Fiesta Chicken and Peppers
Pan-seared chicken, seasoned with taco seasoning and simmered in enchilada sauce with corn, bell peppers, and onion. This one-pan meal is sure to wake up your tastebuds, and it all comes together in about 30 minutes.
Why did I call this dish “fiesta” chicken? Because it’s a party on the palate. And that’s thanks to the use of two, store-bought ingredients – taco seasoning and enchilada sauce. Both deliver a tremendous amount of flavor and depth to the dish. We also add fiesta-style corn (also called Mexicorn), which is a combination of corn and bell peppers – which adds great texture to the sauce. You will go totally wild for this one, I’m sure.
Here’s how to make this fiesta chicken: Sear chicken in olive oil. Transfer the chicken to a plate while you sauté onions and bell peppers. Add enchilada sauce and corn to the pan and bring to a simmer. Return the chicken to the pan and simmer for 10 minutes. Top with cilantro and serve. Serve the dish with rice and/or tortillas on the side and dinner is ready!
You can make this dish spicy if you want. I chose mild enchilada sauce when I made this dish, but you can choose hot enchilada sauce for a more fiery experience! This dish is tota
This dish works with chunks of chicken, and ground chicken and turkey too. Since we’re pan-searing the chicken first, you can use whatever you prefer. If you’re using ground chicken or turkey, there’s no need to transfer it to a plate when you add the onion and bell peppers to the pan. And you can eliminate the second tablespoon of oil.
Fiesta Chicken and Peppers
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, tenders, or thighs
- 2 teaspoons taco seasoning
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 2 bell peppers, any color, seeded and chopped
- 10 ounces enchilada sauce, or tomato sauce
- 11- ounce can fiesta-style corn, also called Mexicorn, or 1 cup canned or frozen corn
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Chopped fresh cilantro for serving, optional
- Cooked rice or tortillas for serving, optional
Equipment
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season both sides of the chicken with the taco seasoning and add to the hot pan. Cook until the chicken is golden brown on both sides. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- Heat the remaining oil in the same pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until soft. Add the enchilada sauce or tomato sauce and corn and bring to a simmer. Return the chicken to the pan with any accumulated juices from the plate and return to a simmer.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes. Top with cilantro if using, and serve with rice if desired.