Southwest Chicken Skillet Recipe

This southwest chicken skillet contains ground chicken, rice, chopped peppers, and onions. It is then topped with taco seasoning, Mexican cheese, chopped tomatoes, fresh cilantro, and sour cream.

Southwest Chicken Skillet Recipe

Patty and I have been obsessing over our southwest chicken skillet recipe for the past few months. It’s ground chicken, rice, chopped peppers, and onions with taco seasoning. The ingredients are combined in a cast iron skillet. A mixture of Mexican cheeses, chopped tomatoes, and fresh cilantro is added to the top.

It is a delicious, complete meal in one bowl. The preparation is minimal and requires only a few good whole ingredients. It will be a hit!

Table of Contents

Ground Chicken (or Beef)

This recipe can be made with ground chicken very easily. This dish is meaty and savory because the chicken crumbles into the rice and then blends.

Ground chicken is great because it doesn’t require any preparation or chopping. It can be quickly tossed in the skillet and cooked within minutes. It is possible to substitute ground turkey, ground beef, or ground lamb.

Taco Seasoning

Although I have made this recipe using my mix of spices, I prefer a premade taco mix in a 1-ounce container for simplicity.

You can find Old El Paso taco seasoning in a packet. You can use any level of heat. I add 1/2 cup water to dry seasonings to make them more cohesive. This helps to prevent the dish from becoming too dry.

You can blend your spice by mixing equal amounts of cumin, paprika, and chili powder. Each spice can be used up to a teaspoon. It is important to not under-season the rice or it will become bland. Rice will absorb a lot of spices.

Which Peppers Are the Best?

Poblano peppers are my go-to pepper in this recipe. They are mildly spicy, and they have lots of flavors. A sweeter version is cubanelle peppers. You can use either red or green bell peppers if you don’t have them.

Creamy Lime Sauce

HelloFresh inspired my creamy lime sauce. This sauce is a reduced sour cream you can drizzle all over your skillet. Fresh lime juice adds a special flavor. You can add water slowly, one splash at a while, and then stir until you reach the desired consistency.

Southwest Chicken Skillet Recipe

PREP TIME 15
COOK TIME 15
TOTAL TIME: 30 MINS
YIELD: 4 1X
CATEGORY: DINNER
MEXICAN CUISINE

This southwest chicken skillet is made with ground chicken, rice, chopped peppers, and onions. It’s topped with taco seasoning, Mexican cheeses, chopped tomatoes, fresh cilantro, and sour cream.

Ingredients

Ground chicken 1 lb
1 cup uncooked jasmine rice or brown rice
1/2-3/4 cups Mexican mix cheese
1 medium-sized yellow onion, chopped
1 lime
1 oz. a packet of el Paso taco seasoning
2-3 tablespoons of sour cream
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 poblano or cubanelle bell peppers, chopped and cored
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
Chop fresh cilantro in a handful

Cooking Steps & Instructions

Follow the instructions on the packet to cook rice. I typically cook 1 cup of jasmine rice with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine tomatoes with chopped cilantro. (Stems can be eaten as an FYI). Add half of the juice of a lime to the bowl and season with salt and black pepper. Use a spoon to mix and then set aside.
Mix sour cream, juice of the other half of the lime, and 1-2 tablespoons of cool water. Blend until smooth enough to drizzle. Add a little water if it becomes too thick. Set aside.
Heat oil on medium heat in a cast iron skillet or oven-safe saucepan.
Cook the onions and peppers until tender, approximately 5 minutes.
Season the ground chicken with salt and pepper.
Break up the chicken using a spatula. Toss the chicken occasionally for 5-6 minutes.
Stir in the cooked rice. Mix in 1/2 cup water and taco seasoning. Mix everything until well combined and evenly season. To help spread the seasoning, you can add 1/4 cup water.
Broil skillet on high for about 1-2 minutes or until cheese has melted.
Take out of the oven and top with tomato/cilantro mixture. Drizzle with creamy lime sauce.
Serve immediately

Important Points

Ground chicken can be substituted with ground turkey, beef, or other meats.
You can blend your spice by mixing equal amounts of cumin, paprika, and chili powder.
Each spice can be used up to a teaspoon. It is important to not under-season the rice, or it will become bland. Rice will absorb a lot of spices.