Cowboy Chicken Recipe
This one-pan Cowboy Chicken is made with Southwest seasoned chicken breasts seared and baked over black beans, corn, and tomatoes. Then it’s all topped with melted Monterey Jack and cheddar. It takes only 25 minutes to prep and comes out hearty, cheesy, and loaded with Tex-Mex flavor. This is a solid weeknight meal or even a Sunday dinner that the whole family will love.
I knew my wife Lindsay would go for this the second I said cheesy chicken over beans and corn, and I was right. What I did not expect was my daughter Olivia asking for seconds. She loves a good rice and bean bowl, so this hit right in her wheelhouse. It has the same Tex-Mex flavor we are obsessed with when I make a bowl of black bean and corn salsa or fire up a juicy carne asada. But this is a full dinner cooked in just over an hour start to finish in a single skillet. Seriously, it can’t get any easier than that!
Cowboy Chicken
Cowboy Chicken is a one-pan skillet dinner made with seared, spice rubbed chicken finished over Tex-Mex vegetables and melted cheese. There is no true origin story for this dish. The recipe draws inspiration from chuckwagon-style cooking of the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Back when I was working the line, a chef taught me to stop sprinkling a spice rub on and hoping it gets everywhere. Instead, I mix the blend with a little oil into a loose paste. Then I coat the chicken in it, so every side is seasoned the same. The oil also sets up a second barrier for a better sear. I save a little of that southwest seasoning for the beans, corn, and tomatoes too, so the whole skillet tastes like one dish instead of seasoned chicken sitting on plain vegetables. That rub is one I keep in heavy rotation. It’s just as good on pork, steak, or white fish, so it is worth mixing up a big batch.
This shows up on our table on a busy weeknight, but it is hearty enough for a Sunday when everyone is home. Everything can come from a can to keep it fast, but when corn and tomatoes are at their peak in late summer, I recommend going with fresh. You will taste the difference for sure. You can make it as mild or as spicy as you like by dialing the jalapeno up or down. A scoop of rice on the side makes it a full rice and bean bowl. I highly recommend making this easy cowboy chicken recipe for your fam!
Ingredients and Substitutions
This is a one-skillet dinner, so the seasonings are key for both the chicken and the vegetables. Here is what I use, along with the swaps I recommend:
- Chicken – Boneless skinless breasts are what I use for how fast they cook and how easy they are to eat. A bone-in split breast or thighs work too, just keep the heat lower on the stovetop so the outside does not scorch before the inside is done.
- Southwest seasoning – This is what flavors the entire dish, on the chicken and vegetables. I use my own southwest seasoning, but a good store-bought blend or a blackened seasoning works well.
- Olive oil – This is the searing fat and the base for the spice rub. We are searing at a lower heat, so olive oil holds up fine. Any neutral oil works.
- Yellow onion – I like yellow onions here because they caramelize beautifully, turning golden, sweet, and full of flavor. Red, white, or sweet onions work as well.
- Fresh corn is sweeter and balances the spice, and it is what I want in peak season. Canned or frozen absolutely work.
- Jalapeño – Fresh gives you a brighter flavor and just enough zip to complement everything else. A serrano, a fresno, or a can of green chiles will fill in.
- Garlic – Fresh minced garlic adds that savory, umami backbone and rounds out the vegetables.
- Black beans are one of the main components. They complement every other ingredient in the skillet. Pinto or kidney beans work, or dry beans cooked until tender.
- Fresh tomatoes in season keep their texture and bright flavor the way I cut them. Out of season, use romas or cherry tomatoes, or a can of fire-roasted or regular diced.
- Monterey Jack and cheddar – The classic Tex-Mex pairing, creamy and buttery from the jack, sharp and savory from the cheddar. Colby, a Mexican blend, cotija, or queso fresco all melt in nicely.
- Cilantro – A fresh citrusy herb finish that complements the skillet. It is optional.
- A squeeze of fresh lime over the top at the end is a must. The acid wakes up every ingredient and sharpens all the flavor.
- Garnishes – Diced avocado and pickled jalapeños are optional but worth it.
- White rice – Optional on the side to make the plate heartier and stretch it further. Brown rice works too.
How to Make Cowboy Chicken
Tenderize the chicken: Pound the chicken breasts between parchment with the flat side of a mallet so they cook evenly.
Season the oil: Stir the southwest seasoning and olive oil together on a plate into a loose paste.
Dredge the chicken: Coat both sides of the chicken in the seasoned oil, then set it on a plate.
Sear the chicken: Heat the rest of the oil in a large cast iron or carbon steel pan over medium for 90 seconds. Sear the chicken 5 to 6 minutes per side until browned and cooked through.
Caramelize the onions: Set the chicken aside and add the onions to the pan. Sauté 5 minutes, then turn the heat to low and cook 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until they are golden brown and sweet.
