This flavorful dish with a little Mexican flair is easy to prepare and sure to be a family hit!
I love one-pot meals, they make everything so simple and that's what we need because let's face it life is busy! This one-pot Mexican chicken & rice was amazing, so much flavor and a nice hearty meal... no joke I ate it 3 days straight! This dish only takes about 30 minutes from start to finish and it's a meal the whole family can enjoy. Makes 6- 1 cup servings at 5 points on WW.
Ingredients used
- Ground chicken
- Uncle Ben's Mexican-style rice
- Taco seasoning
- Rotel chopped tomatoes with green chilies
- Peppers
- Onion
- Shredded cheese
I have some followers tell me they can't find the same rice package, if you can't find this exact one just use something similar, here is a link for the Bistro express one I use in the recipe so you can see the nutritional information. Honestly, any rice will work in the recipe, I chose this one to add a little more flavor.
The Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies add in an extra little spice, but this is definitely not a spicy dish. If you can't find the Rotel tomatoes, any can of diced tomatoes will work.
I love that this recipe is made in one pot, which makes for an easy clean-up. You can add in extra veggies if you wish to bulk it up. I have had some followers tell me they added in beans and it turned out very well.
I typically use a 3 blend of shredded cheese for a lot of my recipes simply because it is what I keep in my fridge, any shredded cheese will work though if you have a favorite that you buy because it might be lower on calories or WW points then please feel free to use that one.
One Pot Mexican chicken & rice
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chicken *weighed raw
- 1 package Uncle Ben's bistro express mexican style rice
- 1 package taco seasoning - 35g
- 2 cans 284ml rotel chopped tomatoes with green chilies
- 1 cup diced peppers
- ½ cup diced onion *I used red
- 1 cup reduced fat shredded cheese I used a 3 blend
Instructions
- In a large pot on the stove cook the ground chicken
- Add in the rotel chopped tomatoes, peppers, onion and taco seasoing and mix well.
- Cook the uncle ben's rice in the microwave as directed on package and add to mixture.
- Let cook for 15 minutes over medium heat.
- Top with shredded cheese and leave on the heat until the cheese melts
- Serve immediantly.. makes 6- 1 cup servings, store in the fridge, leftovers will freeze well.
- *Note- feel free to add in extra veggies or beans to bulk it up, if it seems to thick by adding extra ingredients you may want to add a little water.
Notes
You can store leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. This dish freezes well and is great to keep stocked in the freezer for easy meal time. To reheat from frozen, let dethaw then you can either heat up in a frying pan over medium heat on the stove or in a casserole dish in the oven, and you can also use the microwave.
Looking for similar recipes? Try my Chicken & rice crescent topped casserole or Mexican stuffed peppers
Mal
Do you know how many points this would be without the cheese? Following green plan ?
Drizzle
My cheese was 11SP total so it might drop down by 2 points but best to build it in the recipe builder to be sure
Kathleen
This recipe is on my menu for the week. I've searched high and low for the Uncle Ben's Mexican rice and can only find the Spanish style rice. I'm wondering if the Mexican style is sold in exclusively in Canada. I found the Mexican style on Amazon but it's a bit pricey. I hope the Spanish style works. Looking forward to trying this.
Drizzle
Hi Kathleen, the Spanish style will work perfectly 🙂 I hope you love it
Kathleen
I did make this for dinner tonight and it was delish. The Spanish style rice worked perfectly. I believe that plain rice or even the cilantro lime rice would work also. I did add some additional chili powder, cumin and cayenne powder, too. Great recipe.
Drizzle
So glad you enjoyed it, thanks for sharing 🙂
Elizabeth
Was the Spanish style rice also Uncle Ben? Can it be made stove top, I do not have a microwave.
Thank you
Drizzle
Hi, yes it was UB.. I think you could use a stovetop version and then add it in, just try to equal out the portion sizes 🙂
Barbara C. Hardison
what size (ounces, cups etc.) is the Uncle Ben's bistro express mexican style rice? My grocery (kroger) does not have it and cannot find it on Amazon. Need to know how much of regular rice I need to use to replace the uncle bens.
