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Salsa Verde Chicken and Rice Skillet

Salsa verde chicken and rice skillet with golden chicken thighs baked into tangy salsa verde rice. One-pan method yields tender rice, melted Monterey jack, and fresh cilantro-lime garnish.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 5 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Calories: 610
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Boneless chicken thighs
  • 1.5 lb boneless chicken thighs
Long-grain white rice
  • 1.5 cup long-grain white rice
Salsa verde
  • 16 oz salsa verde 1 jar
Chicken broth
  • 2 cup chicken broth
White beans or pinto beans
  • 15 oz white beans or pinto beans 1 can, drained
Frozen corn
  • 1 cup frozen corn thawed
Garlic
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
Olive oil
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
Ground cumin
  • 1 tsp cumin
Chili powder
  • 1 tsp chili powder
Salt and pepper
  • 1 salt and pepper to taste
Monterey jack cheese
  • 1 cup Monterey jack cheese shredded
Fresh cilantro
  • 1 fresh cilantro for serving
Lime wedges
  • 1 lime wedges for serving

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Season and sear chicken
  1. Season boneless chicken thighs with cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe cast iron skillet over high heat, then sear chicken thighs for 4–5 minutes per side until golden. Remove and set aside.
Toast rice and simmer
  1. Add garlic to the skillet and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant and just starting to brown.
  2. Add long-grain white rice and toast for 2 minutes, stirring so grains are lightly coated.
  3. Pour in salsa verde and chicken broth, then stir to combine and loosen any browned bits from the pan.
  4. Add white beans or pinto beans and thawed frozen corn, then stir again to distribute evenly.
  5. Nestle chicken thighs back into the rice mixture, bring to a simmer, cover, and cook over low heat for 20 minutes, until rice is cooked and chicken is done.
Melt cheese and serve
  1. Top with shredded Monterey jack cheese, cover, and cook for 2 minutes to melt.
  2. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with lime wedges.

Notes

Pro tip: use the lowest heat once simmering starts and keep the skillet covered so the rice cooks evenly and absorbs the salsa verde flavor. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 4 days; reheat in a skillet or microwave until hot. Freezing is not recommended for best rice texture. For a lighter option, swap the Monterey jack for part-skim cheese and use low-sodium chicken broth.