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Cheesy Poblano Chicken and Rice Skillet. Seasoned chicken is cooked together with poblano peppers, rice, enchilada sauce, chunky tomato salsa, and black beans, all in one skillet. Top with melty Spanish cheese and bake until bubbly, then finish with a dollop of yogurt, avocado tossed with lime juice, and plenty of fresh cilantro. Everything cooks together in a single pan, making cleanup easy and dinner extra delicious. And if you have some on hand, add fresh summer corn too!
I have such a fun Friday dinner to share! I usually lean toward sweeter recipes on Fridays, but I wanted to switch things up with an easy skillet dinner for the weekend instead.
Since moving to Florida, I’ve naturally started grilling almost everything. It’s easy, cleanup is minimal, and I genuinely love cooking outside in the warm evening air. It’s quickly become one of my favorite parts of living here.
But in true Florida summer fashion, we’ve officially entered thunderstorm season, and wow, some of these storms are way more intense than I’d prefer. Thunder and lightning can sometimes stress me out!
After a full week of heavy rain, I naturally found myself leaning into cozy skillet dinners instead, and this one has been on repeat.
I almost always keep Trader Joe’s enchilada sauce and Whole Foods chunky salsa stocked in the pantry. I also like to keep cooked rice in the fridge and chicken on hand. It makes dinners like this so easy to throw together at the end of the day. Especially on busy or rainy nights when I want something cozy without a lot of effort.
Everything cooks and serves right in the skillet. It’s a very classic Half Baked Harvest-style dinner. Simple, flavorful, cheesy, and perfect for rainy summer nights.
And my family loves it. Anything Mexican-inspired, or honestly anything with smoky flavors and melted cheese, will forever be a favorite in our house.
The Steps
Step 1: Cook the Peppers and Chicken
Preheat the oven and grab your favorite large oven-safe skillet. Set it over medium-high heat, then add the oil, onions, poblanos, chicken, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and a pinch of salt. Cook everything together until the peppers are lightly charred and the chicken is mostly cooked through.
Don’t worry about the chicken being fully cooked. It will finish cooking in the oven.
Step 2: Add the Sauces
Pour in the enchilada sauce and salsa, then stir in the cream cheese until it melts into the sauce and becomes creamy.
Next, stir in the cooked rice and beans until everything is well combined. I usually use long-grain white rice, but quinoa is great here too. Sprinkle one cup of the cheese over the skillet.
This is where all the flavor comes together. The cream cheese makes the sauce extra rich and creamy, while the salsa adds brightness and just the right amount of spice.
Step 3: Add the Tortillas
Lay the tortillas over the filling, gently pressing them down into the sauce to create little pockets throughout the skillet. Sprinkle the remaining cheese into the pockets and all over the top.
The tortillas crisp up beautifully around the edges while staying soft underneath. It’s the best combination of textures.
Step 4: Bake
Bake for just a few minutes, until the cheese is melted, the sauce is bubbling, and the tortillas are golden around the edges.
If you love extra crispy cheese, switch the oven to broil for the last minute or two. Just keep a close eye on it.
Step 5: Finish and Serve
Top with flaky sea salt, fresh greens, sliced avocado, a squeeze of lime, Greek yogurt, and plenty of cilantro.
Serve straight from the skillet while it’s warm. Every scoop gets a little bit of everything: creamy sauce, melty cheese, crispy tortillas, and lots of fresh toppings.
Some Notes!
- Use rotisserie chicken to make this even easier. Just add it to the sauce and reduce the stovetop cooking time.
- Black beans or pinto beans both work well here.
- For extra heat, add a chopped jalapeño with the poblanos or use a spicy salsa.
- The leftovers are delicious and reheat really well for lunch the next day.
- Don’t skip the fresh toppings. The avocado, lime, and herbs really balance the richness of the dish.
Cheesy Poblano Chicken and Rice Skillet
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil, butter, or melted pork fat
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 poblano peppers, sliced
- 1 pound mixed skinless chicken tenders or thighs, sliced
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- sea salt
- 6 ounces cream cheese, melted
- 3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 2 cups cooked white rice
- 1 can black beans,
- 1 can (12 ounce) red enchilada sauce
- 1 jar Chipotle salsa
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 6 corn tortillas
- cilantro, avocado, lime wedges, and Greek yogurt for serving
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.2. Heat the oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, poblanos, chicken, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and a pinch of salt. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until the peppers are charred and the chicken is nearly cooked through.2. Stir in the enchilada sauce, salsa, cream cheese, rice, and beans. Top with 1 cup of cheese and remove from the heat.3. Arrange the tortillas over the filling, gently pressing them into the sauce to create pockets. Fill the pockets and top the dish with the remaining cheese.4. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the tortillas are crisp around the edges.5. Finish with flaky sea salt and serve with avocado, lime, Greek yogurt, and cilantro.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
This recipe is so good it’s going in our weekly rotation! I used regular salsa, but added a couple chipotle peppers as well (I always have some frozen). I love how the rice absorbs the liquid and kind of puffs up after baking.
Hey Rachelle,
Awesome! Love to hear this dish was a hit, thanks a lot for making it and sharing your comment!
Tieghan, thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes with us. Just like the countless recipes I use of yours regularly, this was delicious. It was super easy to pull together and looked like I labored over it all day. 😉 All 5 of my boys loved it!
Hey Jan,
Thanks so much for your kind message! So glad to hear your family enjoyed this dish, I appreciate you making it and so many others!
Have a great Tuesday!
Delicious and very impressive looking and easy to put together!
Thanks so much, Kathy! Love to hear this dish was enjoyed! Have a great week!
Thanks for sharing a savoury recipe on a Friday! Appreciate the change 🙂
What step is the pork lard used for?
Thanks!
Thanks so much, Aless! I use it in step 2:) Please let me know if you have any other questions!
I spy H-E-B enchilada sauce and salsa! 🤠
Hey Stephanie,
It’s the best!! Let me know if you give this recipe a try!
This was a disaster. Putting the tortillas on top did nothing to elevate this dish and they definitely didn’t come out crispy. If anyone is making this I’d skip that step all together and serve with chips or tortillas on the side. It didn’t make good leftovers either because the tortillas were very chewy and after being baked and reheated.
Hi Elena,
So sorry to hear this dish did not turn out for you. Thanks for taking the time to make it and share your feedback.
I just made this and honestly felt a bit underwhelmed. The flavors sounded so good, but it came out pretty bland and the rice was kind of mushy for me. I also didn’t really get much of the smoky poblano flavor I was hoping for. Might try again with less liquid or more seasoning, but it didn’t really hit for me as written.
Hey Todd,
Thanks so much for trying this dish and sharing your feedback, very sorry to hear you didn’t love it!
We really loved this! The flavors and contrasts, so good and will definitely make it again!
Hey Michele,
Happy Sunday! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was a hit!
Riquísimo!! One of the best Mexican recipes I’ve tried. You rock girl! Come to Virginia!
Hey Carol,
Yay! Thanks so much for giving this dish a try, I’m so glad to hear it was a hit!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Are u charring the poblanos on the stove or in the oven? Do u peel them? I didnt know u could char them stovetop
Hi Beth,
They are going to char in the skillet in step 2. You do not need to peel them. Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Loved this recipe! I did not add the rice. I used all the other ingredients except salt. Delicious!!
Hey Gaye,
Happy Friday! So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for making it!
I am so confused about this dish & how to eat it
Hi Jackie,
I serve this with a fork and knife for enjoying. Please let me know if you have any other questions!
What kind of tortillas did you use? I can’t tell if they are corn or flour.
Hey Colleen,
I used corn tortillas for this recipe. Please let me know if you give it a try! Have a great Friday!
This sounds SO good but I’m trying to keep my carbs in check. As this already has rice, do you think it would still work well without the tortillas?
Thanks so much, Beth! Yes, you can skip the tortillas, that is perfectly okay. I hope you love this dish!
How many ounces for the jar of salsa?
Hi Carol,
I used a 16 ounce jar of salsa for this recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Happy Friday!