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This Fiesta Chicken recipe is ready in less than 30 minutes, provides nutrition from every food group, AND cooks entirely in one skillet (including the rice). Huzzah!

one pan healthy fiesta chicken and rice topped with cheese, avocado, and cilantro

This fiesta chicken recipe is an oldie but a goodie from my recipe archives.

It’s one of the first dishes I ever learned to cook (along with these Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas), so I can attest that even if you are just starting out in the kitchen, you can make it with confidence and success.

Despite its simplicity, fiesta chicken casserole is still a recipe I regularly make because it meets core dinner requirements:

  • Easy. Can you chop and stir? You can make fiesta chicken and rice! (And you can also handle this tasty Chicken Enchilada Skillet.)
  • Healthy. Veggies, lean protein, whole grains…the gang is all here.
  • Tex-Mex Inspired. a.k.a. can serve as a vehicle for avocado. Like Cowboy Chicken, this house approves.
  • Even Better Leftover. This creamy fiesta chicken is a win for meal prep. Cook once and eat yummy leftovers all week! 

Basically, if you want a simple, healthy, delicious meal that’s ready ASAP, fiesta chicken is the one for you! (This King Ranch Chicken would also fit the bill.)

Creamy fiesta chicken with black beans topped with cheese and avocado

5 Star Review

“A delicious solution to my ‘dinner emergency’ last night! So easy to put together after working late!”

— Lisa —

How to Make Fiesta Chicken

Combining fresh ingredients and everyday pantry staples, like black beans and fire-roasted tomatoes, this is truly the BEST fiesta chicken recipe that cooks entirely in one pan (like in this Taco Skillet).


The Ingredients

  • Chicken. I always keep a few chicken breasts in my fridge and/or freezer for quick one-pan recipes like this easy fiesta chicken (and this Chicken Tortilla Soup).

Substitution Tip

Dark and light meat both work there. Another great option is this Mexican Chicken and Rice dish with chicken thighs (or breasts as you prefer).

  • Bell Peppers. Feel free to use one or more of your favorite colors. Just like in Beef Fajitas, I like to use a combination of red bell peppers and green.
  • Onion. The aromatic foundation.
  • Instant Brown Rice. My secret to getting this one-pan wonder on the table in under 30 minutes.

Ingredient Note

Do not use white minute rice or regular rice as these will cook differently (see the FAQ section below and note in the recipe card).

  • Black Beans. These MVPs of Tex-Mex cuisine pack extra fiber and plant-based protein into every bite. (For more black bean goodness, try my Black Bean Corn Salad.)
  • Fire-Roasted Tomatoes. Provide moisture and smoky roasted tomato flavor.
  • Chicken Stock. Our main cooking liquid that flavors and steams the rice right in the pan with the other fiesta chicken ingredients.
  • Spices. What makes this fiesta chicken and rice especially memorable is its combination of spices. Along with the usual Tex-Mex suspects such as cumin and cayenne, I add traditional ranch spices such as garlic powder, onion powder, and dill.
  • Cheddar Cheese. Just enough to make things melty, gooey, and creamy without being overly heavy.

Substitution Tip

If you don’t have cheddar handy, Monterey jack, pepper jack, or your favorite shredded blend of Mexican cheeses make great swaps.

The best fiesta chicken recipe made with brown rice and chicken breast

The Directions

  1. Sauté the chicken, onion, herbs, and spices in a skillet until they start to brown.
  2. Add the peppers, black beans, tomatoes, rice, and chicken stock.
  3. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer on low heat until cooked through. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Top with cheese and additional toppings of your choice. ENJOY!

Dietary Note

As it is written, this fiesta chicken recipe is gluten free.

Storage Tips

  • To Store. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  • To Reheat. Rewarm gently in the microwave or on the stovetop with a splash of chicken stock or water to keep it from drying out.
  • To Freeze. Place leftovers in an airtight freezer-safe storage container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Meal Prep Tip

Fiesta chicken is a fantastic make-ahead dinner. Prepare as directed and then portion into individual storage containers you can take with you to the office and quickly heat up for lunch throughout the week.

Leftover Ideas

Wrap leftover fiesta chicken in whole wheat tortillas for a hearty, healthy, and filling burrito.

mexican chicken with rice casserole in a skillet

The Best Fiesta Chicken Sides

  • Cast Iron Skillet. A high-quality skillet is a worthwhile investment if you enjoy skillet recipes like this fiesta chicken.
  • Measuring Spoons. For measuring spices with accuracy.
  • Chef’s Knife. Perfect for chopping, slicing, and dicing.

