Chicken Fajita Rice Skillet
This Chicken Fajita Rice Skillet is filled with all the flavors of your classic fajitas but in a super quick and easy skillet meal
This Chicken Fajita Rice Skillet is filled with all the flavors of your classic fajitas but in a super quick and easy skillet meal
- shredded cheese
- pico de gallo
- 1/2 tsp salt
- sour cream
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- chopped cilantro
- lime wedges
- 1 medium onion sliced
- 1 green bell pepper sliced
- 1 tsp oil
- 1 lime juice of
- 8 oz. tomato sauce
- 1 red bell pepper sliced
- 1 1/4 cup chicken broth
- avocado slices
- 3/4 cups uncooked rice (i use jasmine rice)
- 1 pkg. fajita seasoning mix* (found by the taco seas
- 2 cups cooked grilled chicken breast, cut into strips or
- Carbohydrate 95.9499735485549 g
- Cholesterol 1263.8 mg
- Fat 316.00592089869 g
- Fiber 32.423845257274 g
- Protein 324.894798350235 g
- Saturated Fat 94.3281234360236 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (2976g)
- Sodium 6448.2867570357 mg
- Sugar 63.5261282912808 g
- Trans Fat 25.4339801318332 g
- Calories 4509 calories
Step-by-step
- Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed skillet (preferably not non-stick) over medium-high heat.
- Add the peppers and onions and cook, stirring occasionally until the peppers and onions are charred and blistered.
- Add in the rice, tomato sauce, chicken broth, fajita seasoning, lime juice, chicken, salt and pepper.
- Stir the mixture, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pan and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for about 16 to 18 minutes, until rice is tender.
- Fluff rice with a fork or wooden spoon and serve with the optional fajita toppings. Enjoy!
Why is the rice still crunchy after all the liquid absorbed? Multiplying this single-skillet formula by 1.5 or 2 creates severe liquid imbalances because pan surface area and evaporation rates do not scale linearly. Doubling the rice and broth in a standard 12-inch pan increases depth, trapping steam unevenly and preventing the grains at the center from hydrating properly before the bottom scorches.
Heavy-gauge cast iron or enameled Dutch ovens distribute heat far more evenly than thin aluminum pans, preventing hot spots that burn tomato sauce and fajita spices during the initial simmer. Maintaining a strict medium-low flame after covering keeps the liquid bubbling gently rather than boiling away too rapidly; aggressive heat evaporates the chicken broth before the raw jasmine grains absorb enough moisture to soften.
Adjusting portions safely requires using a wider braiser rather than a deeper pot when exceeding double batches. Spreading the ingredients into a broader layer ensures that the 1 1/4 cups of chicken broth per 3/4 cup of rice ratio remains accurate to surface evaporation limits.
