Easy, effortless midweek meal! Rice with shredded chicken cooked in a homemade enchilada sauce (or use store-bought!), topped with cheese. All made in one pot!
All you need is chicken, rice, tomato passata (or canned tomato) and a handful of pantry essentials to make this incredible flavour loaded, comfort-food-central meal. Oh wait – cheese. Of course you need cheese. This would not be “Enchilada” without cheese!
I’ve been overloading on Mexican over the last couple of weeks, sharing my Mexican Shredded Beef and Freezer Friendly Beef Burritos. I feel a bit silly sharing yet another Mexican(-esque) recipe today, but I hadn’t actually planned to! I had Cashew Chicken all ready to go, then I got the sweetest message from TWO readers in one day asking me to please share more one-pot recipes because they loved my One Pot Greek Chicken & Lemon Rice so much. 🙂 So I decided to shuffle my posting calendar a bit and share this today. I hope you don’t mind!
I love this kind of food for midweek. I call it Couch Food. The definition of Couch Food is “any meal that can be served in a bowl and eaten with a fork or spoon without taking your eyes off the TV”.
This qualifies. 100%. 🙂
There are quite a few spices required for this recipe because the sauce the rice is cooked in is essentially homemade Enchilada sauce. I’ve marked the ingredients that make up the Enchilada Sauce with an asterisk (*) so you could in fact substitute with a store bought Enchilada Sauce and it will become even easier to make!
My key tip for making this is to take it off the stove while it is still quite saucy because the rice will continue to absorb water while it is resting – and even while you are serving it. You want it pretty saucy – not sloppy, but not dry.
And please please please don’t overcook the rice so it is mushy! The liquid quantities I’ve provided will not yield mushy rice – I like mine tender but firm (it’s an Asian “thing”), but I know some people have a tendency to get stressed that the rice isn’t cooking and add more water. Which is totally fine, cook the rice to your taste but just don’t let it turn into baby food! 🙂
Hope you had a wonderful weekend! Back on Wednesday with something a bit different – but super easy, super tasty and totally irresistible! – Nagi x
PS Check out how bubbly and golden it looks…..ugh. Help me. I just want to dive in and grab a spoonful.
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One Pot Chicken Enchilada Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 400g (13oz) chicken breast, about 1/3"/1cm thick, sliced horizontally into thin steaks (Note 1)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 red bell pepper/capsicum, diced
- 680g (24oz) tomato passata or crushed canned tomatoes* (Note 2)
- 3 cups chicken broth or water (750ml)
- 1 1/2 cups frozen corn (250g)
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper* (spicy - adjust to taste)
- 1 tbsp dried oregano*
- 2 tsp cumin*
- 1 1/2 tsp coriander*
- 2 tsp onion powder*
- 1 tbsp brown sugar*
- Salt and pepper
- 1 1/2 cups (270g) white rice (short, medium or long grain , uncooked (Note 4)
- 1 - 1 1/2 cups grated cheese (about 125 - 150 g)
To Serve
- Chopped cilantro/coriander optional
Instructions
- Heat olive oil over medium high heat in large skillet.
- Add chicken and cook each side for 2 minutes or until cooked, then remove onto a plate.
- Add extra oil if the skillet is looking dry. Add onion and garlic, cook for 1 1/2 minutes until starting to soften.
- Add bell peppers and cook for a further 2 minutes.
- Add remaining ingredients except rice and cheese. Bring to simmer, then add rice.
- Stir, cover with a lid and turn down heat to medium low. Cover and cook until rice is cooked but not mushy and most of the liquid is absorbed - about 15 to 18 minutes. (Note 3). Do not stir while it cooks.
- Meanwhile, shred or roughly chop chicken.
- When rice is cooked, quickly stir chicken through, sprinkle with cheese then pop under broil / grill until golden and bubbly.
- Serve, garnished with fresh cilantro/coriander if desired.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Nutrition per serving, assuming 6 servings.
This is on the menu for next week, even though I really really really want to cook it tonight, because I have EVERYTHING to cook it with. Alas, I’ll have to settle for your Chinese Beef with Honey & Black Pepper Sauce for dinner, for which I have defrosted the beef.
I often have a smile in my face as I read through the ingredients of your recipes, because I usually have everything in my pantry and freezer. I wouldn’t have been able to say this with any degree of confidence last year, but since I’ve been on my cooking adventures (39 weeks and still going strong) and cooking your recipes, I would never have any trouble whipping up one of your delicious dishes for unexpected guests. I have so much to thank you for, lovely lady!
And you put a smile on my face with your messages Gloria! Thank you so much!!! N x
Yummy yummy yum! This was very very good, and enjoyed by 3 adults and 2 kids with 3 portions of leftovers! The rice was so deliciously flavoured – the sauce was rich and warm and full bodied. The kids loved the cheese on top of the rice, and I loved the shredded chicken throughout the rice.
I made one small tweak to the recipe: I replaced the onion with finely diced celery. Oh, and only added ¼ tsp of cayenne pepper to suit the kids’ palettes. There was definitely just enough of a kick to notice the cayenne pepper. I forgot to add salt and pepper but the dish didn’t really need them. Very easy to make and so super tasty. Our dinner guest was impressed with the meal as well. We will definitely have this again!
Ms Nagi, look at my stretchy cheese! ??
http://ohgloriousone.tumblr.com/post/131550023762/recipetin-one-pot-chicken-enchilada-rice-casserole
Screech!! I am SO GLAD this got your stamp of approval! I’m off to IG now to have a look! <3 N x
We love Mexican food at our house so this looks like the one pot meal of my dreams!!! Can’t wait to make it! 🙂
YAY! Glad you like the look of this!! N x
What a beautiful post and meal. I am wondering if I can use quinoa instead of rice with this;do you think it will work, Nagi?
Hi Shobelyn! You know, I’ve never tried this from scratch with quinoa. I’ve stirred quinoa through similar sauces, but I haven’t tried it in one pot yet. 🙂 Thanks for the idea though, I will try it soon!! N
Hi Nagi,
I absolutely adore your photography skills. You really have a knack for a great composition. Also, I am wondering have you ever tried Burmese food. If so, will you be incorporating some into your blog? I recently started blogging about Burmese food, and would be thrilled to do a collaborative post with you.
I adore Burmese food 🙂 A Burmese fellow used to work for me and his wife would send him to work with a little extra packed lunch on the side just so I could try it because I was constantly hovering over him when he was having lunch!! In particular I remember these little pakoras his wife used to regularly make for him. 🙂 I’ll pop over and see your blog!
When I was growing up, the big convenience food for mother’s was called Hamburger Helper. It is still there, is the original one skillet meal, (I think) and now I think they should come up with a chicken version. This looks great Nagi, and I am with you on overcooked rice AND pasta! And this would be like WAY better than the stuff that comes out of a box!
I have to look that up!! 🙂 Absolutely never heard of it but now you have me curious!!
Ha! “It’s an Asian thing”. Girl… don’t I know it! Rice might as well be my ‘sacred cow’ – you just don’t mess with rice. Thanks to my dad, it’s the reason why I went off college with a rice cooker – I think my roommate thought I was a little weird 😉
So back to this awesome dish! Talk about some serious comfort food – me, couch, spoon, no plate. That’s what I see for the future of this dish! P.S. keep coming with the Mexican inspired dishes… love them!
OMG I love that!!! BA HA HA!!! It reminds me of being sent to school with bento boxes!!
This looks amazing. Dinner tonight is sorted! Thank you
Thanks so much Ruby!!! 🙂
This looks so comforting and delicious, Nagi! Love it! Also wanted to thank you again for your book. I’m learning a lot (much more pleasant than reading my camera manuel or trying to do my own research), and can’t wait for next few photo sessions 🙂
Oh boy, I hear you! I’m pretty sure I never referred to my camera manual until a couple of months ago!! I’m so glad you are enjoying the book Sabrina! N x
I can’t wait to try this one Nagi! I made enchiladas from scratch and the husband loved them. He will LOVE this one pot dish! Yum!
I bet you make a MEAN Enchilada!! N x
Your rice preference is like an Italian for pasta. Overcook pasta and it is mushy. This looks wonderful and I always like to take the grains/pasta off and let it finish absorbing the liquid off the heat.
YES it is exactly the same with pasta!! I am very fussy about ensuring my pasta is al dente. 🙂
You KNOW I love your one pot dishes!!! I’m sick today and really am aching for some couch food…if only someone can make this for me…
Hope you’re feeling better Mila! Wish I could pop over and help make you feel better. 🙁 N x
I’d love to. Hope u feel better.
HELP ME TOO! Where is my spoon?! This looks incredible Nagi! Rice and chicken is one of my favorite combos in the world – add enchilada sauce and cheese and that whole pot is mine! and stunning as always! xoxox
Ba ha ha!!! Tell you want – we’ll grab a spoon each, sit on the floor in front of the TV and share it? 😉 N x
Oh my…my couch food never looks this good! I can’t even handle that first photo with the gooey cheese and all the rest with the browned bits and gorgeous color…do I say that too much? Consider me slayed, my friend!
Aww, thanks so much Annie! Amazing how a bit of cheese can do so much for a dish, isn’t it? N x
Hi Nagi! Just pass me the pan along with a big spoon! Love the flavor profile here and, of course, one pot! Have you seen Kevin’s Easy Tamale Pie post? You need to because it is killer! Gary doubled the recipe yesterday as two friends were coming over – there is maybe enough left for lunch. 🙂
No! I haven’t seen it yet! I have to go check it out. I adore Kevin’s cooking. He’s also become a bit of my “go to” source for grilling!!
So Incredibly Delicious Nagi! This has got me salivating, only you alone, can make one pot meals look so Devine!!
You always inspire me.
You’re a bit of a queen of one pot cooking yourself Imma! 🙂 I am so keen to share your chickpea and potato curry soon. I’m still making it frequently!!!
Ha! You know Nagi – every one of us who sees these pictures are gonna wanna “dive in and grab a spoonful”! That golden, melty cheese! WOW!
Awww, thanks Shashi, you are too sweet! N x
Oh Nagi!!!!
As if I needed an excuse to eat more melted cheese!!!
This looks amazballs!!
That first photo! I want to push everyone else out of the way and stand ready with my plate!
I also love the fact that the ingredient list is pretty much made up of my pantry/fridge staples!
Yum!!!!!!!
You crack me up – the vision of you shoving a crowd of people aside to get to that pan of food!! BA HA HA!!! N x
Great dish and wonderful photos Nagi! I love firm rice and totally agree with you. Pinning!
Thanks Mira! N x
Hi Nagi
you have stated white rice in your recipe, does that include basmati?
Thanks
Hi Helen! I’m sorry, I am not 100% sure it will work with basmati. It should….but I can’t say for sure. It cooks slightly differently to short, long and medium grain white rice. I will update the recipe, thank you for the question!
Oh Nagi, you’re such a temptress with these photos! I love everything about this – truly a pan of wonderful! And, I agree wholeheartedly about rice, it should have some bite….mushy rice is ruined rice. 🙂
Hello Marissa! Shouldn’t you be out scaling the Eiffel tower? 😉 Hope you’re having a wonderful time!! N x