The Best Cast Iron Skillet

Seasoned with 100% natural vegetable oil for a naturally nonstick finish that improves with use, it’s a perfect tool to sear, sauté, bake, broil, braise, or grill.

Fiesta chicken: a recipe that will never go out of style.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Make Fiesta Chicken in a Crock Pot?

I have not tried making this exact recipe in a slow cooker before, so it would be an experiment. However, this Crockpot Mexican Casserole is similar if you’d like a slow cooker Mexican dish.

Can I Make Instant Pot Fiesta Chicken?

I have only made and tested this recipe as written, so preparing fiesta chicken in an instant pot would be an experiment and require substantial changes to the recipe. Alternatively, I recommend this Instant Pot Mexican Casserole which has a similar flavor profile and ingredients.

Can I Make Fiesta Chicken Without Instant Rice?

This specific recipe was tested and developed with instant rice in mind. Other grains and rice will not cook properly in the time specified in the recipe. If you’re looking for a recipe with a similar flavor profile that uses long-grain rice, try this Mexican Shrimp. Alternatively, read the ingredient note in the recipe card below for my suggested method for using regular rice if you’re up for some experimentation.

Fiesta Chicken

4.81 From 216 reviews . Help us out! Review HERE.Help out & review HERE

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 25 minutes

Servings: 4 to 6 servings
This healthy fiesta chicken and rice is an easy one-pan meal that's ready in under 30 minutes. Made with instant brown rice and black beans!

Ingredients
  

  • 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces
  • ½ medium yellow onion or red onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
  • 1 ½ teaspoons dried dillweed
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper use 1/4 teaspoon or less if sensitive to spice
  • 1 medium red bell pepper cored and chopped
  • 1 medium green bell pepper cored and chopped
  • 1 can reduced-sodium black beans (15 ounces) rinsed and drained
  • 1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes in their juices (15 ounces)
  • 1 ½ cups instant brown rice* do not use white minute rice or regular rice as these will cook differently (see note)
  • 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
  • ¾ cup freshly grated cheddar cheese
  • Optional for serving: chopped fresh cilantro, diced avocado, plain nonfat Greek yogurt (or sour cream)

Instructions
 

  • Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, onion, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, dill, salt, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Sauté, stirring often, for 3 minutes, until the chicken begins to brown on the outside.
  • Stir in the red bell pepper, green bell pepper, black beans, tomatoes, rice, and chicken stock.
  • Bring to a boil, and then cover and simmer on low heat for 5 minutes, or until the chicken is done and the rice is nearly tender.
  • Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed.
  • Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Sprinkle with cheese and any additional desired toppings. Serve warm.

Video

Notes

  • *INGREDIENT NOTE: I have not tried this recipe with regular (not instant) rice or white rice instead of brown rice. If you want to experiment and use regular rice instead, I suggest sautéing the meat and vegetables in one skillet (you can drain the tomatoes first and then add them to the chicken and peppers at the end, heating until most of their liquid evaporates). Then, prepare the rice in its own pot according to the package directions (due to the longer cook time). Combine the two at the end with a bit of extra chicken stock if the mixture is too dry. Again, I haven’t tried the recipe this way, but that is my best suggestion.
  • TO STORE: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  • TO REHEAT: Warm leftover first chicken gently in the microwave or on the stovetop, with a splash of chicken stock or water to keep it from drying out.
  • TO FREEZE: You can freeze fiesta chicken for up to 2 months in an airtight container. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before warming.

Nutrition

Serving: 1(of 6); without toppingsCalories: 347kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 28gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 63mgPotassium: 687mgFiber: 7gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1468IUVitamin C: 47mgCalcium: 172mgIron: 4mg

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Erin Clarke

Hi, I'm Erin Clarke, and I'm fearlessly dedicated to making healthy food that's affordable, easy-to-make, and best of all DELISH. I'm the author and recipe developer here at wellplated.com and of The Well Plated Cookbook. I adore both sweets and veggies, and I am on a mission to save you time and dishes. WELCOME!

