This quick and easy Southwest Chicken Skillet uses rotisserie chicken, fresh veggies, canned beans and simple spices for a delicious meal that’s ready in just 15 minutes!
Do you ever get to dinner time and think, I just want to throw everything in a big skillet and call it a day?
Yeah, me too.
So here we are.
This southwest chicken skillet dinner is quick and easy and full of flavor. You can’t go wrong!
Plus, everyone can dress up their plate or bowl with their favorite toppings, so there’s no whining or complaining at the table.
We’ve had an excess of that with my 4-year-old recently. Sigh...
But a big bowl of this and you’ll be getting all smiles.
It's got some of our favorite flavors with the chicken and black beans, the peppers and the southwestern seasonings.
Plus, it comes together in 15 minutes.
If you love these flavors, check out this one skillet cowboy chicken that is seriously flavorful. Or try these southwestern-style slow cooker bell peppers. Or this all-in-one southwest skillet chicken and rice.
Or check out my 15-minute lemon chicken skillet for another quick and easy dinner. And this ground turkey, rice and veggie skillet is a similar all-in-one kind of easy dinner.
I definitely love this style of cooking.
For today's recipe, all you have to do is chop your fresh veggies and sauté them a little while you get the rest of the ingredients prepped. Then add everything else in to the pan to warm through and you are ready to eat.
Stress-free. ✅
Whine-free. ✅
Life is good. ✅
OK, let's get cooking.
Now, I’ve got some notes, tips and substitutions coming up below on how to make this southwest chicken skillet dinner. Just tryin’ to be helpful.
If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.
Ingredient Notes:
- Chicken: This needs to be already cooked. I use a rotisserie chicken to make this super quick and easy - either that homemade version or one from the store. (Or use Instant Pot shredded chicken if you have some ready to go.) You could also use any leftover grilled or baked chicken you have on hand.
- Corn: You can use frozen corn (thawed), fresh corn or a small can of corn, drained, for this recipe.
- Pepper: Any color bell pepper - red, yellow, orange or green - will work for this recipe.
- Veggies: Want to add extra veggies? You can add some zucchini in with the peppers and onions and/or wilt in some spinach at the end.
- Beans: Black beans are my go to and work well with the flavors here. You could also try subbing pinto beans if you prefer.
- Spicy: If you want a spicy twist, you can add a finely chopped jalapeño along with the pepper and onion. And/or you could use ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper in place of the black pepper for an extra kick.
Lots of ways to customize this and make it work for you. Or just work with what's in your kitchen.
This recipe is gluten-free and low-carb as is, but you can serve it over steamed brown rice (or cheesy brown rice) as a rice bowl or wrap it all up in a tortilla. I especially like doing that with the leftovers the next day.
You can also serve this with tortilla chips and just let everyone dig in! That's fun for a movie night in front of the TV.
And you know me, bring on the toppings!
Topping Ideas:
- Shredded cheese (cheddar, Monterey Jack or pepper Jack would all be great)
- Diced avocado or a dollop of guacamole
- Plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Sliced green onions
- Salsa or pico de gallo or chopped fresh tomatoes
- Hot sauce, a drizzle of sriracha or pickled jalapeños for a bit of heat
Last thing, what to do with any leftovers.
Leftovers, once cooled, can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a skillet on the stove until warmed through, then add toppings and serve.
Next time you’re in a throw-it-all-together-and-be-done-with-it mood for dinner, try this southwest chicken skillet.
It's sure to be an easy go-to!
You may also want to check out my 15-minute honey garlic chicken, quick chicken curry and one-pot creamy chicken and mushroom pasta with peas. You know I adore some easy dinners.
Enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
Southwest Chicken Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 bell pepper, chopped (red, green, yellow or a mix are all fine)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (14 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup frozen corn, thawed (or 1 small can corn, well drained, or 1-2 ears of corn, corn kernels cut off the cob)
- 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (homemade or from a rotisserie chicken)
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Optional toppings:
- Shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, salsa or chopped tomatoes, Greek yogurt or sour cream, avocado slices or guacamole, chopped fresh cilantro, sliced green onions, hot sauce or pickled jalapeños, etc.
Instructions
- Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add olive oil then the onion and peppers. Saute for 4-5 minutes, until softened. (Prep your other ingredients while that’s going in the pan.) Then add the garlic and saute for another 30 seconds or so, until fragrant.
- Add the black beans, corn and chicken to the pan. Add all of the seasonings (chili powder through black pepper). Stir to combine and let everything warm through for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the lime juice and turn off the heat. You’re ready to serve with your favorite toppings!
Notes
Video
Nutrition
This post was updated with new photos in January 2024. Here is one of the originals for reference.
Dini @ The Flavor Bender
This is such a great idea! 15 minutes?? Plus all those flavours! It looks so hearty and delicious! Definitely will have to add this to our menu! 🙂
Kathryn
Thanks Dini! It's such a tasty little meal to pull together on a busy day 🙂 Hope you try it and enjoy!
Tempie @ The Texas Peach
One-skillet dinners are the best! Love all of the flavors in this dish!
Kathryn
Thanks Tempie! One-skillet dinners are definitely a life-saver around here 🙂
Deb @ Cooking on the Front Burner
I'm definitely pinning this recipe - I love easy week night meals to prepare after work!
