Tex Mex Chicken and Zucchini (Printable)
One-pan Tex-Mex chicken with zucchini, black beans, and cheese—ready in 35 minutes.
# What You Need:
→ Meats
01 - 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces
→ Vegetables
02 - 2 medium zucchinis diced
03 - 1 red bell pepper diced
04 - 1 small red onion diced
05 - 2 cloves garlic minced
06 - 1 (15 oz) can black beans drained and rinsed
07 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
08 - 1 jalapeño seeded and finely chopped
09 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
→ Spices and Seasoning
10 - 2 tsp chili powder
11 - 1 tsp ground cumin
12 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
13 - 1/2 tsp ground coriander
14 - 1/2 tsp sea salt
15 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
→ Dairy
16 - 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
→ Other
17 - 2 tbsp olive oil
18 - Juice of 1 lime
# Directions:
01 - Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces, season with half the chili powder, cumin, paprika, coriander, salt, and pepper. Sauté for 5–6 minutes until golden and cooked through. Remove chicken to a plate.
02 - In the same skillet, add the remaining olive oil. Sauté onion and bell pepper for 2–3 minutes until softened. Add garlic and jalapeño; cook for 1 minute.
03 - Stir in zucchini and cherry tomatoes. Cook, stirring often, for 4–5 minutes until zucchini is just tender.
04 - Return chicken to the pan. Add black beans and sprinkle with remaining spices. Mix to combine and cook for 2 more minutes to heat through.
05 - Remove from heat. Squeeze lime juice over the top and sprinkle with cheese. Cover for 2 minutes until cheese is melted.
06 - Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve immediately.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Everything happens in one pan so you spend less time washing dishes and more time enjoying dinner
- The spice blend hits that perfect smoky, slightly spicy note that keeps everyone coming back for seconds
02 -
- Cutting the chicken into similar-sized pieces ensures everything cooks at the same rate
- The lime juice at the end is absolutely essential, dont skip it
03 -
- Prep all your ingredients before you start cooking, this moves fast once the heat is on
- Let the pan get properly hot before adding the chicken, it creates better color and flavor