Cheesy Southwest Chicken & Kale Rice
with Chimichurri, Corn, Jack Cheese, Pepitas & Lime
- Milk
These Southwest-inspired bowls transform everyday ingredients into a flavor fiesta! Spiced chicken and caramelized corn are served atop fluffy chimichurri kale–spiked rice. The whole shebang gets topped with Monterey Jack cheese, sour cream, pepitas, hot sauce, and a squeeze of bright lime juice.
Ingredients
1 unit
Corn
1.5 tablespoon
Sour Cream
(Contains: Milk)
10 ounce
Chopped Chicken Breast
½ cup
Jasmine Rice
4 ounce
Kale
¼ cup
Monterey Jack Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
1 unit
Lime
1 tablespoon
Southwest Spice Blend
½ ounce
Pepitas
2 ounce
Chimichurri
1 teaspoon
Hot Sauce
Not included in your delivery
teaspoon (tsp)
Salt
1 teaspoon (tsp)
Cooking Oil
teaspoon (tsp)
Black Pepper
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
-
In a small pot (medium pot for 4 servings), combine rice, ¾ cup water (1½ cups for 4), and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a low simmer. Cook until rice is tender, 15-18 minutes.
-
Keep covered off heat until ready to serve.
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While rice cooks, wash and dry produce.
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Remove and discard any large stems from kale if necessary; chop into bite-size pieces. Drain and rinse corn. Quarter lime.
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Place kale and chimichurri in a medium microwave-safe bowl (large microwave-safe bowl for 4 servings). Cover tightly with plastic wrap; microwave until kale has wilted, 2-3 minutes.
-
Carefully remove plastic wrap (watch out for steam!). Stir to combine; taste and season with salt and pepper.
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Open package of chicken* and drain off any excess liquid.
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Heat a drizzle of oil in a large, preferably nonstick, pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and season with Southwest Spice Blend, a pinch of salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and almost cooked through, 3 minutes (it’ll finish cooking in the next step).
-
Stir corn into pan with chicken; cook, stirring constantly, until corn is slightly browned and chicken is cooked through, 2-4 minutes.
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Turn off heat. Stir in a squeeze of lime juice (big squeeze for 4 servings). Sprinkle with Monterey Jack.
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Cover to keep warm until ready to serve.
- Fluff rice with a fork. Stir in chimichurri kale. Taste and season with salt and pepper if desired.
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Divide rice between bowls and top with cheesy chicken and corn. Top with a dollop of sour cream, pepitas, a squeeze of lime juice, and as much hot sauce as you like. Serve with remaining lime wedges on the side.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Apr 2026- Flavor: The chimichurri adds amazing depth and robust Southwest flavors, though some found it overpowering or wanted more spice.
- Ease of prep: Super quick and easy to make with straightforward steps that work well for busy weeknights.
- Suggestions: Toast the pepitas, cook corn separately for better charring, and consider roasting kale instead of microwaving for better texture.
- Portions: Many felt portions were too small for two people and wanted more cheese, sour cream, and corn.
- Kale preparation: The chimichurri kale rice was polarizing — loved by many as a clever way to enjoy kale, but some preferred less kale or different greens.
Reviews from our home cooks
I love mixing the kale and rice, the chimichurri added great flavor quickly and easily.
I would recommend toasting the seeds. I also added a chicken stock concentrate to my pan of chicken and corn, and I added lime zest and juice to the rice. It was AMAZING!
Yes!!! Flavor and healthy and quick! Love the kale. Great sauces. Honestly this is a new all-time favorite, we hope you have it again soon!
This was a flavorful dish. I loved the heat from the chicken and hot sauce. I look forward to ordering again.
Fire! The only thing I'd say is the chimi kale doesn't need added salt and I wish the kale wasn't precut
Wow! Loved it! Especially the rice/kale; I was surprised at how great that was.
Absolutely delicious!! I used my own chicken breasts because I don't like the pre-chopped chicken. Any way to sale chicken breasts an option instead of the pre-chopped kind, please? This was super tasty and quick to make. Loved it. Huge portions too. I have enough for two large lunches left over. Thank you!
Kale went bad and subbed in cabbage which worked well. I like how this bulked up the rice.
The chimichuri sauce is really good and made the kale rice mixture yummy! However, the chicken is kind of dry.
Kale is not a familiar ingredient for us in southwestern cooking. Beans or avocados/guacamole would be preferred.
