Skillet Chicken Enchilada Rice

Possible Cooking Methods:   Stovetop   Pressure Cooker   

Here’s a quick and easy dinner for those busy weeknights. While it’s not exactly like eating enchiladas, this recipe has all of the same flavors. You could warm up tortillas, spoon some chicken enchilada rice inside, roll it up and eat it like a burrito too.

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1½ pounds chicken tenders (or sliced chicken breasts)

olive oil

½ onion, diced

½ red bell pepper, diced

½ green bell pepper, diced

1 Jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced

1½ cups basmati rice*

2 cups chicken stock

1 (19-ounce) can enchilada sauce

1 (2.25-ounce) can sliced black olives, drained

2 cups grated Cheddar cheese

Cilantro Cream:

½ cup sour cream

2 teaspoons milk

juice of ½ lime

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

salt

avocado, diced (for serving)

*Quantity changes for alternate methods

Stovetop Directions

Serves:4

Cooking Time:35 minutes

1.  Combine the chili powder, salt and freshly ground black pepper in a small bowl. Rub this spice mixture on the chicken tenders and set them aside while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

2.  Pre-heat a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and brown the chicken on both sides, making sure the spice mixture does not get too dark in the pan. Remove the browned chicken and set aside.

3.  Add the onion and peppers to the skillet, along with a little more oil if necessary and sauté for a few minutes. Add the rice and continue to sauté for another 2 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock and enchilada sauce and stir well. Lower the heat, cover the pan and simmer for 10 minutes.

4.  While the rice is cooking, make the cilantro cream by whisking the sour cream, milk and lime juice together in a bowl until smooth. Stir in the chopped cilantro and season with salt. Set this cream aside.

5.  Add the olives to the skillet and return the chicken tenders to the pan, nestling them gently into the rice. Cover the skillet and continue to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the rice is fully cooked. Top the chicken and rice with grated Cheddar cheese, cover and leave the pan on low heat until the cheese has melted.

6.  Serve the chicken and rice with a drizzle of the cilantro cream and sprinkle the diced avocado on top.

 

Additional Cooking Directions for

Skillet Chicken Enchilada Rice

Pressure Cooker Directions

Serves:4

Cooking Time:15 minutes

Change Ingredients:  Reduce the basmati rice to 1 cup

1.  Pre-heat a 6-quart multi-function pressure cooker using the BROWN or SAUTE setting.

2.  Combine the chili powder, salt and freshly ground black pepper in a small bowl. Rub this spice mixture on the chicken tenders and set them aside while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

3.  Add the chicken to the cooker and brown the chicken on both sides, making sure the spice mixture does not get too dark in the cooker. Remove the browned chicken and set aside.

4.  Add the onion and peppers to the cooker, along with a little more oil if necessary and sauté for a few minutes. Add 1 cup of rice and continue to sauté for another 2 minutes. (If your cooker doesn’t have a brown setting, use a skillet on the stovetop for the steps above and transfer the contents to the cooker now.) Add the chicken stock, enchilada sauce, olives and browned chicken tenders to the cooker, nestling the chicken gently into to the rice. Cover and lock the lid in place.

5.  Pressure cook on HIGH for 5 minutes.

6.  While the rice is cooking, make the cilantro cream by whisking the sour cream, milk and lime juice together in a bowl until smooth. Stir in the chopped cilantro and season with salt. Set this cream aside.

7.  Release the pressure using the QUICK-RELEASE method and carefully remove the lid. Sprinkle the grated Cheddar cheese on top and return the lid to the cooker for a few minutes to allow the cheese to melt.

8.  Serve the chicken and rice with a drizzle of the cilantro cream and sprinkle the diced avocado on top.