Kathryn
Thanks Deb! Little lifesavers, right, having some easy, fast dinners for weeknights? I breathe easier knowing I can throw something delicious together in no time. Hope you love this one! Thanks for stopping by!
Lucy @ Bake Play Smile
This is definitely my kind of dinner!! So many amazing flavours! Thanks for linking up with our Fabulous Foodie Fridays party xx
Kathryn
Thanks Lucy! It's a great weeknight sanity saver 🙂
Elysia | Haute & Healthy Living
This looks like my kind of recipe! Quick, easy and healthy! Looks like the perfect meal for a busy weeknight!
Kathryn
Yes Elysia, it's great for a crazy weeknight - which is mostly what we have around here 😉 Not much thinking or cooking involved, but a delicious dinner to serve up! Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!
Oana @AdoreFoods
Perfect mid week dinner recipe! Pinned
Kathryn
Thanks Oana! It really is perfect for those hectic weeknights. Quick and doesn't require much thinking 😉
Linda
I love those one skillet meals!! And ready so quickly...awesome! Thanks for sharing on Throwback Thursday 🙂
Kathryn
Aren't they such a weeknight sanity saver? Thanks Linda!
Julie is Hostess At Heart
I love everything about this dish. Easy, quick clean up, and delicious!
Kathryn
Thanks Julie! It's a great weeknight meal, takes all the stress out of dinner!
Alli @ Tornadough Alli
Yum Kathryn this looks awesome! I love pretty much southwest anything. This is a keeper for sure! Thanks for sharing with us at Throwback Thursday!
Kathryn
I'm with you Alli - I love southwest anything 🙂 Thanks for hosting a fun - and yummy - party! Have a great week!
April R - Uncookie Cutter
HI Kathryn! Just stopping by to let you know I made this for dinner last night and it was a huge hit! I'll be featuring it tomorrow at You Link It, We Make It - hope to see you back partying again and thanks for the amazing recipe!
Kathryn
So happy to hear you enjoyed it!! Thanks so much for the feature and for hosting!
Kim Young
Yum! April tells me this is delicious! I can't wait to give it a try! Thanks so much for sharing it with us and we hope you'll link up with us again at You Link It We Make It! - Kim @ knockitoffkim.com
Kathryn
Thanks Kim! It's such a great go-to dinner for busy weeknights 🙂
Tez @ Chile and Salt
So LOVING this recipe Kathryn! So going on my to make soon list! Can`t wait to give this a try. Thanks for the great recipes!
Kathryn
Thanks so much!
Suzy Godfrey
This looks delish and we could eat the leftovers with chips as a dip!
Kathryn
Thanks Suzy! Yes - the leftovers would be fantastic with some chips! Hope you give it a try!
Tara | Treble in the Kitchen
LOVE skillet dinners for week nights 🙂
Kathryn
They're the best for quick + easy dinners!
Lindsay @ The Live-In Kitchen
This looks so flavorful!
Kathryn
Thanks! It is - and so easy too!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary
I LOVE a good, easy skillet dinner and this one looks just fabulous, dear! I'm all for Southwest flavored anything, so this is totally calling my name! Winner, winner, chicken dinner! Cheers!
Kathryn
Thanks so much!! XO
Liz
I just love one pan meals for busy nights!
Kathryn
The best!! 😊
Carolyn
This looks amazing!
Kathryn
Thanks!
Scarlet @ Family Focus Blog
Sounds delicious served over rice or chips. Thanks for the new idea to try.
Kathryn
Thanks! I hope you enjoy it!
Simple Recipe Pro
Great recipe!
Susi
Was very good. I didn't have black beans unfortunately so I substituted pinto beans. Was good, definitely enjoyed it.
Kathryn
I'm so glad you enjoyed it Susi! The pinto beans sound like a great substitute! 😊
Amanda White
We added zuchini, summer squash and broccoli to ours! Was amazing!
Kathryn
I'm so happy to hear you loved it Amanda! And those additions sound awesome - I'm all about more veggies! Thanks so much for sharing!
Jenny
Great quick, tasty recipe, but with the beans and corn it is certainly not low-carb. Not quite sure why you've labeled it as such?
Kathryn Doherty
Hi Jenny! Yes, that's true that this dish has some carbs from the corn and beans. I just mean that it doesn't have any carb-heavy ingredients like rice, pasta, bread, potatoes, etc. Glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Tami Lund
Wow! Better than I expected it to be! I grilled a chicken breast and used SW herbs on it, and I added a couple of tomatoes from my garden plus a whole lot of cilantro. Didn't even need cheese, which is saying something because I'm a huge fan of the stuff. I'll definitely make this one again. Thanks!
Kathryn Doherty
I'm so happy to hear you loved this Tami! Thanks so much for sharing! 😊
Babs
I made this tonight and it was delicious.
Didn't have peppers but had zucchini. I put the zucchini in last cause my family doesn't like them to soft. Mine seem a little dry, added some chicken stock. Loved It, was quick and easy.
FYI, one chicken breast from Costco rotisserie made 2 cups.
Thank you for sharing.
Kathryn Doherty
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! And thanks for sharing those subs - very helpful! 😊