Description
Santa Fe Chicken is a quick, flavorful one-pan meal with chicken, beans, corn, tomatoes, spices, and melted cheese. Balanced, satisfying, and ready in 30 minutes—perfect for busy weeknights with plenty of leftovers.
Ingredients
1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz) can corn kernels, drained (or 1 cup frozen corn)
1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies (like Rotel)
1 cup chicken broth
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese
Fresh cilantro and lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
1. Season chicken with salt, pepper, half the chili powder and cumin.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken 5–7 minutes until browned. Remove and set aside.
3. In the same skillet, sauté onion and bell pepper 4–5 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
4. Stir in black beans, corn, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, and remaining spices. Scrape browned bits from pan.
5. Bring to a simmer, return chicken, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 10–15 minutes.
6. Uncover, sprinkle cheese evenly, cover again for 2–3 minutes until melted.
7. Serve hot, garnished with cilantro and lime. Great over rice, with tortillas, or on its own.
Notes
Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container for 3–4 days in the fridge.
Reheat gently on stovetop with a splash of broth, or microwave.
Freeze up to 3 months in portioned containers; thaw overnight in fridge before reheating.
Customize with extra veggies, different proteins, or adjust spice level to taste.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Southwestern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 780 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg