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You are here: Crunchy Creamy Sweet / Recipes / Dinner

Southwestern Crock-Pot® Chicken and Rice Recipe

Published: Sep 12, 2016 · Modified: Oct 22, 2022 by Anna 40 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission.

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Southwestern Crock-Pot® Chicken and Rice recipe - cheesy chicken, vegetable and rice dish made in a slow cooker for an easy weeknight dinner. Peppers, corn, beans and a good mix of spices add a Southwestern flair to a classic. 

Southwestern Crock-Pot Chicken and Rice recipe - cheesy chicken, vegetable and rice dish made in a slow cooker for an easy weeknight dinner. Peppers, corn, beans and a good mix of spices add a Southwestern flair to a classic.

This post is sponsored by Crock-Pot® brand.

Since I turned the calendar page to August (okay, my calendar app did that), life got busy. Everyday seems not to have enough hours. School, errands, new recipes, photos, videos, laundry (ugh, that always appears out of nowhere!), dishes - so.much.to.do. At least dinner is easy. I said it so many times before, here on my blog and to my friends, that I am so grateful for the invention of a slow cooker. This machine saves me so often and our dinner time too. When Crock-Pot® brand invited me to create recipes this fall using their slow cooker, I was thrilled! I am a huge fan of the Crock-Pot® brand and all of it's countertop appliances, most of all the original slow cooker.

I know I am not alone in this busy time of year and try to find ways to make every day easier. I hope this recipe will do just that. Cheesy comfort food that takes only few minutes to prep and cooks pretty much itself. Yes, winning at dinner time every weeknight!

Southwestern Chicken and Rice in a crock pot.

My family adores Southwestern flavors so turning a classic chicken and rice dish that just seemed to be begging for a makeover was the way to go. Green bell pepper, red onion and fresh garlic already make a dish for me. But add green chiles, sweet golden corn, a few spices and there is nothing boring about this dish. Flavors to the max!

Everything cooks together in the Crock-Pot® slow cooker. Chicken and rice too. You can, of course, use already cooked rice, if you have some on hand (skip the water if you are doing so), but it's just so nice and convenient to have everything cook together.

Southwestern Crock-Pot Chicken and Rice recipe - cheesy chicken, vegetable and rice dish made in a slow cooker for an easy weeknight dinner. Peppers, corn, beans and a good mix of spices add a Southwestern flair to a classic.

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To make things even easier, you can chop the fresh veggies the day before and pop them into a ziploc bag. I also used fresh corn I bought in bulk this summer and froze in freezer bags. I measured out a heaping 1 and ½ cups and added to the dish. You can substitute whole kernel corn in a can, drained and rinsed. To add more spice, you can use enchilada sauce in place of tomato sauce.

After all of the ingredients are in the Crock-Pot® slow cooker, stir them well together. Place the chicken breasts on top, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set the slow cooker to HIGH for 4:30 hrs. The chicken should be cooked through (165 degrees F internal temperature). Remove the chicken from slow cooker and chop into bite-size pieces on a cutting board. Return to the slow cooker and stir in. Cook on HIGH for another 30 minutes OR until the rice is cooked. With the Crock-Pot® slow cooker on WARM setting, sprinkle the cheese over the dish, cover and let sit for 10 minutes, allowing the cheese to melt.

Southwestern Crock-Pot Chicken and Rice recipe - cheesy chicken, vegetable and rice dish made in a slow cooker for an easy weeknight dinner. Peppers, corn, beans and a good mix of spices add a Southwestern flair to a classic.

 

SOUTHWESTERN CROCK-POT CHICKEN AND RICE RECIPE:

Southwestern Chicken and Rice in a crock pot.

Southwestern Crock-Pot® Chicken and Rice Recipe

Author: Anna
Southwestern Crock-Pot Chicken and Rice recipe - cheesy chicken, vegetable and rice dish made in a slow cooker for an easy weeknight dinner. Peppers, corn, beans and a good mix of spices add a Southwestern flair to a classic.
4.93 from 14 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 5 hours hrs
Total Time 5 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 5 people
Calories 700 kcal
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients
 
 

  • 8 oz can tomato sauce
  • 15 oz can black beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 medium green bell pepper chopped
  • 1 medium red onion chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 3.5 oz can green chiles
  • 15 oz can whole kernel corn OR heaping 1 and ½ cups frozen sweet golden corn
  • 1 cup long grain rice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¾ teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • 2 cups water
  • 14 oz . crushed tomatoes
  • 3 chicken breasts
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 chicken bouillon cube
  • 2 cups Colby Jack cheese or a mix of cheddar and Jack

Instructions
 

  • Pour tomato sauce on the bottom of Crock-Pot® slow cooker. Spread evenly.
  • Add beans, pepper, onion, garlic, chiles, corn, rice, cumin, chili powder, paprika and chicken bouillon cube. Stir everything together. Add water and crushed tomatoes. Stir well.
  • Place chicken breasts on top of the mixture. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the chicken.
  • Cook on HIGH for 4:30 hours. The chicken should be cooked (internal temperature of 165 degrees F). Remove the chicken, chop on cutting board. Return to the Crock-Pot® slow cooker. Stir everything together.
  • Cover and cook additional 30 minutes OR until the rice is cooked.
  • Sprinkle cheese over the top. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
  • Garnish with chopped parsley or cilantro.
  • Serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 700kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 53g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 137mg | Sodium: 1800mg | Potassium: 1467mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1235IU | Vitamin C: 44.1mg | Calcium: 467mg | Iron: 5.3mg
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment with rating below!
Southwestern Crock-Pot Chicken and Rice recipe - cheesy chicken, vegetable and rice dish made in a slow cooker for an easy weeknight dinner. Peppers, corn, beans and a good mix of spices add a Southwestern flair to a classic.

If you like this recipe and make it, snap a photo and share it on INSTAGRAM! Tag me @crunchycreamysweet so I can check it out! 

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Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Crock-Pot® brand. All text, photographs and opinions are 100% my own. Thank you for supporting brands that make this blog possible. 

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Comments

    4.93 from 14 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Lisa says

    February 02, 2019 at 6:05 pm

    5 stars
    Sounds delicious! Would brown rice work in this?

    Reply
    • Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says

      February 05, 2019 at 1:27 am

      Hi Lisa! I did not test this recipe with brown rice so I can't say what the final result will be. Brown rice requires longer cooking time.

      Reply
  2. carlyn says

    July 18, 2018 at 5:23 pm

    5 stars
    Could this be made in the casserole crockpot? When the casserole crockpot came out, I HAD to have it! But now I have trouble finding good sounding recipes for it, or can any crockpot recipe be used, and would cooking times be the same?

    Reply
    • Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says

      July 19, 2018 at 10:56 pm

      Hi Carlyn! Thank you for the question. I actually created the recipe in partnership with Crock-Pot and made it in their casserole crock pot. No need to adjust anything, just follow the recipe. I hope you love it! Please, let me know how it goes. Thank you!!

      Reply
  3. Jenn says

    March 08, 2018 at 12:15 pm

    If we are cooking the rice separately do we still need to add the water?

    Reply
  4. Mike says

    October 15, 2017 at 10:37 pm

    5 stars
    This looks good. I think I will make up a big batch for my lunches for the week. Great comfort food now that the days are getting colder

    Reply
    • Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says

      October 19, 2017 at 12:21 pm

      Thanks, Mike!

      Reply
  5. Linda says

    November 16, 2016 at 3:50 pm

    5 stars
    We don't care for black beans. Is there another bean you would recommend for this recipe? I'm very excited to make this.

    Reply
    • Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says

      November 16, 2016 at 10:06 pm

      Hi Linda! Thank you for the question. You can use light red beans or simply skip them. 😀 I am excited for you to try this recipe. Have a beautiful week! -Anna

      Reply
  6. Heather says

    November 07, 2016 at 6:13 pm

    Hi! I made the rice separately and was wondering...should I add the rice right into the crock pot and stir it all up...or can I just ladle the crock pot ingredients over the rice in a bowl?
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says

      November 07, 2016 at 6:59 pm

      Hi Heather! You can add the rice in the last 30 minutes of cooking this dish or definitely pour it over the rice in a bowl. Thank you so much for the question! Have a beautiful week! -Anna

      Reply
  7. Erin says

    October 15, 2016 at 12:45 pm

    This looks absolutely amazing!! Could you cook on low for say 8 hours? For a weekday meal?

    Reply
    • Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says

      October 16, 2016 at 12:09 am

      Hi Erin! Thank you so much for the question! Eight hours can be too much because of the rice. It may get mushy. I would suggest cooking the rice the day before, cooling completely and storing covered in a fridge. Cook the rest (minus the water) in a slow cooker on low for 8 hours and add the cooked rice at the end to warm up. I hope this helps! Let me know if you make it. I'd love to know how you like it! Have a beautiful weekend! -Anna

      Reply
  8. Kathy says

    October 13, 2016 at 11:20 am

    Looks so yummy! Could you do this up as a freezer meal that you cook in your crockpot? Then you could add on a couple of hours more to the cooking time, right?

    Reply
    • Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says

      October 16, 2016 at 12:03 am

      Hi Kathy! Do you mean keep everything uncooked in a freezer and then place in slow cooker and cook? I would say yes, however I've never done it with a rice dish. You can cook the rice, cool and freeze separately (I've done that many times!) and the other ingredients in a separate freezer bag. Then cook without the rice and add it at the last 30 minutes. I hope this helps! Let me know if you make it. I'd love to know how you like it! 😀 Thank you so much for the comment! Have a beautiful weekend! -Anna

      Reply
  9. PinkPrincess says

    October 12, 2016 at 5:45 pm

    5 stars
    Anna, I'm assuming your dishes can be done in a "pressure cooker" on the "slow cooker mode" for this same timeframe...or...should the timeframe be reduced? I have a "pressure cooker" and wanted a variety of dishes with flavor. Based on the ingredients in this dish (Southwestern Chicken & Rice), which I have not cooked yet, I decided to "follow" you for more "flavorful" ideas. 🙂

    Reply
  10. Lisa says

    October 07, 2016 at 10:16 am

    5 stars
    Great recipe...found it yesterday & made it last night. I love it when a recipe tastes as delicious as expected. (Doesn't always happen, right?) Thank you so much, Anna.

    Reply
    • Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says

      October 07, 2016 at 3:25 pm

      Hi Lisa! That is fantastic! Thank you so much for trying the recipe and for coming back to let me know you enjoyed it. Have a beautiful day! -Anna

      Reply
  11. Lisa says

    September 28, 2016 at 11:20 am

    Can you make with frozen chicken breast or does it need to be thawed first! If frozen, how long do you cook for? Thanks, this looks delicious!

    Reply
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