Drizzle
I think they are 240g packages , I have seen many people say they grabbed the spanish style and it worked just as well 🙂
Kathleen Alexander
I love your recipes, but my husband has to be on a low sodium diet. Do you know the sodium level for this recipe? Thank you!
Drizzle
Hi Kathleen, based on MY FItness Pal the sodium per serving is 868.7mg
Rosalie Thomas
What would the amount be for regular rice? Like in cup measurements?
Yvette
absolutely delicious!
Drizzle
Awesome, glad you enjoyed 🙂
Debra Schaffer
could you possibly make this with cauliflower rice instead of rice as rice makes my husbands blood sugar really spike
Drizzle
You could try, I think it will work out it will just be different textured, maybe more of a "mushy" to it than normal if that makes sense
Cathy
I cannot eat the Rotel.... what would you suggest in its place? Salsa?
Drizzle
you could try salsa sure
Valerie
I LOVE this recipe, does it freeze well?
Drizzle
Hi Valerie, yes this dish will freeze well, so glad you enjoy it 🙂
Mary Ann
I’ve made this a couple of times. So delicious! Now that I’m practicing social isolation and staying out of the stores, I need a substitute for the Rotel. I have regular canned tomatoes. Could I use those?
Drizzle
Sure, they will work just as well 🙂
Jenese Vollman
In regards to the cans of tomatoes your ingredient lair says 2 cans (284ml) rotel chopped tomatoes with green chilies. Is that 2 cans and each are 284ml for a total of 568ml of tomatoes or 2 cans totalling 284ml so 142ml each?
Drizzle
Hi, no each can was 284ml, so 568 in total 🙂
Laura
I made this tonight-it was easy and absolutely delicious! I served it with some FF refried beans which I topped with 1 TBSP of Herdez Mild Guacamole salsa. I also topped everything with a pouch of WW sea salt tortilla chips. Thank you for this!
Drizzle
You are very welcome, sounds delicious, thanks for sharing 🙂
Laura Matty
I made this tonight-it was easy and absolutely delicious. I served it with FF refried beans which I topped with 1 TBSP of Herdez Mild Guacamole salsa. I also took a bag of WW sea salt tortilla chips and topped it over everything. Thank you for a great dinner!
Patty
Do you drain the tomatoes?
Drizzle
No, you do not drain the tomatoes 🙂
Jessica Bolling
Hi, my chicken for 1 lb came up in my ww app as 16 points is that normal? Is there a certain brand of ground chicken I should be using?
Drizzle
Hi Jessica, it is only the fat free ground chicken that will be considered 0SP on both blue & purple programs, however that said I buy what I can find and just go with it, my saying is always 95% ground chicken vs 99% ground chicken is not why I am on WW haha .. but do what works best for you . if you can find 99% FF then that is 0SP on blue & purple
Shelley Lynn Barichello
I made this dish for dinner and it is fabulous! My husband who is very picky loved it. I will definately make this again. Thanks
Drizzle
Hi Shelley, yay.. I always love hearing that a picky eater enjoyed the dish because I am as picky as they come haha, so glad you both enjoyed it 🙂
Bri
This was so good! I didn't have the cans of rotel so I used a big can of diced tomatoes and a small can of old el paso diced green chiles and it was great!
Drizzle
Awesome, so glad you enjoyed it Bri 🙂
Summer A
Made this recipe this evening. So delicious!! Came to 5 points for me coz I couldn’t find almost fat free ground chicken. Well worth it. All the cheese was over the top yummy. Thank you for this delicious recipe. You make my ww journey a lot easier when I can eat. ?
Drizzle
Hi.. yay, so glad you enjoyed it and thank you for your sweet words 🙂 good luck on your continued journey!
Cheri L Moeder
Hi, Kate! I'd like to add some beans to the recipe, either black or chili, drained and rinsed. Do you think I'd need another can of Rotel so the recipe isn't to dry?
Drizzle
Hi Cheri, sorry for the late reply, you might want to although I'd see how it is first after adding the beans, it may not too dry
Kathleenmargaret1
I’m thinking about trying with either shredded chicken breasts, or 96% ground beef.
Drizzle
I think either will work out well, hope you enjoy it 🙂
Felicia
I would substitute cauliflower rice for the rice.
Drizzle
That is a great idea 🙂