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Weeknight style One Skillet Saucy Chicken Tortilla Enchilada Rice Bake…finished with all the toppings…of course! Mexican seasoned chicken, rice, and enchilada sauce all cooked together in one skillet, then topped with tortilla chips and plenty of cheese. Throw the skillet in the oven to create the perfect cheesy, one skillet, Mexican inspired chicken and rice dinner. There’s simply nothing not to love. This dish is easy, takes under an hour to make, is cheesy, and all-around delicious. The perfect meal to serve to family and friends.
There are days when developing new recipes, that do not go nearly as planned. The “bad” days don’t happen often, so I’m thankful for that, but they’re never very fun when they do happen. I had a day last week where literally not one of the five recipes I was working on showed any promise. Nothing I was testing was working and the entire day was a struggle. Finally, at the end of the day, I accepted that something was clearly off and it just wasn’t my day for recipe testing.
These days happen, it’s hard not to beat myself up about them. But I’m slowly learning to accept them and attempt to move on the best I can.
Now, all that said, the one good thing I’ve noticed about bad days? Nine times out of ten, the following day ends up being so much better. As my dad always tells me, you wouldn’t know what a good day is without having the bad days.
Anyway, I’m completely rambling, but the point of this long story is that this recipe came to be after a bad day of cooking. It was almost as though I knew I needed a great recipe to make up for the previous day’s failed dishes.
Enter this one skillet chicken and rice dinner. Somehow this dish worked perfectly the very first time I tested it out. It’s probably my favorite recipe of the week. I’ve been excited to share it with you all since the day I created it.
Here are all the details.
As you can guess, this simple dinner is made start to finish all in one skillet. So, the very first step…find yourself a great skillet. I love using a cast iron skillet, but any oven-safe skillet or even dutch oven will work great.
Next, brown some ground chicken, turkey, or beef. Really, use whatever you love most. I typically use chicken, but when my brothers are in town, beef is always their first choice. Brown the meat, season it up, then pour in your favorite enchilada sauce and water. Bring this mix to a boil, add the rice, cover and let the rice steam for a bit. This only takes ten or so minutes. You do not need to cook the rice completely as it will finish cooking in the oven.
Now, once the rice is “al dente”, the rest is pretty simple and comes together quickly. Top the skillet full of chicken and rice with cheese, then tortilla chips, and finish with one more sprinkle of cheese. Transfer the skillet to the oven, bake until the cheese is melty and the sauce is bubbly.
And that’s it. Simple right? This dish smells incredible and tastes even better. But then, what’s not to love about Mexican rice topped with cheesy tortilla chips!?
So good!
The secret to this skillet dinner?
It’s all about the seasoning mix plus that enchilada sauce.
For the seasoning mix, I was inspired by my quick weeknight tacos. I used smoky paprika, ground cumin, and a chipotle chili pepper in adobo. It’s just a touch spicy, a little smoky, and hinted with garlic.
For the enchilada sauce, I like to use the homemade recipe from the original HBH Cookbook, but if you’re using store-bought I typically pick up this one. It’s as close to homemade as it gets. Just be sure to use a sauce that’s high quality and one that you know you really enjoy, as it’s key in this recipe.
Let’s talk about the toppings.
I topped this skillet bake just as I would a taco, with plenty of fresh cilantro, avocado, a dollop of yogurt, and a squeeze of lime. You could even add a pickled red onion on the side if you like.
If you wanted to take the toppings a step further, I would recommend a pineapple salsa or mango salsa. But you all know me, I love a good fruity salsa. Oh, and maybe add a nice margarita too. This strawberry margarita is perfect for the springtime days ahead.
What I love most about this recipe is the fact that it’s a complete dinner. It’s an all-in-one dish that everyone can really enjoy. I can serve this up on busy weeknights, but it’s equally great for a Saturday or Sunday night dinner with friends and family. I’ll be making this dish time and time again…actually, I’ve made it three times in the past week. Yep, it’s that good.
Looking for other one skillet dinner ideas…check out these. Or maybe a couple of my favorites below.
One Skillet Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken and Orzo
One Skillet Greek Meatballs and Lemon Butter Orzo
One Pot Creamy Tuscan Pesto and Artichoke Pasta
Lastly, if you make this one skillet saucy chicken tortilla enchilada rice bake, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
One Skillet Saucy Chicken Tortilla Enchilada Rice Bake
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 765 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound ground chicken, beef, or turkey
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1-2 jalapeños, seeded and chopped, use to your taste
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 1/2 cups (19 ounces) red enchilada sauce
- 1 chipotle chili in adobo, chopped (optional)
- 1 cup dry long grain rice
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, plus more for serving
- juice of 1 lime
- 2 cups tortilla chips
- 1-2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
- sliced avocado and yogurt, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.2. In a large oven safe skillet, heat the olive oil over high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the ground chicken and onion. Cook, breaking up the meat as it cooks, until the chicken is browned, about 5 minutes. Add the jalapeños, garlic, paprika, cumin, and salt, cook 1 minute. Stir in the enchilada sauce, chipotle chili, if using, and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, stir in the rice. Place the lid on the skillet and turn the heat down to the lowest setting possible. Allow the rice to cook 15 minutes, until most of the liquid has cooked into the rice, but not all of it. 3. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro and lime juice. Sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese over the chicken/rice. Add the tortilla chips on top, pressing them gently into the cheese. Evenly sprinkle on the remaining cheese. Transfer to the oven and bake 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted. 4. Serve topped as desired with avocado, cilantro, and yogurt. Enjoy!
