chicken

This one-skillet meal is ideal for busy nights when you want something flavorful but don’t want to fuss with multiple pots and pans. It’s comforting and filling, and you have all the elements like protein, grains, and vegetables all in one.

This Spanish Rice Chicken is great because it can easily be adapted to different tastes—add more heat, more veggies, or adjust the seasoning to make it your own!

Whether you’re looking for a quick family dinner or a flavorful meal prep idea, this dish checks all the boxes.

Chicken and rice combinations are my favorite! They are budget friendly and the variations are endless. Try my easy One-Pan Lemony Chicken and Rice or this savory Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice for more easy meals.

Key Ingredients

• Chicken- Use chicken breast or thighs. For this recipe I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
• Onions, bell pepper, and garlic- A foundation for flavor and depth.
• Rice- I love basmati rice for most of my chicken and rice recipes. Feel free to use regular long-grain white rice or even jasmine rice.
• Canned tomatoes– For a smoky, bold flavor I use fire roasted tomatoes.
• Chicken broth– Use a good quality chicken broth for the best flavor.
• Seasonings- Chili powder, smoked paprika, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
• Additions- Green olives with pimentos and cilantro.

Substitutions

How To Make One-Skillet Spanish Rice Chicken

See full instructions in recipe card below

Step One. Sear seasoned chicken in a large non-stick skillet until browned on both sides. Transfer to a plate.

Step Two. Sauté onions, peppers, and garlic in the same skillet, then add rice and seasonings. Toast rice and seasonings for a few extra minutes.

Step Three. Stir in broth and fire roasted tomatoes, then place chicken on top and add the lid. Cook until rice has absorbed the liquid and the chicken is cooked through. Top with sliced green olives and fresh cilantro.

Tips

Common Questions

More Skillet Meals

• One-Pan Egg Roll Bowls
• Zesty Lime Chicken and Rice
• Cajun Chicken Sausage Orzo Skillet
• Low-Carb Philly Cheesesteak Skillet Meal
• Ground Beef and Broccoli Ramen
• Skillet Beef and Cheese Lasagna
• Skillet Salsa Verde Chicken

One-Skillet Spanish Rice Chicken

One-Skillet Spanish Rice Chicken is incredibly flavorful and a well-rounded dish that combines tender chicken with seasoned rice, creating a savory, comforting meal. Perfect for busy weeknights or a casual family dinner!

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Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Mexican, Spanish

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 463kcal

Equipment

• 1 large non-stick skillet with fitted lid

Ingredients

For The Chicken:

• 1 tbsp olive oil, plus additional if needed
• 4-5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs-fat trimmed you can also use 3-4 boneless chicken breast
• garlic powder to taste
• chili powder to taste
• salt and pepper to taste

For The Rice:

• 1/2 medium onion, diced fine
• 1 small red bell pepper, diced fine
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 1/4 cups long-grain white rice I use basmati
• 1 (15) ounce can fire roasted tomatoes with the liquid
• 2 1/4 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup sliced green olives
• fresh cilantro, chopped

Instructions

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large non-stick skillet with fitted lid to medium high heat.

• Season both sides of the chicken thighs with garlic powder, chili powder, salt and pepper to taste.
• Sear chicken on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown. You won't be cooking the chicken all the way through at this time. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
• Remove all but 1 tbsp of fat from your skillet (unless you don't have any, then add 1 additional tbsp of olive oil). Sauté onions, bell pepper, and garlic until veggies are softened, about 3-4 minutes.

  1/2 medium onion

  1 small red bell pepper

  2-3 garlic cloves
• To the veggies add in the seasonings and rice. Toast the rice for 2-3 minutes. This will add great flavor.

  1/2 tsp each–chili powder, smoked paprika, oregano, salt and pepper

  1 1/4 cups white rice
• Next add fire roasted tomatoes and chicken broth, Stir then place the chicken back in the pan (along with any juice) and nestle it down into the rice and liquid. Bring to a medium boil and place the lid on. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 25-minutes or until there is no more liquid and the chicken is cooked through. Remove the pan from the heat and allow it to rest 5-minutes. Serve with sliced green olives and fresh cilantro.

  1 15 oz can fire roasted tomatoes

  2 1/4 cups chicken broth

  1/2 cup sliced green olives

  fresh chopped cilantro

Notes

Tips:

• Browning chicken- Make sure to get a good sear on the chicken as this will add lots of flavor to the rice and overall dish.
• Use a non-stick skillet- Using a non-stick skillet will ensure the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan and make clean-up easier.

 

Substitutions:

• Add more veggies- You can easily add more vegetables to boost the nutrition in this dish. Use carrots, celery, mushrooms, zucchini, or spinach. Make sure to sauté them first before adding the rice. 
• Meat- Swap out the chicken for ground beef or turkey. Chorizo would also compliment the rice well. Simply cook and crumble the meat then proceed with the rest of the steps.
• Vegetarian option- Leave out the chicken and add tofu or more veggies, and sub the chicken broth for vegetable broth. 

 

Common Questions:

Can I use pre-cooked chicken?

Yes! While the seared chicken adds great flavor to the dish, you can stir in pre-cooked chicken after adding the tomatoes and broth.

Can I use brown rice?

I have not tested this recipe with brown rice but I’m assuming you can. You’ll want to use more broth, plus add additional cooking time to the rice. Keep in mind the chicken will cook faster than the rice so adjust accordingly.

Can I freeze Spanish rice and chicken?

Yes! Make sure rice and chicken are completely cooled. Place in a freezer safe bag or sealed container and freeze up to two months. Allow to thaw and reheat in the oven on low heat or in the microwave until warmed through.

 

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be understood as an estimate rather than a guarantee. The Menu Maid makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition

Calories: 463kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 1304mg | Potassium: 812mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1475IU | Vitamin C: 50mg | Calcium: 94mg | Iron: 3mg

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