Here’s an easy chicken breast recipe that has a little Tex-Mex theme going on. This Southwest Chicken is your quick chicken recipe for busy weeknights.
Chicken breast is baked with delicious Mexican staples like taco seasoning, corn, black beans and salsa or Pico de Gallo.
Don’t just stop there, melt some cheese all over and you end up with one mighty tasty baked chicken meal.
Southwestern flavors from the US-Mexico border are pretty bold and zesty. We truly enjoyed creating Cowboy Caviar, Chile Verde, and Surf and Turf Nachos, which had strong Southwest flavor influences.
Today’s Southwestern Chicken is loaded with spicy, sweet and tangy flavors in each bite.
You Will Make this Southwest Chicken, Cos
- It’s made with easy pantry staple ingredients, and has quick prep time, making it ideal for busy weeknights.
- You can serve it in a few different ways. Keep it carb free and serve it with salad, or make it a Mexican dinner night with cilantro lime rice or Spanish rice.
- Leftovers are great in burritos. Simply slice up the chicken and load the burrito with all the toppings and your favorite fixings.
- If you are looking for a low calorie chicken recipe, this is a great contender.
Southwest Chicken Ingredients
- Chicken Breasts – We are using chicken breasts tonight, but this recipe will work equally great with boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken tenders.
- Taco Seasoning – You can use store bought taco seasoning, but we can’t get enough of our quick homemade Taco Seasoning, which you can mix in a few minutes with your regular pantry staples.
- Salsa or Pico de Gallo – Both will work for this recipe. You can make fresh Pico de Gallo in just a few minutes with your chopping board. For a short cut, you can use store-bought salsa. Try to pick a fresher pre-made salsa from your grocery store.
- Mexican staples – Corn (fresh, frozen or canned), black beans, avocado and tomato.
- Shredded cheddar cheese – Or you can use your favorite shredded cheese blend like Tex-Mex, Monterey Jack, or even Mozzarella.
- Olive oil – Or any other neutral cooking oil like avocado or canola oil.
- Cilantro and lime – For garnishing.
Southwest Chicken Recipe
1. Bake the chicken: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat the chicken breasts with olive oil, taco seasoning and salt, and bake it in the oven for 15 minutes.
2. Top it with toppings: Remove the chicken from the oven and top it with salsa or pico de gallo, black beans, corn and cheddar cheese.
Bake it another 10-15 minutes, till the cheese is melted and the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F.
3. Serve with extra garnishing: Remove the chicken to a serving platter. Top it with diced tomatoes and avocado. Garnish it with cilantro. Serve immediately with cilantro lime rice and lime wedges.
What to Serve with Southwest Chicken
- It goes perfectly with our Cilantro Lime Rice.
- You can make a quick salad and keep it carb free.
- Serve with sautéed veggies like zucchini or green beans for a veggie boost.
- Potato wedges or corn salsa are great extra accompaniments.
Storing and Reheating
You can store leftover chicken in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. We suggest that you store the fresh toppings (tomatoes, cilantro and avocado) separately so that you can just reheat the chicken with the cheese, corn and black beans on top.
You can freeze the chicken (minus the fresh toppings) for up to 3 months in an airtight glass container or freezer ziploc bag. Thaw it in the fridge overnight
Simply reheat it in the microwave until heated through out.
There you go. Try these Tex-Mex flavors tonight with this easy chicken recipe. It has zesty, bold flavors all topped with the melty, cheesy deliciousness everyone loves.
This is a great Southwestern recipe enjoyed by the whole family, kids and all. Lets us know, what did you pair up your Southwestern Chicken with?
Southwest Chicken, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!
Try these other easy chicken recipes!
Chicken Shawarma
Tomato Basil Chicken
Jamaican Jerk Chicken
General Tso Chicken
Pollo Asado
Chicken Souvlaki
Creamy Chicken Skillet
Crockpot Hawaiian Chicken
Southwest Chicken
This Southwest Chicken is an easy, crowd pleasing weeknight dinner brimming with great Tex-Mex flavors.
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts, pounded a little to make flat
- 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1.5 Tbsp taco seasoning (see note 1)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup salsa or pico de gallo (see note 2)
- 1/2 cup corn
- 1/2 cup black beans, drained
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 tomato, diced
- 1 avocado, diced
- cilantro, chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat the chicken breasts with olive oil, taco seasoning and salt. Bake it in the oven for 15 minutes.
- Remove chicken from the oven and top it with salsa or pico de gallo, black beans, corn and cheddar cheese. Bake for another 10-15 minutes, till the cheese is melted and the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F.
- Remove the chicken breasts to a serving platter. Top with diced tomato and avocado. Garnish with cilantro. Serve immediately with cilantro lime rice and lime wedges.
Notes
- We have great homemade taco seasoning recipe. Simply click on Taco Seasoning.
- Our homemade Pico de Gallo is quick, fresh and easy.
Summer's here! Try these Blackstone Recipes!
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