Creamy salsa verde chicken with rice and veggies all cooked at once in a foil packet! No need to pre-cook the rice or chicken. This dish takes no more than 10 minutes to assemble and is bursting with delicious Mexican flavor.
How crazy fun is this dinner?! Chicken, rice, veggies all done in one delicious foil packet. BAM. Dinner’s ready and you spent like a minute preparing it?
Majorly crushing on tin foil dinners these days. And I hope you love them too because I already have two other tin foil dinners all ready to post! We may or may not have had tin foil dinners for lunch and dinner every single day this week and last. ? Although, in all honesty, not every meal has been served in foil…I’ve gotten a little creative in re-purposing the dishes into something else. Like making the fillings of these packets into TACOS. Talk about so delicious and SO easy. (More details on that in the next section of text).
I’ve wanted to test all different sizes of chicken and to make sure these cook well in the oven. I’ve tried 4, 5, 6, and 7 ounce pieces of chicken (I highly recommend getting a food scale if you don’t already have one! It’s a lifesaver for baking AND cooking.) The best size for these packets is a 7-ounce piece. 6 ounces work too but is done in 5-10 minutes less time. For the 4 and 5 ounce pieces I found the chicken to be a little dry by the time the rice is all done. All the testing aside, it’s impossible for me to give an exact cooking time as the size of your chicken (if you don’t have a scale) and the heat of your oven will vary so much from person to person and even from my oven. My best recommendation is to make sure that your chicken is pounded to 1/2 inch thick and exactly 7 ounces. But be prepared to be flexible on timing as it could be anywhere from 30-50 minutes depending on the heat of your oven and size of your chicken. In my oven with a 7 ounce chicken it was completely cooked through at about 37 minutes. To be safe, check your chicken with a thermometer at about 35 minutes (it is done when it registers 165 degrees F) And if you have a smaller piece, start checking at 25 minutes.
I know it’s hard to tell from pictures, but to give you a general idea I weighed the chicken breast in the below GIF and it was exactly 7 ounces and pounded to 1/2 inch thickness.
Also since we’ve made these so many times, I’ve gotten a little creative and made tacos out of them. I’ve just taken out all the fillings (rice, black beans, corn), tossed it all together and put that filling on a taco shell. Then slice or shred the chicken, put on top, add plenty of shredded pepper-jack cheese and enjoy with some sour cream. It seriously makes for delicious and super quick tacos!
Since we’ve been making foil dinners like crazy here are a few tips I’ve learned along the experimental journey:
- ✔ NUMBER 1 TIP: Make sure the chicken pieces are trimmed and pounded to even thickness. 1/2 inch and 7 ounces is the best for these.
- ✔ Make sure the foil is completely 100% sealed off. This will not only keep juices from seeping out (juices that you need for things to cook evenly) and making a mess all over your pan, but it also keeps the chicken ultra moist. Without a tight seal your chicken will likely taste dry. Seal these tightly!
- ✔ When baking, place an extra piece of foil over a pan and put these on top of that pan. The pan just ensures that you won’t get any mess in your oven *just in case* something does seep out. The foil on top of that pan? It is just to ensure there is no extra mess on your pan. We don’t want to do dishes with foil dinners am I right?!
- ✔ Before putting ANYTHING in the foil, grease the foil super, super well with nonstick spray. You do not want the rice to stick to the bottom!
- ✔ After pulling these out of the oven make sure to give all the ingredients a good mix to get those delicious juices that have seeped below. You’ll also notice the cream cheese hasn’t quite melted so just spread that around with your fork and it will meld nicely with the chicken.
- ✔ Use heavy duty foil.
- ✔ Adjust your oven rack to the middle of your oven.
- ✔ TOPPINGS: these are key! This meal is pretty good as is, but it is spectacular with the “toppings.” The most important topping that is totally not optional is the cheese! Tons of melty pepper-jack cheese over this dish is insanely delicious. The other toppings are optional and since this is supposed to be an easy foil dinner, don’t worry too much about them. That said, they do give the dish some extra “wow factor” and don’t take too long. Our favorite additions: cilantro, fresh lime, sliced avocado, and sour cream. YUM. Also some extra salsa verde if you are really feeling that!

- 1 cup Instant white rice
- 1 and 1/2 cups water
- 2 (7 ounces each) large boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1/2 teaspoon each: cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/8 teaspoon paprika optional
- 1 ounce full fat cream cheese
- 6 tablespoons salsa verde
- 1/2 cup roasted corn
- 1/2 cup black beans
- 1/2 cup pepperjack cheese
- Optional: roasted green chiles lime, cilantro, sour cream, red bell pepper
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
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Generously grease with cooking spray 2 large sheets of heavy duty tin foil.
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Weigh your chicken to get (2) 7-ounce pieces. Pound or slice the pieces to 1/2 inch thickness.
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Toss together the instant rice and water and let stand for 5 minutes.
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In a bowl, toss together all of the seasonings: cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper, chili powder, and paprika. Dredge each chicken breast evenly in the seasonings (both sides).
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Divide the rice and water mixture evenly among the 2 foil packets.
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Place the seasoned chicken on top.
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Slice the cream cheese into 4 equal pieces and place 2 pieces on top of each chicken breast.
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Pour 3 tablespoons of salsa verde on top of each chicken breast.
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Put 1/4 cup corn and 1/4 cup black beans next to each chicken breast. If desired add a few pieces of thinly sliced red pepper to each packet.
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Seal the packet allowing for expansion and make sure it is 100% sealed.
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Bake for 30-50 minutes** or until the chicken is completely cooked through (registers 165 degrees F)
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Mix everything around in your foil pack and top each with pepperjack cheese.
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Add other optional toppings as desired.
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TO GRILL: Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and allow to heat for 10-15 minutes. Place completely sealed foil packets on grill for 25-35 minutes (or until chicken registers 165 degrees F) flipping once in between at about 10-15 minutes
**The size of your chicken and the heat of your oven makes it impossible for me to give you an exact time it should be done in. Be prepared to be flexible on timing as it could be anywhere from 30-50 minutes depending on the heat of your oven and size of your chicken. My best recommendation is to make sure that your chicken is pounded to 1/2 inch thick and exactly 7 ounces. In my oven with a 7 ounce chicken breast it was completely cooked through at 37 minutes
More foil pack recipes:
Foil Pack Garlic Parmesan Lemon Salmon
Alaina @ A Not So Quiet Kitchen says
July 2, 2016 at 3:13 pmThis looks so so good!! All those tasty Mexican flavors smothered in cheese! YUM! I’ve never cooked in foil packs before, I’ll have to try it out!
chelseamessyapron says
July 5, 2016 at 1:05 amThank you so much Alaina! π I love cooking in foil packs, so much fun! π
Beth says
July 6, 2016 at 9:54 pmThese look delicious! Have you tried on the grill? I’m thinking this would be fantastic for family dinner at our lake cottage!
chelseamessyapron says
September 18, 2016 at 11:16 pmYes, check step 15 for grill instructions. Enjoy Beth! π
Sandra says
July 7, 2016 at 9:31 pmDoes it have to be minute rice ??
chelseamessyapron says
July 7, 2016 at 9:44 pmYes it does for it to cook correctly
Cheree says
May 24, 2018 at 11:12 pmI used the brown Microwaveable rice from Traders Joes – It worked perfectly
Ming says
July 26, 2019 at 6:28 pmI realize this comment is old but if using TJ rice did you put it in frozen or cooked and did you add liquid to the foil pack? I canβt get them rice water ratio right inside the packs and would love to use TJ rice. TIA!!
Sandra says
July 7, 2016 at 9:32 pm*** instant rice. Can’t I use regular rice? Or brown rice? It’s 2016 who uses instant rice anymore?
chelseamessyapron says
July 7, 2016 at 9:45 pmRegular rice does not cook in the right amount of time as everything else. If you’d like you can cook the rice separately
Amy says
July 19, 2016 at 1:52 pmCould you use regular salsa instead of the salsa verde??
chelseamessyapron says
July 20, 2016 at 12:13 amAbsolutely π
Rachel says
July 27, 2016 at 8:52 pmMaking these tonight! I already messed up several steps (forgot to grease the foil and put the cheese on before baking – oops!)
I’m still optimistic.
Thanks for the recipe!
chelseamessyapron says
July 29, 2016 at 6:51 pmYou are so welcome Rachel! I hope you loved it π
Mary L. says
August 14, 2016 at 11:07 amAny idea if this could be assembled and then put into the crock pot on low?
