Santa Fe Chicken Skillet
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Whip up this Santa Fe Chicken skillet for an easy 30-minute, one-pan meal everyone can get excited about. Tender Southwest-seasoned chicken is pan-seared then nestled in a delicious mixture of salsa, black beans, and corn, with cheese melted on top. Flavorful and satisfying!
Quick and Easy Southwest Flavor!
I love putting this Santa Fe chicken on the menu, because it checks two boxes that are sometimes hard to find in one meal: my kids love it, and it has plenty of protein and veggies for the adults. Plus, the flavors are easy to adore and it all cooks in about 30 minutes.
Use your favorite jarred salsa to keep this quick, easy, and suited to taste. A mild salsa will, of course, yield a mild sauce, while heat in means heat out. You can also fancy things up with homemade salsa: anything from a smooth blender salsa to a chunky pico de gallo works well.
We like to enjoy this over a bed of rice. Quinoa is another option, or dice up the chicken then enjoy family-style with tortilla chips to scoop everything up.
Ingredient & Substitution Notes:
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Use the best-quality chicken that you can, and slice or pound it into thin cutlets for quick, even cooking. You can also purchase “thin-sliced” chicken cutlets to save time!
- Black beans and corn. I use canned black beans for ease, but you can also use roughly one cup of black beans you’ve soaked or cooked yourself. The can can be canned, fresh cooked and cut from the cob, or frozen – whatever is most convenient for you.
- Salsa and canned green chiles. You’ll use about one cup of jarred salsa — or any homemade variety — and one can of green chiles. We prefer mild green chiles but if you’re a heat seeker, use a medium or spicy variety. Salsa is a pantry staple around here, but if you don’t have any on hand, you can substitute one can of Rotel for the salsa and chiles together.
- Red onion. Yellow onion, white onion, or sweet onion all work fine, too.
- Spices: chili powder, kosher salt, and black pepper. Dried chili powder can vary quite a bit in heat level, so use a mild everyday powder to keep this palatable to all eaters.
- Olive oil, for cooking.
- Shredded Mexican cheese. I almost skipped this but I’m pretty sure it’s the main reason my kids loved the dish so much, so I recommend that you don’t – unless you’re keeping it dairy-free, in which case by all means.
- Avocado and fresh cilantro. Optional but also highly recommended garnishes!
How To Make Santa Fe Chicken:
Season and brown the chicken. Sprinkle the chicken breasts evenly with chili powder, kosher salt, and black pepper, then brown each side in a drizzle of olive oil over medium-high heat. The chicken shouldn’t be cooked all the way through at this point. Remove to a plate and set aside.
Make the salsa mixture in the same skillet. Begin by softening the chopped onion for 3-4 minutes, then stir in salsa, green chiles, black beans, and corn. This is the time to scrape the pan very well and loosen all the browned bits, both to maximize flavor in the sauce and to simplify clean-up later.
Finish the chicken by nestling it into the salsa mixture and letting it bubble for a few minutes. Sprinkle cheese on top of the chicken for maximum melty goodness.
Top with fresh cilantro and diced avocado, and dig in!
Storage & Reheating Instructions:
Storage: Place leftover pieces of chicken together with generous scoops of the black bean mixture in any airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. (These are our favorite meal prep boxes for the fridge.)
Warming: Reheat on 50% power in the microwave until warmed through. Using half power reduces the odds that your chicken will dry out in the microwave. Or, warm in a small covered skillet, adding a splash of broth or water if needed.
Related Recipes:
If you enjoy this, try our favorite Santa Fe chicken salad next. Feeding a crowd? Crockpot shredded chicken tacos are so easy and irresistible, or try Instant Pot carnitas tacos with pineapple salsa for something a little more adventurous. Baja chicken or Baja chicken tacos are also always a hit and super quick and easy.
Need a quick side to accompany any of these Tex-Mex mains? An everyday Mexican salad or Mexican three bean salad are perfect.
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Santa Fe Chicken Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 4 thin-sliced chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1/2 medium red onion diced
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 (4 ounce) can mild green chiles
- 1 (15 ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup corn frozen, fresh, or canned
- 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese
- diced avocado and fresh cilantro optional garnish
Instructions
- Warm olive oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. (Choose a skillet with a lid if possible.)
- Sprinkle chicken evenly on both sides with chili powder, salt, and pepper. When the oil is shimmering, add chicken to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, until golden on the outside and nearly cooked through. Remove chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Add onion to the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes, until beginning to soften.
- Stir in the salsa, green chiles, beans, and corn. Scrape the pan very well to remove any browned bits from the bottom.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, then return chicken to the pan, nestling each piece into the sauce.
- Sprinkle cheese on top of the chicken and cover the pan. Cook for 4-5 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through, the sauce is slightly thickened, and the cheese is melted.
- Top with diced avocado and fresh cilantro, if desired. Enjoy!
