Looking for a very simple, crowd-pleasing dinner that's ready in about 30 minutes? You've come to the right place. This Southwest style chicken with cheese, beans and salsa is a slam dunk for a busy weeknight. There are only a few ingredients and you probably already have most of them on hand.
Southwest Style Chicken is a Quick Win for Weeknight Dinners
It would be lovely if we had an endless supply of hours and minutes in the day to cook whatever our little hearts desired... but we don't. If we did, I'd probably be making chicken biryani every day and loving it! Chicken Biryani is a laborious meal, but so worth the effort.
However, sometimes we have to take a few shortcuts to get the dinner job done. Ultimately, I want the benefit of the shortcut without any loss of quality, flavor and satisfaction. So when I'm in a rush, I want my super easy southwest style chicken with cheese, beans and salsa. Period. Checks all the boxes for me. Cheese, salsa, beans. I love that flavor combination. With a quick, simple marinade the chicken is tender, juicy and oh, so flavorful!
Simple Steps and Flavorful Ingredients: This One's a Win-Win
It takes just a few minutes to mix the marinade, cut the chicken in half, and throw it in a ziplock bag for two hours and up to overnight. All you have to do is sear it a few minutes, bake it, melt the cheese. You can use your favorite store bought salsa, good-quality canned black beans. If you have extra time and want to make a homemade salsa - go for it. I have a few store-bought gems I always turn to in a pinch. For a blended salsa, I love On the Border Salsa (mild) and for a fresh pico-style salsa I use Sister's Salsa. With the black beans, I do tend to buy the sodium-free organic option. There's a lot of hidden salt when you used canned foods so look out for that. Remember, just rinse the beans before using and you're good to go.
Looking for Similar Flavors or Quick, Easy Meals?
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- Awesome Crunchy Beef Empanadas
- Cheesy Fajita Stuffed Chicken Breast
- White Queso Dip with Crispy Crumbled Beef
- Pork Carnitas Tacos
Southwest Style Chicken with Cheese, Beans and Salsa
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- marinating the chicken is 24 hours:
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 portions 1x
Description
Want dinner in about 30 minutes? This Southwest style chicken with cheese, beans and salsa is a slam dunk! Perfect for the whole family.
Ingredients
- 3 boneless chicken breasts (sliced in half - 6 pieces total)
- 1 8-ounce bag of Monterey jack cheese
- 1 small can unsalted black beans (15 ounces or less)
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil for cooking the chicken
- ½ cup salsa (use your favorite, add more if you want)
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, optional garnish
- 2 limes (squeeze on chicken in pan & wedges for plating)
For the marinade
- 1 tablespoon McCormick’s Chipotle Garlic Seasoning (see notes for substitutes)
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- Juice from 2 limes
- ⅓ cup of olive oil
Instructions
- Make the marinade. In a bowl, squeeze the juice from two limes. Add the Chipotle & Roasted Garlic Seasoning (McCormick Grill Mates), cumin and olive oil and stir until well combined. If you don’t have the Chipotle seasoning, fajita seasoning or taco seasoning can work.
- Cut the chicken. You’ll slice it down the side like you are butterflying it, except you’ll make the cut all the way through.
- Fork each piece of chicken on both sides, then put the chicken in a plastic Ziplock bag or bowl.
- Pour the marinade in the bag, squeeze the bag to let the air out and then zip it closed. Massage the chicken and marinade together to make sure all the chicken is coated in the marinade. Let it marinate for at least two hours. I usually let it marinate overnight.
- When you’re ready to cook the chicken, put olive oil in a pan on medium to high heat. Sear for 2 minutes then turn. Cook the other side for 2 minutes. The goal is to sear it to get a little crust on it, then finish it in the oven. Don't crowd the pan or the chicken will steam instead of searing. Cook in two batches if needed. Squeeze a lime wedge onto the chicken at the end of the searing proccess.
- Put the chicken in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for about 7-10 minutes until it’s cooked all the way through. If you cooked the chicken in an oven-safe pan transfer the whole pan to the oven or transfer to a sheet pan - it's up to you. Internal temperature of chicken should be 165 degrees before consuming.
- While the chicken is cooking, chop your cilantro, if using. This would also be a good time to slice your lime wedges. I like to put a lime wedge on the plates before serving.
- Take the chicken out of the oven when done and put the Monterey Jack cheese on top of each of the pieces. Put it in the oven for another minute or two to melt the cheese.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and let sit for a couple of minutes.
- Spoon on your favorite salsa to each piece, then spoon on some black beans on top of that. Sprinkle cilantro over all the chicken, if using. Server with a lime wedge.
Enjoy!
Notes
- Reminder: if you don’t have the Chipotle & Roasted Garlic seasoning, fajita seasoning or taco seasoning can work.
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