Cheesy Baja Chicken Skillet (Printable)
Juicy chicken, bell peppers and Mexican spices topped with gooey cheese in one skillet for an easy, flavorful low-carb meal.
# What You Need:
→ Meats
01 - 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into strips
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 red bell pepper, sliced
03 - 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
04 - 1 green bell pepper, sliced
05 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
→ Spices
07 - 1 and 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
08 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
09 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
10 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
11 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
12 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
→ Dairy
13 - 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
14 - 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
→ Pantry
15 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
16 - 1/4 cup chicken broth or water
17 - Juice of 1 lime
→ Fresh
18 - 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
# Steps:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken strips and sauté until cooked through and lightly golden, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
02 - In the same skillet, add additional oil if needed. Sauté the red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, green bell pepper, and red onion until softened, about 5 minutes.
03 - Add minced garlic to the vegetables and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, dried oregano, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Toss to coat vegetables evenly.
04 - Return cooked chicken to the skillet. Pour in chicken broth and lime juice, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir to combine all ingredients.
05 - Reduce heat to low. Sprinkle shredded Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses evenly over the chicken and vegetables. Cover the skillet and allow to sit for 3 to 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
06 - Remove skillet from heat. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and serve immediately.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- This is the kind of one-pan meal that makes clean-up practically effortless.
- The combination of melty cheese, juicy chicken, and sweet peppers turns even a weeknight into something special.
02 -
- If you rush the peppers and don’t let them soften, they won’t soak up the seasonings.
- Letting the cheese melt under a lid, not stirring, keeps the top picture-perfect and bubbly.
03 -
- Give the chicken a few extra minutes to brown for richer flavor—it won’t dry out if you rest it while cooking the veggies.
- Lime juice at the end is essential for that real Baja zesty finish, so don’t skip it.