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  1. Hi! I made this for the meat eaters in the family but next time, I’m cooking the chicken separately so I can eat it too! They loved it. I made 1.5 times the recipe and left out the cayenne because a guest can’t tolerate hea5 stars

  2. Today was the first day of school in Austin, Texas for my grandchildren and I made this for supper for their family. I served it with cornbread, whipped honey butter, and tomatoes with cucumbers from the garden. It was a huge hit and I will be making this frequently! It comes together so quickly and has such a fresh flavor too. Thank you so much for posting this recipe.5 stars

    1. Hi Christy! Quinoa has a different cook time and liquid ratio than the instant brown rice called for here, so it’d be an experiment. This Mexican Chicken Quinoa Casserole starts with quinoa, if you’re interested in checking it out!

  3. Once again, I’m coming back to give five stars. Delicious! The entire family loved it. This has become my go-to site for new and tasty dinners when mom has me cook. Now I’m looking forward to making dinner, if only to be able to try more of your amazing recipes!5 stars

  4. My daughter likes a burrito made with ground beef and all the rest of these ingredients. Its her favorite thing to order at a fast food taco place. Have you ever tried it with hamburger?

    1. Hi Jo Gayle Schell! I haven’t tried this recipe with hamburger, but you could certainly experiment with it. If you try it, I’d love to hear how it goes!

  5. Okay, this is ABSOLUTELY in my top 3 favorites of all of your recipes!!! Salmon Wellington is still at #1 but this one dish wonder was so healthy and filling and had so many great seasonings. The flavor was fantastic! I made it one day then put it in the fridge without the cheese. Made the brown rice separately as suggested since it was not instant rice. We portioned out our servings the next day then added the cheese before heating in the microwave. For the second dinner, my son suggested adding some Andouille sausage so we browned some of that and tossed it in our bowls. So versatile, very healthy and made a few meals for my family—a win, win, WIN!!!5 stars

  6. Erin! I followed this recipe exactly and oh my! The flavors were bursting! Definitely a keeper recipe! No leftovers here!5 stars

  7. Easy to prepare when in time crunch after work. My husband and I really enjoyed it and leftovers should pack well for lunch tomorrow.5 stars

  8. I made this the other night and it was such a big hit. Everyone loved it! And the leftovers were even better maybe because everything had more time to marinate together. (was going to attach a picture but it doesn’t appear that feature is available.)5 stars

    1. Hi Anna! I’ve only tested the recipe as written, so you’d be experimenting if you want to try a vegetarian version. If you decide to play around with it, I’d love to hear how it goes!

  9. Hi!

    I’m going to try this tonight! If you want to use regular rice and it not turn out bland, you can cook your rice replacing the water with chicken stock and about a tablespoon of cilantro. Cook until almost done then add.

    I’ve done this on other recipes and it turned out great!

  10. I made this quickly by using two cans of chicken breast I didn’t use black beans . I served charro beans on the side. Served Mexican grated cheese on top. It was really good not much leftover.. Thank you.5 stars

  11. This was such an awesome dish👍🏻 It was spicy hot, full of flavor and meat was so tender. I used thighs. I will be making this as a weekly favorite. Thank you so much. First time follower but definitely not the last.5 stars

  12. I made this the other night and it was fabulous. I loved that I could make it in one pot, the flavors were delicious, and it was healthy. Thank you, Erin.5 stars

  13. Whipped this recipe up today and it was great. Not difficult and no time at all once the chopping is completed. Very tasty and love the one pan meals.5 stars

  14. Hi Erin, I am from Australia and found your fantastic website. I made Fiesta Chicken tonight and wow, it was awesome. I did add some fresh corn and chilli instead of cayenne but no other changes. Thank you so much for the recipe.5 stars

  15. I made this with a couple substitutions because I was missing a couple ingredients. Instead of fire roasted tomatoes, I used Rotel tomatoes with green chilies. I also used white rice, adding more as needed. It was delicious.5 stars

  16. Wonderful casserole! Great flavor and so easy! Make sure you pay attention to the note about using instant rice…I found out instant and “quick cook” aren’t the same so this took 45 minutes and the rice was still a little crunchy. Thanks for sharing!5 stars

  17. This was a fast meal that everyone loved. I was a little curious about the brown minute rice, but it stood up perfectly to the liquid in this dish.5 stars

  18. Eating this now. I’m surprised how well the flavors came together, reminiscent of a tortilla soup. Just realized I forgot to add cheese. I imagine it only makes it better, even without its completely delicious.5 stars

  19. This looks really healthy but I don’t see the Sodium amount in the nutritional info. I’m on a low sodium diet so I’m curious what the Sodium is before I make this recipe – please advise.

    1. Hi Mary! I stopped including sodium info because it can vary so much depending upon what products you used, and I found a lot of conflicting info online, so ultimately I didn’t feel comfortable publishing it because sometimes it wasn’t even in the ballpark. If you’d like to calculate it yourself, there are lots of free tools online (myfitnesspal.com is popular). I hope that helps!

  20. Texan here. I found this pretty bland and really under salted. The instant brown rice is also questionable. I’m not sure I’d make this again but if I did I’d add jalapeños, a can of Ro-tel and change the seasoning to remove the dill (not sure why that would be in this), add more cumin, add some dried oregano, cook real rice separately and once combined this needs a lot longer to simmer and blend the flavors. This fiesta tastes more like a bday party for a kid.3 stars

    1. I’m sorry to hear the recipe wasn’t to your taste. I know it’s disappointing to try a new recipe and not enjoy it. I (and many other readers) have enjoyed it, so I really wish they would’ve been a hit for you too!

  21. I came across this recipe while sitting in the parking lot of the grocery store wondering what to cook for dinner – it was a perfect easy recipe and it came out amazing!! So easy and had most ingredient on hand. The only thing I’d do differently is cook the chicken in a separate pan because it got a little dry cooking/boiling it with everything – my instant brown rice took longer than 5-10 min to cook, so the chicken was cooking a bit too long for our liking. Other than that, thank you so much for this recipe!! :)5 stars

  22. Flavors were amazing! Added jalapeño instead of green peppers. The instant rice was not done in 10 minutes though. I had to cook it longer, causing the chicken to dry out. I’m curious what brand of instant brown rice was used.4 stars

    1. Hi Abbie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! So to hear you had trouble with the rice. I used Minute Brown Rice, hope this helps!

  23. This came out so good. I had to
    Improvise because I didn’t have plain diced tomatoes or minute rice. So, I subbed in ro-tel and used plain white rice. As far as the rice cooking part, I simply cooked the chicken, then removed it and added the rest of the ingredients. I cooked the rice with the other ingredients until the rice was cooked through. I also added a little bit of frozen corn to the dish at this point. After the rice was cooked through, I added the cooked chicken back to the pan, stirred it, and sprinkled some cheese on top.5 stars

  24. The Chicken Fiesta was so easy to make. It was very flavorful and delicious. The entire family enjoyed it! Thsns so much!5 stars

  25. Awesome recipe and so easy! I had Boil-in-a-bag brown rice, which required 10 min to fully cook but I feel that gave the flavors time to really come together. Looking forward to leftovers at the summit of Mt. Cardigan tomorrow!5 stars

    1. Just made this last night and it was delicious, very tasty. I cooked rice in a rice cooker separately and added the cooked rice to the dish in the end of cook time to soak up some delicious liquid. the seasoning was on point. No extra salt needed!5 stars

    1. I’m sorry to hear the recipe wasn’t to your taste, David. I know it’s disappointing to try a new recipe and not enjoy it. I (and many other readers) have enjoyed it, so I really wish they would’ve been a hit for you too!

    1. Hi Ellen, this is a full meal for us but you could always do chips and salsa as a side dish, nachos, or serve with corn tortillas and lettuce. Enjoy!

  26. It looks great! The nutrition info doesn’t have the sodium level listed. Can you tell me what it is for the recipe as written?

    1. Hi Phyllis! I stopped including sodium info because it can vary so much depending upon what products you used, and I found a lot of conflicting info online, so ultimately I didn’t feel comfortable publishing it because sometimes it wasn’t even in the ballpark. If you’d like to calculate it yourself, there are lots of free tools online (myfitnesspal.com is popular). I hope that helps!

  27. I thought this recipe was easy and delicious. Not really sure you need the dill weed, I added garlic and extra onion. I didn’t have minute rice so I made rice on the side instead of chicken stock I put a teaspoon of chicken bouillon powder.5 stars

  28. This was excellent, and easy! I made a few modifications based largely on what was on hand:
    Water instead of broth
    Coriander powder instead of dill powder
    Added half an Anaheim pepper, cored
    Instant Jasmine rice instead of brown rice
    Salt, 1.5 tsp as I saw in a comment
    All other instructions followed. This turned out super flavorful, very hearty, cut chicken and half for even faster cook time. Thank you!5 stars

  29. Just made this last night and it was delicious, very tasty. I cooked rice in a rice cooker speratley and added the cooked rice to the dish in the end of cook time to soak up soem delicious liquid.5 stars

    1. Hi Colleen! I haven’t experimented with using cauliflower rice in this dish, but it might work. If you decide to give it a try, let us know how it goes!

  30. haven’t made it yet. i like tht you put nutrition , but you leave out sodium in all your recipes so i can’t try them
    please put the sodium amount , thankyou, gina gray

    1. Hi Gina, I stopped including sodium info because it can vary so much depending upon what products you used, and I found a lot of conflicting info online, so ultimately I didn’t feel comfortable publishing it because sometimes it wasn’t even in the ballpark. If you’d like to calculate it yourself, there are lots of free tools online (myfitnesspal.com is popular). I hope that helps!

  31. Delicious! We loved this recipe. I think next time I will chop my chicken up into smaller pieces. Still delicious!5 stars

  32. For someone who doesn’t cook this recipe helped me make something i don’t tired of eating. I did however get tired of making it. Instead of measuring out all the spices i just bought chicken taco seasoning in bulk. I mix in some hot sauce, cheese blend, and a small dollop of sour cream after microwaving a bowl. Easy meal planning for weight loss.5 stars

  33. The ingredients for this recipe were fine, but the cook time was rushed. It was a little eh. For left overs I baked it in the oven until hot and it was much better. Next time I would use cooked brown rice, saute the onions and peppers, saute the chicken, mix all and then bake it in the oven.4 stars

    1. Hi Jackie, it is 1 1/2 cups instant brown rice. It’s listed in the ingredients after the fire roasted tomatoes. Enjoy!

  34. Had cilantro lime rice on hand , used that to replace the brown rice . Dish was so tasty and what a quick an easy recipe. We loved it, will definitely be making this again. Thank you!5 stars

  35. It was just absolutely delicious. However I used chicken broth, seasoned black beans, and garlic roasted tomatoes instead. Kept all the other ingredients. Loved the flavor. Thanks!5 stars

  36. Very quick & easy recipe with good flavor. I added Andouille sausage & corn. I had leftover white rice so I added that at the end & left it absorb some of the sauce. The dill weed added a nice subtle flavor. I did add a bit more spices because I was using white rice which I thought might make it a more bland flavor.5 stars

  37. This was an awesome dinner. Everyone loved it. Let’s get real with the prep time though. 10 minutes is a joke. Chopping an onion, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, and chicken, not to mention measuring spices, is a 30 minute endeavor at best.5 stars

    3
  38. I really wanted to like this recipe as I was super tired of my regular rotation of recipes, and the dill weed intrigued me. My Mexican husband and 5-year-old daughter liked it, but I really didn’t care for the dill weed. Maybe it was the quantity, but I just thought it was far too strong. If I make this again, I’d either omit it altogether or just go with a scant ¼ or ½ teaspoon, not the full 1 ½ teaspoon the recipe calls for. Also, add lime juice as another optional topping! It is awesome. *And, cauliflower and zucchini make awesome extra veggies that don’t take away from the flavor and bulk it up 🥰4 stars

  39. It was yummy. We didn’t have instant rice so cooked it separately before adding to the pan. It came together nicely. We had tortilla chips to scoop it up.
    Really nice.3 stars

    1. Very tasty. I thought it was really easy to prep, cooking quickly. There’s so much wiggle room to add! I used cream of mushroom soup, added cooked rice at end and added mushrooms. Yum.

  40. Great easy meal. It makes so much and it’s very filling.
    I made my rice in a separate pot. I added it at the end with no other adjustments. It was perfect.5 stars

    1. I’m sorry to hear the recipe wasn’t to your taste, Rhonda. I know it’s disappointing to try a new recipe and not enjoy it. I (and many other readers) have enjoyed it, so I really wish they would’ve been a hit for you too!

      1
  41. The recipe was tasty and flavorful, however the instant brown rice does NOT cook in the amount of time the recipe says. I’ve made this twice now, and each time I spend an additional 30 minutes reheating and resimmering and waiting for the skillet to sit and absorb the water. It takes a few rounds of doing that until the rice is cooked. Kind of disappointing. Next time I will just make the rice separately, but the whole appeal of this recipe was to only use one dish.3 stars

    1. Hi Caroline! Thanks for sharing this feedback. Would you mind sharing which brand of rice you are using? I’d love to help troubleshoot! I’ve made this with both Uncle Ben’s and Minute brand.

