Description
This Salsa Chicken and Cauliflower Rice Skillet is a flavorful, healthy one-pan meal featuring tender chicken breasts seasoned with chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika, served over sautéed cauliflower rice mixed with black beans, green chiles, and salsa, topped with melted cheese and fresh cilantro.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Cauliflower Rice Mixture
- 24 ounces cauliflower rice, fresh or frozen
- 2 green onions, sliced thin
- 2 cloves garlic, grated or minced
- 4 ounces diced green chiles
- 1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 cup salsa, plus extra for spooning on top of the chicken
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
Instructions
- Season and Cook Chicken: Combine the chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika in a small bowl. Sprinkle half the seasoning onto the chicken breasts along with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the chicken breasts until cooked through, about 6-8 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- Sauté Cauliflower Rice: Add a little more oil to the skillet or spray with cooking spray. Add cauliflower rice, sliced green onions, grated garlic, remaining spice mixture, salt, and pepper. Sauté for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is tender.
- Add Additional Ingredients: Stir in the salsa, black beans, diced green chiles, and chopped cilantro into the cauliflower rice mixture. Cook and stir until heated through.
- Combine and Melt Cheese: Nestle the cooked chicken breasts into the cauliflower rice mixture. Spoon extra salsa over the chicken and sprinkle shredded cheese on top. Cover the skillet with a lid and heat over low until the cheese melts, about 3-5 minutes.
- Serve: Garnish with additional cilantro and sliced green onions if desired. Serve warm and enjoy.
Notes
- Use fresh cauliflower rice for best texture but frozen works well too.
- Substitute black beans with pinto beans for a different flavor.
- Use Monterey Jack cheese for a milder taste or cheddar for a sharper flavor.
- Adjust chili powder and smoked paprika amounts to control the spice level.
- Covering the skillet to melt cheese helps it melt evenly and keeps the chicken moist.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
