Mexican chicken quinoa skillet
Chicken, quinoa, black beans, corn and salsa simmer together in one pan under a blanket of melted cheese, hearty and packed with protein.
- 40 min total
- 20 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 4
- About $3.62 a serving
- 650 calories
- Good the next day
- Gluten-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1¼ lb chicken breasts, cut into ¾-inch pieces
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
- 1½ cups chicken broth
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 cup Mexican blend cheese
- 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped (optional)
- 1 avocado, diced (optional)
From your pantry
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Each serving has about 650 calories, 54 g protein, 63 g carbs and 20 g fat, and costs about $3.62 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No chicken breasts? Boneless chicken thighs or chicken tenderloins work.
- No yellow onions? White onions or red onions work.
- No red bell peppers? Yellow bell peppers work.
- No chicken broth? Vegetable broth or bone broth works.
- No salsa? Pico de gallo works.
- No black beans? Pinto beans or kidney beans work.
- No frozen corn? Canned corn works.
- No Mexican blend cheese? Shredded cheddar or cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack cheese works.
- No cilantro? Fresh parsley works.
- No avocados? Guacamole works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the chicken with the chili powder, cumin and salt, and wash your hands and board.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Food safety: Wash your hands, the board and the knife with hot soapy water after touching raw meat, and don’t rinse raw chicken in the sink.
Heat the oil in a large, deep with a lid over medium-high and cook the chicken, onion and pepper 5 minutes, , until the chicken is in spots.
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Brown. Browning means cooking until the outside turns brown, which is where a lot of savory flavor comes from. Give food room and time without stirring, or it steams and stays gray.
How you’ll know: The food looks brown rather than gray, and the kitchen smells toasty and savory.
Medium-high heatTimer: 5 min
in the quinoa, broth and salsa and bring it .
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
High heat
Dolly’s tip: Rinse quinoa before cooking. The coating on dry quinoa tastes bitter.Cover, turn the heat to low, and 15 minutes, until the quinoa has soaked up the liquid and the biggest piece of chicken reads 165°F.
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Low heatTimer: 15 min
Food safety: Chicken and turkey are done at 165°F in the thickest part. A thermometer is the only sure check. Without one, cut into the thickest piece: it should be white all the way through, with no pink.
in the beans and corn, scatter the cheese over the top, cover, and cook 3 minutes more, until the cheese .
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Melt. Melting means gently heating something solid, like butter or cheese, until it turns liquid. Low or medium heat keeps it from browning or burning.
How you’ll know: It’s smooth and liquid, and butter may foam a little but hasn’t turned brown.
Low heatTimer: 3 min
Top with cilantro and avocado and serve from the pan.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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