Ridiculously scrumptious, this Cheesy Tomatoes & Rice with Chicken is classic one-dish comfort food for any night of the week. Loaded with serious flavor, your family will love the melted cheesiness, mild green chiles and bright tomatoes in this easy Mexican-style chicken & rice casserole. You will love the one pot clean up and make ahead options. I can’t say enough about! You have to try it!
Why You’ll Love This Cheesy Tomato Rice Recipe
- Hands-down, this creamy Mexican-style rice dish might be the best thing I’ve eaten in a while. It’s a flavor bomb with bright tomatoes and savory chicken thighs, and the rice is so comfortingly cheesy… I really can’t believe how easy it is to make.
- Speaking of easy, this casserole is made in one pan for simple clean up.
- From start to finish, it only takes 40 minutes to make! Perfect for busy nights or when company is coming!
- It pairs perfectly with green veggies like roasted broccoli or sauteed zucchini, but it’s equally good scooped up with tortilla chips (my fave)!
- Did I mention cheesy, flavor-loaded rice?
RELATED RECIPE: Creamy Lemon Chicken & Rice Casserole
It’s All About The Rice
This dish is 100% all about the cheesy, creamy tomatoes and rice. With the texture of a risotto or creamy paella, it’s a total short cut recipe with heavenly results that doesn’t require all the stirring, time and technique those authentic recipes require!
Plus, this recipe uses a quick, or instant rice like Minute Rice, to shorten the overall cooking time. I love using instant rice in almost all of my rice dishes. It has quicker cooking time because the rice was par-boiled (partially boiled) before packaging. It also cooks up fluffy and tender every time-practically fool-proof!
The quality, texture or taste of the rice isn’t changed at all by being par-boiled, so there is no shame in using an instant rice to save time!
Recipe Ingredients & Overview
I’ll walk through an overview of ingredients & steps in these next sections along with helpful tips!
Look for specifics at the end of the post in the recipe card.
- boneless skinless chicken thighs
- chicken broth
- quick cook or parboiled rice (Minute Rice)
- large tomato
- diced green chiles
- canned diced tomatoes with green chiles
- yellow onion
- colby jack cheese
- cream cheese
- lime juice
- half & half cream
- minced garlic & garlic powder
- cumin
- chili powder
- salt & pepper
- olive oil
- cilantro (optional, or try parsley instead)
How to Make Mexican Cheesy Tomatoes & Rice
- Brown Chicken– Season boneless, skinless chicken thighs and, in a skillet, brown on both sides in a little olive oil. Remove the chicken from the skillet and wipe it clean. This is the braising skillet with lid that I use for lots of recipes. It’s a lifetime kitchen tool that I couldn’t do without.
- Whisk Together Cheesy Sauce. Return the skillet to the stove top. Add chicken broth, onions, green chiles and minced garlic and cook until onions are translucent. Whisk in more broth, half and half cream, cream cheese and lime juice.
- Simmer the Quick Rice. Stir the rice into the sauce and keep at a low simmer for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Rice will be creamy and saucy. Remove from heat. Fold in diced tomatoes with green chiles and grated Colby jack cheese.
- Add Chicken and Tomato Slices. Nestle browned chicken thighs and tomato slices into the cheesy tomato rice. Pour extra broth over the whole dish.
- Bake. Put a lid or aluminum foil over the skillet and bake your cheesy tomato rice & chicken for 10 minutes. Remove the lid or foil and bake for 10-15 minutes more or until the edges are bubbly and the lemons are beginning to cook.
- Finish with a little cilantro (or parsley). Serve & enjoy!
Tips for Making the Best Cheesy Tomatoes & Rice
- Don’t worry when the sauce separates after adding the tablespoon of lime juice. It comes back together when the cream cheese is added and the rice and sauce will be creamy after it simmers.
- Keep the simmer low as the rice cooks. Give it time to soak up the sauce, instead of the sauce evaporating. Keeping the lid on helps.
- Stir the rice occasionally as the sauce gets thicker to make sure the dairy is not sticking to the skillet.
- For this dish to turn out correctly in taste and appearance, don’t skip wiping out the skillet before cooking the sauce and rice.