Thanks, Mary
chelseamessyapron says
August 14, 2016 at 5:58 pmSorry Mary I’ve never tried a tin foil dinner in the crockpot so I really have no idea how long to recommend it be cooked and how well it would work out. Wish I could be of more help!
Trudi Ross says
August 20, 2016 at 10:36 amCan this be cooked on a grill?
chelseamessyapron says
August 23, 2016 at 11:02 amYes absolutely! π
Andrea Jimenez says
August 23, 2016 at 9:39 amHi, Chelsea! I made these for dinner last week and it was one of our favorite meals I’ve made! One question. I had a hard time keeping the juices and everything in while sealing the packets. Do I pour the excess water from the rice in? They seemed a little runny but great overall when they were done. Just wondering if you have a tip for sealing without the water going everywhere!
chelseamessyapron says
August 23, 2016 at 9:48 amHi Andrea! I am so thrilled to hear that! It’s been one of our favorites as of late too π You do pour the excess water from the rice in but there shouldn’t be too much extra left. For keeping it all in, a few tips: get a super large piece of foil and try folding up all four sides of the foil before adding anything in. Create almost like a bowl with the foil and that should help in keeping everything together π
Melanie says
August 30, 2016 at 2:02 pmWhat are the nutrtion facts for the dish??
chelseamessyapron says
September 1, 2016 at 11:31 amHi Melanie! Just added the nutrition label to this recipe for you. Right at the end of the post π
Tonya says
September 14, 2016 at 9:45 pmThis was my very first time preparing a foil packet dinner…and it most definitely will not be my last! I was a bit distracted during the prep and am pretty sure I left out the chili powder, but even still, it was absolutely delicious!! Thanks for a great recipe and for the extra tips, which I found very helpful!!! ?
Shannon says
September 16, 2016 at 7:59 pmMade this tonight! It was delicious but I get zero points for presentation after dumping everything out of the foil packs and onto a plate ? My chicken was bigger and 40 minutes was perfect! Yum! PS I used frozen sweet corn instead because that’s what was in my fridge.
April says
October 16, 2016 at 10:05 pmThis was delicious! So easy and flavorful. I took it to a friend who just had a baby!
chelseamessyapron says
October 16, 2016 at 10:58 pmSo happy to hear that this was enjoyed! And what a sweet friend you are! Thanks for the comment April π
Kelly says
February 4, 2017 at 8:18 amWe had a dinner party last night st a friends house and it was my turn to cook. I prepped 4 of these babies, brought them over and popped them in their oven. DELISH. Turned out fantastic! Everyone loved it. So easy and mess free.
chelseamessyapron says
February 5, 2017 at 10:12 pmThat is so great to hear!! I’m thrilled these were a hit π
cindy says
June 16, 2017 at 4:55 pmWhat should the oven temp be to bake these foil dinners
chelseamessyapron says
June 16, 2017 at 5:59 pm400 degrees F π
Ana says
July 9, 2017 at 9:47 amDo you cook the rice before putting it in the foil?
chelseamessyapron says
July 9, 2017 at 7:09 pmNope π Just make sure you get minute rice and soak it; it will cook in the foil!
Rena says
July 10, 2017 at 5:54 pmMade this tonight for supper. Family really liked it. Will definitely make again. I used a covered stoneware baking dish instead of foil & cooked rice separately.
chelseamessyapron says
July 11, 2017 at 6:52 amSo happy to hear that! Thank you so much for the comment π
Susannah says
July 18, 2017 at 8:34 pmDelicious, easy, & so full of flavor Thank you for sharing this!
chelseamessyapron says
July 19, 2017 at 8:26 amI’m so happy you liked this dish π Thanks for the comment Susannah!
