Name: Salsa Verde Chicken and Rice
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 1 cup long grain white rice* (rinsed well); 1 ½-2 cups chicken broth (low sodium preferred); 16 oz jar salsa verde; 1½ cup corn (frozen or canned); 1 can black beans, 15 oz. (drained and rinsed); juice of one lime; 1½ lb chicken breast (cut in bite-sized pieces); 1 tsp garlic powder; ½-1 tsp salt; ½ tsp oregano; ½ tsp cumin; 1 tsp paprika; ½ tsp onion powder; ½ cup chopped cilantro (more for topping); ⅓-½ cup sour cream (room temperature); 1½ cup shredded cheddar cheese (your favorite mix)

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This dump and bake salsa verde chicken and rice is the easiest one pan dinner to make! Only about 10 minutes to prep but still a super flavorful recipe that the whole family will love. Add everything to the pan, bake, stir in some sour cream and cilantro and cover with cheese. Dinner is served and the effort was so minimal!

Salsa verde chicken and rice sump and bake meal in pan topped with cilantro.

Why We Love This Salsa Verde Chicken Rice bake
Ingredient Notes
Ways To Vary This Salsa Verde chicken and Rice
Step-By-Step Instructions
Recipe Tips
Storage and Reheating
Salsa Verde Chicken and Rice Recipe
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Dinner recipes that require minimal effort are my favorite of all time. This new salsa verde chicken and rice is a dump and bake recipe my family loves and I love the use of one pan to make it with only 10 minutes of prep.

This one pan dinner will for sure be a new favorite in your home and I can’t wait for you to try it!

Why We Love This Salsa Verde Chicken Rice bake

One-pan and one-pot dinners make my life so much easier. I love creating meals that require next to nothing effort but have all the nourishing goodness and flavor you want for your family. There are lots of dump and bake recipes out there these days, but this one may be my FAVORITE.

This salsa verde chicken rice bake:

is a whole meal in one simple dish
requires minimal effort to prep
can easily be varied to add more veggies, adjusted spice level and more
is naturally gluten-free if you have a family member that can’t have gluten

Hope you LOVE this dinner recipe, and check out these other favorite one-pan dinners: Creamy Baked Chicken Orzo, Sheet Pan Lemon Chicken and Broccoli, Greek Chicken and Orzo or this stove top One Pan Chicken and Rice!

Ingredient Notes

Cubed chicken, cilantro, corn, beans and other ingredients labeled on surface.

Salsa verde is a green colored salsa made of tomatillos, green chili peppers, cilantro etc. Tomatillos have a more tart and bright flavor as compared to red tomatoes. We love the Herdez brand and use it regularly in cooking. If you don’t have salsa verde, you could make this with a red salsa, but for best results, don’t use a chunky red salsa.
I like to use bone broth sometimes when making this to up the protein and overall nutrients of the recipe, but if not, I use low sodium chicken broth.
For best results, use full fat, room temperature sour cream when making this chicken and rice bake. This will make for the smoothest, creamiest mixture.

Ways To Vary This Salsa Verde chicken and Rice

add toppings: when serving, the options are endless. You can top with avocado, jalapeños, diced tomatoes, pickled onions, sour cream, crushed fritos or tortilla chips, and much more.
make it extra spicy: use a medium salsa verde versus mild, stir in some cayenne pepper or your favorite hot sauce before baking, add a can of chopped jalapeños, etc.
add more veggies: you are welcome to add some chopped baby spinach, diced bell peppers (although they are better sautéed first), and more.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Salsa verde, broth, chicken, corn, beans and seasoning in pan.

Step 1: Add rice, broth, salsa verde, beans, corn and lime juice to a 9×13 inch baking pan and stir to combine.Add the cubed chicken over top and sprinkle over the seasonings: salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, onion powder, and paprika (you can whisk them all together first and then pour over if preferred.) Gently stir to combine.

Baked salsa verde chicken with beans and corn.

Step 2: Cover the pan with foil and seal very tight. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the chicken has reached 165°F and the rice is tender.

Sour cream and cilantro added to chicken and rice bake.

Step 3: Once cooked, remove from oven and stir in the sour cream and cilantro.

Baked salsa verde chicken and rice with cheese on top.

Step 4: Sprinkle the cheese over top to cover and broil on high for about 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted and browned. Allow the dish to rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe Tips

Cook time can very slightly based on a variety of variables. Keeping the foil sealed tight as long as possible is ideal as it locks in any heat and steam to help with the baking process. For best results wait at least 40-45 minutes before pulling the foil up to check on the meal.

You can vary the amount of broth in this recipe to your preference. For a thicker overall consistency, opt for 1 1/2 cups of broth. If you prefer a creamier version, use the full 2 cups. There is plenty of liquid with the salsa verde added for the rice to cook, it’s a matter of what you prefer.

Make sure you cube the chicken to even-sized pieces. This will keep some from becoming too dry and others needing to be cooked a bit longer and then the rice becomes mushy, etc. About 1 – 1 1/2 inch pieces are best.

Wood spoon scooping into chicken and rice mixture.

Storage and Reheating

Store any leftovers in an airtight container for about 3-4 days. To keep longer, freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Make sure the dish is completely cooled before freezing. Thaw overnight for best results before reheating.

To reheat, bake for about 15-20 minutes uncovered at 350°F. You can also microwave single servings for about 2 minutes, stirring halfway through the cook time.

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