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Could you use some help to stay on track with your New Year’s Resolutions this month? These 4-Ingredient, 4-Minute Chicken Taco Rice Bowls make preparing a nutritious and delicious lunch or dinner a breeze — at home, at your office, or on the run.
Many of us have high aspirations for cooking dinner at home every night, for incorporating healthy ingredients in the menu, and for sitting down at the table as a family every night. Those are wonderful goals, but sometimes life gets in the way!
Our schedules are jam-packed with commitments, our kids might not want to eat that veggie dish we prepared, or we may just run out of time and energy to think about a meal plan and do the shopping. I’ve been there — and so has just about every other busy mom. That’s why it’s so great to share ideas with other parents and to find quick-assembly recipes that make a healthy mealtime SIMPLE to achieve!
When we were visiting my brother and his family in Florida last summer, my sister-in-law and I were sitting on the couch at one point holding our newest babies. We both have two older boys, and had just added infants to our families…making life even more wonderful…and even more hectic. As we were discussing life with the addition of a third baby, we both agreed that mealtime is one of the biggest challenges. Whether it’s a new baby, a busy work schedule, or extracurricular activities, we all have those times when we struggle to get a nutritious dinner on the table. Jackie and I were both tired, overwhelmed, and in need of some help!
I gave Jackie a few suggestions from my go-to arsenal of dinners that require minimal effort on my part, and she did the same for me. According to Jackie, this particular recipe for Chicken Taco Rice Bowls is one of my brother’s absolute favorite dinners…and she loves it because it’s so easy to prepare. In fact, she often just leaves out the chicken entirely and instead uses a can of drained, rinsed beans. Talk about an affordable option!
And while this meal is definitely one of those crowd-pleasing gems that everyone loves, it’s especially ideal because it involves ZERO “cooking.” Instead, my microwave does the work in seconds, and my job is just to assemble the short list of ingredients.
I also love that the recipe is 100% customizable. Add or subtract any ingredients that you love, and set up a little “bar” or assembly line for your kids to stir in their own toppings as well. You can copy Jackie and swap the chicken for beans, or you can take advantage of left-over shrimp, fish, or beef that you might have on hand. Prefer low-fat cheese? Like your salsa spicy? Anything goes with these easy Chicken Taco Rice Bowls!
Here’s my 4-minute recipe for your new favorite lunch or dinner:
4-Ingredient, 4-Minute Chicken Taco Rice Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 cup microwaveable rice I used Minute® Ready to Serve Brown Rice
- ¼ cup cooked shredded chicken breast (or substitute with drained, rinsed beans for a vegetarian option)
- ¼ cup salsa
- ¼ cup grated cheddar cheese
- Optional additional toppings if time permits!: sliced black olives, sliced green onion, pinto beans, guacamole
Instructions
- Microwave rice cup according to package instructions. Place rice in a serving bowl. Stir in chicken and salsa. Top with cheese. Microwave for approximately 30 more seconds to warm entire dish, if desired.
- Top with any additional ingredients of choice!
Looks like a fast and delicious dish the whole family would enjoy!
Thanks, Dan!
Oh yummy! I love rice bowls…especially ones that are delicious and quick to make! This is such a great recipe for those busy days. Thank you for sharing! PINNED!
Thanks for the pin, Michelle!
4 ingredients and 4 minutes?? I am absolutely SOLD on this recipe – quick, easy, and bursting with fantastic flavors. YUM! If you had a spare moment, I would be delighted if you’d drop this (and anything else you’d like to share) by at the #PureBlogLove DIY and recipe link party! You can find me here: https://picnicnz.blogspot.co.nz/
Thanks, Nicole!
This reminds me of a dish my hubby made for me after coming back from Japan. They make a ton of things into rice dishes and this was one of them. We also add in lettuce to the mix too. So yummy.
There are definitely a zillion different options when it comes to mix-ins! 🙂
This looks delicious and so easy. I can see many other add-ins…lettuce, olives, scallions, wonderful. Thanks for posting.
Rice also freezes well and reheats in a minute in the microwave. I usually make extra and stock the leftovers in a gallon freezer bag in the freezer. Whenever I need rice for a stir fry I just add a tablespoon of water and pop the whole thing in the microwave.
I love the idea of freezing rice, Liz! Thank you! I always seem to have left-overs, but I didn’t realize that I could save them in the freezer. Awesome!
I divide the servings into the small snack bags and put those into the gallon freezer bags. Do the same with cauliflower rice, which I prepare with Mexican spices….and make the meal keto friendly.