Mexican Chicken and Rice Salad
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Mexican Chicken and Rice Salad – a fresh summer salad loaded with black beans, chicken, corn and rice. Totally addicting and makes the perfect dinner for a busy weeknight.
Mexican Chicken And Rice Salad
This Mexican chicken and rice salad is chock full of warm rice, tender chicken, fresh veggies, and topped with a zesty dressing. So let’s get into it!
Ingredients In Mexican Chicken And Rice Salad
- Chicken – I used boneless and skinless breast for this salad recipe but feel free to substitute these for chicken thighs. Just keep in mind that thighs need to cook longer.
- Taco seasoning – I like to make things easy, you guys know that, both for myself and for all my readers! So in this recipe taco seasoning from the packet will do just fine.
- Frozen corn – Again a quick little short cut, frozen corn will work in a pinch.
- Rice – Cooked rice that’s been allowed to come to room temperature if you’d prefer this salad cold. I used basmati but any rice will do.
- Veggies – Bell pepper and cherry tomatoes chopped up for our fresh component.
- Beans – Black beans are best for this salad.
- Herbs – Fresh cilantro and green onions, mmm!
- Juice – If you’re making Mexican food and you don’t have limes on hand, you’re missing a major ingredient! I used both lime and lemon juice fresh squeezed.
- Cheese – I used queso duro, a salty hard cheese that is common in Latin American dishes. It’s tasty even for nibbling on.
- Avocado – Totally optional.
- Salt & pepper – To taste.
How To Make Mexican Chicken Rice Salad
- Cook the chicken: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Season the chicken with the taco seasoning and add chicken to skillet. Cook the chicken for about 10 minutes until cooked through and slightly brown. Remove chicken from skillet.
- Cook the corn: To the same skillet add the corn and cook over high heat just until it starts to char a little bit, no more than 2 minutes.
- Assemble the chicken and rice salad: Add all ingredients to a large bowl, season with salt and pepper and toss. Serve either warm or cold garnished with the queso and any remaining herbs.
Tips For Making The Best Mexican Chicken And Rice Salad
- Never heard of queso duro? It’s a great new cheese to try out that’s got a bit of smokiness to it. If you can’t find it at your grocery store opt instead for cheddar or feta cheese.
- I like my Mexican food nice and spicy so I’ll drizzle some hot sauce over this salad when I’m in the mood for an extra kick. Fresh jalapenos can be added as well for spice fiends!
- Prefer to make your own taco seasoning? Just combine the following spices: cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, red pepper flakes, paprika, and salt and pepper..
Storing Leftover Chicken And Rice Salad
This recipe will stay fresh in an airtight container for up to a week in the fridge.
Other Summer Salads To Try
- Black Bean Corn and Avocado Salad
- Easy Thai Steak Salad
- Asian Chopped Chicken Salad
- Summer Salad With Herbed Ricotta And Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Summer Fruit Salad With Lemon Dressing
- Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Salad
- Mexican Street Corn Salad
- Mexican Chicken Egg Rolls
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Mexican Chicken and Rice Salad
Mexican Chicken and Rice Salad – a fresh summer salad loaded with black beans, chicken, corn and rice. Totally addicting and makes the perfect dinner for a busy weeknight.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound chicken breasts (skinless and boneless, cut into small pieces)
- 3 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1½ cups rice (cooked (I used basmati))
- 1 green bell pepper (chopped)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes (chopped)
- 1 cup black beans
- 6 green onions (chopped)
- 1 cup queso duro (shredded)
- ½ cup cilantro (chopped)
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
- 1 tablespoon lime juice (freshly squeezed)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 avocado (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon salt (or ot taste)
- ½ teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a non stick skillet over medium high heat. Season the chicken with the taco seasoning, add more if you want it spicier, and add chicken to skillet. Cook the chicken for about 10 minutes until cooked through and starts to slightly brown. Remove chicken from skillet.
- To the same skillet add the corn and cook over high heat just until it starts to char a little bit, no more than 2 minutes.
- Add all ingredients to a large bowl, season with salt and pepper and toss.
- Serve either warm or cold.
Notes
- If you don’t have queso duro cheese, you can use cheddar cheese.
- This recipe will stay fresh in an airtight container for up to a week in the fridge.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1servingCalories: 529kcal (26%)Carbohydrates: 58g (19%)Protein: 29g (58%)Fat: 21g (32%)Saturated Fat: 6g (38%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 67mg (22%)Sodium: 421mg (18%)Potassium: 832mg (24%)Fiber: 7g (29%)Sugar: 2g (2%)Vitamin A: 787IU (16%)Vitamin C: 34mg (41%)Calcium: 179mg (18%)Iron: 2mg (11%)
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
