Busy day? Let your slow cooker make dinner! This Crockpot Southwest Chicken and Rice is an easy, budget-friendly meal loaded with tender chicken, hearty rice, black beans, diced tomatoes and green chilies, cheese, and Southwest flavors. This is the perfect recipe for busy families or college students; just add everything to the slow cooker, let it cook, and come back to a comforting dinner.
What we love about this Southwest Chicken and Rice Crockpot
This meal is easy and almost hands-free. It takes about 5-10 minutes max to dump everything in the crockpot, and your meal is ready in a few hours. There’s nothing better than an easy meal on a busy night that’s also easy on the budget.
The rice has great flavor with some Southwest seasonings and with part enchilada sauce and part chicken broth for the cooking liquid. We love serving this with salsa, sour cream, avocado, and tortilla chips.
I also love the texture of the dish. When you use parboiled rice (I use Ben’s Original) instead of regular white rice, the rice doesn’t lose its shape or structure with the long cooking time, unlike white rice, which would get mushy. This is an easy favorite here and is customizable with your favorite toppings!
For another crockpot recipe, check out our Shredded Beef Sliders! For more chicken and rice, try our Cilantro Lime Chicken with Rice. I’m doing a series of our favorite crockpot recipes this fall, so more crockpot recipes to come!
What you need to make this Crockpot Chicken and Rice
You will need the following ingredients:
- Chicken broth
- Enchilada sauce
- Yellow onion
- Can of black beans
- Can of Rotel tomatoes
- Parboiled long grain white rice (I use Ben’s Original)
- Chili powder
- Cumin
- Salt
- Coarsely ground pepper
- Garlic powder
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs
Southwest Chicken and Rice Substitutions
I know what it’s like when you don’t have everything on hand, and the last thing you want to do is run to the store and pick something up. Here are a few ideas to substitute items on the ingredients list if needed:
- You could use all broth in place of a combination of chicken broth and enchilada sauce.
- You could use a taco seasoning packet in place of the different seasoning ingredients.
- You could make this vegetarian without the chicken, but I would increase the liquid by about 1/2 cup since you won’t have the juices naturally released from the chicken when cooking.
- You could add more veggies, like a chopped red bell pepper, or a cup of drained/thawed corn.
- You could use all cheddar, Pepper Jack, or all Monterey Jack, a Mexican blend, or your choice of cheese.
Step-by-step Instructions
Step 1. Add the broth and enchilada sauce to the bottom of the slow cooker. Add the chopped onion, drained black beans, and Rotel tomatoes. Add the seasonings and then the rice. Stir together to mix. Season the chopped chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Spread out evenly over the top of the ingredients in the slow cooker. Cover with the lid and cook on HIGH for 3 hours.
Step 2. 15 minutes before the time is up, sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top of the ingredients, replace the lid, and allow the cheese to melt. Remove the lid and serve with optional toppings and garnishes. Make sure to scoop down to the bottom to get all the delicious rice and ingredients when serving.
Tips
- I strongly recommend using parboiled rice for this recipe. Ben’s Original Long Grain White Enriched Parboiled Rice is what I use and is available at my local grocery store. Parboiled (converted) rice can handle long cooking times without losing its shape or structure. It won’t clump together or get sticky, unlike plain white rice, which will break down and turn mushy.
- I’ve used a 7-quart and 8-quart crockpot for this recipe. We have a few crockpots of different sizes at our house. This is one that I use and like.
Frequently Asked Questions
| How to store Crockpot Southwest Chicken and Rice? |
| a. Once cooled, place in an airtight container and refrigerate. You can remove it from the crockpot and spread leftovers in a shallow layer on a plate or tray to help it cool. Do not leave at room temperature for more than 2 hours. The USDA recommends that cooked beef be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days and in the freezer for 2-3 months. Cooked beef does not last as long in the freezer as raw beef. b. I do NOT recommend storing the food in the ceramic insert of the crockpot in the fridge. Never put the electrical base in the fridge. The ceramic inserts are very hot, hold onto heat, and take a long time to cool down. Food can end up being in the “danger zone” for too long, especially in the center, if stored in them in the fridge. It’s best to transfer the food to a smaller container to cool and store. |
| How to reheat the Crockpot Southwest Chicken and Rice? |
| You can also warm it over the stovetop on medium-low heat with a little water or broth if needed. Break up the rice and place the lid on to steam. Stir frequently until warmed through. Microwaving until warm in the microwave is also a possibility. Break up any clumps of rice, add a little broth or water if necessary, and microwave in a microwave-safe bowl, covered with a damp paper towel. Heat for 30-60 seconds at a time until heated through. |
Crockpot Southwest Chicken and Rice
Busy day? Let your slow cooker make dinner! This Crockpot Southwest Chicken and Rice is an easy, budget-friendly meal loaded with tender chicken, hearty rice, black beans, diced tomatoes and green chilies, cheese, and Southwest flavors. This is the perfect recipe for busy families or college students; just add everything to the slow cooker, let it cook, and come back to a comforting dinner.
6
servings10
minutes3
hoursIngredients
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup red enchilada sauce (we use mild; I like using Las Palmas brand)
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
One 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
One 10-ounce can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies (I use mild; do not drain)
1 cup long-grain white enriched parboiled rice (also called converted rice; I use Ben’s Original)
1 teaspoon chili powder
3/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus additional for chicken
1/4 teaspoon pepper, plus additional for chicken
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and chopped in 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar jack or colby jack cheese
Optional toppings: sour cream, salsa, sliced avocado, tortilla chips, sliced olives, pico de gallo, guacamole, chopped cilantro
Directions
- Spray the slow cooker with cooking spray for easier cleanup.
- Add the broth and enchilada sauce to the bottom of the slow cooker. Add the chopped onion, drained black beans, and Rotel tomatoes. Add the seasonings and then the rice. Stir together to mix.
- Season the chopped chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Spread out evenly over the top of the ingredients in the slow cooker. Cover with the lid and cook on HIGH for 3 hours.
- 15 minutes before the time is up, sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top of the ingredients, replace the lid, and allow the cheese to melt.
- Remove the lid and serve with optional toppings and garnishes. Make sure to scoop down to the bottom to get all the delicious rice and ingredients when serving.
Notes
- I strongly recommend using parboiled rice for this recipe. Ben’s Original Long Grain White Enriched Parboiled Rice is what I use and is available at my local grocery store. Parboiled (converted) rice can handle long cooking times without losing its shape or structure. It won’t clump together or get sticky, unlike plain white rice, which will break down and turn mushy.
- Food safety warning: I do NOT recommend storing the food in the ceramic insert of the crockpot in the fridge. Never put the electrical base in the fridge. The ceramic inserts are very hot, hold onto heat, and take a long time to cool down. Food can end up being in the “danger zone” for too long, especially in the center, if stored in them in the fridge. It’s best to transfer the food to a smaller container to cool and store.
- While many crockpot recipes can be cooked on low or high, I don’t recommend cooking on low for this recipe. I haven’t recipe-tested it, but I don’t think the rice will stay a great consistency if cooked for a long period of time. This may be a better weekend recipe, or for me, I love making it before kids get home from school or work, and if we’re running around before dinner, I don’t have to worry about making dinner when we get home. A college student could cook it in between classes.
