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
- 1/2 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
Do you know how many points this would be without the cheese? Following green plan ?
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
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.
Hi Kathleen, the Spanish style will work perfectly 🙂 I hope you love it
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.
So glad you enjoyed it, thanks for sharing 🙂
Was the Spanish style rice also Uncle Ben? Can it be made stove top, I do not have a microwave.
Thank you
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 🙂
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.
I think they are 240g packages , I have seen many people say they grabbed the spanish style and it worked just as well 🙂
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!
Hi Kathleen, based on MY FItness Pal the sodium per serving is 868.7mg
What would the amount be for regular rice? Like in cup measurements?
absolutely delicious!
Awesome, glad you enjoyed 🙂
could you possibly make this with cauliflower rice instead of rice as rice makes my husbands blood sugar really spike
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
I cannot eat the Rotel…. what would you suggest in its place? Salsa?
you could try salsa sure
I LOVE this recipe, does it freeze well?
Hi Valerie, yes this dish will freeze well, so glad you enjoy it 🙂
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?
Sure, they will work just as well 🙂
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?
Hi, no each can was 284ml, so 568 in total 🙂