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Santa Fe Chicken Skillet

Santa Fe chicken skillet with golden seared chicken breasts and a smoky cumin-style Tex-Mex broth, topped with melted cheddar. One-pan chicken simmered with black beans, corn, and Rotel, then covered briefly to melt the cheese.
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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: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Santa Fe chicken skillet
  • 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
  • 1 fresh cilantro for serving
  • 1 sour cream for serving
  • 1 avocado for serving
  • 1 lime wedges for serving

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Season and sear the chicken
  1. Rub chicken breasts with taco seasoning on both sides.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and sear chicken for 4-5 minutes per side until golden; remove.
Simmer the Tex-Mex skillet base
  1. Add black beans, corn, Rotel, and chicken broth to the skillet; stir and bring to a simmer.
  2. Nestle 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.

Notes

Pro tip: drain and rinse the black beans so the skillet doesn’t taste overly salty, and keep the chicken covered during the 8-10 minute cook so it stays juicy while finishing through. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 3-4 days; reheat gently in a skillet or microwave until hot. Freezing is not recommended because the cheddar and tomatoes can change texture. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat cheddar or part-skim shredded cheese.