This easy Chicken Fajita Rice Bake recipe is perfect for busy days! Just throw rice, chicken, onions, peppers, fajita seasoning, chicken stock and cheddar cheese into one pan, then let the oven do all the hard work. Better still, it’s high in protein and ideal for meal prep… and of course, there’s only one pan to wash up!
Where have you been all my life?
This recipe is hands down one of those ‘Where have you been all my life?’ recipes. It is laughably simple, completely foolproof and a real crowd-pleaser.
You know me, I love an easy recipe, and this one is unbelievably easy – you just chuck a bunch of stuff in a pan, pop it in the oven and 30 minutes later you have a very delicious meal… and only one pan to wash up!
Better still, it’s high in protein, surprisingly low in calories, and ideal for meal prep.
How to make Chicken Fajita Rice Bake
This Chicken Fajita Rice Bake really is unbelievably easy to make.
All you need to do is throw rice, chicken, onions, peppers, fajita seasoning and chicken stock in an oven dish. Mix everything together, then cook for 25 minutes.
After the 25 minutes is up, remove the foil, sprinkle with cheddar and cook for a further 5 minutes, uncovered. Easy peasy!
(Full recipe given in the recipe card below.)
What to serve with Chicken Fajita Rice Bake
This quick and simple chicken and rice bake is a complete meal in its own right, but if you feel the need for some sides, it’s delicious served with a simple side salad and/or some garlic bread on the side.
What to drink with Chicken Fajita Rice Bake
This is a very white-wine friendly meal. It goes especially well with is a gutsy, fruity Sauvignon Blanc from somewhere like Chile, South Africa or New Zealand.
But it also works well with a South African Chenin Blanc, or a fruity, sunshine-filled Chardonnay from somewhere like Chile or Australia.
If you prefer red, then I recommend going for something like a fruity Chilean Merlot or Carmenère, a Primitivo from Italy or a Zinfandel from the USA.
Love quick and easy one pan dinners?
Then you’ll love these recipes…
- Easy Chicken Thigh Traybake
- Chicken and Potato Traybake with Lemon and Garlic
- Nando’s Chicken and Rice [One Pan Recipe]
- Lamb Kofte Meatball Traybake
- Easy Meatball Pasta Bake
Easy Meatball Pasta Bake
Can you reheat Chicken Fajita Rice Bake?
Yes, in fact this is a great meal prep recipe! Place any leftovers in a lidded container in the fridge, where they will keep for up to 3 days.
Reheat in your oven (set to 220C / 200C fan / gas mark 7 / 425F) for 10-15 minutes, or until piping hot all the way through.
Alternatively, you can reheat this Chicken Fajita Rice Bake in the microwave.
Can you freeze Chicken Fajita Rice Bake?
Yes, you can freeze this dish.
Place the cooked and cooled Chicken Fajita Rice Bake in a lidded container in the freezer, where it will keep for up to 1 month.
Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat as above.
If you like this recipe…
…you might also like:
- Easy Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
- Easy One Pot Chicken Fajita Pasta Bake
- Chicken Tinga Tacos
- Easy Beef Mince Tacos
- Mexican Chicken And Rice (Arroz Con Pollo)
Mexican Chicken And Rice
Chicken Fajita Rice Bake (One Pan, High Protein)
Ingredients
- 200 g long grain rice (see Note 1)
- 650 g chicken breast diced into 1½cm x 1½cm pieces
- 1 medium onion finely diced into ½cm x ½cm pieces
- 1 red pepper diced into 1cm x 1cm pieces
- 1 yellow pepper diced into 1cm x 1cm pieces
- 15 g fajita seasoning (see Note 2)
- ¼ teaspoon chilli flakes or to taste (optional – see Note 3)
- 500 ml chicken stock (from a cube is fine)
- 100 g cheddar cheese grated
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 220C / 200C fan / gas mark7 / 425F.
- Place the rice, chicken, onions, peppers, fajita seasoning, chilli flakes and stock in a large roasting dish (See Note 4).
- Use a large spoon to mix everything together, then ensure that the contents of the roasting dish are evenly spread out.
- Cover the dish with foil and place it in your preheated oven for 25 minutes.
- After the 25 minutes is up, remove the roasting tin from the oven and double check the rice is cooked to your liking.
- Give everything a good stir. Ensure that the contents of the roasting dish are evenly spread out once again, then sprinkle over the cheddar cheese.
- Place the roasting dish back in the oven and cook for a further 5 minutes, uncovered.
- Serve at the table, accompanied by a simple side salad.
Notes
- Cooking time will depend on the specific brand of long grain rice you use. Typically in British supermarkets you will find the standard long grain white rice is ‘easy cook’. I use Tesco Easy Cook Long Grain Rice, which yields perfectly cooked fluffy rice when cooked as above. Tesco advise cooking their long grain rice for 15 minutes. If your brand’s instructions advise you to cook the rice for longer than this, you may need to cook this dish for longer and/or use more stock to achieve perfectly fluffy rice.
- I have tried this with both Old El Paso Fajita Seasoning and Tesco Fajita Seasoning. Both work well, but personally I prefer the flavour of Tesco Fajita Seasoning, and it’s cheaper!
- I like to add a small amount of chilli flakes to give some extra heat to this dish – ¼ teaspoon chilli flakes brings it up to a medium/hot level of spice. If you prefer a milder level of heat, leave this out altogether. If you prefer things hot, add more chilli flakes!
- The dish I use is 31cm x 25cm x 5cm, so that is the size I recommend. But this dish is fairly flexible – you can use a slightly smaller or larger dish and it will be just fine.
- Suitable for freezing.
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
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