Rinsed long-grain rice with broth, salsa, black beans, corn, chili powder, cumin and garlic powder, stirred together in the baking dish itself.
Inch pieces of chicken breast go on top, foil goes on tight for forty minutes, and a cup and a half of Mexican-blend cheese goes on for the last eight to ten.
Why This Recipe Works
- Salsa is treated as liquid rather than as seasoning. That is why the broth is a cup and three quarters instead of two — get this wrong in either direction and the rice is the thing that suffers.
- Chili powder and cumin together, a teaspoon each. Chili powder is a blend and carries the background warmth; cumin is the single note that makes the dish read as Mexican rather than merely spiced.
- The beans are drained and rinsed. Canning liquid is starchy and salty, and in a casserole this tightly balanced on liquid it would both thin and over-season the rice.
- Corn goes in frozen, at the start. Unlike the peas in a paler casserole it is robust enough for the full forty minutes, and it keeps a little bite.
- The cheese is held to step 5. Forty minutes under foil would leave it greasy and separated; eight to ten minutes uncovered melts it and lets the top brown.
What Actually Fills The Dish
A dump-and-bake stands or falls on proportion rather than technique, and this one is unusual: a cup of salsa is doing part of the job broth normally does. The shares below are relative weights for reading the balance, not measurements to cook from.
- Chicken1 1/2 pounds, in 1-inch pieces
- Liquid (broth and salsa)1 3/4 cups broth plus 1 cup salsa
- Rice1 cup, rinsed
- Black beans1 can (15 ounces), drained and rinsed
- Corn1 cup, frozen
- Cheese1 1/2 cups Mexican blend
Broth is short of the usual two cups per cup of rice because the salsa makes up the difference. Swap in a thicker salsa and the rice will run dry; swap in a thin one and the casserole loosens.
Ingredient Notes
- Salsa
- A cup, and it counts as liquid in this recipe. A thick restaurant-style salsa and a thin jarred one behave very differently against a fixed cup of rice.
- Long-grain white rice, rinsed
- One cup, rinsed until the water runs clear. Brown rice does not substitute on this timing — it needs more liquid and considerably longer.
- Black beans, drained and rinsed
- One 15-ounce can, both drained and rinsed. This is a liquid-critical casserole and the canning liquid is neither wanted nor accounted for.
- Chili powder and cumin
- A teaspoon of each. They go into the liquid at step 2 rather than onto the surface, so they steep into the rice under the foil.
- Mexican-blend cheese
- A cup and a half, added at step 5. A blend melts more evenly here than a single hard cheese and browns without going oily.
How to Make It
Heat the oven
Heat the oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
Combine the base in the dish
Combine the rice, broth, salsa, black beans, corn, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and salt in the dish.
Add the chicken
Scatter the chicken evenly over the mixture and press it lightly into the liquid.
Cover and bake
Cover tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
Uncover, cheese, finish
Remove the foil, stir gently, sprinkle with cheese and bake for 8 to 10 minutes more, until the rice is tender and the chicken reaches 165°F.
Rest and finish
Rest for 5 minutes and finish with cilantro if using.
Success Tips
- Rinse the rice and the beans separately and drain both well.
- Stir the base thoroughly so no dry rice is left sitting against the dish.
- Seal the foil to the rim; escaping steam is escaping cooking liquid.
- Stir once when the foil comes off, before the cheese goes on.
- Give it the five-minute rest — the last of the liquid is absorbed then.
Serving Ideas
Soured cream, diced tomato, sliced avocado and lime at the table. It is a complete plate on its own; what it wants is cold, fresh toppings rather than another hot side.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Rice firms in the fridge and loosens again with a splash of broth.
Freeze
Freeze cooled portions for up to 2 months. Add a tablespoon of broth per portion before reheating.
Reheat
Reheat covered at 350°F until steaming, or in the microwave under a damp cover. Add fresh toppings after reheating rather than before.
Frequently Asked Questions
The rice was still crunchy.
Either the foil leaked or the salsa was very thick. This recipe runs on less broth than usual because the salsa is part of the liquid, so a thick salsa leaves it short.
Can I use cooked chicken instead?
You can, but stir it in at step 5 rather than baking it for forty minutes. Already-cooked chicken put in at the start will be dry by the time the rice is done.
How do I make it spicier?
Use a hot salsa rather than adding more chili powder. The salsa is a liquid ingredient here, so changing its heat costs you nothing in balance; more dry spice can turn the rice dusty.
Can I put the cheese on before baking?
It would sit under foil for forty minutes and come out greasy rather than melted. Step 5 is where it belongs, once the cover is off.
