Cheesy queso rice is a delicious side dish for your next taco night. Kicked up with some nacho cheese, chicken broth, and diced tomatoes with green chiles, this is a must make for any Tex Mex inspired meal.
Is there anything better than queso?
Gooey, cheesy queso, bursting with flavor from tomatoes and chiles to be exact.
Yes, there is.
This queso rice, which is basically the easiest ever queso on rice.
It’s perfect as a side dish on taco night and delicious in burritos and even as a topping for nachos.
One bite and you’ll understand why we make this all the time!
Ingredients
To make this cheesy rice, you’ll need:
- Cheese– Use a can of nacho cheese sauce.
- Chicken broth– You could substitute veggie broth or even beef broth, but keep in mind it will change the flavor.
- Canned tomatoes– The diced kind with green chilies.
- Rice– Use a quick cooking long grain variety like Basmati.
How to Make
To make this, add the cheese sauce, broth, and tomatoes to a large skillet and whisk it all together to combine.
Then bring the sauce to a boil.
As soon as it boils, reduce the heat to low and stir the rice into the skillet.
Cover the skillet and let the mixture gently simmer just until the rice is cooked, about 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir and serve warm.
Serving suggestions
This is delicious as a side dish or you can turn it into a whole meal.
If you want to use it as the base for a skillet meal, add a pound of cooked, drained ground beef or shredded chicken and bam, you have a whole dinner.
You can also add a can of drained vegetables- our family likes using corn, peas, or green beans. One stop dinner complete!
Storing
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
If you do save the leftovers, keep in mind, you’ll likely need to stir in a bit more broth prior to reheating.
Tips and Tricks
- If the rice cooks too quickly and absorbs too much of the liquid, add more broth to moisten the mixture. This isn’t a rice dish where you want it to absorb all the liquid while cooking. You want the rice to be tender, but still very cheesy and creamy when done.
- Add more spice by tossing in a can of diced jalapenos or even a tablespoon or two of adobo sauce.
- No need to garnish with anything but if you do, chopped cilantro and a dollop of sour cream and salsa are delicious choices.
Other Easy Rice Recipes
Cheesy queso rice is a staple in our house for taco night or anytime we just want carbs and cheese. Make it for your next Tex Mex dinner and enjoy!
Looking for other easy rice recipes? Try these:
If you’ve tried this CHEESY QUESO RICE, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Cheesy Queso Rice
Ingredients
- 1 15 oz can nacho cheese sauce
- 2 cups chicken broth plus more, if needed
- 1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles
- 1 1/2 cups basmati rice
Instructions
- To a large skillet add the cheese sauce, broth, and tomatoes. Whisk together to evenly combine.
- Bring the sauce to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low. Add the rice to the skillet, and stir until evenly incorporated.
- Cover the skillet, and allow the mixture to gently simmer for 10-12 minutes- stirring occasionally- just until the rice is cooked. If the rice cooks too quickly & absorbs to much liquid, add more broth to moisten the mixture.
- Stir & serve warm!
Notes
- If the rice cooks too quickly and absorbs too much of the liquid, add more broth to moisten the mixture. This isn't a rice dish where you want it to absorb all the liquid while cooking. You want the rice to be tender, but still very cheesy and creamy when done.
- Add more spice by tossing in a can of diced jalapenos or even a tablespoon or two of adobo sauce.
- No need to garnish with anything but if you do, chopped cilantro and a dollop of sour cream and salsa are delicious choices.
Nutrition
I love anything cheesy!! Thanks so much for sharing at the What’s for Dinner party!! Hope to see you again tomorrow.