Description
Mexican Chicken and Sweet Potato Skillet is a bold, colorful one-pan dinner with tender spiced chicken, hearty sweet potatoes, black beans, tomatoes, salsa, and melted cheddar, finished with fresh lime and cilantro for a quick, wholesome meal.
Ingredients
- Spice Blend: 1 tablespoon paprika
- Spice Blend: 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- Spice Blend: 1 teaspoon chili powder
- Spice Blend: 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Spice Blend: 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Spice Blend: 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- Spice Blend: 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 medium sweet potato (about 12 oz / 340 g)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound (450 g) skinless, boneless chicken breasts, diced into bite-sized pieces
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 (15 oz / 425 g) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (4 oz / 113 g) can diced green chiles
- 1/2 cup salsa
- Juice of 1/2 lime
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped (for topping)
Instructions
- Make the spice blend: In a small bowl, mix paprika, cumin, chili powder, oregano, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper. Set aside.
- Pre-cook the sweet potato: Cut the sweet potato in half lengthwise and pierce several times with a fork. Place on a microwave-safe plate with a small splash of water and microwave on high 4–7 minutes, until slightly tender. Cool briefly, then peel and dice into small cubes.
- Heat the skillet: Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
- Sear the chicken: Add diced chicken in a single layer and sprinkle with half the spice blend. Cook 3 minutes without stirring.
- Add onion: Add the chopped onion, stir and flip chicken pieces, and cook 4–5 minutes more, until chicken is cooked through and onion is softened.
- Combine: Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining spice blend, diced sweet potato, cherry tomatoes, black beans, green chiles, and salsa. Stir to combine.
- Warm through: Cook 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until everything is hot and flavors meld.
- Finish: Squeeze lime juice over the top and sprinkle cheddar cheese evenly.
- Melt cheese: Cover and cook 2–3 minutes until cheese is melted.
- Garnish and serve: Remove from heat and top with chopped cilantro. Serve warm.
Notes
- Chicken is done at 165°F (74°C); avoid overcooking to keep it juicy.
- If skipping the microwave step, sauté diced sweet potato longer until fork-tender before adding the remaining ingredients.
- Use any salsa you like (mild/medium/hot); a chunky tomato-based salsa works great.
- Vegetarian swap: replace chicken with 2 cups cooked chickpeas, firm tofu cubes, or tempeh.
- Low-carb option: swap sweet potato for 2 cups chopped zucchini or cauliflower florets and reduce beans by half.
- Dairy-free: use dairy-free cheese or omit cheese and add sliced avocado before serving.
- Storage: refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze portions up to 2 months; reheat with a splash of water or salsa to prevent drying out.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: One-Pan
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (1/4 recipe)
- Calories: 454
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 780 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 9 g
- Protein: 41 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg
