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Mexican Chicken, Sweet Potato and Black Bean Skillet

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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! 

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.

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! 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.

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 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.

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! 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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Mexican Chicken, Sweet Potato and Black Bean Skillet

Mexican Chicken, Sweet Potato and Black Bean Skillet

Yield: 4 servings
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: 477 Total Fat: 12g Saturated Fat: 4g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 6g Cholesterol: 110mg Sodium: 761mg Carbohydrates: 42g Fiber: 12g Sugar: 7g Protein: 50g
© Danae
Category: Skillet + One Pot Meals

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!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Vivian | Stay Alive and Cooking

    April 24, 2017 at 4:48 am

    I love making up meals as I go - that's my favourite way of cooking! Especially since it can result in delicious recipes like this one, and I love that it's all in one skillet. We don't eat Mexican that often, and I'd love to try it in combination with the sweet potato! Have a great week :)
    Reply

        • Danae

          October 21, 2018 at 8:36 am

          Hi Rhasheda. I'm looking at it right now and it's there. Here's the link https://reciperunner.com/mexican-chicken-sweet-potato-black-bean-skillet/. Scroll down past the other suggested recipes to try and you should see it.
          Reply

          • Danae

            March 21, 2019 at 5:57 pm

            Hi Matt, There seems to be an issue with my recipe card plugin at the moment. I'm working on getting it fixed. Try checking back later tonight or tomorrow. I'm so sorry for the inconvenience.

  6. Mrs Kelly

    June 15, 2017 at 9:50 am

    I have some extra baked sweet potatoes in the fridge, and the rest of the ingredients on hand, so I'm going to make t as it reads except I'm going to leave out the sweet potatoes and serve the chicken filling on top to the potatoes I have by putting cheese on top and then reheating it all in the oven. I think it will be delish! Thanks for the inspiration!
    Reply

  9. Chow Hound

    June 25, 2017 at 11:42 am

    It looks delish, but a little dry. Could I add a little chicken broth? Suggestions? I plan to use as a filling for enchiladas. Thanks.
    Reply

  12. Brittany

    August 8, 2017 at 6:34 pm

    Made this for dinner tonight and it was fabulous! Only thing we changed was we used 2 sweet potatoes - peeled and cut them into cubes, added olive oil, salt and pepper; aaand roasted them in the oven at 400* for 40 mins ... super simple recipe to make during the weekday and very tasty! Will definitely be making again! Thank you!
    Reply

    • Danae

      August 10, 2017 at 11:37 am

      Thanks for trying it out Brittany and I'm glad it was a success! I love that you roasted the sweet potatoes, that always gives them extra flavor!
      Reply

  13. Becca Scott

    August 14, 2017 at 12:37 pm

    Wow! I love this recipe so much! I'm a 20 year old living with my fiancé and i'm just starting to get into cooking and this was AWESOME! We both loved it and i already can't wait to make it again! Thanks for sharing
    Reply

    • Danae

      August 15, 2017 at 4:05 pm

      I'm so glad to hear you guys enjoyed it Becca and that you're starting to get into cooking! If you like this recipe check out some of my other easy skillet recipes too, they're great for beginner cooks. :-)
      Reply

  14. Traci B

    August 28, 2017 at 4:33 pm

    Can i just say...i want to give you a hug!! This is sooo good!! So here's my modifications....used the tyson grilled chicken cubes (because I forgot to thaw the breast...doh!) And then cooked up some quinoa for some extra goodness. Thank you!!
    Reply

  17. Brittany

    October 4, 2017 at 4:25 pm

    This was so good! I was a little hesitant at first just because it is a little different but I’m so glad I tried it. It’ll be a rotation in my home! :)
    Reply

  18. Pat

    October 14, 2017 at 3:02 pm

    This meal was delicious! I served it in spaghetti squash bowls! Cooked the spaghetti squash, scooped the Mexican chicken sweet potato black bean mixture into each half of squash and served it! We loved it!
    Reply

    • Danae

      October 27, 2017 at 5:10 pm

      Hi Nikki, You can par-cook them on the stove as well. Just bring a pot of water to a boil and add in the diced sweet potatoes and cook them for 5-6 minutes or if you put the sweet potato in whole about 10 minutes.
      Reply

