Salsa Verde Chicken and Rice with veggies cook together in a foil packet—no pre-cooking needed! Ready in 10 minutes with bold Mexican flavor.
Foil Pack Salsa Verde Chicken And Rice
How fun is this dinner?! Chicken, rice, and veggies all cook in one flavorful foil packet. BAM—dinner’s ready with barely any prep for delicious salsa verde chicken and rice!
Lately, I’m all about tin foil dinners, and I hope you are too because I’ve got two more coming soon! We may or may not have been eating them non-stop for weeks. Though, to be fair, not every meal has been straight from the foil—I’ve been getting creative, like turning the fillings into TACOS. So easy, so good!
Ingredients
- Instant White Rice & Water: Let the rice sit in water for 5 mins before baking so it cooks evenly. Perfect for salsa verde chicken and rice.
- Chicken Breasts: Pound to ½-inch thick so it cooks faster and more evenly, ensuring great chicken and rice.
- Spices: Coat the chicken well so every bite is flavorful.
- Cream Cheese: Slice and place on top so it melts over everything while cooking.
- Salsa Verde: Pour over the chicken before sealing the foil so the flavor spreads.
- Roasted Corn & Black Beans: Drain the beans well so the packets don’t get too watery.
- Pepper Jack Cheese: Add after baking for the best melt.
Salsa Verde Chicken And Rice Tips
- #1 Tip: Trim and pound chicken to ½ inch thick and 7 ounces for even cooking. This helps with making great salsa verde chicken and rice.
- Seal the foil tightly to trap juices, keeping the chicken moist. Loose seals lead to dry chicken.
- Prevent mess: Place a sheet of foil over a pan before baking to catch any leaks—easy cleanup!
- Grease the foil well with nonstick spray to keep the rice from sticking.
- Mix everything after baking to soak up all the juices. Use a fork to spread the cream cheese so it melts evenly.
- Use heavy-duty foil to prevent tearing and leaks.
- Place the oven rack in the middle for even cooking.
- Toppings make it even better! Don’t skip melty pepper jack cheese. Add cilantro, lime, avocado, sour cream, or extra salsa verde for more flavor in your salsa verde chicken and rice.
More Foil Pack Meals
- Hobo Foil Packets with sausage
- Tin Foil Jambalaya with rice
- Shrimp Foil Packets with fast cleanup
- Baked Potato Foil Packs hearty and filling
- Sausage and Potato Foil Packs super simple
Foil Pack: Salsa Verde Chicken & Rice
Salsa Verde Chicken and Rice cook up in a quick foil packet—no pre-cooking, just bold Mexican flavor!
Equipment
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 1 cup instant white rice
- 1-1/2 cups water
- 2 (7 ounce) large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/8 teaspoon paprika optional
- 1 ounce cream cheese full-fat
- 6 tablespoons salsa verde
- 1/2 cup roasted corn
- 1/2 cup black beans
- 1/2 cup pepperjack cheese
- Serving suggestions see note 1
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Generously grease 2 large sheets of heavy duty foil with cooking spray.
- Weigh your chicken to get two 7-ounce pieces. Pound or slice the pieces to 1/2-inch thickness.
- Toss together the instant rice and water and let stand for 5 minutes.
- In a bowl, toss together all the seasonings: cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper, chili powder, and paprika. Dredge each chicken breast evenly in the seasonings (both sides).
- Divide the rice and water mixture evenly between the 2 foil packets. Place the seasoned chicken on top.
- Slice the cream cheese into 4 equal pieces and place 2 pieces on top of each chicken breast.
- Pour 3 tablespoons of salsa verde on top of each chicken breast.
- Put 1/4 cup corn and 1/4 cup black beans next to each chicken breast. If desired, add a few pieces of thinly sliced red pepper to each packet.
- Seal the packet, allowing for expansion and making sure it is 100% sealed.
- Bake for 30–50 minutes (see note 2) or until the chicken is completely cooked through (registers 165°F).
- Mix everything around in your foil pack and top each with pepperjack cheese.
- Add other optional toppings as desired.
- To Grill: Preheat grill to medium-high heat and allow to heat for 10–15 minutes. Place completely sealed foil packets on grill for 25–35 minutes (or until chicken registers 165°F) flipping once at about 10–15 minutes.
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Serving suggestions: roasted green chiles, lime, cilantro, sour cream, and red bell pepper.
Note 2: Be prepared to be flexible on timing as it could be anywhere from 30–50 minutes depending on the heat of your oven and size of your chicken. My best recommendation is to make sure your chicken is pounded to 1/2-inch thick and exactly 7 ounces. In my oven with a 7 ounce chicken breast, it was cooked through at 37 minutes.
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave until warmed through, adding a splash of broth if needed.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 626kcal | Carbohydrates: 47.8g | Protein: 59.5g | Fat: 20.7g | Cholesterol: 187.1mg | Sodium: 824.1mg | Fiber: 5.7g | Sugar: 4.7g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I have made these several times and they are very tasty. The only thing that I add is green chilies to give it a little more heat. Fabulous recipe!
I’m so glad you love these!! I’m all about adding a bit more heat! 🙂 Sounds delicious!
Can these be prepped ahead of time, like say for a camping trip? I was thinking of making them on Fri and would store in the cooler, cooking for dinner Sat evening.
Yes for sure! As long as they are kept in the cooler they should be great to grill up when you’re ready! Hope you enjoy and have so much fun on your camping trip! 🙂
Great blog!
I have made thos two times amd the last tqo weeks and everyome has loved including my kids. Only question is can tou twll me how many calories are on it? Or ahould I just add up everything.?
This recipe is AMAZING!!!!!!
YAY!! So glad you enjoyed! Thanks Amanda! 🙂
I don’t but instant rice, but really wanted to try this, so I followed the package directions to make 2 cups of regular white rice and only cooked it for 15 minutes. I divided it and the water that remained in the pot between the packets and proceeded as directed. I worked perfectly!
Oh i’m so happy to hear this! Way to work with what you have! Thanks Kathleen! 🙂
Can you use instant brown rice instead of white ? If you use califlower rice do you soak it in the water too? What if it’s frozen? Making these tonight!
Thank you
I wouldn’t recommend cauliflower rice for these, but I believe the instant brown rice should work fine 🙂 Enjoy!
I made these last night with brown rice & they were delicious! I used 6oz chicken breast & they were done in 30 minutes
I am so glad I found your blog! I made this dish last night for dinner, and it was amazing! I made my husband’s with the regular rice that is listed, and mine with cauliflower rice. Both turned out great! Thank you!
Ahh i’m so glad to hear you guys enjoyed this! And I definitely need to try it with the cauliflower rice!!:)
This is absolutely amazing! Made these the first time Thursday night, had to have them again last night ?. Our family loves the Chipotle chicken bowls. After spending a fortune at Chipotle I started making ours at home several years ago. I always grill the chicken and veggies for it but have never prepared it all together in a foil packet. It’s the only way I’m fixing them from now on!! Thank you! Thank you ! Thank you!
Oh my gosh! These are so good! I scaled down the seasoning for my kids and they turned out delicious. My kids said I was the best cook ever! Have made these a few times and they never disappoint!
I’m so glad to hear this! It’s the best when something is kid approved! Thanks Susie! 🙂