Helen H. says
July 19, 2017 at 11:25 amMade this recipe and it is delicious. Cut back on the rub for the chicken but that was my choice. Added a little seasonings/my choices to black beans. Everything tasted delicious, quick, no big clean up. Great recipe! Thanks, Chelsea.
chelseamessyapron says
July 19, 2017 at 3:47 pmSo thrilled you enjoyed these foil packs Helen! Thanks for the comment π
Jenn says
July 19, 2017 at 7:24 pmThis was delicious. Can I get the nutrition facts. I didn’t see them on the post. Unless I am missing something π
chelseamessyapron says
August 14, 2017 at 7:20 amHi Jenn! Unfortunately I don’t have nutrition facts on all of my recipes (yet!) so I’d recommend using My Fitness Pal in the meantime! π
Trisha C. says
July 19, 2017 at 10:59 pmI tried this recipe step by step, and it is AMAZING!!!!!!!. Great flavor. My family love it.
chelseamessyapron says
July 21, 2017 at 9:35 amSo happy to hear it!! Thanks for the comment Trisha π
Jean says
July 20, 2017 at 6:30 pmCan these be made ahead and frozen then defrost to cook. I hope so. I have this vision of my freezer packed with these. Love this idea.
chelseamessyapron says
July 20, 2017 at 8:20 pmI wish I could tell you definitively but I’ve never tried freezing these before cooking them. I don’t see why it wouldn’t work though. Let me know if you give it a try π
Barbara M Caton says
July 24, 2017 at 7:29 amMy mother used to make a dish very similar to this: suggestions: she brushed the chicken w/ a flavor called “Kitchen–something”–it was brown & gave a nice finish to the (white!) chicken. Also, the first layer was a thick slice of onion. Then the rice was added, etc. I will try yours, as you’ve added more than my mom did. Thanks!!
Barb Caton
chelseamessyapron says
August 14, 2017 at 7:17 amSounds delicious! π Thanks for the comment!
PattyK says
June 26, 2018 at 5:36 pm“Kitchen Bouquet” is probably the product your mom used?
I am Lana says
July 24, 2017 at 12:45 pmI am planning to cook this tonight, but am missing how the corn is roasted. Do you buy it roasted, does it roast in the foil? What am I missing?
chelseamessyapron says
July 24, 2017 at 6:12 pmIf you grill it, it roasts in the foil, but you can also buy canned roasted corn. Enjoy!
Sarah D says
July 24, 2017 at 2:54 pmDo you use frozen corn or canned corn? Do you roast it yourself or is there a pre-roasted kind I don’t know about! π π
chelseamessyapron says
August 3, 2017 at 1:06 amYou can buy roasted canned corn π
Sarah D says
July 24, 2017 at 2:55 pmAnd are the beans canned? Sorry for all the questions!! Thank you it looks so good I can’t wait to try it!
chelseamessyapron says
August 3, 2017 at 1:06 amNo worries at all! Yes, canned beans π (drained and rinsed!)
Luke Johnson says
December 4, 2017 at 4:06 amFantastic recipe! Wife made it for dinner about a month ago, and I haven’t stopped thinking about those rice and beans since. She used the tomatillo salsa verde from Trader Joe’s and it’s straight up killer! Thanks!!
chelseamessyapron says
December 4, 2017 at 8:29 amLove hearing that! Thanks for the comment Luke π
Amanda Fulton says
May 4, 2018 at 10:04 pmHow spicy is this? It looks so good but I want to make sure my kids will eat it π
chelseamessyapron says
May 10, 2018 at 5:48 amI’d say it’s mild. It definitely depends on the brands you use though on the salsa verde. If you are worried you can reduce the chili powder or always add it after. Hope it’s a hit!
Dave Velez says
June 15, 2018 at 2:30 ammade this before work….turned out great. Instead of black beans i used pinto cause my partner does not like black beans…had some fresh ears of corn on hand so i fire roasted them before adding them…also added a few cloves of garlic and slices of onions along with the bell pepper….will defientenly make again…half with the cream cheese and half without (not a big fan of CC, but always willing to try something different)
chelseamessyapron says
June 26, 2018 at 8:18 amSounds awesome! I’m so glad you guys enjoyed!! π
Erin says
June 28, 2018 at 6:14 pmAbsolutely delicious! The only change I made to the recipe was adding chopped red bell pepper in with the corn. At 37 minutes the chicken was perfect! I wish everyrecipe was as specific as this one as to the weight of the chicken breast, they vary so much. Thank you!!
chelseamessyapron says
July 3, 2018 at 8:16 amAhh i’m so glad to hear this Erin! Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed! π
Susie says
July 4, 2018 at 8:40 amOh my gosh! These are so good! I scaled down the seasoning for my kids and they turned out delicious. My kids said I was the best cook ever! Have made these a few times and they never disappoint!
chelseamessyapron says
July 5, 2018 at 8:23 amI’m so glad to hear this! It’s the best when something is kid approved! Thanks Susie! π
MusicLoverofthegrill says
July 22, 2018 at 7:25 amThis is absolutely amazing! Made these the first time Thursday night, had to have them again last night ?. Our family loves the Chipotle chicken bowls. After spending a fortune at Chipotle I started making ours at home several years ago. I always grill the chicken and veggies for it but have never prepared it all together in a foil packet. It’s the only way I’m fixing them from now on!! Thank you! Thank you ! Thank you!