  23. Emma

    January 21, 2018 at 10:42 pm

    Loved it! I doubled the chili powder and added a bit more of the other spices since I like my food a little spicier, and it was perfect for me. I'm used to eating skillet meals like this over rice but I really enjoyed it as-is. Looking forward to eating this again throughout the week!
    Reply

    • Danae

      February 4, 2018 at 2:02 pm

      Hi Bonnie, If you eliminate the chicken I would just add more vegetables and extra black beans. Zucchini and corn would be good additions for vegetables.
      Reply

  27. Rhiannon

    March 27, 2018 at 5:04 pm

    My mom and I found this recipe on Pinterest earlier today, so we decided to give it a try for dinner. It was delicious!! We used hot green chiles and a medium salsa which packed the perfect amount of heat. We also served this with tortilla chips to give it some crunch. So glad I found this recipe- we will definitely be making this again!
    Reply

  28. Stephanie Vining

    April 4, 2018 at 3:18 pm

    Hi Danae. I made this for my family last night and it was a huge hit. Lots of flavor and didn’t think I was a fan of black beans but they worked well in this dish. Definitely making this again. Thank you for sharing this delicious meal.
    Reply

  29. Crissy

    June 12, 2018 at 6:01 pm

    This was so delicious! We loved everything about it! I used 2 sweet potatoes and no onion! Can't wait to make this again, so much flavor! Thanks for the recipe!
    Reply

  30. Lauren

    June 26, 2018 at 11:58 am

    I made this using tofu instead of chicken, and it turned out great! I baked the tofu for a little while before adding it to the skillet.
    Reply

  33. Maura

    August 15, 2018 at 6:38 pm

    Made this and improvised using a black beans and rice mix (cooked then added in place of canned beans)...also used 2 sweet potatoes and used some frozen shredded rotisserie chicken. It had a kick but we ate it in warmed tortillas and sprinkled cheese and added a dollup of sour cream to curb the spicy-ness of the salsa. Great recipe!!
    Reply

  34. Chris Gomez

    August 19, 2018 at 11:18 pm

    Damn girl, this dish is straight FIRE! It's most favorite dish now. I love it! After I cook it I have to put the left overs in the fridge or I'll eat it all. I add avocados to it and it becomes a power house nutritious dish. I will HAVE to try all your dishes now. You're the best DANAE.
    Reply

  36. Susan K. Conboy

    October 26, 2018 at 5:32 pm

    Just made this for dinner - LOVE IT! My Bob and I like spicy dishes, so I added some fresh chopped jalapenos, the last ones from this year's garden. The savory chicken and sweet potatoes with the beans and jalapenos layered together and balanced each other perfectly! Thanks for this recipe!
    Reply

  37. Jacques Botha

    November 11, 2018 at 10:58 am

    Due to my mom having to be on special dietary requirements as a result of various gluten, dairy and soy allergies. I searched for recipes using chicken and sweet potatoes, this has to be one of the best home made Mexican dishes. Thank you for the amazing recipe!
    Reply

  39. Jay

    January 4, 2019 at 6:48 pm

    I made this tonight because I had left over beans and corn from a salad and I hate wasting food. Anyhoot I thought it was delicious! I used el pato sauce it's a hot tomato sauce but it was still so good !thank you.
    Reply

  40. Punam Paul

    January 22, 2019 at 4:15 am

    Long time reader here, and although I don’t always comment, I read and cook every single one of your post. I love it because your recipes are delicious and I didn't have to think twice about it being not healthy, it is normal easy home cooked food. That my family loves.
    Reply

  41. Mark

    February 1, 2019 at 10:10 am

    I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this. So easy, and so delicious...I'm already planning to make it again before the first batch runs out. Thank you so much for the terrific recipe!
    Reply

  42. Whitney B

    March 27, 2019 at 4:22 pm

    So yummy! My husband said he couldn't even taste the sweet potato. ;) He added pickled jalapeno, and we both topped it with more cilantro and lime.
    Reply

  43. Jeanne ODell

    March 30, 2019 at 6:36 pm

    I made this for dinner tonight and it is so good. I will be making again. It also was so easy to make. Thank Your for this delicious recipe.
    Reply

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