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Santa Fe Chicken Skillet

Santa Fe chicken skillet with golden seared chicken breasts and a smoky cumin broth, simmered with black beans, corn, and Rotel. One-pan Tex-Mex chicken topped with melted cheddar for a fast weeknight dinner.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Calories: 630
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and Tex-Mex base
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 tbsp taco seasoning
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with green chiles (Rotel), undrained
  • 0.5 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • Fresh cilantro For serving
  • sour cream For serving
  • avocado For serving
  • lime wedges For serving

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Season and sear the chicken
  1. Rub the chicken breasts with taco seasoning on both sides until evenly coated.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, then sear chicken for 4-5 minutes per side until golden; remove to a plate.
Simmer the skillet mixture
  1. Add black beans, corn, Rotel, and chicken broth to the skillet and stir to combine.
  2. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then continue simmering until hot and bubbling, about 2-3 minutes.
Cook chicken through
  1. Nestle the chicken breasts into the bean and corn mixture, cover, and cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes until chicken reaches 165°F.
Melt and serve
  1. Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese over the top, cover, and cook for 2 minutes until melted.
  2. Garnish with fresh cilantro, sour cream, avocado, and lime wedges before serving.

Notes

For the best sear, let the seasoned chicken sit 5 minutes before cooking and keep the skillet at a steady medium-high heat so the crust browns. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days; reheat gently in a covered skillet. Freezing is not recommended due to texture changes in the cheddar and beans. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat shredded cheddar or swap in part-skim cheese.