Substitutions
- Don’t like chicken thighs? Substitute chicken breasts, pork chops or a white fish.
- To use regular long grain white rice, instead of a quick rice, increase the stovetop simmer time to 20-25 minutes.
How to Store, Freeze & Make It Ahead of Time
Store. Any leftovers should be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or covered in a 350° oven with extra broth.
Freeze. Simply let the casserole cool completely, cover tightly and freeze for up to 2 months. To reheat after freezing, let casserole thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Add a little broth and warm covered in a 350° oven.
Make Ahead Instructions. To prep this recipe ahead of time, brown the chicken, make the rice according to the recipe, assemble the dish, cover and refrigerate. Bake the next day after sitting the skillet out to lose its chill. Add about 10 minutes to the bake since the dish will be cold when entering the oven.
More Easy Mexican Style Dinners To Love
- Million Dollar Mexican Spaghetti
- Cheesy Mexican Beef & Rice Casserole
- Baked Creamy Tacos
- Tex Mex Chicken Fajitas
- Layered Beef Enchiladas
Cheesy Tomatoes & Rice with Chicken
Ingredients
Chicken Thighs
- 6 chicken thighs, boneless, skinless
- ¼ cup lime juice (about 3 limes)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
Marinated Tomato Slices
- 6 tomato slices
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
Cheesy Tomatoes & Rice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ cup chicken broth
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 7 ounces diced green chiles not drained
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 cup half and half cream
- 2 ounces cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 ½ cups Minute Rice
- 2 cups grated Colby Jack cheese
- 10 ounces canned diced tomatoes with chiles not drained
Finishes
- chopped cilantro (or parsley, if preferred)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉.
Chicken Thighs
- In a large zip top bag, add olive oil, lime juice, oregano, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Add chicken thighs, close bag, massaging and turning bag over to coat the chicken with the marinade. Set aside for at least 10-15 minutes.
Marinated Tomatoes
- In a large zip top bag, add olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Add tomatoes, close bag and massage like gently, making sure each slice is coated. Set aside with chicken.
- NOTE: While chicken & tomatoes marinate, I usually dice my yellow onion, chop cilantro (or parsley), grate my cheese and measure out and prepare the ingredients for my cheese & tomato rice so no time is lost. Chicken & tomates can also be marinated overnight in the fridge.
- In a large skillet with a lid, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add marinated chicken thighs with leftover marinade to the skillet. Cook until golden brown on each side. Remove from skillet and set aside. Thighs don't have to be cooked through because they will continue to cook later in the oven.
- Wipe out skillet to remove any drippings and cooked on marinade.
Cheesy Tomato Rice
- Return the skillet to the stove top and add ¼ cup of the chicken broth over medium heat. Add diced yellow onion, diced chiles (undrained) and garlic. Cook until onions are soft and translucent.
- Whisk in 1 cup broth and half and half cream. Add lime juice. If sauce separates, it's ok. It will come back together. Add cream cheese in pieces. Continue to whisk until melted.
- Stir in rice. Place lid on skillet and keep at a low simmer for 5-8 minutes or until rice is tender, stirring occasionally. Rice will be creamy and saucy. Remove from heat and fold in diced chiles & tomatoes (undrained) and 1 cup Colby Jack cheese.
- Nestle browned chicken thighs and marinated tomato slices into the rice. Pour last ¼ cup broth and any drippings from the chicken over whole dish. Return the lid and place skillet into preheated oven.
- Bake with lid on for 10 minutes. Remove lid and continue to bake for 10-15 more minutes until edges are bubbly and tomato slices begin to cook. Remove from oven, top with chopped cilantro and serve!
Video
Notes
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- Don’t worry when the sauce separates after adding the tablespoon of lime juice. It comes back together, and the rice and sauce will be creamy after it simmers.
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- Keep the simmer low as the rice cooks. Give it time to soak up the sauce, instead of the sauce evaporating.
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- Stir the rice occasionally as the sauce gets thicker to make sure the dairy is not sticking to the skillet.
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- For this dish to turn out correctly in taste and appearance, don’t skip wiping out the skillet before cooking the sauce and rice.
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- All nutrition values shown here are estimates only. If exact nutritional information is needed, please consult a nutritional calculator.
Nutrition
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