Cheesy Salsa Verde Chicken and Rice is a one pan, 20 minute, 5 ingredient gluten-free dinner recipe that is lick your plate delicious! Cheesy and satisfying.
If your week has been anything like mine, you’re in need of a crazy easy dinner recipe to get on the table tonight.
May I suggest my 5 ingredient, 20 minute, 1 pan Cheesy Salsa Verde Chicken and Rice?
This cheesy, comforting recipe calls for simmering rice, chicken broth, salsa verde, and chopped chicken together in a saucepan, then stirring in shredded Pepper Jack cheese at the end.
20 minutes, 5 ingredients, 1 pan — say less!
This chicken and rice recipe is creamy and comforting like a casserole, but ready in a fraction of the time. An un-casserole, if you will!
I suggest serving Cheesy Salsa Verde Chicken and Rice with a big side salad, roasted brussels sprouts, or roasted broccoli, and topping it with more salsa verde, chopped green onions, or chopped cilantro before digging in.
The recipe calls for an extremely modest amount of cheese so it’s definitely not heavy, but throw some veggies on the side to make it a complete meal. I know you’re going to love it!
Try Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Rice Casserole
How to Make this Recipe
Start by adding long grain white rice, chicken broth, and salsa verde (I like Herdez,) to a 2 – 3 quart saucepan. Bring to a boil then add chicken breasts that have been cut into bite-sized pieces and seasoned with salt and pepper.
Bring the liquid back up to a boil then place a lid on top, turn the heat down to medium-low, and simmer for 12 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat then let it sit with the lid on for an additional 5 minutes.
Last step is to add freshly shredded Pepper Jack Cheese (or Monterey Jack Cheese if you’re sensitive to spice) then stir until completely melted.
Let the chicken and rice sit and thicken for 2-3 minutes then scoop onto plates and serve. Couldn’t be easier! I hope you enjoy this simple, scrumptious, stress-free dish!
More Easy Cheesy Recipes
- Cheesy Ham and Broccoli Skillet
- Beef & Veggie Enchilada Skillet
- Cheesy Chicken Burrito Skillet
- Homemade Crunchy Taco Hamburger Helper
- Cheeseburger Quesadillas
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup salsa verde, I like Herdez
- 1 cup long grain white rice, I like Lundberg Farms Jasmine Rice
- 2 chicken breasts, ~1lb, cut into bite sized pieces
- salt and pepper
- 4 oz freshly shredded Pepper Jack Cheese, or Monterey Jack cheese if sensitive to spice
- Toppings: chopped cilantro, chopped green onions, salsa verde, tortilla chips
Directions
- Add chicken broth, salsa verde, and rice to a 2-1/2 - 3 quart saucepan with a tight fitting lid then turn heat to high to bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, season chicken with salt and pepper then add to the pot, stir, and bring liquid back to a boil. Place a lid on top then turn heat down to low and simmer for 12 minutes. Remove pot from the heat then let sit with the lid on for 5 minutes.
- Fluff rice and chicken then add cheese and stir until completely melted. Let dish sit for 3-4 minutes to thicken and then serve.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
This was delicious and super easy to modify for an Instant Pot. Sauteed chicken in the the pot first, then dumped in rice+wet ingredients and cooked (can’t remember how long – not very). Stirred in cheese while fluffing. EASY, fast, really yummy dinner!
Oh I love that, Lindsay!! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
My daughter has ulcerative colitis and is very sensitive to gluten. I found and made your chicken lo Mein on Pinterest, and we loved it! so I had her browse your blog and this is the 2nd recipe I’ve made and it too was a hit with the whole family! Thanks for sharing your recipes! Can’t wait to try more
I’m thrilled to hear this recipe was a winner with your daughter, Dawn! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
YUM! Enchillada in a bowl. Love it! Set out lettuce and sour cream and pico de gallo etc. for everyone to top their bowl.
Love that idea, Kim! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
I want to double this recipe. Do I just double everything? How does that affect the cooking time?
Yes, you can double all the ingredients — I’d use a Dutch Oven or soup pot, and plan on adding an extra 5-10 minutes of cooking time!
I’d like to make a vegetarian version of this dish – any advice about how to modify the amount of liquid if not adding the chicken?
I might reduce the chicken broth by just a couple Tablespoons if omitting the chicken.
I LOVE this recipe and have made it at least a dozen times! A few modifications I’ve made to add more veggies include adding corn, spinach and/or peppers and topping with avocado. So delicious! Thanks for the great recipe that I seem to keep making again and again, no matter what the season. :)
Oh I’m so glad you love it and are able to customize it to your liking, Julie!
This is the easiest, tastiest dinner ever. As simple as it is, you will be left craving this as a comfort food meal on a weekly basis! I seriously could not be happier with the results. Its a no fail recipe! Thank you!
WOW – what an awesome review, Jessica! Thank you so much – I’m so glad it was a hit for you!
I’m not sure what took me so long to try this because it was a HIT! The family loved it and it was very easy and super quick. Win, Win!
Hooray!! Thrilled to hear this, Jennie!
This was awesome and cooked up perfectly! I stirred baby spinach leaves in with the cheese so there’d be some veggies. More recipes like this, please!
Love that idea, JB!!!
Any suggestions on how to modify this if I plan on using riced cauliflower instead of regular rice? Or even if I use Trader Joes microwave brown rice? I love this recipe but we are trying to cut down on carbs a bit. Thanks so much!
Hi Kristin! I haven’t tried this recipe with cauliflower rice or microwave brown rice so unfortunately I can’t be sure. Let me know if you give either a whirl – I’d love to hear how it turned out!
Any ideas on how I could alter this and use cauliflower rice?
Looks great! If I double the meat and rice, do I double the time?
Should be about the same cooking time – maybe add 2-3 minutes.
Oh my, this recipe was amazing! Easy and delicious. My family LOVED it!
I’m thrilled to hear that, Dana!!