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One Skillet Cheesy Salsa Chicken Rice Bake. Chili spice seasoned chicken cooked with rice, broken pieces of spaghetti (like a Rice-A-Roni situation), red bell peppers, chunky tomato salsa, and black beans all cooked together in one skillet and topped with plenty of cheese. The dish is then baked and topped with avocado tossed with lots of lime juice and fresh cilantro. Absolutely delicious! You and your family will love this one-skillet dinner!
Everyone tends to ask me where I learned to cook. Honestly, it was a mix of Google and my dad. I grew up watching my dad cook the simplest weeknight dinners. Eventually, I took over in middle school.
My dad was a pro at opening the fridge, pulling out the contents, and making dinner. Most of the time, he’d stick to chicken and rice, tacos, and the classic Gerard family staple – potato chip chicken.
To this day, Dad’s tacos are still everyone’s favorite. No one makes a crispy taco better.
On nights when, for one reason or another, my brothers weren’t home, he’d make a lot of rice dishes and throw a little of this or that in there.
He’d always make a cheesy rice bake, and when he had broken pieces of spaghetti left over, he’d toss those in, too. It always reminded me of Rice-A-Roni!
So this was one of his classic dishes. And I’m finally sharing how I make mine!
Let’s Get Into Details
Ingredients
- olive oil or salted butter – I love to use a combo
- a yellow onion
- red bell pepper
- dried oregano
- chipotle chili powder
- dry broken spaghetti or angel hair pasta
- your favorite chunky red salsa – I like the Whole Foods 365 brand
- pepperoncini
- black beans
- Swiss and pepper jack cheese
Ingredients – for topping
- chopped cilantro and scallions
- cubed or sliced avocado
- lime zest and lime juice
Special Tools
You will need a large oven-safe skillet. I recommend using a 12-inch cast iron skillet.
Steps
Step 1: cook the chicken
Start out by cooking the chicken, onions, peppers, and spices together. The chicken should be almost cooked through after 10 minutes. The spices will be fragrant in the air.
Step 2: add the rice and spaghetti
Next, add the rice and the spaghetti to the skillet. Toss with the chicken and allow the rice to get a little toasted.
Mix in the salsa, then pour over some water and add the pepperoncini and black beans. Now cover the rice and let it cook over low heat. You want the rice to be partially cooked.
Step 3: add cheese and bake
When the recipe is almost cooked, but there is still liquid in the skillet, pull it off the heat and add a mix of Swiss and pepper jack cheese.
Finally, bake until the cheese is melted. It only takes 10 minutes. The rice will finish cooking in the oven underneath the cheese!
Step 4: topping
I top this rice bake as I would chili or tortilla soup, with lots of avocado. Then add lime zest and juice, cilantro, and scallions. I usually finish with some flaked sea salt too!
It’s so delish!
A wonderful dinner that’s easily made in one skillet and all in under an hour! Our family loves this dish!
You could even serve this on game night! I’d add some tortilla chips on the side for scooping. That would be yummy – enjoy!
Looking for other easy chicken and rice dinners? Here are my favorites:
One Pan Chipotle Honey Chicken and Rice
One Pan Lemon Pepper Yogurt Chicken and Rice
One Skillet Louisiana Style Chicken and Rice
Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Rice Casserole
Cheesy Zucchini Chicken and Rice Bake
Slow Cooker Herbed Chicken and Rice Pilaf
Spicy Sesame Chicken and Ginger Rice
Lastly, if you make this One Skillet Cheesy Salsa Chicken 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 Cheesy Salsa Chicken Rice Bake
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 400 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 pound chicken breasts or thighs, cut into chunks
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- salt and black pepper
- 1/2 cup dry broken spaghetti or angel hair pasta
- 1 cup long grain rice
- 1/2 cup chunky red salsa
- 2 tablespoons chopped pepperoncini
- 1 can (14 ounce) black beans, drained
- 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded pepper jack or spicy cheddar
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.2. In a large oven-safe skillet, cook the oil/butter, onion, chicken, bell pepper, oregano, and chipotle chili powder. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes until the chicken is browned. Add the pasta and rice and cook for 1-2 minutes, until lightly toasted and golden. Stir in the salsa. Add 2 cups of water and the pepperoncini. Bring to a boil. Stir in the beans. 3. Place the lid on the skillet and turn the heat down to the lowest setting. Allow the rice to cook for 15 minutes, until most of the liquid has cooked into the rice, but not all of it.3. Remove from the heat. Sprinkle the cheese over the chicken/rice. Bake for 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted.4. Serve topped as desired with avocado, cilantro, scallions, and lime. Enjoy!
This post was originally published on January 27, 2025
I made this for my Monday night dinner crew. They really enjoyed it. I added some corn with the black beans. I doubled the salsa as another reviewer suggested. I used a poblano pepper since I didn’t have any pepperoncinis. And I used about 1.25 c of rice (no pasta). I found the rice had to cook a bit longer than you stated (15-20 min more) and I melted the cheese in the pan on the stove with lid (didn’t heat up my oven just to melt cheese). They all said it was better than the last mexi-dish I’d made (can’t remember which one that was). Not too hot/spicy, but a yummy one-dish meal. Thanks!
Hey Joy,
Thanks for giving this recipe a whirl, I’m so glad it turned out nicely! Stay warm!
is this all done on top of the stove except for the last 10 minutes when the cheese is melting?
Hey Allison,
Yes, that is correct. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this dish!
Every one of your recipes is SO good!!!! Thank you for sharing them with all of us!!! Your time & expertise are very much appreciated! I just made this dish & loooooved it! Thank you!!!
Thanks so much for your kind message, Mary:) So glad to hear this dish was a hit! I appreciate you making it!
Excellent
Thank you! xT
Hubby said, it was wonderful! Easy peasy to make! It was a very innovative recipe 😋
Hey Loretta,
Happy Monday! Love to hear this dish turned out nicely for you, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xx
I wouldn’t make this again. Very dry. Will be using the leftovers to make the insides of some breakfast burritos. Normally I am a fan of all her recipes. Just not this one.
Hi Allana,
Thanks so much for trying this dish and sharing your feedback, so very sorry it turned out dry for you! xx
Fell flat for our family 😔
Hey Susanne,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe and your feedback, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed. If there is anything that I can help with, please let me know! xx
Absolutely delicious. Great blend of flavors. The rice needed a bit more time to cook on the stove top before it went in the oven, but I anticipated that. I confess to added 1/2 cup more cheese. We will be having this again.
Hey Regina,
Fantastic! I appreciate you trying this recipe, I’m so glad it turned out nicely for you! xx
This was so easy to make and very delicious, I used cheddar & Monterey, didn’t have Swiss. My son could have eaten the entire pan.😋
Hey there,
Wonderful! Thank you for trying this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! XxT
I made this for the residents at the Veterans Home I work at. It was a big hit, some even had seconds! I had to dbl the recipe to feed everyone so had to prepare the dish in shifts; I would saute’ the chicken, then fry the veggies, then in a separate kettle, prepare the rice and noodles. Finally I added everything to the big kettle and lastly put it in a 9×13 baking dish and added the cheese. I will definitely make this again for the guys!
Hey Tim,
Yay! Love to hear this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it! Have the best weekend:) x
Tieghan, your recipes are truly the best. My husband loves each and every one of your recipes!!!! As do i!! This one was so amazing and i never would have thought the noodle combo with rice would be soooo good. And its perfect for the weeknight bc its quick! Thank you!!!! ❤️❤️
Hey Lara,
Yay! Love to hear this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it! Have the best weekend:) Thanks so much for your kind message! x
This recipe was good! I will say I feel like it needed more salt, and I had to make the following adjustments:
I added probably 4 extra cups of water and a half cup extra salsa. I also cooked it for probably an extra 20 minutes because the rice was not cooking. The flavor was good though and eventually the rice cooked in the oven, just took a lot longer than planned. Side note- I didn’t have chipotle seasoning but I used Trader Joe’s chili lime seasoning blend and it was great!
Hey Aubrey,
Happy Friday! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and your comment, love to hear it was a winner! xxT
Thank you kindly! 💛
Happy to share, Veronique:)
I made this tonight and it was a big hit for the family! I will definitely be making it again. Loved the flavours and topped with sour cream, cilantro and avocado. Delicious!!
Hey Leah,
Happy Sunday! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe and your feedback, love to hear it was a hit! XxT
This turned out really well, although I left out the pasta and could have used a little less chicken. I used hot salsa and habanero cheddar, so it was nice and spicy. Definitely one I’ll be making again!
Thanks so much, Helen! So glad to hear this dish was enjoyed, I appreciate you making it! XxT