Description
This Mexican Chicken and Rice with Queso is a comforting, flavorful one-pot meal featuring tender chicken breast cooked with vibrant saffron yellow rice and enriched with creamy white queso dip. Perfect for a quick, hearty dinner, this dish combines traditional Mexican-inspired ingredients and spices for a satisfying and easy-to-make meal.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Chicken
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1.5 lbs uncooked boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into small bite-size pieces
- 1 tsp Goya Adobo Seasoning
Rice and Broth
- 1 (10 oz) pkg Vigo Saffron Yellow Rice (Arroz Amarillo)
- 1 cube Knorr Tomato Bouillon (optional)
- 2 1/2 cups water
Queso Mixture
- 3 oz White Queso Dip
- 2 tbsp milk (skim, 1%, 2%, or whole milk—all work)
Additional
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: If the chicken pieces seem wet, pat them dry thoroughly with a paper towel. Sprinkle the adobo seasoning evenly over the chicken and rub it in so each piece is well coated.
- Cook the chicken: Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or a non-stick deep skillet with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat. Add the diced chicken breast pieces and cook undisturbed on one side for about 3 minutes until browned. Flip the chicken pieces and continue cooking for a few more minutes until fully cooked through and browned on all sides.
- Add rice and broth: Once the chicken is cooked, add the entire package of saffron yellow rice, the crushed tomato bouillon cube (if using), and 2½ cups of water. Stir everything together and bring the mixture to a boil for one minute.
- Simmer and cook rice: Reduce the heat to low to allow the mixture to simmer. Cover the pot with the lid and cook for at least 20 minutes. Check the rice after 20 minutes for doneness; it should be tender and fully cooked within 20 to 25 minutes.
- Finish with queso: After the rice is cooked, add in the white queso dip and the milk. Gently fluff and mix everything together with a fork until the queso is melted and evenly distributed. Serve warm immediately for the best flavor.
Notes
- If you cannot find the 10 oz package of saffron yellow rice, weigh out 10 ounces from a larger package and save the rest for another use.
- The Knorr tomato bouillon cube is optional but adds extra depth and tomato flavor to the dish.
- You can use any milk type from skim to whole based on preference; it won’t affect the final dish much.
- Cooking in a large Dutch oven or deep skillet with a tight lid ensures even cooking and helps the rice steam properly.
- Make sure to pat the chicken dry before seasoning to get proper browning.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 plate (approx. 1/5 of recipe)
- Calories: 380 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
