Mexican Chicken, Sweet Potato and Black Bean Skillet

An easy dinner all made in one skillet- Mexican Chicken, Sweet Potato and Black Bean Skillet. Top this healthy dinner with shredded cheese and cilantro for a fast and delicious Mexican inspired meal! 

This Mexican Chicken, Sweet Potato and Black Bean Skillet is one of those meals that I really didn’t have a plan for when I was making it, but it turned out so good that I had to share the recipe.

Quite often I don’t have a plan when I’m making dinner as I’m sure is the case with many of you. It’s the kind of meal where you open the fridge and go through the pantry seeing what you can scrounge up and put together to make something halfway decent for dinner.

Sometimes the end result is awful, other times it’s edible, but nothing to get excited about and then there’s times when it’s absolutely delicious which was the case with this Mexican Chicken, Sweet Potato and Black Bean Skillet.

When I’m not sure what I’m in the mood to eat skillet dinners and Mexican or Southwest flavors always seem to end up on the table. The craving for Mexican and Southwest food clearly comes from being brought up in Arizona and now living in Colorado. Green chiles are in my DNA and I’m basically incapable of making a Mexican inspired meal without them.

Skillet dinners are my favorite because you can add everything into it and don’t have to bother with multiple pots and pans. Since I can’t stand doing dishes, the one skillet method works perfect for me.

This Mexican Chicken, Sweet Potato and Black Bean Skillet not only makes a great dinner the day it’s made, but the leftovers are equally good too. You can even freeze them!

The first night I made this we ate it as is, right out of the skillet. The next day I used the leftovers and made my husband a Mexican flatbread pizza and made myself a couple tacos. You could also use it as a filling for enchiladas.

In case you forgot like I did up until this past weekend, Cinco de Mayo is nearly here and this skillet recipe would make a great healthy option for dinner to help balance out all the chips and margaritas!

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Yield: 4 servings

Mexican Chicken, Sweet Potato and Black Bean Skillet

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Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 sweet potato, peeled, par-cooked and diced (see note on par-cooking)
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 15 ounces canned black beans, rinsed and drained
• 4 ounces diced green chiles (canned)
• 1/3 cup salsa or red enchilada sauce
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar or Colby Jack cheese
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large (10-12 inch) cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
2. In a small bowl combine all of the spices.
3. When the skillet is hot add in the chicken and spread into an even layer, then sprinkle with half of the spice blend.
4. Sauté the chicken for approximately 3 minutes then add in the onion.
5. Continue to cook for several more minutes or until the onion has softened and the chicken is cooked through.
6. Lower the heat to medium and add in the remaining spice blend, sweet potato, cherry tomatoes, black beans, green chiles and salsa or enchilada sauce.
7. Stir together and cook until the mixture is heated through, approximately 2-3 minutes.
8. Squeeze the lime juice over everything then top with the shredded cheese.
9. Cover with a lid or lay a piece of foil on top of the skillet until the cheese has melted.
10. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Notes

• To par-cook a sweet potato, cut it in half lengthwise and place it in a shallow microwave safe dish or bowl cut side down. Pour a 1/4 cup of water in the dish, cover the dish with a piece of plastic wrap and poke a couple of holes in the top of the plastic to allow the steam to escape. Microwave for 3-5 minutes depending on the size or until the sweet potato is tender, but not fully cooked.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 477Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 110mgSodium: 761mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 12gSugar: 7gProtein: 50g

More Mexican Inspired Recipes

One Pot Cheesy Mexican Lentils, Black Beans and Rice

Skillet Enchilada Meatballs

Sofritas Tacos

Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Spaghetti Squash