15-Minute Southwestern Chicken and Black Bean Skillet

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15-Minute Southwest Chicken Skillet — 🍗🌽🫑 An EASY chicken skillet with red onions, black beans, corn, green chiles, lime juice, and cilantro! So much flavor and texture in every bite of this HEALTHY naturally gluten-free recipe that’s great for planned leftovers and meal prepping!

15-Minute Southwestern Chicken and Black Bean Skillet.

Southwest Chicken and Black Bean Skillet

If you’re looking for a fast and easy way to spruce up your usual weeknight chicken dinner, this Southwest chicken and black beans skillet recipe has you covered. 

There is a great Southwestern-inspired flavor profile in this quick and easy chicken skillet recipe that’s ready with a cooking time of 15 minutes and a total time of 30 minutes or less.

Juicy cumin and chili powder-scented chicken is sautéed with red onion and red bell peppers before being tossed with black beans, corn, and green chiles, and finished with lime juice and cilantro. So much texture and flavor in every bite of this delicious meal!

It’s also naturally gluten-free and healthy. It reminds me of this 15-Minute Salsa and Black Bean Chicken Skillet, and this Skinny Mexican Chicken Skillet. Check those out if you like this kind of recipe.

Close up view of 15-Minute Southwest Chicken Skillet.

Ingredients in Southwest Chicken Skillet

To make this chicken with black beans, you’ll need: 

  • Olive oil
  • Red onion
  • Chicken breasts – If preferred, you can use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead. Or, feel free to use shredded rotisserie chicken to speed up the cooking process even further
  • Red bell pepper
  • Black beans
  • Corn
  • Canned diced green chiles 
  • Ground cumin
  • Chili powder
  • Coriander 
  • Salt and pepper
  • Lime juice
  • Fresh cilantro

Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.

15-Minute Southwest Chicken Skillet.

How to Make a Southwest Chicken Skillet with Black Beans 

With minimal prep time, this southwest chicken skillet is a game-changer on busy days. Here’s an overview of the process:

  1. Sauté the red onion in oil in a large skillet until it softens and becomes translucent.
  2. Add the chicken and pepper, and cook until the chicken cooks through.
  3. Add the black beans, corn, green chiles, and spices, and simmer until warmed through.
  4. Stir in the lime juice, and season to taste.
  5. Sprinkle cilantro on top, and serve warm as is. Or, spoon the mixture over brown rice, white rice, Spanish rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice, and add toppings like green onions, diced tomatoes, avocado, shredded cheese, and sour cream!
15 Minute Southwestern Chicken & Black Bean Skillet Pinterest image.

What to Serve with This Southwest Chicken

Southwestern Chicken Black Bean Skillet Pinterest image.

Recipe FAQs

Is this Southwestern chicken skillet spicy?

In my opinion, I wouldn’t call it spicy, but it does have fairly bold flavors.

However, we enjoy spicy food, and if you don’t, either omit or scale back on the diced green chiles (and don’t use fire-roasted as I did) and/or scale back on the chili powder.

For us, two teaspoons of both cumin and chili powder really make this dish taste like I wanted it to, but always season to your personal tastes and preferences. For a spicier dish, add red pepper flakes or garnish with your favorite hot sauce.

How long do leftovers last?

Leftovers will keep fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Can I freeze this recipe?

Yes, this skillet freezes really well, making it a great meal prep option! Let it cool completely, transfer leftovers to a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 4 months.

How should I reheat leftovers?

You can warm individual portions in the microwave. Or, warm a larger batch in a pan over medium heat on the stove.

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4.42 from 34 votes

15-Minute Southwestern Chicken and Black Bean Skillet

By Averie Sunshine
🍗🌽🫑 An EASY chicken skillet with red onions, black beans, corn, green chiles, lime juice, and cilantro! So much flavor and texture in every bite of this HEALTHY naturally gluten-free recipe that’s great for planned leftovers and meal prepping!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
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Equipment

Ingredients 

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium red onion, diced small
  • 1.50 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and diced into small pieces
  • one 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed (I used no salt added)
  • one 8-ounce can corn, drained and rinsed (or about 3/4 cup frozen corn that you thaw first and discard the liquid)
  • one 4-ounce can diced green chiles, do not drain (I used fire-roasted)
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander
  • 2 to 4 tablespoons lime juice
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, for garnishing, or to taste

Instructions 

  • To a large skillet, add the oil, red onion, and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until onion is beginning to soften and become translucent.
  • Add the chicken, red pepper, and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 to 7 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through; stir and flip intermittently so the chicken cooks evenly.
  • Add the black beans, corn, green chiles, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, coriander, and stir to combine. Allow mixture to simmer for about 2 to 3 minutes, or until warmed through.
  • Add the lime juice and stir to combine. Taste and check for flavor balance. If it needs more cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, etc. add it. If you want it spicier, add a pinch of cayenne pepper.
  • Evenly sprinkle the cilantro and serve immediately.

Notes

Storage: Leftovers will keep fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 301kcal, Carbohydrates: 22g, Protein: 30g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 73mg, Sodium: 873mg, Potassium: 768mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 282IU, Vitamin C: 14mg, Calcium: 47mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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4.42 from 34 votes (32 ratings without comment)

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

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