Kid Friendly One Pan Chicken Fajita Rice

This super kid friendly one pan chicken fajita rice has all the flavors of traditional fajitas, but in a one pan meal that takes just minutes to prepare.

Also see: Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas

One Pan Chicken Fajita Rice

One pan, a little prepping and then sit back while the rice simmers away. What you get is a delicious tender rice, full of goodness and high in flavor, kid friendly chicken rice dish you can eat alone, pair with something else or pack into boxes for lunch the following day.

I've made this using 1 chicken breast, that's all. We tend to eat this either as a side dish or in lunch boxes and I don't want the chicken to be the main event and so we use the chicken as an ingredient rather than the main thing.

Having a whole cup of black beans on top of 2 peppers and a little onion, this rice dish is full of nutrition, and of course I use brown rice, although you could use white rice if you're still trying to move the kids over to brown rice, you just need to reduce the cooking time for white rice to around half.

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Chicken Fajita Rice Ingredients

There are a few ingredients that make up this recipe, most of which are common in most supermarkets and you should be able to find easily.

Chicken

Skinless chicken breast is easiest to use when you're making this. Because the rice cooks in liquid the chicken doesn't dry out, and you don't have to worry to much about chopping out all the fatty, gristly bits you sometimes get with chicken thighs.

I chop the chicken up into small thin slices when I make this so that they're almost the same size as the peppers and black beans. Why? I found the little ones (when they were little!) ate this unquestioningly when it all looked 'even'. It reduced the chances of them picking out the things that stood out. Parent tricks :)

Black Beans

I love using black beans, in fact they make up the bulk of these burgers that the kids love. They're high in protein, fiber and various vitamins and minerals. They don't have a string flavor and so make them great for giving to kids.

I buy black beans in tins. They're exceptionally cheap to buy anyway, but the tins are slightly more expensive than buying them dried and soaking and preparing them yourself. Why do I do this? It's a time thing. Sometimes I'm super prepared Mom and have it all covered. Most of the time I'm not. Soaking legumes takes time, and thought, and it's in short supply here at times!

Rice

I use wholegrain rice for everything now, including this. It took a while for the kids to accept I wasn't buying white rice anymore, but after a while and some light coaxing (!) they now all eat brown rice without a fuss. Brown rice is a little chewier, and I think has more texture than white rice.

If your kids are older or Real Fussy Eaters, it might take a few goes to get them to eat brown rice. I feel your pain. Keep going, you'll get there in the end! And if yours really won't eat brown rice yet, make this with white rice. There's still a whole heap of goodness in the recipe, so they'll be getting a great dose of nutrition whichever you use!

Homemade Fajita Seasoning

The spices used are common and you've likely got them at home already. I mix my own spice mix, because it takes seconds and I have the spices. You can buy pre-made Fajita spice mix but if you have the spices, it's really super easy to make your own.

Fajita spices I use here are Paprika, Cumin, Coriander and Oregano. If your kids like heat you can also add in some chili powder. I'd recommend keeping this recipe mild until you know your kids are happy, and then you can turn the heat up if you like!

Chicken Broth

I like to cook the rice in with the rest of the ingredients as it absorbs the flavors is is really good. I use chicken broth to do this, it works with the Fajita flavors and makes the dish better.

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Serving Suggestions

I serve these fresh, soft, yummy TWO INGREDIENT tortilla with this rice dish and then let the kids load their rice in and add whatever add ons they like.

If you have a ripe avocado, it's goes perfectly on top of this rice and adds a mild creamy flavor it the dish. A twist and squeeze of fresh lime juice is an essential, and a little shredded Mexican cheese thrown on top is always a welcome addition.

An offering of Salsa goes down well here, as does Guacamole or a creamy avocado sauce (in which case leave out the fresh chopped Avocado on top). Sour cream is another good addition on the side, and if you're serving this to people for an occasion, throwing some chopped Cilantro on top makes the dish look really colorful!

Storing Leftovers

Leftovers? Of this? It's unlikely!

I make double batches and pack it up for lunch the next day in lunchboxes. If you want it for something else and need to store it, you can keep this in the fridge, covered, for up to 2 days.

When you want to reheat your Fajita rice, you can either pop it into the microwave and reheat it for a couple of minutes until it's heated all the way through or put a tablespoon of Olive oil in a pan, heat it and add the leftover rice and re-fry it until it's hot throughout.

How To Make One Pan Chicken Fajita Rice

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Brown rice
• 1 Large Skinless chicken breast Butterflied and diced into small pieces
• 1 Onion Peeled and diced
• 1 Red bell pepper Cut into small diced pieces
• 1 Yellow bell pepper Cut into small diced pieces
• 1 Cup Black beans Tinned, drained and rinsed
• 4 Cups Chicken broth Add this in half first, then add more as you need it
• 2 tbsp Olive oil To fry the chicken
• 1 Lime Cut into wedges, to serve
• Fajita Mix
• 1 tsp Sweet paprika
• ½ tsp Ground Cumin
• ½ tsp Oregano
• ½ tsp Ground Coriander
• ¼ tsp Onion powder
• ½ tsp Chilli powder Optional

Instructions

• In a large skillet add 1 tablespoon of the Olive oil and heat over a medium-high heat. Cook your chicken, this takes very little time as the pieces are so small, and then put to one side
• Add the other tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and turn the heat to low-medium. Add the onions and cook gently for 5 minutes not allowing them to burn. Then add the bell peppers and cook for another couple of minutes
• Sprinkle your fajita mix over the ingredients and stir though, add the black beans and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often
• Pour half your broth into the pan and then add the rice in an even layer making sure all the rice is under the liquid. As the rice cooked and absorbs the broth, add more a little at a time to make sure the rice is submerged
• Simmer gently for 35-40 minutes with a lid on, adding your chicken back in 5 minutes before the end of cooking and stirring through to combine
• Give the food a really good mix through, make sure the rice is cooked how you like it and then serve with a wedge of lime on the side

One Pan Chicken Fajita Rice Recipe