Description
This Santa Fe Chicken Skillet recipe is a vibrant, flavorful dish featuring tender chicken breasts seasoned with garlic and chili powder, cooked alongside a colorful medley of tomatoes with green chilies, black beans, corn, and smoked paprika, all topped with melted Mexican cheese. Perfect for a quick, hearty dinner ready in just 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Seasoning
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Vegetables and Other Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ medium onion, chopped
- 1 (10-ounce) can Ro-Tel diced tomatoes & green chilies, drained
- 1 (14-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (12-ounce) can corn, drained
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
- Fresh cilantro, chopped (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Prep Chicken: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise to create thinner cutlets, allowing for quicker and even cooking. Season each piece evenly with garlic powder, chili powder, salt, and pepper.
- Cook Chicken and Sauté Onion: Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken pieces and cook until they are lightly golden on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside. Add the chopped onion to the same skillet and sauté until they become softened and take on a light brown color, approximately 3-5 minutes.
- Add Remaining Ingredients: Stir in the drained Ro-Tel diced tomatoes with green chilies, black beans, corn, and smoked paprika into the skillet with the onions. Cook the mixture for a few minutes until heated through, scraping up any flavorful browned bits from the bottom of the pan to enhance the taste.
- Assemble and Bake: Return the cooked chicken cutlets to the skillet, nestling them into the tomato and bean mixture. Sprinkle the shredded Mexican cheese blend evenly over the top. Transfer the entire skillet into the preheated oven and bake for 5-7 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked through and the cheese has melted. If desired, switch the oven to broil for a couple of minutes to brown the cheese for an extra touch of flavor and texture.
- Serve: Remove the skillet from the oven and garnish with freshly chopped cilantro if using. Serve immediately and enjoy this delicious, well-balanced one-pan meal.
Notes
- Make sure the skillet used is oven-safe before transferring to the oven.
- Draining the canned ingredients well prevents excess moisture and keeps the skillet from becoming too watery.
- Chicken cutlets can be pounded thinner if desired for even quicker cooking.
- Optional toppings like avocado slices, sour cream, or jalapeños pair well with this dish.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated and reheated gently on the stovetop or microwave.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mexican-American
