This easy Cilantro Lime Chicken with Tex-Mex Cauliflower Rice cooks all in one skillet in under 30 minutes! Spoon into bowls and add your favorite toppings for a colorful, flavor-packed meal.
When I find a way to create a healthy but hearty meal that my guys here love, I know I’ve got something special. This Cilantro Lime Chicken with Tex-Mex Cauliflower Rice is a prime example. It’s low in calories but loaded with fiber and nutrients that fill you up in the most satisfying way. Just spoon it into bowls and add your favorite toppings for super family-friendly meal.
These tasty Cilantro Lime Chicken Bowls are on my list of healthy meals I can cook FAST on super busy days. With just 10 minutes of prep and 15 minutes of cooking time, this is a delicious meal that is also super quick and easy.
Ingredient Notes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Cumin
- Garlic powder
- Oil – A neutral oil like vegetable or canola oil
- Boneless skinless chicken breast – Cut into bite-size pieces.
- Lime – Zested and juiced
- Cilantro
- Bell pepper – I love the color contrast of diced red bell pepper but any color will do.
- Onion – White or yellow, diced.
- Minced garlic
- Frozen riced cauliflower – Using store-bought frozen riced cauliflower is a fabulous time saver. If you’re concerned about the quality, don’t be. It cooks quickly from the frozen state and the quality is very good.
- Frozen corn – There’s no need to thaw it.
- Canned black beans – I recommend picking up a low sodium brand. To help reduce the sodium even further, rinse and drain the beans before adding them to the recipe.
How to Make Cilantro Lime Chicken with Tex-Mex Cauliflower Rice
- Combine the salt, pepper, cumin, and garlic powder in a small bowl and set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over MEDIUM-HIGH heat. Add the chicken and season with about half of the seasoning mixture (just eyeball it). Cook, stirring, until browned and cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add the lime zest and juice and the cilantro.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and stir to combine. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Return the skillet to the heat, add a little more oil to the pan, if needed and add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Stir, scraping up any browned bits off the bottom of the skillet. Sauté until the onion and bell pepper are tender, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the riced cauliflower, corn, black beans and the remaining seasoning mix.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower and corn are tender and warmed through.
- Remove from the heat and spoon the cooked chicken over the top.
Serving Suggestions
There’s no need to prepare any side dishes for these one-pot Cilantro Lime Chicken Bowls. Just set out some toppings and let everyone serve up. Topping ideas include:
- Hot sauce or salsa
- Light sour cream
- Avocado slices
- Cheese (we love Cotija)
FAQs
If using your own freshly riced cauliflower, you’ll need about 3 cups. The cooking time should be very similar.
Cut a head of cauliflower into chunks and place them in a food processor. Pulse until the cauliflower breaks up to a texture similar to rice. Work in batches, if needed.
This Cilantro Lime Chicken with Tex-Mex Cauliflower Rice reheats wonderfully and works great for meal prep! If you’d like, you can skip the step of adding the chicken back to the skillet at the end so that you can spoon exactly as much of the cauliflower rice and chicken in to to each of your meal prep containers as you’d like.
More Wholesome Chicken Dinners
Cilantro Lime Chicken with Tex-Mex Cauliflower Rice
Ingredients
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil, or as needed, divided
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 lime, zested and juiced
- ⅓ cup fresh cilantro, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced (about 1 cup)
- ½ cup diced onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 10 ounce bag frozen riced cauliflower, about 3 cups (don’t thaw)
- 1 cup frozen corn, don’t thaw
- 15 ounce can black beans, (low sodium) rinsed and drained
For Serving (Optional)
- lime wedges
- hot sauce or salsa
- light sour cream
- sliced avocado
- shredded cheese , like cotija or Monterey Jack
Instructions
- Combine the salt, pepper, cumin, and garlic powder in a small bowl and set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over MEDIUM-HIGH heat. Add the chicken and season with about half of the seasoning mixture (just eyeball it). Cook, stirring, until browned and cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the lime zest and juice and the cilantro. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir to combine. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. Make sure chicken gets very browned on this step.
- Return the skillet to MEDIUM heat and add a little more oil to the pan, if needed. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Stir, scraping up any browned bits off the bottom of the skillet. Saute until the onion and bell pepper are tender, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the riced cauliflower, corn, black beans and the remaining seasoning mix. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower and corn are tender and warmed through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and spoon the cooked chicken over the top.
- Serve in bowls with toppings, as desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home. All information provided regarding nutrition on this website is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Content related to nutrition is not medical advice nor is it intended to replace medical advice. The website is not intended to diagnose, prescribe, or treat any disease, condition, illness, or injury. Before beginning any diet program, modifying your diet, or making changes to the diet of a child in your care, including following the nutrition information available on the website, you should seek advice from a licensed professional.