This post was originally published on March 4, 2020
Hi. Your recipes always look amazing. Can you please come up with a vegetarian version of this one?
Hi! I will try to! Thank you! xTieghan
I totally meant to take a photo but I ate it too quickly. I made this with crumbled tempeh for the meat and quinoa instead of rice. The enchilada sauce was great at flavoring the tempeh. Ate the leftovers for breakfast!!
Amazing! I am so glad this turned out so well for you Melissa! xTieghan
My husband and two teenage daughters said dinner was a complete hit when I made this recipe tonight (commented multiple times!) I had two skillets going- the second was for my vegetarian daughter. Same directions but used black beans and vegan cheese. No leftovers! Thanks, T! Kirsten
Thank you Kristen! I am so glad you loved this recipe! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan! What are your thoughts on making the rice first and then stirring it into the meat mixture? I also only have brown rice!
Hey Taylor!! I am sure that will work just fine and brown rice will be great!! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
This was delicious, Tieghan!! Such a wonderful blend of flavors and textures! And, it was so easy and fast to put together – my kind of meal! Thank you!!
Thank you Wendy! xTieghan
This is an amazingly adaptable recipe! Trying to stay out of the grocery stores this weekend (social distancing!), I used what I had on hand which was hatch green chile enchilada sauce and Trader Joe’s brown rice medley. I added 1 1/2 tablespoons of chile powder because I like spicy and wanted the red color, but other than that and the substitutions above used your recipe. My cast iron skillet doesn’t have a lid; I used a loose cover of foil and the glass lid from another pan while cooking the rice medley in the meat sauce. The tortilla chips do stay crunchy/crispy on top after coming out of the oven; the part that is pressed down in the cheese and sauce are chewy and toothsome like the tortillas you’d use when making enchiladas. Tieghan, I really enjoy your recipes – keep ’em coming!
Hi Dee! I am so glad this turned out so well for you and thank you for sharing your substitutions! I am sure it will come in handy for others who do not want to go to the grocery store either! Anyway, I hope you are staying healthy! xTieghan
This recipe was a hit! My husband loved it, I ADORED it (I had three giant helpings), and I know the rest of my family will love this when I send the recipes that them! This is one of my favorite new recipes.
I didn’t have a cast iron skillet, so I used my enamel cast iron dutch oven instead which worked just as well. I also added one cup of beef broth and one cup of water to replace to two cups of water just to add a little something else.
Tieghan, your recipes are ALWAYS amazing! I found your blog through Instagram about a month ago and have been trying out your recipes nonstop. I haven’t tried one yet that I don’t love! I’m putting your recipe books on my birthday wishlist! You’re awesome!
I am so glad you both loved this recipe, Johanna! Thank you so much for trying it!! xTieghan
I made this last night for dinner and it was great! I am sure it will become a favorite. I did eliminate the jalapeño and chipotle the first time around since my husband doesn’t like things too spicy but think some would be just fine next time around. Thanks so much for inspiring the daily job of getting healthy meals on my table. Keep up the good work!
I am so glad you are loving my recipes, Amy! Thank you so much! xTieghan
Another winning recipe! Sooo good!
Thank you so much Melissa! xTieghan
Making this tonight for guests along with your avocado brownies which just came out of the oven! Thanks for having the best recipes that I always get so excited about trying. My mom, sister and I are cooking through your latest cookbook as well 🙂
Aw that is so amazing! I hope you and your guests love these brownies, Rachelle! Also, I hope you are loving all of the cookbook recipes! Thank you! xTieghan
Another hit from you! I made this ;last night for my husband and myself and I’m so glad we can have it for two more meals. I made my own enchilada sauce (Vitamix enchilada sauce), added two jalapeños, and used both cheddar and cotija cheese. Enjoyed it with a large salad. Definitely a keeper. Thanks for a great recipe.
Amazing!! Thank you so much for trying this Sandie! xTieghan
This may be my favorite new recipe of yours! I wanted to note that I had the chipotle in adobo ready, but realized after it was in the oven that it wasn’t included in instructions. I apologize if it is something I simply overlooked.
I am so glad this turned out so well for you Emily! Thank you for trying it! Also, I will fix right now! xTieghan
I didn’t know at what step to add the chipotle chili 🙁 Love the recipes though.
Hey Laura! Add the chipotle with the enchilada sauce. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Made this dish last night for dinner and it came out perfect! I will definitely be making this again. I don’t have a lid for my cast iron so I used foil and a large lid from another pan and it worked out great! Love your recipes!
Thank you so much for trying this Heather! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
I have a 2 year old and a 3 year old and I believe this is the first recipe in 1 year my entire family scarfed up and asked for 2nd’s and 3rd’s ( including my husband!) i used ground turkey, trader joes quick cook brown rice ( i didn’t need to add more liquid) and my caraway lid fit over my iron skillet. I omitted the cilantro ( my 2 year old won’t eat anything green ( sheesh ) and cut the cayenne in half. It was such a huge hit that im surfing your site to see what I’m making tomorrow. THANK YOU! xx
Thank you so much Anna! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan