Gather round the chuck wagon, it’s time for hearty, cheesy, and flavorful Cowboy Chicken!
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Why You’ll Love This Easy Cowboy Chicken Recipe
- Big, Bold Tex-Mex Flavors. Cowboy chicken is seasoned, seared chicken breasts smothered in a tasty mixture of black beans, Mexican-style corn, diced tomatoes, and cheese, all baked together until the cheese is melty, the chicken is juicy, and your kitchen smells amazing. It is DELISH.
- So Many Ways to Serve It. Serve cowboy chicken with Instant Pot Brown Rice for an all-in-one meal, dice it up for chicken tacos, or take inspiration from Taco Salad and mix it with greens for lunch. We have endless options!
- An Easy Weeknight Dinner. Sometimes called Santa Fe chicken (perhaps to differentiate it from the Cowboy Chicken restaurant chain), this Tex-Mex recipe is the kind of simple, family-friendly meal that ends up on frequent repeat. It uses mostly canned ingredients, keeping it quick and convenient and everything cooks in the same pan, making for easy cleanup.
5 Star Review
“Wow! This was excellent and easy. We’re making it again tomorrow.”
— Kimberly —
How to Make Cowboy Chicken
The Ingredients
- Chicken. Chicken breasts are a go-to, no-complaints protein. After being coated in the spices and cooked in the Tex-Mex sauce, the white meat chicken is flavorful and juicy.
- Spices. Cowboy chicken recipe seasoning is smoky and warm (just like Cowboy Stew!). I used a combination of smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. (For more Tex-Mex flavor, check out my King Ranch Chicken.)
- Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes. These canned tomatoes are an easy way to elevate this dish.
- Black Beans. Black beans add a pleasing, creamy texture to the dish and help make it more filling.
- Mexican Style Corn. A delightful, sweet blend of corn and bell peppers.
- Green Chiles. These little guys pack a flavor punch! They do have a slight kick, but the dish isn’t overly spicy.
- Pepper Jack Cheese. For the melty, gooey, cheesy top that pulls everything together. (I prefer the kick of pepper jack, but you can also use Monterey jack or cheddar cheese.)
- Cilantro + Lime. My favorite finishing touches! The combo adds brightness and freshness.
The Directions
- Prepare. Pound and dry the chicken.
- Season. Rub half of the spice mixture onto the chicken.
- Cook. Brown the chicken, then remove it to a plate.
- Simmer. Add the tomatoes to the large skillet and simmer. Stir in the beans, corn, green chiles, and remaining spice mixture.
- Bake. Return the chicken to the pan, covering it in the pan sauce. Bake cowboy chicken breast at 375 degrees F for 7 to 10 minutes.
- Finish. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and broil for 1 to 2 minutes. Finish the dish with lime juice and cilantro. ENJOY!
Leftover Ideas
Turn leftovers into a cowboy chicken dip by serving them with tortilla chips. Leftovers would also be tasty served over tortilla chips with additional cheese for a spin on nachos.
What to Serve with Cowboy Chicken
- Vegetable Sides. Serve your cowboy chicken with a side of Roasted Zucchini or Grilled Corn.
- Cornbread. Jalapeno Cornbread, Mexican Cornbread, and Skillet Cornbread would all be fantastic.
- Grains. Make meal bowls by serving Santa Fe chicken with cooked quinoa, white rice, or brown rice.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Make It Into Tacos or Burritos. If you’d like to pile your cowboy chicken into a tortilla and serve it as a taco, quesadilla, or burrito, go for it! This is another great way to use leftovers too.
- Marinate the Chicken. To boost the chicken’s flavor even more, marinate the chicken in your favorite Tex-Mex marinade before starting the recipe. Or, try my all-purpose Chicken Marinade.
- Add Bacon. For next-level cowboy chicken, you could top the dish with crumbled cooked bacon. Oven Baked Bacon is my recommendation!
Cowboy Chicken
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Cowboy chicken is an easy family dinner. Juicy seasoned chicken breasts smothered in beans, cheese, corn, and diced tomatoes, then baked.
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Ingredients
- 3 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 ½ pounds)
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes in their juices
- 1 (15-ounce) can reduced sodium black beans rinsed and drained
- 1 (11-ounce) can Mexican style corn such as Fiesta Corn or Mexicorn, drained
- 1 (4-ounce) can green chiles drained
- 4 ounces shredded pepper jack cheese about 4 ounces; use Monterey Jack for a milder dish
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ½ medium lime
Instructions
- Place racks in the center and upper third of your oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Place the chicken on a cutting board. Cover with a sheet of plastic wrap to keep things tidy. Lightly pound into an even thickness (this will help ensure it cooks evenly without the edges drying out). Pat very dry.
- In a small bowl, stir together the smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. Sprinkle half of the spice mixture all over the chicken, rubbing to coat.
- In a cast iron skillet or similar thick, sturdy oven-safe skillet, heat the oil over medium high. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken smooth-side down, lowering it into the pan away from you to protect yourself from splatters. Don’t crowd the chicken (the breasts should not overlap—cook in batches if needed). Let cook, undisturbed for 3 minutes, until the chicken looks nice and brown underneath and releases easily from the pan. Flip and cook for 30 seconds on the other side. Remove to a plate.
- Add the tomatoes to the skillet. Stir, scraping along the bottom of the pan to loosen stuck-on bits. Let simmer 1 minute, scraping periodically. Add the black beans, Mexican-style corn, green chiles, and remaining half of the spice mixture.
- Stir to combine, then nestle the chicken into the pan browned-side up and pour any juices that have collected in the pan over the top. Spoon some of the sauce over the top of the chicken so it is covered.
- Transfer the skillet to the center oven rack and bake for 7 to 10 minutes, until the chicken registers 160 degrees F on an instant read thermometer inserted in the thickest part. If some pieces finish sooner than others, transfer them to a plate and cover to keep warm while the others finish cooking.
- Return any chicken that finished early to the pan and sprinkle the cheese all over the top. Broil on the upper rack until the cheese is melted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Squeeze the lime over the top and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve hot, with lots of yummy corn black bean sauce served alongside.
Video
Notes
- TO STORE: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days.
- TO REHEAT: Rewarm chicken in a baking dish in the oven at 350 degrees F or in the microwave.
- TO FREEZE: Freeze leftovers in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
Serving: 1(of 4)Calories: 531kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 53gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 134mgPotassium: 1222mgFiber: 11gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1361IUVitamin C: 24mgCalcium: 322mgIron: 5mg
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Fantastic flavor! Family couldn’t say enough about it! I used skinless chicken thighs and legs, and cooked on top of stove, and it worked well.
That’s great to hear! Thank you!
Sooooo good! We didn’t have Mexican corn, so we used regular corn and added bell pepper. Also didn’t have smoked paprika, but used regular and added liquid smoke. Served with chicken chopped and over rice. Highly recommend this recipe!
Can you Substitute the black beans for another bean