Best Southwest Rice Recipes

SLOW-COOKER SOUTHWEST CHEESY CHICKEN AND RICE

Steps:

• Spray 5-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In small bowl, mix taco seasoning mix, cumin, salt and red pepper. Sprinkle both sides of chicken thighs with seasoning mixture; arrange in slow cooker. Pour tomatoes, beans and corn over chicken in slow cooker. Cover; cook on High heat setting 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until juice of chicken is clear when thickest part is cut (at least 165°F). Remove chicken and, using two forks, shred into bite-size pieces.
• Add Velveeta™ and Cheddar cheeses to slow cooker. Cover; cook 15 minutes. Beat with whisk until cheeses have melted into sauce. Add rice and shredded chicken; stir to combine. Cover; cook about 10 minutes or until hot. Garnish with cilantro.

SOUTHWEST VEGGIE AND RICE CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Coat an 8-by-8-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the onions have softened. Add the jalapeño and bell peppers, zucchini, chili powder, and salt to the skillet and stir to combine. Raise the heat to medium and continue to sauté until the vegetables are soft and no liquid remains on the bottom of the skillet, about 10 minutes.
• In a large bowl, combine the corn kernels, diced tomatoes and chiles, and black beans. Add the sautéed vegetables, Taco Rice, and shredded cheddar cheese to the bowl and stir until evenly mixed.
• Pour the rice and vegetable mixture into the prepared casserole dish and bake for 20 minutes.
• Sprinkle the green onions over the casserole and serve.

SOUTHWEST CHICKEN SALAD WITH RICE, CORN, AND CHILIES

Steps:

• Whisk first 5 ingredients and 1/2 cup cilantro in small bowl. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. Place chicken, corn, chilies and bell peppers on rimmed baking sheet. Brush 1/2 cup dressing over both sides of chicken and vegetables. Let stand 30 minutes.
• Bring 3 1/2 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt to boil in heavy large saucepan. Mix in rice. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook until rice is tender and water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Keep pan covered and let rice stand 5 minutes. Transfer rice to large bowl; fluff with fork. Pour 1/2 cup dressing over hot rice and toss; let cool.
• Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Grill chicken and vegetables until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender and slightly charred, about 6 minutes per side. Cut chicken, peppers and chilies into strips. Cut corn off cobs. Toss chicken and vegetables in medium bowl with enough dressing to coat; add to rice and toss again. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide salad among 6 plates. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cilantro and serve.
• *Chipotle chilies canned in a spicy tomato sauce, sometimes called adobo, are available at Latin American markets, specialty foods stores and some supermarkets.
• **Fresh green chilies, often called pasillas; available at Latin American markets and some supermarkets.

SOUTHWEST CHICKEN BEAN AND RICE CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spray a 13" x 9" baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter; add rice, salt and diced tomatoes w/ pepper/onion. Heat through and pour into bottom of prepared baking pan. Sprinkle 1 cup of the cheese over top.
• In same skillet, over med-high heat, sautee onion in the oil until translucent. Add diced cooked chicken, enchilada sauce, black beans, pepper, salt, adobo, cumin and 1 tbsp cilantro. Stir and heat through. Pour over top of mixture already in the baking pan.
• Sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheddar cheese over top. (then scatter optional sliced black olives over cheese, if using them). Sprinkle with 2 tsp cilantro.
• Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

SOUTHWEST RICE AND CORN SALAD WITH LEMON DRESSING

Steps:

• Cook rice until just tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water. Drain again.
• Meanwhile, whisk lemon juice and 3 tablespoons oil in small bowl. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add corn, poblanos, yellow bell pepper, and zucchini. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until vegetables are just tender, 6 to 7 minutes; scrape into large bowl. Add rice, avocado, green onions, cilantro, and dressing; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

SOUTHWEST CHICKEN AND RICE

Steps:

• Heat rice according to package directions. In a 2-qt. microwave-safe dish, combine chicken and tomatoes; stir in rice. Cover and microwave on high for 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese; cook 1 minute longer or until cheese is melted.

CHEESY SOUTHWEST CHICKEN AND RICE CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place chicken in a small baking dish and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, turning to coat. Season with salt and pepper.
• Bake in the preheated oven until chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 20 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Cut into strips or cubes when cool enough to handle. Leave the oven on.
• While the chicken bakes, bring water and 2 tablespoons olive oil to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in rice. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes. Fluff lightly with fork.
• While the rice cooks, heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion, bell pepper, carrots, and garlic until tender, about 10 minutes.
• Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Place rice, vegetable mixture, chicken, 1 1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, beans, and tomatoes in a large bowl and stir until well combined. Spoon into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 10 minutes longer.

SOUTHWEST RICE SALAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the rice, beans, corn and onions.
• Toss to mix.
• In a food processor, blend remaining ingredients, except the cilantro and tomatoes, until the peppers are finely minced.
• Pour the dressing over the rice mixture and mix well.
• Garnish with the cilantro and chopped tomatoes.
• This salad can be made 1-2 days in advance and served either cold or room temperature.

SOUTHWEST CHICKEN & RICE SALAD

Steps:

• Remove and discard corn husks and silk. Brush 1 tablespoon oil over ears of corn. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Cut corn from cobs. , In a large bowl, combine the chicken, red pepper, jalapenos, cilantro and corn. , In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, garlic, chili powder, salt, pepper and remaining oil; pour over chicken mixture and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. , Cook rice according to package directions; cool. Just before serving, stir rice and avocados into salad.

SOUTHWEST BEEF & RICE SKILLET

Steps:

• Cook rice according to package directions., Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the rice, beans, broth, tomato sauce, chili powder, salt, cumin and pepper; heat through. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and cook for 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted.

SOUTHWEST CHICKEN AND RICE CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Spray a 4-quart casserole dish with nonstick spray. Add chicken, uncooked rice, black beans, and corn and stir until combined. Set aside.
• Mix tomato sauce, 2 cups chicken broth, sour cream, chili powder, salt, cumin, ancho chile pepper, and white pepper together in a large bowl. Pour into the casserole dish and mix well; contents should be fairly soupy. Cover with foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, uncover, and stir.
• Add the remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth if the casserole is too dry or beginning to stick. Cover again and return to the oven until rice is soft, about 40 more minutes.
• Remove foil, stir contents, and sprinkle with grated Cheddar cheese. Return to the oven until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.

CILANTRO LIME GRILLED CHICKEN BREAST WITH SOUTHWEST YELLOW RICE SALAD

Steps:

• 1. Begin marinade for chicken by adding chopped cilantro to zest and juice of 2 limes mix well. In a casserole dish place 4 chicken breasts and sprinkle 1 tablespoon Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle spices evenly on all 4, followed by cilantro lime marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• 2. Yellow rice salad begins with preparing yellow rice as directed on package. When rice is done remove to a large bowl fluff. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to mix salad.
• 3. Start fire in grill (I use charcoal but you could use gas just make sure you have nice high heat to start) you could also do this inside on a grill pan if you have no outside grill! I like to get my fire really hot all coals burning then take a paper towel with olive oil and rub grill to make sure chicken does not stick. When coals are ready medium to high heat place corn on fire grill about 6-8 minutes then remove from grill to cool. Remove chicken from marinade and place on grill. Grill 4 minutes on each side then turn and grill again to get grill marks criss crossed. Total 8 minutes on each side. Watch fire if it flames spray with water to get rid of flames. When grilling is done remove to side of grill with low heat. Then leave there to finish cooking about 10-15 minutes.
• 4. While chicken is on low heat begin salad. Cut corn from cob and place in large bowl of yellow rice. Add black beans, garlic, fresh tomatoes, and red onion toss well set aside while making dressing.
• 5. In food processor add adobe sauce, 1 sliced avocado, juice of 1 lime, sea salt, pulse 3-4 times until smooth and creamy then slowly add extra virgin olive oil while processor is running until incorporated. Remove from processor bowl and add to salad. Toss well and return to refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.
• 6. Plating start with 2-3 serving spoons of yellow rice salad topped with chicken breast that have been sliced on the diagonal top with 4 slices of fresh avocado sprinkle with ground black pepper and a squeeze of fresh lime.

