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If you are on the hunt for a super delicious and easy family-friendly weeknight meal, look no further than this easy Skillet Enchilada Chicken.
My family was absolutely obsessed with this dinner the first time I made it and it has been in my rotation ever since. And with such few ingredients — including a fair amount of pantry staples like canned black beans and jarred red enchilada sauce — it’s a great answer to the question of, “what should we have for dinner tonight?”
To make it, you’ll lightly bread chicken breasts in cassava flour before quickly searing them until they’re golden brown. Next, you’ll sauté the veggies, nestle the chicken back in the skillet, and let the oven do the rest of the work for you! Topped with cheese and fresh cilantro, this Skillet Enchilada Chicken has the perfect balance of zesty, smoky flavors and creaminess. I love serving this dish with a side of Cilantro Lime Rice or quinoa, but you can always serve as-is for a protein and veggie-forward meal.
ingredients:
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
- Kosher Salt
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Cassava Flour
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Garlic Cloves
- Red Bell Pepper
- Yellow Onion
- Zucchini
- Canned Black Beans
- Jarred Red Enchilada Sauce
- Monterey Jack Cheese
- Jalapeño Pepper
- Fresh Cilantro
- Cilantro Lime Rice, For Serving
step-by-step:
step one: preheat the oven
Preheat the oven to 375℉.
step two: season the chicken
Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the cassava flour to a shallow bowl and dredge each chicken breast in the flour, shaking off any excess. Set aside.
step three: cook the chicken
In a large deep oven-safe skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from the skillet and set aside. The chicken will not be cooked through as it will finish cooking in the oven.
step four: add the veggies
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic, bell peppers, onions, and zucchini. Sauté, stirring, until the veggies begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the black beans and stir to combine, then spread the mixture into a single layer.
step five: top with the enchilada sauce
Nestle the chicken back into the skillet. Pour the enchilada sauce over the chicken and veggies. Top each chicken breast with 1/4 cup of cheese. Top with sliced jalapeño peppers, if using.
step six: bake until bubbly
Transfer to the oven and bake, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 10 minutes.
step seven: garnish and serve
Remove from the oven and top with fresh cilantro. Serve as-is or with Cilantro Lime Rice, if desired.
recipe faqs:
A 10- to 12-inch cast-iron or stainless steel skillet or braiser is best for this recipe! Avoid nonstick, which isn’t suitable for high temperatures.
Yes! Feel free to assemble the whole thing up to 24 hours in advance, then reheat in a 350°F oven, covered, until warmed back through, about 15 minutes.
I have a feeling that this easy and flavorful Skillet Enchilada Chicken will become part of your weekly dinner rotation. Tag me on social @thedefineddish so I can see your final dish!
Looking for More Skillet Chicken Dinners? try these recipes!
Pan-Roasted Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes, Feta and Herbs
Skillet French Onion Chicken with Mushrooms
Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Basil Chicken
Skillet Enchilada Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons cassava flour
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced into 1/4-inch-wide strips
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick half moons
- 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15-ounce) jarred red enchilada sauce
- 1 cup Monterey jack cheese
- 1/2 jalapeño pepper, thinly sliced (optional)
- fresh cilantro leaves, for serving
Optional for serving:
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375℉.
- Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the cassava flour to a shallow bowl and dredge each chicken breast in the flour, shaking off any excess. Set aside.
- In a large deep oven-safe skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from the skillet and set aside. The chicken will not be cooked through as it will finish cooking in the oven.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic, bell peppers, onions, and zucchini. Sauté, stirring, until the veggies begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the black beans and stir to combine, then spread the mixture into a single layer.
- Nestle the chicken back into the skillet. Pour the enchilada sauce over the chicken and veggies. Top each chicken breast with 1/4 cup of cheese. Top with sliced jalapeño peppers, if using.
- Transfer to the oven and bake, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and top with fresh cilantro. Serve as-is or with Cilantro Lime Rice, if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Food Photography and Styling by Eat Love Eats.
Is a 10inch skillet large enough to make this dish???
that should work fine.
Would you hypothetically be able to make the enchilada sauce from your enchiladas con carne recipe for the enchilada sauce?
yes absolutely!
Would this work to prep ahead everything but the baking part and then save to bake later in the week?
yes i think this would work great. to just be sure the chicken doesnt’ contaminate- i would go ahead and cook it all the way through first. That way it’s just rewarming and soaking in all the flavors of the bake when you bake later!
Hi, Alex! Currently baking this in the oven as I type! I had difficulty getting my chicken to not stick to the pan to flip (and same on the other side). I oiled my Le Creuset very well but both sides totally stuck to the pan and I ended up mangling the chicken a bit. Any tips? Thanks!
The best tip for when this starts to happen is leave it be for another 1-2 minutes. The more of a sear it gets, the easier it will be to flip!
LOVE this recipe! Tried it with green enchilada sauce and it did not disappoint. Would you do any of this in instant pot or crock pot?
I needed an easy weeknight dinner tonight and made this. It was so good! I omitted the zucchini and added green bell pepper instead but followed the rest exactly. Served it with the cilantro lime rice, and it was delicious!
That’s a great swap, glad you enjoyed this!