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Skillet Night
Mexican 3 min read

Skillet Chicken Verde Rice

Skillet chicken verde rice simmers juicy chicken with salsa verde and fluffy rice in one pan in about 35 minutes. Bright Mexican weeknight dinner.

Skillet Chicken Verde Rice

Salsa verde already does the heavy lifting — tomatillo tang, green chile heat, garlic. This skillet browns chicken, then cooks rice in the same jarred sauce plus broth so every grain picks up that bright, herby flavor.

No blender, no separate rice cooker. Dinner lands in about 35 minutes with a 12-inch skillet and grocery-aisle salsa verde.

Ingredients

Chicken and rice

  • 1 Tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
  • 1¼ lb (567 g) boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 tsp kosher salt, divided
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp chili powder
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup / 140 g)
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 cup (185 g) long-grain white rice, rinsed
  • 1 cup (240 ml) salsa verde (mild or medium)
  • 1¼ cups (300 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 can (4 oz / 113 g) diced green chiles, drained, optional
  • ½ cup (57 g) shredded Monterey Jack or Mexican-blend cheese, optional
  • ¼ cup (10 g) chopped cilantro
  • Lime wedges, for serving
  • Sour cream or Mexican crema, optional

Method

  1. Pat chicken dry. Toss with ½ tsp salt, pepper, cumin, and chili powder.
  2. Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken in a single layer; sear 3–4 minutes until browned on the bottom, then toss 2 minutes more until mostly cooked. Transfer to a plate.
  3. Lower heat to medium. Add onion with remaining ½ tsp salt; cook 3–4 minutes until soft. Stir in garlic 30 seconds.
  4. Stir in rinsed rice; toast 1 minute. Pour in salsa verde, broth, and green chiles if using; scrape the pan. Bring to a boil.
  5. Return chicken and juices. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 15–18 minutes until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.
  6. Off heat, fluff gently. Top with cheese if using; cover 2 minutes to melt. Finish with cilantro and lime. Serve with sour cream.

Cook's note

Thighs stay juicier than breast in a covered rice simmer. If you prefer breast, cut slightly larger pieces and nestle them on top for the last 10 minutes so they do not dry out.

What to serve with it

Warm corn tortillas, sliced avocado, or a quick bagged cabbage slaw with lime. Tortilla chips on the side catch any leftover verde sauce.

Make-ahead and leftovers

Cube and spice the chicken up to 8 hours ahead; refrigerate covered. Leftovers keep 4 days; reheat in a skillet with a splash of broth. Freeze cooled portions up to 2 months.

Troubleshooting

**Rice crunchy?** Add ¼ cup broth, cover, and cook 3–5 minutes more. **Too wet?** Uncover and simmer 2–3 minutes on medium. **Too spicy?** Use mild salsa verde and skip the canned chiles; cool each bowl with sour cream and avocado.