Smothered with queso, this easy Queso Chicken and Rice uses just seven ingredients and is made with one dish. Chicken con queso is a flavorful Mexican-inspired casserole that is spicy, creamy, and cheesy, a weeknight dinner favorite.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time1 hourhr10 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr20 minutesmins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Keyword: chicken
Servings: 8Servings
Calories: 430kcal
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Ingredients
2 5.4ozpacksKnorr Mexican Rice
14.5ozregular or low-sodium chicken broth
16ozPace Picante Sauce or other smooth salsa
½cupwater
2-3teaspoontaco seasoning
2 ½-3lbboneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts½-inch thick
1 ½cupsshredded Mexican cheese blend
½-3/4cupqueso blanco dipwarmed
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
To a 13”x9” baking dish, whisk together both Knorr rice packets, broth, salsa and water. Season chicken on both sides with taco seasoning. Place the chicken into the rice mixture and sprinkle cheese on top.
Cover TIGHTLY with foil and bake 1 hour. Remove the foil, and bake an additional 10-15 minutes.
Remove the dish from the oven, and drizzle warmed queso blanco dip on top.
Video
Notes
Dark or white meat both work for the queso chicken and rice:
If chicken tenderloins are used, they will likely only need a total cook time of 50 minutes covered plus 10 minutes uncovered.
Boneless chicken breasts or thighs will need the 1 hour covered plus 10-15 minutes uncovered. If your chicken breast or thigh is thicker than ½-inch, flatten it with a mallet or cut them in half horizontally. The USDA-safe internal temperature for chicken is 165°F.
If you want to sear the seasoned chicken first, go ahead! Searing the chicken will give it a bit of caramelized flavor. Just adjust the covered oven cook time to 35 to 45 minutes.
If you prefer a homemade taco seasoning, here is a substitute: 1 tablespoon chili powder, ½ tablespoon cumin, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, ½ teaspoon oregano, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper.