One-Pan Chicken Fajita Rice

This One-Pan Chicken Fajita Rice brings all the bold, smoky flavours of fajitas into a hearty rice dish that’s cooked and served straight from the pan. With everything done in under 40 minutes, it’s perfect for busy weeknights or casual family dinners.
Serves
3
Prep time
15 minutes
Cooking time
30 minutes
Jump to Recipe
Jump to Video

Helpful Tips

Storage

  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
  • This dish isn’t ideal for freezing, as the rice and cheese can lose their texture.

Substitutions

  • Protein: Swap chicken thighs for chicken breast, turkey, or even prawns (just adjust cooking time accordingly).
  • Vegetables: Use corn, mushrooms, or black beans or whatever veggies you have on hand.
  • Rice: Any long-grain rice works well.
  • Cheese: Cheddar, mozzarella, or Monterey Jack all melt nicely or skip cheese for a lighter version.

Serving Suggestions

Serving Scaler

Serves
3

Ingredients

For the chicken:

  • 500g chicken thigh, cut into strips
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • Black pepper, to taste
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

For the rice & veggies:

  • 1/2 red onion, chopped
  • 1 small red or green capsicum, chopped
  • 1 medium zucchini, chopped
  • 200g canned chopped tomatoes
  • 200g uncooked long grain white rice (about 1 cup)
  • 25g fajita seasoning mix (see below)
  • 1½ tbsp tomato paste
  • 400ml hot chicken stock (or water)
  • 60g grated cheddar & mozzarella cheese mix

For the sauce:

  • ½ tbsp mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp sriracha sauce

Fajita seasoning mix:

  • 1 tsp sweet paprika
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp chilli powder (adjust for spice preference)
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp dried oregano
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

  1. In a bowl, toss chicken with paprika, garlic and onion powder, pepper, and olive oil.
  2. Heat a large deep frying pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Sear chicken for 3–4 minutes on each side until lightly golden (it doesn’t need to be fully cooked yet). Remove and set aside.
  3. In the same pan, add garlic, onion, capsicum, and zucchinni. Sauté for 4–5 minutes until softened.
  4. Stir in the tomato paste
  5. Stir in chopped tomatoes, fajita seasoning mix
  6. Stir in the uncooked rice, coating it well with the veggies and spices.
  7. Pour in the hot chicken stock and bring to a gentle simmer.
  8. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover with a lid, and cook for 18–20 minutes. Stir once or twice during cooking, adding a splash more stock or water if it starts to dry out.
  9. After about 15 minutes of rice cooking, nestle the browned chicken back into the pan. Cover again and cook until the chicken is cooked through and rice is tender.
  10. Sprinkle over the grated cheese. Cover for 2–3 minutes until melted and gooey.
  11. Drizzle with mayonnaise and sriracha and serve hot straight from the pan.
Keep screen on
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Serving Scaler

Serves
3

Ingredients

For the chicken:

  • 500g chicken thigh, cut into strips
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • Black pepper, to taste
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

For the rice & veggies:

  • 1/2 red onion, chopped
  • 1 small red or green capsicum, chopped
  • 1 medium zucchini, chopped
  • 200g canned chopped tomatoes
  • 200g uncooked long grain white rice (about 1 cup)
  • 25g fajita seasoning mix (see below)
  • 1½ tbsp tomato paste
  • 400ml hot chicken stock (or water)
  • 60g grated cheddar & mozzarella cheese mix

For the sauce:

  • ½ tbsp mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp sriracha sauce

Fajita seasoning mix:

  • 1 tsp sweet paprika
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp chilli powder (adjust for spice preference)
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp dried oregano
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

  1. In a bowl, toss chicken with paprika, garlic and onion powder, pepper, and olive oil.
  2. Heat a large deep frying pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Sear chicken for 3–4 minutes on each side until lightly golden (it doesn’t need to be fully cooked yet). Remove and set aside.
  3. In the same pan, add garlic, onion, capsicum, and zucchinni. Sauté for 4–5 minutes until softened.
  4. Stir in the tomato paste
  5. Stir in chopped tomatoes, fajita seasoning mix
  6. Stir in the uncooked rice, coating it well with the veggies and spices.
  7. Pour in the hot chicken stock and bring to a gentle simmer.
  8. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover with a lid, and cook for 18–20 minutes. Stir once or twice during cooking, adding a splash more stock or water if it starts to dry out.
  9. After about 15 minutes of rice cooking, nestle the browned chicken back into the pan. Cover again and cook until the chicken is cooked through and rice is tender.
  10. Sprinkle over the grated cheese. Cover for 2–3 minutes until melted and gooey.
  11. Drizzle with mayonnaise and sriracha and serve hot straight from the pan.

Helpful Tips

Storage

  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
  • This dish isn’t ideal for freezing, as the rice and cheese can lose their texture.

Substitutions

  • Protein: Swap chicken thighs for chicken breast, turkey, or even prawns (just adjust cooking time accordingly).
  • Vegetables: Use corn, mushrooms, or black beans or whatever veggies you have on hand.
  • Rice: Any long-grain rice works well.
  • Cheese: Cheddar, mozzarella, or Monterey Jack all melt nicely or skip cheese for a lighter version.

Serving Suggestions

"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat."
First Name Last Name
"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat."
First Name Last Name
"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat."
First Name Last Name
"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat."
First Name Last Name
"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat."
First Name Last Name
Previous
Next

Watch How to Make It

Related Recipes

View all recipes
Balanced Bowls
Chicken
Dinner
Mexican
One-Pan / One-Pot