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Southwest Chicken Dinner

Name: Southwest Chicken Dinner
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings.
Cuisine: North America, Mexican
Ingredients: 2 cups water; 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon pepper; 1 cup uncooked long grain rice; 1 tablespoon taco seasoning; 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each); 1 cup canned black beans or pinto beans, rinsed and drained; 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro; 1 teaspoon grated lime zest; 2 tablespoons lime juice; Pico de gallo, shredded Mexican cheese blend, sour cream, avocado, shredded lettuce or lime wedges, optional

10 reviews

Test Kitchen Approved

Total Time

Prep/Total Time: 30 min.

Makes

4 servings

My family loves to order those gigantic takeout Tex-Mex burritos, but they can be expensive and we always have leftovers. I created a lighter, no-guilt alternative with the flavors they love, and that skips the tortilla. —Marquisha Turner, Aurora, Colorado

Southwest Chicken Dinner Recipe photo by Taste of Home

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Ingredients

2 cups water
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup uncooked long grain rice
1 tablespoon taco seasoning
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)
1 cup canned black beans or pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
2 tablespoons lime juice
Pico de gallo, shredded Mexican cheese blend, sour cream, avocado, shredded lettuce or lime wedges, optional

Directions

In a large saucepan, combine water, 1 tablespoon oil, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Stir in rice. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 15-17 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.
Meanwhile, sprinkle taco seasoning over both sides of chicken. In a large skillet, heat remaining oil over medium heat. Add chicken; cook 4-5 minutes on each side or until a thermometer reads 165°.
In a microwave, heat beans until warmed. To serve, gently stir cilantro, lime zest and lime juice into rice; divide among four bowls. Cut chicken into slices. Place chicken and beans over rice; top as desired.

Nutrition Facts

1 serving (calculated without optional toppings): 398 calories, 7g fat (1g saturated fat), 63mg cholesterol, 678mg sodium, 52g carbohydrate (1g sugars, 3g fiber), 30g protein.

Reviews

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Average Rating:

Cynthia
Aug 3, 2020
My new favorite dinner. It’s filling without being heavy. I made minor changes - omitted the oil from the rice, used chicken tenders because that’s what I had and cooked the chicken in the oven instead of skillet. Topped with pico de gallo. Definite keeper!
Kelandry
Jul 26, 2020
This has become one of my family's absolute favorite meals. I get begged for it almost every week. I'm not a fan of cilantro so I use a little less than a fourth cup but I don't dislike it in this recipe. I usually have to leave out the lime zest too because I can't get actual limes all the time, just the bottled juice. But it works fine. All I add on top is a good bit of mexican cheese and it's an amazing meal. Will be making this for years to come.
KatJoe4
Jul 15, 2020
This is definitely keeper. Although I made some alterations, the concept of this recipe is truly good. It's actually better than what you'd get in a restaurant. Chicken was moist and the flavors melded together.
Lisa
Jul 9, 2020
Delish! Made it two nights ago, and the leftovers the next day for lunch are just as good!
Shawn
Dec 13, 2018
This is so good, easy and healthy!! I make this and portion it out for lunches for my husband and to take to work!! He loves it, and I love that he isn’t eating fast food!!
AllisonO
Mar 4, 2018
"Better than the restaurant version" was my husband's reaction! This is a fantastic "copycat" recipe if you're into the fast-food big burrito places but want to control the salt and other questionable ingredients. Or if you simply live too far from one of those restaurants when a craving hits! It's also incredibly easy to customize to your tastes.While the amount of chicken the recipe called for was perfect for our family, I will double the rice mixture the next time I make it. With the rice, there's no need for the added carbs of a tortilla!
justmbeth
Nov 17, 2016
This is a keeper! Easy to put together but very light and flavorful, especially with the addition of the toppings. We added sour cream, salsa, Mexican blend cheese, and jalapenos.
amsm
Jul 5, 2016
This dish is tasty and quick! I topped mine with sour cream and green onion. I would definitely make this again and experiment with different toppings!
fensternat
Jun 15, 2016
Yum! I substituted brown rice, and we used cheddar and sour cream for toppings. Will definitely make again.
hkpepin
May 22, 2016
Excellent! i would absolutely make these again - both flavorful and quick. I omitted the lime peel and substituted a chicken rice side for the long grain rice, but otherwise made no changes. I decided to use some leftover pinto beans and added some guacamole and Mexican cheese at the end. My family gobbled it up. Came together in about 30 minutes, no one complained, and everyone ate. Making this one again!