Lauren says
August 22, 2018 at 7:59 amI am so glad I found your blog! I made this dish last night for dinner, and it was amazing! I made my husband’s with the regular rice that is listed, and mine with cauliflower rice. Both turned out great! Thank you!
chelseamessyapron says
August 23, 2018 at 8:42 amAhh i’m so glad to hear you guys enjoyed this! And I definitely need to try it with the cauliflower rice!!:)
Shelly says
September 24, 2018 at 10:35 amCan you use instant brown rice instead of white ? If you use califlower rice do you soak it in the water too? What if itβs frozen? Making these tonight!
Thank you
chelseamessyapron says
September 24, 2018 at 11:21 amI wouldn’t recommend cauliflower rice for these, but I believe the instant brown rice should work fine π Enjoy!
Shelly says
September 25, 2018 at 8:16 amI made these last night with brown rice & they were delicious! I used 6oz chicken breast & they were done in 30 minutes
Kathleen says
October 6, 2018 at 4:08 pmI don’t but instant rice, but really wanted to try this, so I followed the package directions to make 2 cups of regular white rice and only cooked it for 15 minutes. I divided it and the water that remained in the pot between the packets and proceeded as directed. I worked perfectly!
chelseamessyapron says
October 15, 2018 at 5:29 pmOh i’m so happy to hear this! Way to work with what you have! Thanks Kathleen! π
Amanda K says
November 16, 2018 at 2:33 pmThis recipe is AMAZING!!!!!!
chelseamessyapron says
November 18, 2018 at 2:58 pmYAY!! So glad you enjoyed! Thanks Amanda! π
Darlean Hunkar says
January 4, 2019 at 5:28 pmI have made thos two times amd the last tqo weeks and everyome has loved including my kids. Only question is can tou twll me how many calories are on it? Or ahould I just add up everything.?
Lionell Carpio says
April 24, 2019 at 9:33 amGreat blog!
Ashley says
May 2, 2019 at 1:03 amCan these be prepped ahead of time, like say for a camping trip? I was thinking of making them on Fri and would store in the cooler, cooking for dinner Sat evening.
chelseamessyapron says
May 7, 2019 at 2:00 pmYes for sure! As long as they are kept in the cooler they should be great to grill up when you’re ready! Hope you enjoy and have so much fun on your camping trip! π
Jennifer says
May 29, 2019 at 8:38 amI have made these several times and they are very tasty. The only thing that I add is green chilies to give it a little more heat. Fabulous recipe!
chelseamessyapron says
May 29, 2019 at 9:50 amI’m so glad you love these!! I’m all about adding a bit more heat! π Sounds delicious!
Rebecca @ Hike Gourmet says
May 29, 2019 at 9:21 amAhh I was wondering how you cooked the rice in the foil packs! I can’t wait to try and add some instant rice to some foil packs for our next camping trip!
chelseamessyapron says
May 29, 2019 at 9:51 amYou’ll love it! It’s sooo simple! Thanks! π
Mikki says
October 21, 2019 at 12:29 pmI have made these once before and they were absolutely amazing. However, with the size of my family foil pack dinners are just not a convenient option for me. It’s so time consuming. I’m also not sure we’d love them as much in your taco idea as we do this version. Have you tried doing a version that was like a bake for multiple people at one time? Do think this would even be possible?
Chelsea Lords says
October 22, 2019 at 5:56 amSo happy you’ve enjoyed the recipe! I totally get what you’re thinking, and I’m sure a bake of this recipe would be delicious. I can’t give exact recommendations without personally testing, but I would think if you complied it all together in a 9 x 13 pan and baked until chicken was cooked through it would be great!