Description
This Slow Cooker Fiesta Chicken and Rice recipe is a flavorful and easy one-pot meal perfect for busy weeknights. Tender chicken breasts are slow-cooked with a blend of spices, cream of chicken soup, vegetables, and tomatoes, then combined with creamy sour cream, cheesy Spanish rice, and optional beans and chiles for a vibrant Tex-Mex inspired dish. Serve it as a filling for burritos, tacos, nachos, or burrito bowls with your favorite toppings.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Seasoning
- 1-1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Vegetables and Canned Goods
- 1 small white onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 (15 oz) can corn, drained
- 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- Optional: 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
- Optional: 1 can green chiles, drained
Others
- 1 (10.5 oz) can condensed cream of chicken soup
- 6-8 oz box or 90-second package Spanish rice, prepared according to package directions
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
Instructions
- Season and Layer the Ingredients: Place the boneless, skinless chicken breasts into the slow cooker. Sprinkle evenly with garlic powder, chili powder, paprika, cumin, and black pepper. Spread the condensed cream of chicken soup over the top of the chicken breasts. Add the diced white onion, green bell pepper, drained corn, and undrained diced tomatoes on top, but do not stir the ingredients together at this point.
- Slow Cook the Chicken: Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or on HIGH for 3 hours. This slow cooking time allows the chicken to become tender and absorb the flavors of the spices and vegetables.
- Prepare Spanish Rice and Shred Chicken: About 30 minutes before serving, prepare the Spanish rice according to the package directions. Using two forks, shred the cooked chicken breasts directly in the slow cooker. Then stir in the sour cream, 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, and the cooked Spanish rice, mixing everything well to combine.
- Finish with Cheese Melt: Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the top of the mixture in the slow cooker. Cover again and cook on HIGH for 10-20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Serve and Garnish: Serve the fiesta chicken and rice as a filling for burritos or tacos, over tortilla chips for nachos, or as a burrito bowl with additional toppings such as green onions, avocado, cilantro, diced onions, and tomatoes or pico de gallo.
Notes
- You can add black beans and green chiles for extra protein and flavor if desired.
- Use freshly shredded cheddar cheese for best melting results.
- For a spicier dish, add a pinch of cayenne pepper or use spicy diced tomatoes.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
- For gluten-free option, ensure the Spanish rice and cream of chicken soup are certified gluten-free.