  1. Hi! I made this for the meat eaters in the family but next time, I’m cooking the chicken separately so I can eat it too! They loved it. I made 1.5 times the recipe and left out the cayenne because a guest can’t tolerate hea5 stars

  2. Today was the first day of school in Austin, Texas for my grandchildren and I made this for supper for their family. I served it with cornbread, whipped honey butter, and tomatoes with cucumbers from the garden. It was a huge hit and I will be making this frequently! It comes together so quickly and has such a fresh flavor too. Thank you so much for posting this recipe.5 stars

    1. Hi Christy! Quinoa has a different cook time and liquid ratio than the instant brown rice called for here, so it’d be an experiment. This Mexican Chicken Quinoa Casserole starts with quinoa, if you’re interested in checking it out!

  3. Once again, I’m coming back to give five stars. Delicious! The entire family loved it. This has become my go-to site for new and tasty dinners when mom has me cook. Now I’m looking forward to making dinner, if only to be able to try more of your amazing recipes!5 stars

  4. My daughter likes a burrito made with ground beef and all the rest of these ingredients. Its her favorite thing to order at a fast food taco place. Have you ever tried it with hamburger?

    1. Hi Jo Gayle Schell! I haven’t tried this recipe with hamburger, but you could certainly experiment with it. If you try it, I’d love to hear how it goes!

  5. Okay, this is ABSOLUTELY in my top 3 favorites of all of your recipes!!! Salmon Wellington is still at #1 but this one dish wonder was so healthy and filling and had so many great seasonings. The flavor was fantastic! I made it one day then put it in the fridge without the cheese. Made the brown rice separately as suggested since it was not instant rice. We portioned out our servings the next day then added the cheese before heating in the microwave. For the second dinner, my son suggested adding some Andouille sausage so we browned some of that and tossed it in our bowls. So versatile, very healthy and made a few meals for my family—a win, win, WIN!!!5 stars

  6. Erin! I followed this recipe exactly and oh my! The flavors were bursting! Definitely a keeper recipe! No leftovers here!5 stars

  7. Easy to prepare when in time crunch after work. My husband and I really enjoyed it and leftovers should pack well for lunch tomorrow.5 stars

  8. I made this the other night and it was such a big hit. Everyone loved it! And the leftovers were even better maybe because everything had more time to marinate together. (was going to attach a picture but it doesn’t appear that feature is available.)5 stars

    1. Hi Anna! I’ve only tested the recipe as written, so you’d be experimenting if you want to try a vegetarian version. If you decide to play around with it, I’d love to hear how it goes!

  9. Hi!

    I’m going to try this tonight! If you want to use regular rice and it not turn out bland, you can cook your rice replacing the water with chicken stock and about a tablespoon of cilantro. Cook until almost done then add.

    I’ve done this on other recipes and it turned out great!

  10. I made this quickly by using two cans of chicken breast I didn’t use black beans . I served charro beans on the side. Served Mexican grated cheese on top. It was really good not much leftover.. Thank you.5 stars

  11. This was such an awesome dish👍🏻 It was spicy hot, full of flavor and meat was so tender. I used thighs. I will be making this as a weekly favorite. Thank you so much. First time follower but definitely not the last.5 stars

  12. I made this the other night and it was fabulous. I loved that I could make it in one pot, the flavors were delicious, and it was healthy. Thank you, Erin.5 stars

  13. Whipped this recipe up today and it was great. Not difficult and no time at all once the chopping is completed. Very tasty and love the one pan meals.5 stars

  14. Hi Erin, I am from Australia and found your fantastic website. I made Fiesta Chicken tonight and wow, it was awesome. I did add some fresh corn and chilli instead of cayenne but no other changes. Thank you so much for the recipe.5 stars

  15. I made this with a couple substitutions because I was missing a couple ingredients. Instead of fire roasted tomatoes, I used Rotel tomatoes with green chilies. I also used white rice, adding more as needed. It was delicious.5 stars

  16. Wonderful casserole! Great flavor and so easy! Make sure you pay attention to the note about using instant rice…I found out instant and “quick cook” aren’t the same so this took 45 minutes and the rice was still a little crunchy. Thanks for sharing!5 stars

  17. This was a fast meal that everyone loved. I was a little curious about the brown minute rice, but it stood up perfectly to the liquid in this dish.5 stars

  18. Eating this now. I’m surprised how well the flavors came together, reminiscent of a tortilla soup. Just realized I forgot to add cheese. I imagine it only makes it better, even without its completely delicious.5 stars

  19. This looks really healthy but I don’t see the Sodium amount in the nutritional info. I’m on a low sodium diet so I’m curious what the Sodium is before I make this recipe – please advise.

