This satisfying, one-pan recipe for Chicken and Cauliflower Rice is easy to make and loaded with bold, Southwest-inspired flavors and ingredients.
How to Make Southwest Chicken and Cauliflower Rice
If you enjoy Southwest-style seasonings and ingredients like jalapeño peppers, scallions, fresh cilantro and lime, this recipe is sure to become a favorite.
In addition to the riced cauliflower, other main ingredients include chicken tenderloins, sweet bell peppers, corn, black beans and shredded cheese.
Preparation is easy and only takes about 45 minutes.
The first step is to cut the chicken tenders into bite-sized pieces, toss them with some olive oil, chili powder and cumin and sauté until lightly browned.
Next, the pan is deglazed with a little broth and the chicken is simmered for an extra minute or two and set aside.
The richly flavored broth that’s left in the pan is used to cook the cauliflower, which is then spiced up with some salsa for added flavor and combined with the reserved chicken.
To keep cleanup to a minimum, the same pan is used to sauté the onion, garlic and bell peppers, then the corn, black beans and remaining ingredients are added along with the chicken and cauliflower.
The finishing touch is to top the whole mix with shredded cheese, cover the pan and heat until the cheese has melted and everything is piping hot.
To serve, plate individual portions, add a lime wedge, a sprinkling of cilantro and enjoy!
Substituting Riced Cauliflower for Rice
Riced cauliflower serves as a great substitute for regular rice in a wide variety of dishes, which is why we always keep a couple of bags of frozen on hand.
It’s become a go-to ingredient in our kitchen because it’s lower in calories and carbs than regular rice, faster-cooking and, depending on the dish, just as satisfying.
More riced cauliflower recipes:
Mediterranean Chicken and Cauliflower “Rice”
Cauliflower Fried Rice
As much as we like riced cauliflower for some recipes, we stick with regular rice for heavily sauced dishes like Louisiana Style Shrimp and Rice and Easy Chicken Curry.
Southwest Chicken and Cauliflower Rice
Our recipe for Southwest Chicken and Cauliflower Rice is an easy, one-pan meal made with bold flavors and healthy, wholesome ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken tenderloins (8 to 9 pieces)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 package (10 to 12 ounces) frozen riced cauliflower
- 1/2 cup salsa (store bought or homemade)
- Vegetable oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 large red or yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 jalapeño pepper, stemmed, seeded and sliced
- 3/4 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
- 3/4 cup low-sodium canned black beans, rinsed and drained
- 3 scallions, trimmed and sliced
- 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
- Juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
- 3 ounces finely shredded Mexican-style cheese (about 3/4 cup)
- Lime wedges for serving
Instructions
- If necessary, trim the white tendons from the chicken tenderloins and cut each one crosswise into quarters.
- Place the chicken in a mixing bowl and drizzle with the olive oil. Add the chili powder, cumin, 3/4 teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Combine well and set aside to marinate while you prep the other ingredients.
- Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat and add the chicken. Sauté, stirring often, until the pieces are lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, bring to a simmer and continue cooking just until the chicken is no longer pink in the center. Do not overcook.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a clean mixing bowl.
- Leave the remaining broth in the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Add the riced cauliflower and salsa and combine well. Cook over medium heat until the cauliflower is tender, 2 to 4 minutes, then transfer to the bowl with the chicken, combine and set aside.
- Wipe out the pan and coat the bottom with a small amount of vegetable oil. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté just until fragrant, 1 minute longer.
- Add the bell peppers to the pan and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes, then add the jalapeño, corn, black beans, scallions and about half of the cilantro.
- Add the chicken-cauliflower mixture including with any juices that may have accumulated in the bowl and combine well.
- Drizzle with lime juice, scatter the cheese evenly over the top, cover, and heat just long enough for the cheese to melt, about 2 minutes.
- Garnish with the remaining cilantro and serve with wedges of lime.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 575 Total Fat: 23g Saturated Fat: 7g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 14g Cholesterol: 117mg Sodium: 720mg Carbohydrates: 45g Fiber: 13g Sugar: 14g Protein: 52g
Greg Dziuba says
The chicken was very delicious, but the onion garlic pepper corn and bean mixture needed some seasoning. If you follow the recipe exactly, the dish gets a little bland when you mix it all together. I’d recommend some cumin and salt, or adobo seasoning in the veggie mix.
Lynne Webb says
Hi Greg,
Thanks for the feedback. I’ll try a bit of cumin the next time I make this dish.