Hey, Mexican food fans! There’s a fiesta of flavor in this easy, 30-minute Mexican Chicken Skillet recipe! It’s loaded with tender chicken, black beans, veggies and creamy, gooey cheese the whole family will love!
No need to wait for cinco de mayo to enjoy this easy skillet dinner. It’s one of our favorite one pan meals that’s in regular rotation. And, it’s a cinch to pull together with leftover or rotisserie chicken combined with pantry staples.
If you’re looking for more winning Mexican dishes with chicken, check out our 20-Minute Mexican Chicken Fajitas, Crockpot Adobo Chicken Quesadillas, Roasted Chicken Verde Taquitos and Jalapeño Popper Chicken Skillet!
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Why You’ll Love this Chicken Skillet Recipe
😋Delicious recipe full of amazing Mexican flavors
⏲️On the table in 30 minutes
💲Made with budget-friendly pantry ingredients
😉Customizable
🙏Just one pan to clean
🔥Reheats well and even better the next day!
Main Ingredients
- Rotisserie chicken or cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- Peppers - Red peppers or green bell pepper, poblano and jalapeño peppers
- Red Onion and Garlic Cloves (or garlic powder)
- Cheddar Cheese and Cream Cheese
- Black Beans and Corn
- Diced tomatoes
- Flour
- Chicken broth
- Corn Tortillas (or flour tortillas and forgot to put in the picture🙄)
- Cumin and Cilantro
- Limes
Cooking Steps
Making this Mexican chicken skillet is literally as easy as 1 – 2 – 3! See the recipe card below for detailed instructions.
- Make the Filling: Heat a little olive oil in a cast iron skillet or other broiler proof skillet over medium-high heat. You’ll sauté the vegetables until softened, then sprinkle in the flour, add chicken stock and bring to a boil to thicken. Melt in the cream cheese for a rich, creamy sauce.
2. Assemble: Stir the chicken, black beans, tomatoes and sweet corn into the skillet, then arrange torn tortillas over top. Next, spread shredded cheese over top and preheat the broiler on high.
3. Broil: Place the skillet a few inches below the broiler and broil 3-4 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly, and the tortillas begin to char. Let it cool a few minutes before digging in!
Give the skillet a squeeze of lime juice and garnish with sliced jalapeños and leafy cilantro. You can also top off this delicious dinner with avocado, cherry tomatoes or pico de gallo. Enjoy!
Mexican Chicken Recipe Tips
- Be sure to use an ovenproof skillet. If you don’t have one that’s broiler-proof, you can bake the casserole at 425°F for 8-10 minutes.
- When broiling, don’t stray far from the oven and be sure to set a timer as things can burn quickly.
- To prep, have the vegetables and chicken chopped before firing up the stove. The cooking steps move quickly so it’s best to have all the ingredients lined up.
- Bring the cream cheese to room temperature so it melts smoothly.
- To make the chicken skillet recipe spicier, you can add chili powder, cayenne pepper, hot sauce or a can of green chiles. To make it less spicy, omit the jalapeño.
Side Dish Ideas
This is a hearty chicken recipe but if you’re looking to expand the menu, here are a few sides that will pair well.
- Pomegranate Guacamole
- Mexican Street Corn Salad
- Sweet Potato Fries with Cherry Corn Salsa
- Grilled Cantaloupe Black Bean Salad
- Everyday Mexican Salad
Mexican Chicken Skillet FAQs
You sure can! Simply brown the chicken in the skillet first with a tablespoon oil and place chicken in a clean bowl when done. Then proceed with the recipe.
Absolutely! You can add brown rice or white rice. Just cook the rice separately then add as much as you like to the skillet before it goes in the oven. There isn’t enough liquid in the recipe for the rice to cook in the pan with the other ingredients.
To make the recipe meatless, you can add another can of black beans or chickpeas and add extra vegetables, like chopped zucchini, mushrooms and cauliflower rice.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to five days. Reheat them in a baking dish in a 350-degree oven until hot or microwave. You can also freeze leftovers up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
More Popular Mexican Recipes to Try!
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📋 Recipe Card
Mexican Chicken Skillet
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 red onion , chopped
- 1 red bell pepper , chopped
- 1 poblano pepper , chopped
- 1 jalapeño , minced (optional)
- 4 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 3 ounces cream cheese , room temperature
- 3 cups cooked chicken , chopped
- 1 15-ounce can black beans , drained and rinsed
- 1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chiles , drained
- 1 cup corn , fresh or frozen and thawed
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro or parsley , chopped, plus extra for garnish
- Salt and pepper
- 4 6-inch corn or flour tortillas , torn into pieces
- 2 cups shredded cheddar , monterey jack or oaxaca cheese
- Sliced jalapeños for garnish
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add onion, bell pepper, and poblano. Cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
- Add jalapeño, garlic and cumin. Cook until fragrant, stirring constantly, about 1 minute.
- Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring constantly, until thoroughly coated, about 1 minute.
- Add broth and bring to a boil, stirring to combine.
- Cook until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Reduce heat to medium and stir in cream cheese until melted.
- Add chicken, black beans, tomatoes, and corn. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
- Preheat broiler on high.
- Arrange tortilla pieces in the chicken mixture. Sprinkle skillet evenly with cheese.
- Place the skillet under the broiler and broil until the cheese is melted and tortillas are browned, 2-4 minutes.
- Serve hot with extra cilantro and sliced jalapeños. Enjoy!
Notes
- Be sure to use an ovenproof skillet. If you don’t have one that’s broiler-proof, you can bake the casserole at 425°F for 8-10 minutes.
- When broiling, don’t stray far from the oven and be sure to set a timer as things can burn quickly.
- To prep, have the vegetables and chicken chopped before firing up the stove. The cooking steps move quickly so it’s best to have all the ingredients lined up.
- Bring the cream cheese to room temperature so it melts smoothly.
- To make the chicken skillet spicier, you can add chili powder, cayenne pepper, hot sauce or a can of green chiles. To make it less spicy, omit the jalapeño.
Nutrition
*Recipe generously adapted from EatingWell, March 2019.
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Heidi | The Frugal Girls says
This looks beyond incredible! What a fantastic flavor combination and fun weeknight dinner. My family would LOVE this!
Kim Peterson says
Thank you! Love one skillet meals!
Simone's Kitchen says
Now that is what I call an enticing recipe! That looks so good Kim. I love Mexican food anyway and was looking for some Mexican inspiration as I have been thinking of doing a Mexican month on my site soon... This is a perfect recipe!
Kim Peterson says
Thanks Simone! Can't go wrong with Mexican!