Cook the vegetables: Add the corn and jalapeño and cook 3 to 4 minutes, just until the corn is tender. Stir in the garlic and cook about 30 seconds, until it is fragrant.
Add the beans and tomatoes: Pour in the black beans, tomatoes, and the remaining southwest seasoning. Mix to combine.
Melt the cheese: Nestle the chicken and its juices on top of the bean and corn mixture, then top the chicken with both cheeses. Bake on the middle rack for 7 to 8 minutes, until the cheese melts completely.
Finish: Squeeze a whole lime over the pan and scatter cilantro on top, along with the pickled jalapeños and avocado, if using.
Chef Tip + Notes
One tip I come back to every time I make this is to watch the burner, not the clock, from the second the chicken hits the pan. Southwest seasoning is full of paprika, chili, and garlic, and all three stay sweet and toasty when I hold the pan at a steady medium. I read the color of the crust instead of the timer and ease the heat down a notch the moment it darkens too fast. All those spices will turn very bitter if burned. Can’t say it enough.
- Pound the breasts first: Working them to an even thickness means they cook at the same rate, so the thin end is not dry by the time the thick end is done.
- Cook to temperature, not the clock: A boneless breast is done at 165°F in the center. Bake times shift with the thickness of your chicken, so take it out when it hits temp.
- Go fresh in peak season: Canned corn and tomatoes make this a fast weeknight meal, but fresh corn and ripe tomatoes in late summer give you sweeter and brighter vegetables.
- Season the vegetables too: Holding back part of the rub for the beans and tomatoes is what makes the whole skillet taste seasoned, not just the chicken.
Serving Suggestions
On a weeknight, this skillet is dinner all by itself, but I like to set a bowl of homemade Mexican rice and some guacamole next to it so everyone can plate it their own way. Olivia piles hers over rice like a bowl, Lindsay goes heavy on the avocado, and I hit mine with extra pickled jalapeños and a second squeeze of lime.
The other night, I served this on a random Tuesday with a bowl of pico de gallo and a pan of homemade cornbread, and my wife and daughter absolutely loved it. Dinner doesn’t have to be complicated when you cook it with love, right? I refrigerate any leftovers and fold them into eggs or wrap them in a warm tortilla for lunch the next day.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: I can cook this and hold it warm up to an hour before serving. I cover the skillet and keep it in the oven at 180°F until everyone is ready to eat.
How to Store: Cover it and keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheating: Put the amount you want in a covered pan or a foil-covered casserole dish and bake at 350°F for 12 to 15 minutes, or until hot all the way through.
Freezing: Covered for up to 3 months, then thaw it in the fridge for a day before reheating the same way. The beans and tomatoes soften a bit out of the freezer, so I save this for when fresh is not an option.
More Chicken Recipes
Cowboy Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 10 to 12 ounces each
- 3 1/2 tablespoons southwest seasoning
- 5-6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 peeled small diced yellow onion
- 3 trimmed ears fresh corn, or 1 can
- 1 seeded small diced jalapeño
- 4 finely minced garlic cloves
- 2 15-ounce cans strained and rinsed black beans
- 2 cups large diced fresh tomatoes, or 1 can
- 3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 2-3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
- limes for garnish
- pickled jalapenos for garnish, optional
- medium diced avocado for garnish, optional
- white rice on the side, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- Gently pound the chicken breasts using the flat end of a mallet between parchment paper to tenderize. Add 3 tablespoons of the southwest seasonings along with 3 to 4 tablespoons of the olive oil to a plate and stir to combine.
- Dredge the chicken on both sides in the seasoned oil and place on a plate until all of them are seasoned.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large cast iron or carbon steel pan and heat over medium heat for 90 seconds. Place in the seasoned chicken and cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side or until browned and cooked through. Be sure to adjust your heat lower if things start to darken too quickly.
- Set the chicken to the side and add the onions to the pan. Saute for 5 minutes then turn the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes while occasionally stirring until they are golden brown.
- Next, add in the corn and jalapenos and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or just until the corn is tender. Stir in the garlic and cook until it becomes fragrant, which takes about 30 seconds.
- Pour in the beans, tomatoes, and remaining ½ tablespoons of southwest seasoning and mix to combine.
- Place the chicken breasts and juices on top of the black bean and corn mixture and evenly add the cheese to the top of the chicken. Bake it in the oven at 400° on a middle rack for 7 to 8 minutes or until completely melted.
- Squeeze the 1 lime all over the pan and garnish with cilantro and optional garnishes of pickled jalapeños and avocado.
Outstanding. I added a little extra chicken broth before I put it in the oven to pull all that good spice together and so we’d have a little more “sauce”. Served it bowl style with some red pepper brown rice/quinoa – and some fresh jalapeno, lime and cilantro. Rave reviews. Thank you!
So glad it was a hit! Thank you!