    1. Hi Mary! I stopped including sodium info because it can vary so much depending upon what products you used, and I found a lot of conflicting info online, so ultimately I didn’t feel comfortable publishing it because sometimes it wasn’t even in the ballpark. If you’d like to calculate it yourself, there are lots of free tools online (myfitnesspal.com is popular). I hope that helps!

  20. Texan here. I found this pretty bland and really under salted. The instant brown rice is also questionable. I’m not sure I’d make this again but if I did I’d add jalapeños, a can of Ro-tel and change the seasoning to remove the dill (not sure why that would be in this), add more cumin, add some dried oregano, cook real rice separately and once combined this needs a lot longer to simmer and blend the flavors. This fiesta tastes more like a bday party for a kid.3 stars

    1. I’m sorry to hear the recipe wasn’t to your taste. I know it’s disappointing to try a new recipe and not enjoy it. I (and many other readers) have enjoyed it, so I really wish they would’ve been a hit for you too!

  21. I came across this recipe while sitting in the parking lot of the grocery store wondering what to cook for dinner – it was a perfect easy recipe and it came out amazing!! So easy and had most ingredient on hand. The only thing I’d do differently is cook the chicken in a separate pan because it got a little dry cooking/boiling it with everything – my instant brown rice took longer than 5-10 min to cook, so the chicken was cooking a bit too long for our liking. Other than that, thank you so much for this recipe!! :)5 stars

  22. Flavors were amazing! Added jalapeño instead of green peppers. The instant rice was not done in 10 minutes though. I had to cook it longer, causing the chicken to dry out. I’m curious what brand of instant brown rice was used.4 stars

    1. Hi Abbie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! So to hear you had trouble with the rice. I used Minute Brown Rice, hope this helps!

  23. This came out so good. I had to
    Improvise because I didn’t have plain diced tomatoes or minute rice. So, I subbed in ro-tel and used plain white rice. As far as the rice cooking part, I simply cooked the chicken, then removed it and added the rest of the ingredients. I cooked the rice with the other ingredients until the rice was cooked through. I also added a little bit of frozen corn to the dish at this point. After the rice was cooked through, I added the cooked chicken back to the pan, stirred it, and sprinkled some cheese on top.5 stars

  24. The Chicken Fiesta was so easy to make. It was very flavorful and delicious. The entire family enjoyed it! Thsns so much!5 stars

  25. Awesome recipe and so easy! I had Boil-in-a-bag brown rice, which required 10 min to fully cook but I feel that gave the flavors time to really come together. Looking forward to leftovers at the summit of Mt. Cardigan tomorrow!5 stars

    1. Just made this last night and it was delicious, very tasty. I cooked rice in a rice cooker separately and added the cooked rice to the dish in the end of cook time to soak up some delicious liquid. the seasoning was on point. No extra salt needed!5 stars

    1. I’m sorry to hear the recipe wasn’t to your taste, David. I know it’s disappointing to try a new recipe and not enjoy it. I (and many other readers) have enjoyed it, so I really wish they would’ve been a hit for you too!

    1. Hi Ellen, this is a full meal for us but you could always do chips and salsa as a side dish, nachos, or serve with corn tortillas and lettuce. Enjoy!

  26. It looks great! The nutrition info doesn’t have the sodium level listed. Can you tell me what it is for the recipe as written?

    1. Hi Phyllis! I stopped including sodium info because it can vary so much depending upon what products you used, and I found a lot of conflicting info online, so ultimately I didn’t feel comfortable publishing it because sometimes it wasn’t even in the ballpark. If you’d like to calculate it yourself, there are lots of free tools online (myfitnesspal.com is popular). I hope that helps!

  27. I thought this recipe was easy and delicious. Not really sure you need the dill weed, I added garlic and extra onion. I didn’t have minute rice so I made rice on the side instead of chicken stock I put a teaspoon of chicken bouillon powder.5 stars

  28. This was excellent, and easy! I made a few modifications based largely on what was on hand:
    Water instead of broth
    Coriander powder instead of dill powder
    Added half an Anaheim pepper, cored
    Instant Jasmine rice instead of brown rice
    Salt, 1.5 tsp as I saw in a comment
    All other instructions followed. This turned out super flavorful, very hearty, cut chicken and half for even faster cook time. Thank you!5 stars

  29. Just made this last night and it was delicious, very tasty. I cooked rice in a rice cooker speratley and added the cooked rice to the dish in the end of cook time to soak up soem delicious liquid.5 stars

    1. Hi Colleen! I haven’t experimented with using cauliflower rice in this dish, but it might work. If you decide to give it a try, let us know how it goes!

