This easy low carb chicken recipe is bursting with flavors inspired by traditional Mexican cooking! Keto Mexican Chicken and cauliflower rice all cook in the same skillet as well, so clean up is super fast and easy.
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This recipe is inspired by one of my all-time favorite dishes at my local Mexican restaurant. It is loaded with flavor and I promise, it doesn't taste the least bit healthy 😂.
If you are like me and can't get enough Mexican food in your life, then be sure to check out my Low Carb Mexican Street Corn Salad or Taco Stuffed Mini Peppers both are absolutely delish!
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Ingredients
- Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Cumin, and Taco Seasoning
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
- Avocado Oil
- Yellow Onion
- Bell Pepper
- Butter
- Tomato Bullion
- Frozen Cauliflower Rice
- Queso Oaxaca
- Cilantro, avocado, sour cream, diced tomatoes, or any of your favorite Mexican Condiments (these are optional toppings)
See the recipe card for quantities and keep reading for a list of possible substitutions.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425° Fahrenheit. Then, combine the garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, taco seasoning, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
Next, put the chicken breasts into a large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of the avocado oil and 2 tablespoons of the seasoning mixture from step 1. (hang on to the remaining seasoning for later) Rub the seasoning all over the chicken ensuring that each piece is evenly coated.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a large oven-safe skillet over high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until each side is browned.
Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside. Note: at this point, the chicken should not be cooked through. You will finish cooking it in a later step.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the chopped bell pepper, onion, remaining seasoning from step 1, butter, and tomato bullion to the same skillet used for cooking the chicken.
Cook the onion and pepper mixture stirring frequently for 5 minutes or until the onions are soft and translucent. Note: Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to release any stuck-on bits from the chicken.
Add the frozen cauliflower rice breaking up any large clumps as you go. Continue cooking for 5 minutes over medium heat, being sure to stir until the cauliflower rice is completely blended with the onions and peppers.
Remove the skillet from the heat. Return the chicken to the pan, setting it on top of the cauliflower rice.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, then remove the skillet from the oven and sprinkle the shredded cheese on top. Return it to the oven and continue baking for 5-10 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165° Fahrenheit.
Remove from the oven and allow the dish to sit for about 5 minutes before serving with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
Substitutions
This recipe is very versatile and can easily be adjusted to suit your preferences or just what is in your pantry.
- Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, and Cumin can be swapped entirely with taco seasoning.
- Taco Seasoning - You can use chili powder in place of the taco seasoning.
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast - Use bone-in chicken breasts, thighs, or legs. You can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs.
- Avocado Oil - any mild-flavored oil suited for high heat can be used. Check out this article for some suggestions.
- Yellow Onion - White or red onion will also work.
- Bell Pepper - As you can see from my photos, I used several mini bell peppers in place of one regular bell pepper.
- Butter - replace the butter with additional oil, or leave it out entirely.
- Tomato Bullion - this is usually found in the aisle with Mexican seasonings and spices. If you can't find it, simply use chicken bullion plus 1-2 tablespoons of tomato paste.
- Frozen Cauliflower Rice - Finely shredded cabbage or miracle rice (affiliate link) are great substitutes for cauliflower.
- Queso Oaxaca - This is also labeled as "quesadilla cheese" at my grocery. You can also use Monterey Jack cheese, a Mexican cheese blend, or your favorite queso dip!
Variations
In addition to the substitutions listed above here are some ingredients that you can add to change the dish up a bit:
- A can of rinsed and drained black beans (add at the same time that you add the cauliflower rice.)
- One Cup of corn (add at the same time that you add the cauliflower rice.)
- Turn up the heat and add in some cayenne or your favorite hot sauce.
Adding beans or corn will affect the nutrition information and the dish would likely no longer fit into a keto diet.
