Tex-Mex Fried Rice with Chicken

tex-mex chicken recipes are the best.

Tex-mex fried rice is a pretty delicious twist on fried rice.  While chicken fried rice is one of my favorite meals, it’s fun to shake things up every now and then.  This fried rice is still simple, but has some really delicious ingredients that bump up the awesome tex-mex flavor of it. 

what ingredients do I need for tex-mex fried rice?

First, lots of veggies.  Bell pepper and onion, for sure.  I used a multi-colored bell pepper from the farmers’ market, but you can use any color.  (Red, orange, yellow, green, and purple will all work!) We also use awesome poblano peppers, which are milder than jalapeños.  But we also use jalapeños, ( just a little! 🙂 ), cherry tomatoes, frozen corn, cilantro and green onion.  Oh, and garlic.  Because everything is delicious with garlic.

Secondly, we need some leftover rice and shredded chicken.  If you have fresh rice, you can make that work, too!  Leftover rice just absorbs flavors better, so that’s why I recommend it.  It dries out as it refrigerates overnight, which makes it take on any sauces, oils, juices, etc. more readily than fried rice.

Finally, (these components aren’t pictured), we will need some taco seasoning, worcestershire, hot sauce, and salt and pepper.  I tested this recipe a few times, and made these changes to enhance the flavors even more!

Can I use rotisserie chicken for this tex-mex fried rice?

I originally used chicken breast for this recipe, but I definitely recommend shredded rotisserie chicken, too.  As long as you have a cup of shredded chicken, you’re set!

If you use rotisserie chicken, this recipe is really easy to make once the ingredients are prepped.  Cook the vegetables in olive oil, then add the spices and garlic and cook for a couple of minutes.  Stir in the corn and chicken, then the rice.  Add the Worcestershire sauce, half of the cilantro, and green onion.  Stir fry the rice for a few minutes until it has absorbed all of the flavors from the other ingredients.  It’s best if you let it “fry” on the bottom of the pan a little, too.  This adds some texture to the fried rice and it is delicious.  Then stir in the hot sauce, and season with salt and pepper to taste.  That’s it!

is there a tex-mex sauce I can use?

Oh yes, there is.  I actually have two options for you!  They’re both very similar, but one is a sour cream and cilantro sauce, while the other doesn’t use cilantro.  Plus, there’s a couple of little variations.  So you pick which one you like the most!

• Creamy tex-mex sauce recipe is here, and the
• Cilantro sauce with sour cream and lime recipe is here!

let’s talk margaritas.

While we’re at it, we may as well throw some margarita ideas in to pair with your fried rice, right?

• blueberry cilantro margaritas
• skinny fresh lime margaritas
• spicy serrano and grapefruit margaritas
• grilled pineapple and jalapeno margaritas
• OR skinny fresh blackberry margaritas

Tag me on Instagram if you make this recipe, because I love seeing all of your creations! And feel free to reach out to me directly if you have any questions! I hope you love it!

xx Sara

Recipe Card

5 from 5 votes

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tex-mex fried rice with chicken

Author sara a.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 2 people

a small batch version of tex mex fried rice with chicken, veggies, and tons of flavor.

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

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Ingredients

 

• ▢ 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• ▢ 1 poblano pepper
• ▢ 1 small onion white or yellow
• ▢ 1/2 bell pepper any color
• ▢ 1/3 cup cherry tomatoes
• ▢ 1/2 small jalapeño
• ▢ 1 Tbsp. taco seasoning
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic
• ▢ 1 cup shredded chicken grilled or rotisserie
• ▢ 1/3 cup frozen corn
• ▢ 2 cups leftover white rice
• ▢ 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 1/4 cup chopped green onion
• ▢ 2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro divided
• ▢ 1 Tbsp. hot sauce
• ▢ salt + freshly cracked pepper to taste

Instructions

• Finely chop the poblano pepper, onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño pepper. Quarter the cherry tomatoes, then mince the garlic.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the poblano peppers, onions, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, and jalapeños. Season with taco seasoning, and cook until the vegetables start to soften, about 5-7 minutes.
• Stir in garlic, and cook another minute.
• Stir in the shredded chicken and frozen corn. Cook until chicken is warmed through, about 3-4 minutes.
• Stir in the rice, Worcestershire sauce, green onion, and 1 tablespoon of cilantro. Mix thoroughly to combine everything. Cook the fried rice for about 3-4 more minutes, stirring occasionally to evenly "fry" the rice.
• Finish by stirring in the hot sauce, and then season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve hot, and garnish with remaining freshly chopped cilantro (and sour cream, if desired)!

Notes

• Feel free to leave out the jalapeño and hot sauce for a less spicy version!
• You can substitute the poblano pepper with more bell peppers.
• You can substitute white rice with brown rice, too!
• To make this recipe vegan/vegetarian, simply leave out the shredded chicken.  You can substitute with black beans instead!

Nutrition

Serving: 2cups | Calories: 498kcal

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