Cheesy Grilled Mexican Chicken and Rice is a flavorful way to prepare grilled chicken. The chicken is served over a bed of rice and topped with cheese.
This Cheesy Grilled Mexican Chicken and Rice is a favorite at our house. It incorporates all of our favorite Mexican flavors into one delicious meal. The cheesy sauce served over the chicken and rice gives it an extra boost of flavor and creaminess. It is a great meal for summer because it doesn’t require any baking.
We always grill up extra chicken when making this recipe so we could use the leftovers for tacos or quesadillas the next day. We originally found this recipe from a great blog called “Plain Chicken” and made a few minor changes to fit our tastes. We were thrilled with how it turned out! Our Mexican Rice recipe and our Queso recipe are essential to this Cheesy Grilled Mexican Chicken recipe because, well, we just love them.
Mexican Chicken Marinade
There are several bottled marinades available that work great with grilled chicken. Look for a marinade with chipotle seasoning. The chipotle peppers are smoked and dried jalapeño peppers. It gives some heat to the chicken and a delicious smoky flavor. We like to use Lawry’s Baja Chipotle marinade. You can also make your own marinade. The bottled marinade does save time, and it can even be less expensive than making your own.
Mexican Chicken Grilling Tip
When grilling the chicken, try out this great tip from our friends at “Skip to my Lou” to keep your chicken from sticking to the grill. Heat the grill, then cut an onion in half and rub the cut side of the onion on the grates of the grill. We did it and it worked GREAT, better than even using oil or anything else to keep it from sticking. We will always be using this tip from now on. Seriously, you have got to try it!
How to Make Grilled Mexican Chicken
Cheesy Grilled Mexican Chicken
- 4 chicken breasts , boneless and skinless
- 1 bottle Lawry's Baja Chipotle Marinade or Lawry's Mesquite Marinade
- 1 jar Mexican Queso (or see notes for our Nacho Cheese Dip recipe)
- 2-3 cups Mexican Rice (Recipe link in notes)
- 15 oz diced tomatoes
- 1/2 cup cilantro chopped
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Place chicken breasts in a resealable plastic bag. Set aside about 1/2 cup of the marinade and pour the rest into the bag, covering the chicken.
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Press all the air out of the bag and seal tightly. Marinate for at least an hour (best if overnight in the refrigerator).
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While chicken is marinating, prepare Mexican rice. See recipe link in notes.
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When chicken is finished marinating, remove from bag and discard marinade. Grill chicken, brushing on a little remaining marinade (the 1/2 c. that was set aside earlier) every few minutes, until done and internal temp reaches 165-degrees F.
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Heat queso/nacho cheese sauce according to directions on package/jar.
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Place each chicken breast on about 1/2 cup of rice, top with queso, tomatoes, and cilantro.
Mexican Chicken Recipes
Whether the chicken is grilled, shredded, or fried, it is delicious in Mexican recipes. Chicken is easy to season, and can provide flavorful fillings for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, and more. Here are a few of our favorite Mexican Chicken Recipes:
- Easy Chicken Flautas – This is an easy recipe for snacks or lunches. The chicken is seasoned with salsa making it tender and savory.
- Chicken Enchiladas – Enchiladas are always a hit. The enchiladas are loaded with creamy chicken and cheese and topped with guacamole, tomatoes, shredded lettuce, and sour cream.
- Chicken Enchilada Chili – A slightly spicy soup loaded with seasoned chicken, beans, and corn. It is a copycat recipe from Cafe Zupas.
Crystal says
Looks so delicious!! Love the recipe!! Pinned 🙂
Melissa @ My Recent Favorite books says
Oh my goodness! This sounds delicious! =)
I love cheesy mexican dishes like this one! Pinned to save.
Kim says
So easy and very tasty! This will become a regular menu item.
Echo says
We love this at our house too! I’m so glad you liked it!
Wendi says
Looks delicious! Thought you’d want to know the links about the chicken tip don’t work. 🙁
Kara says
Where can I find decent Mexican rice? Or what brand/store do you recommend? I’m coming up short… thanks
Echo says
We recommend using our Mexican Rice recipe. It is better than anything you can buy in a store, and just as easy to make. Here is the recipe:
/restaurant-style-mexican-rice/