SOUTHWEST RICE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine the first 10 ingredients; bring to a boil. Stir in rice. Cover and remove from the heat; let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

SUPER EASY SOUTHWEST-STYLE QUINOA (COOKED IN RICE COOKER)

Steps:

• Mix black beans, diced tomatoes with green chile peppers, quinoa, water, and taco seasoning together in a rice cooker.
• Cook quinoa mixture on the "brown rice" setting, about 1 hour.

SOUTHWEST PORK CHOPS & RICE

Steps:

• Cook peppers and onions in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat 5 min. or until crisp-tender, stirring frequently. Meanwhile, rub both sides of chops with combined seasonings.
• Add chops to skillet; cook 2 to 3 min. on each side or until evenly browned on both sides. Add beans and tomatoes; cover. Cook on medium-low heat 5 min.
• Top chops with cheese; cook, covered, 2 to 3 min. or until chops are done (145ºF) and cheese is melted. Remove from heat. Let stand 3 min. before serving chops and vegetable mixture over rice.

SOUTHWEST BLACK BEAN AND RICE (CROCK-POT)

Steps:

• Rinse and sort beans. Mix beans, rice, onion, jalapenos, and water into crock-pot. Cook on low for 8.5 hours.
• Add lime juice, cilantro, tomatoes, corn, and cheese. At this time also add 1/3 cup of desired cajun seasoning (Tony's, Emeril's, Luzianne, etc.). I use Lusianne, because it has less sodium. Continue cooking for another 30 minutes.
• Serve warm by itself or, wrapped in a flour tortilla like a burrito, or serve with tortilla chips like a dip.
• Add a dab of sour cream and/or guacamole for color, texture, and taste.

SOUTHWEST CHICKEN AND RICE SOUP

Steps:

• Heat soup as directed on label with water.
• Stir in salsa. Top each serving with 2 Tbsp. cheese.

SOUTHWEST RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Cook rice according to package directions. Stir in the Mexicorn, cilantro, butter and salt.

SOUTHWEST CHICKEN TENDERS AND RICE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lay a large piece of aluminum foil on the counter.
• Combine the salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder and oregano in a small bowl.
• Arrange the chicken on the foil in a single layer. Use half the seasoning mixture to sprinkle the tenderloins evenly on both sides.
• Cut one of the limes in half, squeezing all of its juice evenly over the chicken. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Rub the chicken on both sides to evenly distribute the spices, juice and oil. Let sit for 10 minutes.
• Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a 4-quart shallow braising pan, ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add half of the spice-rubbed chicken; cook, turning once, until lightly browned on both sides. It's not necessary to cook comletely through. Transfer to a plate; repeat with the remaining chicken.
• Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion, bell pepper and a pinch of salt to the pan, plus more oil if needed; cook, stirring, for 4 minutes or until the vegetables have softened. Add the tomato paste and the remaining spice mixture; cook, stirring to combine, for 1 minute. Add the rice and stir to incorporate. Add the broth; increase the heat to medium-high and stir to combine; cook until the broth begins to boil.
• Cover and transfer to the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and arrange the cooked chicken tenders over the rice. Cover and bake for 8 minutes, then check to see whether the rice has cooked through and all of the broth has been absorbed; if not, bake for 5 minutes or until rice has cooked through. Remove from the oven, uncover and sprinkle with cheese and cilantro.
• Serve right from the cooking vessel at the table, shielding the hot handles with pot holders. Cut the remaining lime into wedges to serve on the side.

SOUTHWEST CHICKEN WITH BROWN RICE

Steps:

• Sprinkle chicken pieces with cumin and chili powder. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken; cook until meat is on longer pink. Add onion and garlid; cook an stir 2 minutes. coarsely chop tomatoes; set aside. Add water to equal 1 3/4 c total. Add liquid and salsa to skillet and bring to a boi. Stir in rice, reduec heat, cover tithtly an simmer 25 minutes. Stir in beans and tomatoes. Rem ove from heat. Let stand, covered until all liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and garnish with avocado.