15-Minute Salsa and Black Bean Chicken Skillet

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15-Minute Salsa and Black Bean Chicken Skillet — Fast, EASY, family-friendly, healthy yet hearty, naturally gluten-free, Mexican-inspired meal!! The PERFECT recipe to jazz up your usual weeknight chicken dinner!!

15-Minute Salsa and Black Bean Chicken Skillet - Fast, EASY, family-friendly, healthy yet hearty, naturally gluten-free, Mexican-inspired meal!! The PERFECT recipe to jazz up your usual weeknight chicken dinner!!

Mexican Black Bean Chicken Skillet

If you’re looking for an incredibly easy and fast way to jazz up your usual weeknight chicken dinner, this salsa chicken and black beans skillet is the recipe for you.

Since there are already onions, garlic, tomatoes, salt, pepper, and jalapeno peppers in salsa, it’s the perfect one-stop-shopping flavor bomb of an ingredient to add pizzazz to chicken.

Although I can eat salsa with a spoon, no chips required, it’s lovely with chicken and helps keep the chicken super flavorful and juicy. With the addition of red peppers, black beans, green onions, and cilantro, this is a perfect family-friendly, healthy yet hearty, naturally gluten-free, Mexican-inspired meal that’s ready in under 15 minutes.

It reminds me of this 15-Minute Cheesy Chicken Taco Skillet, minus the cheese and with salsa.

15-Minute Salsa and Black Bean Chicken Skillet - Fast, EASY, family-friendly, healthy yet hearty, naturally gluten-free, Mexican-inspired meal!! The PERFECT recipe to jazz up your usual weeknight chicken dinner!!

What’s in Mexican Black Bean Chicken?

To make this salsa chicken with black beans, you’ll need: 

  • Olive oil
  • Chicken breasts
  • Red bell pepper
  • Salsa
  • Black beans
  • Ground cumin
  • Salt and pepper
  • Green onions
  • Fresh cilantro
  • Avocado (for garnishing)
  • Shredded cheese (for garnishing) 

15-Minute Salsa and Black Bean Chicken Skillet - Fast, EASY, family-friendly, healthy yet hearty, naturally gluten-free, Mexican-inspired meal!! The PERFECT recipe to jazz up your usual weeknight chicken dinner!!

How to Make Black Bean and Salsa Chicken 

Cook the diced chicken and red pepper in an oiled skillet until the meat is cooked through. Add the salsa, black beans, and cumin and continue cooking until warmed through. 

Sprinkle on the green onions, cilantro, optional avocado and/or cheese and serve immediately. 

What Type of Salsa Should I Use? 

I recommend a chunkier salsa so that you’re chicken isn’t swimming in a runny sauce, which is what would happen if you use a thinner salsa. Not that it would be bad but it’s not what we’re going for here.

15-Minute Salsa and Black Bean Chicken Skillet - Fast, EASY, family-friendly, healthy yet hearty, naturally gluten-free, Mexican-inspired meal!! The PERFECT recipe to jazz up your usual weeknight chicken dinner!!

Tips for Making Mexican Black Bean Chicken

I used a chunky store brand salsa that also had corn included. If corn sounds good to you, look for a salsa with corn or add a 1/3 cup to the recipe if your salsa doesn’t have it.

I used a medium-heat salsa. Use whatever you and your family prefer from mild to wild.

We didn’t find the need for rice but it’s a good serving option to keep in mind.

15-Minute Salsa and Black Bean Chicken Skillet — Fast, EASY, family-friendly, healthy yet hearty, naturally gluten-free, Mexican-inspired meal!! The PERFECT recipe to jazz up your usual weeknight chicken dinner!!

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4.75 from 16 votes

15-Minute Salsa and Black Bean Chicken Skillet

By Averie Sunshine
Fast, EASY, family-friendly, healthy yet hearty, naturally gluten-free, Mexican-inspired meal!! The PERFECT recipe to jazz up your usual weeknight chicken dinner!!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4
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Ingredients  

  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1.25 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • ¾ cup red bell pepper, diced small
  • one 16-ounce jar chunky salsa, I used a store brand with corn included
  • one 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed (I used no salt added)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon salt, optional and to taste
  • about 2 green onions, sliced into thin rounds
  • fresh cilantro, for garnishing
  • avocado slices or chunks, optional for garnishing
  • shredded cheese, optional for garnishing

Instructions 

  • To a large skillet, add the oil, chicken, red pepper, and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 to 7 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through; stir and flip intermittently so the chicken cooks evenly.
  • Add the salsa, black beans, cumin, pepper, optional salt (some salsas are very salty already and you can omit), and stir to combine. Allow mixture to simmer for about 3 minutes, or until warmed through.
  • Evenly sprinkle the green onions, cilantro, optional avocado and/or cheese, and serve immediately.

Notes

  • Recipe is best fresh but will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 587kcal, Carbohydrates: 40g, Protein: 58g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 16g, Cholesterol: 127mg, Sodium: 1585mg, Fiber: 15g, Sugar: 7g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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About the Author

Welcome to AverieCooks! Here you’ll find fast and easy recipes that taste amazing and are geared for real life. Nothing fussy or complicated, just awesome tasting dishes everyone loves!

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

Recipe Rating




Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This recipe was easy to make and delicious. I used quinoa instead of rice because that’s what I had. Will make it again, for sure.

  2. 4 stars
    Very easy and very tasty. Just a few modifications to suit my preferences. Added a half cup each of cooked brown rice and frozen corn after the salsa/beans and an extra teaspoon of cumin. Served with sour cream, blue corn tortilla chips and flour tortillas to please everyone.

  3. 5 stars
    This was so good and full of flavor. Even my kiddos enjoyed it. Thanks for a delicious, easy to make recipe that made the whole family happy.

  4. I’ve definitely thought about making your chicken peanut stew before. The recipes sound similar so I’m sure I’d like it. The one I use also has soy sauce and ginger in it, so more leaning toward Thai rather than African (haha, I sound like I know what I’m talking about, which I don’t!). I probably won’t have time to try all the recipes I’d like to try until the kids are grown and gone, and then there will be half the amount of people to eat it up!

    1. If you do try the Peanut Stew, LMK how it compares to your crockpot recipe, which sounds amazing. Ironically, when I was writing that recipe I had a hard to coming up with a title because I felt like it read so Thai/Asian with the flavor profile but the recipe was adapted from a compilation of other recipes all called ‘African’ peanut stew.

  5. I like the sound of this! I have a crockpot chicken recipe, Thai-inspired, which uses salsa along with peanut butter and lime juice and probably a few more things I can’t think of right now–it’s one of my new favorites. Using salsa is genius–all your flavors are already there and you only have to open a jar.

  6. I’ve made something similar with ground beef so I’d like to try this! I love a 15 minute skillet recipe too–minimal ingredients and easy!

      1. This was another delicious and easy meal–perfect at the end of a busy day!! I finished it with some queso fresco crumbled on top too. Love your quick skillet recipes! Happy Mother’s Day!

      2. Thanks for letting me know this was a winner! Queso fresco sounds PERFECT on it!