  30. haven’t made it yet. i like tht you put nutrition , but you leave out sodium in all your recipes so i can’t try them
    please put the sodium amount , thankyou, gina gray

    1. Hi Gina, I stopped including sodium info because it can vary so much depending upon what products you used, and I found a lot of conflicting info online, so ultimately I didn’t feel comfortable publishing it because sometimes it wasn’t even in the ballpark. If you’d like to calculate it yourself, there are lots of free tools online (myfitnesspal.com is popular). I hope that helps!

  31. Delicious! We loved this recipe. I think next time I will chop my chicken up into smaller pieces. Still delicious!5 stars

  32. For someone who doesn’t cook this recipe helped me make something i don’t tired of eating. I did however get tired of making it. Instead of measuring out all the spices i just bought chicken taco seasoning in bulk. I mix in some hot sauce, cheese blend, and a small dollop of sour cream after microwaving a bowl. Easy meal planning for weight loss.5 stars

  33. The ingredients for this recipe were fine, but the cook time was rushed. It was a little eh. For left overs I baked it in the oven until hot and it was much better. Next time I would use cooked brown rice, saute the onions and peppers, saute the chicken, mix all and then bake it in the oven.4 stars

    1. Hi Jackie, it is 1 1/2 cups instant brown rice. It’s listed in the ingredients after the fire roasted tomatoes. Enjoy!

  34. Had cilantro lime rice on hand , used that to replace the brown rice . Dish was so tasty and what a quick an easy recipe. We loved it, will definitely be making this again. Thank you!5 stars

  35. It was just absolutely delicious. However I used chicken broth, seasoned black beans, and garlic roasted tomatoes instead. Kept all the other ingredients. Loved the flavor. Thanks!5 stars

  36. Very quick & easy recipe with good flavor. I added Andouille sausage & corn. I had leftover white rice so I added that at the end & left it absorb some of the sauce. The dill weed added a nice subtle flavor. I did add a bit more spices because I was using white rice which I thought might make it a more bland flavor.5 stars

  37. This was an awesome dinner. Everyone loved it. Let’s get real with the prep time though. 10 minutes is a joke. Chopping an onion, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, and chicken, not to mention measuring spices, is a 30 minute endeavor at best.5 stars

    3
  38. I really wanted to like this recipe as I was super tired of my regular rotation of recipes, and the dill weed intrigued me. My Mexican husband and 5-year-old daughter liked it, but I really didn’t care for the dill weed. Maybe it was the quantity, but I just thought it was far too strong. If I make this again, I’d either omit it altogether or just go with a scant ¼ or ½ teaspoon, not the full 1 ½ teaspoon the recipe calls for. Also, add lime juice as another optional topping! It is awesome. *And, cauliflower and zucchini make awesome extra veggies that don’t take away from the flavor and bulk it up 🥰4 stars

  39. It was yummy. We didn’t have instant rice so cooked it separately before adding to the pan. It came together nicely. We had tortilla chips to scoop it up.
    Really nice.3 stars

    1. Very tasty. I thought it was really easy to prep, cooking quickly. There’s so much wiggle room to add! I used cream of mushroom soup, added cooked rice at end and added mushrooms. Yum.

  40. Great easy meal. It makes so much and it’s very filling.
    I made my rice in a separate pot. I added it at the end with no other adjustments. It was perfect.5 stars

    1. I’m sorry to hear the recipe wasn’t to your taste, Rhonda. I know it’s disappointing to try a new recipe and not enjoy it. I (and many other readers) have enjoyed it, so I really wish they would’ve been a hit for you too!

      1
  41. The recipe was tasty and flavorful, however the instant brown rice does NOT cook in the amount of time the recipe says. I’ve made this twice now, and each time I spend an additional 30 minutes reheating and resimmering and waiting for the skillet to sit and absorb the water. It takes a few rounds of doing that until the rice is cooked. Kind of disappointing. Next time I will just make the rice separately, but the whole appeal of this recipe was to only use one dish.3 stars

    1. Hi Caroline! Thanks for sharing this feedback. Would you mind sharing which brand of rice you are using? I’d love to help troubleshoot! I’ve made this with both Uncle Ben’s and Minute brand.