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Santa Fe Chicken Skillet

Santa Fe chicken skillet is a one-pan Tex-Mex chicken dinner with golden seared breasts, smoky cumin broth, and melty cheddar poured over the top. Simmered black beans and corn nest the chicken for juicy bites in a cast iron skillet.
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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: 640
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 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
  1. Rub the chicken breasts with taco seasoning on both sides.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and sear the chicken for 4-5 minutes per side until golden; remove the chicken.
Build the skillet sauce
  1. Add black beans, corn, Rotel, and chicken broth to the skillet, then stir and bring the mixture to a simmer.
Simmer and melt cheese
  1. Nestle the chicken breasts into the bean and corn mixture, cover, and cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes until the chicken reaches 165°F.
  2. Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese over the top, cover, and cook for 2 minutes until melted.
Serve
  1. Garnish with fresh cilantro, sour cream, avocado, and lime wedges.

Notes

For best browning, pat the chicken dry before seasoning and let it sit 2 minutes while you heat the skillet. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 4 days; reheat gently in a skillet or microwave until hot. Freezing is not recommended for the melted-cheese texture, but you can freeze the cooked chicken and sauce (without fresh garnishes) and add toppings after thawing. For a lower-carb swap, use part-skim cheddar and reduce corn to 1/2 cup while keeping the beans and Rotel.