This quick and easy southwest chicken skillet dinner uses rotisserie chicken, fresh veggies, canned beans and simple spices for a delicious meal that’s ready in just 15 minutes!
{Note: This post was updated in January 2018. I made edits to the photos, added some recipe notes and included a recipe video. The rest of the post is the original 2015 version.}
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 these southwestern-style slow cooker bell peppers. 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.)
She can hardly whine about being hungry when dinner is that fast!
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 and you are ready to eat.
Stress-free. ✅
Whine-free. ✅
Life is good. ✅
Notes on southwest chicken skillet dinner:
- I use a rotisserie chicken to make this super quick and easy - either that homemade version or one from the store. (Or Instant Pot shredded chicken if I have some ready to go.) You could also use any leftover grilled or baked chicken you have on hand.
- You can use frozen corn (thawed), fresh corn or a small can of corn for this recipe.
- Want to add extra veggies? You can add some zucchini in with the peppers and onions or wilt in some spinach at the end.
- 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 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!
And you know me, bring on the toppings!
Topping ideas for southwest chicken skillet:
– Shredded cheese (cheddar, Monterey Jack or pepper Jack would all be great)
– Diced avocado or a dollop of guacamole
– Plain nonfat Greek yogurt or sour cream
– Chopped fresh cilantro or sliced green onions
– A few dollops of salsa
– Hot sauce, a drizzle of sriracha or pickled jalapeños for a bit of spicy heat 🌶
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.)
Enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
Check out my recipe VIDEO to see how easy this is to make and to hear some of my substitutions and serving suggestions.
Southwest chicken skillet dinner
An easy Southwest chicken skillet dinner that comes together in just 15 minutes!
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 small can corn, well drained, or 1 cup frozen corn 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, Greek yogurt or sour cream, avocado slices or guacamole, chopped fresh cilantro, 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
I use a rotisserie chicken to make this super quick and easy. You could also use any leftover grilled or baked chicken you have on hand.
Want to add extra veggies? You can add some zucchini in with the peppers and onions or wilt in some spinach at the end.
This recipe is gluten-free and low-carb as is, but you can serve it over steamed brown rice as a rice bowl or wrap it 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!
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 388Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 51mgSodium: 1167mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 11gSugar: 6gProtein: 29g
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! 😊