Equipment
To make this Mexican chicken and cauliflower rice, you will need a large, oven-safe skillet or dutch oven. I use a 12-inch lodge cast iron skillet. (affiliate link)
It has been one of the best investments that I have made as far as cookware is concerned. Not only is it very affordable (usually around $20 on Amazon affiliate link) but it will last forever and best of all, the more you use it the better it gets.
Another item that is helpful for this recipe (and SO many others) is a small food chopper. I recently discovered this one (affiliate link) (thanks TikTok 😂) that operated with a hand pulley and I seriously don't know how I survived without it.
It makes quick work of chopped vegetables and it's also dishwasher safe and doesn't have many parts that you have to keep track of, or that that can get broken.
Storage
This recipe makes a great one add to your meal prep. Store any leftovers in the fridge for 5 days or freeze individual portions for up to 6 months.
Leftovers reheat really well in the microwave or in a hot skillet. You can even repurpose leftovers into chicken and rice burritos (my personal favorite!)
Top tip
If your chicken breasts are thicker than 1 inch, I suggest slicing them in half to cut down on cooking time.
If you are in a real hurry, you can even cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces before cooking. Then, cook them fully in step 3 and reduce the baking time to 10 minutes just to melt the cheese!
📖 Recipe
Keto Mexican Chicken and Cauliflower Rice | One Skillet
Equipment
- Food Chopper
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 2 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 tablespoon Cumin
- 1 tablespoon Taco Seasoning
- pinch Salt and Pepper
- 2 lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
- 2 tablespoon Avocado Oil
- ½ Large Yellow Onion finely chopped
- 1 Bell Pepper seeded and finely chopped
- 4 tablespoon Butter
- 1-2 tablespoon Tomato Bullion
- 24 oz Frozen Cauliflower Rice
- ½ cup Queso Oaxaca shredded
- cilantro, avocado, sour cream, diced tomatoes optional, for serving.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425° Fahrenheit. In a small bowl combine the garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, taco seasoning, salt, and pepper.2 teaspoon Garlic Powder, 2 teaspoon Onion Powder, 1 tablespoon Cumin, 1 tablespoon Taco Seasoning, pinch Salt and Pepper
- Place the chicken breasts into a large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of the avocado oil and 2 tablespoons of the seasoning mixture from step 1. (reserve the remaining seasoning for later) Rub the seasoning all over the chicken ensuring that each piece is evenly coated.2 tablespoon Avocado Oil, 2 lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a large oven safe skillet over high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until each side is browned.
- Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside. Note: at this point, the chicken should not be cooked through. You will finish cooking it in a later step.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the chopped bell pepper, onion, remaining seasoning from step 1, butter, and tomato bullion to the same skillet used for cooking the chicken.½ Large Yellow Onion, 1 Bell Pepper, 4 tablespoon Butter, 1-2 tablespoon Tomato Bullion
- Cook the onion and pepper mixture stirring frequently for 5 minutes or until the onions are soft and translucent. Note: Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to release any stuck on bits from the chicken.
- Add the frozen cauliflower rice breaking up any large clumps as you go. Continue cooking for 5 minutes over medium heat, being sure to stir until the cauliflower rice is completely blended with the onions and peppers.24 oz Frozen Cauliflower Rice
- Remove the skillet from the heat. Return the chicken to the pan, setting it on top of the cauliflower rice.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, then remove the skillet from the oven and sprinkle the shredded cheese on top. Return it to the oven and continue baking for 5-10 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165° Fahrenheit.½ cup Queso Oaxaca
- Remove from the oven and allow the dish to sit for about 5 minutes before serving with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!cilantro, avocado, sour cream, diced tomatoes
Be sure to read the entire post for tips, tricks, and help troubleshooting.
The nutrition information listed here is only an estimate and is simply provided as a courtesy. It nor any other information within this post should constitute medical or nutritional advice. Be sure to read all packaging and ingredient labels for potential allergens. Optional ingredients are not included unless otherwise specified.
Nutrition
Food safety
- Cook the chicken to a minimum internal temperature of 165 °F (62.8 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with a high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds and prevent burning
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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