Featured Image - Skillet Fiesta Chicken

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This Skillet Fiesta Chicken recipe is perfect for a weeknight meal or to take to a potluck dinner. It’s quick and easy to make and tastes delicious. Loaded with chicken, rice, corn, and black beans, it’s then seasoned with plenty of heat and topped with grated Colby Jack cheese.

I like to make this dish in my Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Casserole Pan because it holds a lot. Then if I need to keep it warm for a little while, I just place it in a 300°F oven until I’m ready to serve. If you have a large cast iron skillet with a lid that would also work well. This dish goes well with cornbread or corn tortilla chips.

Mexican food always goes over well at a church potluck dinner, which makes this dish perfect as a crowd pleaser. With smaller portions, it will feed 10-12 people.

More Mexican Dishes to Try

Ingredients for Skillet Fiesta Chicken

(See the full recipe at the bottom of this post.)

  • chicken breast or tenders (cut into 1″ chunks)
  • vegetable oil
  • sweet onion
  • garlic clove
  • chili powder
  • kosher salt
  • ground cumin
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • long grain white rice (I like to use Jasmine rice)
  • canned Mexican-style corn
  • canned black beans, drained
  • salsa
  • can of chopped green chiles
  • chicken broth (or chicken bouillon cubes + water)
  • Colby Jack cheese, grated

Instructions for this Recipe

Gather the ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.

Substitutions

  • Chicken: Instead of chicken breast or tenders, you may use boneless chicken thighs.
  • Cheese: Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese instead of Colby Jack
  • Mexican-Style Corn: Substitute regular canned or frozen corn for Mexican-style corn
  • Chicken Broth: If you don’t have chicken broth, you may substitute 2 cubes of chicken bouillon with 2 cups of boiling water

Prepare the Ingredients

Using a cutting board and knife, slice the chicken breast or tenders into 1-inch chunks. Place in a bowl until ready to use.

On a second cutting board with a chef’s knife, dice the sweet onion and mince the garlic.

Wash and drain the black beans. Drain the canned corn.

If using chicken bouillon cubes instead of chicken broth, place 2 cubes of bouillon in a glass measuring cup and mix in 2 cups boiling water. Stir until the bouillon dissolves.

Using a handheld flat or box grater, coarsely shred the Colby Jack cheese.

Brown the Chicken

Brown chicken, then add diced onion and minced garlic.

In large skillet, heat the vegetable oil on medium high heat. Cook chicken pieces until golden brown. Add in the diced onion and minced garlic. Cook until onion is tender, 2-3 minutes.

Prepare the Skillet Dish

Add the seasonings to the chicken mixture

When the onion is tender, add in the chili powder, kosher salt, ground cumin, and freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine and allow to cook for 1-2 minutes.

Next, add the uncooked long grain white rice to the chicken, drained black beans and Mexican-style corn, salsa, and chopped green chiles. Stir to combine.

Add the chicken broth to the chicken mixture and bring to a boil. Cover the dish and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20-25 minutes until the rice is tender, stirring occasionally.

Sprinkle Top with Cheese and Allow to Melt Before Serving

When the rice is tender, sprinkle the top with grated Colby Jack cheese. Cover once again, and simmer for an additional 5-10 minutes until heated through and cheese has melted.

Serve this dish warm from stove to table. This recipe will serve 6-8 people.

Serving Suggestions

Serve Southwest Fiesta Chicken with warm Skillet Cornbread or your favorite corn tortilla chips. You might also like to garnish it with sour cream, Guacamole Dip, hot sauce, or fresh cilantro.


Featured Image - Skillet Fiesta Chicken

Skillet Fiesta Chicken

This Skillet Fiesta Chicken recipe is perfect for a weeknight meal or to take to a potluck dinner. Loaded with chicken, rice, corn, and black beans, it’s then seasoned with plenty of heat and topped with grated Colby Jack cheese.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Serving Size 8

(As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)

Ingredients 

  • 8 pieces chicken tenders (cut into 1" chunks)
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 cup sweet onion (diced)
  • 1 clove garlic (minced)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup long grain white rice ((I like to use Jasmine rice))
  • 15.5 oz canned black beans (washed and drained)
  • 11 oz canned Mexican-style corn (drained)
  • 1 cup salsa
  • 4 oz canned chopped green chiles
  • 2 cups chicken broth ((or 2 cubes chicken bouillon + 2 cups water))
  • 8 oz Colby Jack cheese (grated)

Instructions

  • Gather the ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.

Prepare the Ingredients

  • Using a cutting board and knife, slice the chicken tenders into 1-inch chunks. Place in a bowl until ready to use.
  • On a second cutting board with a chef’s knife dice the sweet onion, and mince the garlic.
  • Wash and drain the black beans. Drain the Mexican-style corn.
  • If using chicken bouillon cubes instead of chicken broth, place 2 cubes of bouillon in a glass measuring cup and mix in 2 cups boiling water. Stir until the bouillon dissolves.
  • Using a handheld flat or box grater, coarsely shred the Colby Jack cheese.

Brown the Chicken

  • In a large cast iron skillet or sauté pan, heat the vegetable oil on medium high heat. Cook chicken pieces until golden brown.
  • Add in the diced onion and minced garlic. Cook until onion is tender, 2-3 minutes.

Prepare the Skillet Dish

  • When the onion is tender, add in the chili powder, kosher salt, ground cumin, and freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine and allow to cook for 1-2 minutes.
  • Next, add the uncooked long grain white rice to the chicken, drained black beans and Mexican-style corn, salsa, and chopped green chiles. Stir to combine.
  • Add the chicken broth to the chicken mixture and bring to a boil. Cover the dish and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20-25 minutes until the rice is tender, stirring occasionally.
  • When the rice is tender, stir in the black beans then sprinkle the top with grated Colby Jack cheese.
  • Cover once again, and simmer for an additional 5-10 minutes until heated through and cheese has melted.
  • This recipe will serve 6-8 people.

Notes

*You may substitute skinless, boneless chicken breast or thighs for the chicken tenders. You’ll need approximately 2.5-3 cups of diced chicken for this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 303kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 1170mg | Potassium: 453mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 611IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 262mg | Iron: 2mg

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