Southwest Chicken Skillet Dinner
Southwest chicken skillet is a quick, flavor-packed dinner ready in just 15 minutes, featuring tender pre-cooked rotisserie chicken with bold Southwestern-inspired seasonings, combined with corn, black beans, bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Everything comes together in one pan for easy preparation, creating a warm, hearty meal. Simple, satisfying, and perfect for busy weeknights, this skillet dinner delivers big taste with minimal effort.
Having lived in the southwest for many years, my family loves Mexican-style food. I love that this skillet dinner is easily customized. My husband and son like to make nachos with this dish. I like to eat mine with a soft flour tortilla.
Why You’ll Love This Southwest Chicken Skillet Dinner
- Quick and easy: You can have dinner on the table in just 15 minutes! Great for those busy weeknights.
- Customizable: Serve on a bed of lettuce, in a soft tortilla, in a bowl, or make nachos. Top with your favorites: cheddar cheese, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, cilantro, hot sauce, pickled jalapenos, etc.
Ingredients
- Chicken: I use rotisserie chicken to make this super quick and easy. However, you can also use any leftover grilled or baked chicken you have on hand.
- Corn: You can use frozen corn, fresh corn or a small can of corn, drained. There’s no need to thaw the frozen corn.
- Pepper: Any color of pepper will work. I just happen to like using sweet peppers. They provide flavor without taking over.
- Onion: I like to use sweet onions when cooking. I love their flavor and they don’t make me cry while cutting.
- Beans: I love the taste and color of black beans. They work well with the flavors in this dish. You could also try subbing in pinto beans if you prefer.
- Seasoning: Chili powder, ground cumin, paprika, salt and black pepper are used in this skillet meal. They provide mild flavors. If you want to spice it up a bit, you can add finely chopped jalapeno peppers along with the bell pepper and onion. Or try adding 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper in place of the black pepper.
- Spinach: This is optional, however I like the additional vitamins and color that spinach brings to the dish. You could also add some zucchini.
- Lime juice: Lime juice adds a bright, zesty and tangy acidity that balances and lifts flavors.
Topping Ideas
- Shredded cheese (cheddar, Monterey Jack or pepper Jack)
- Diced avocado or a dollop of guacamole
- Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Sliced green onions
- Salsa or chopped fresh tomatoes
- Hot sauce or sriracha
Adapted from familyfoodonthetable