Give this Mexican chicken and sweet potato skillet a try if you are looking for a flavorful, one skillet meal. Simple meal, easy clean up.
The concept of a one skillet meal is genius! I am down for trying a new meal any time I come across a one pot option. Flavorful and delicious is another great selling point. I love that this meal covers both areas. Simple cooking and cleaning, plus it’s delicious!
My oldest daughter is a huge fan of sweet potatoes. It was the first solid food I ever gave her, and she has loved it ever since. I didn’t grow up eating a lot of sweet potatoes, and never cooked it much either before having kids. My two boys also don’t love the flavor of sweet potatoes as much. So, this meal was a great way to sneak in the sweet potatoes.
How to Make Mexican Chicken and Sweet Potato Skillet
First things first, do all of your prep work. That way when you are ready to cook, it’s even easier!
Grab a small bowl and mix all of the spices together. Set aside to use later.
Next, dice up your white onion and cut all of your cherry tomatoes in half.
On a different cutting board, take your boneless, skinless chicken breast and cut it into bite sized pieces.
Now, grab your sweet potato and slice it in half lengthwise. Place it flat on a plate or shallow bowl and add 1/4 cup of water. Heat in the microwave for 3-5 minutes. You want it to be tender but not fully cooked. Then, remove the peel from the sweet potato and cube it.
Making the Meal:
Now you are all prepped and ready to start throwing everything together. Heat olive oil on a cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. (I prefer to cook with ceramic cookware because it is non-toxic and non-stick.) Add the bite sized pieces of chicken breast in an even layer. Then, take your spice mix and sprinkle about half of it over the chicken. Stir it up and sauté for a few minutes.
Before the chicken is done cooking, add the diced white onion. Stir and continue to cook the chicken and white onion until the chicken is cooked through and the onion is soft.
Now it is time to add everything else. Lower the heat to medium and add in the par-cooked sweet potatoes, cherry tomatoes, black beans, green chiles, salsa or enchilada sauce, and the remaining spice mix. Stir it together and cook until everything is heated.
Squeeze the lime juice over the whole skillet and top with the shredded cheese. Reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid until the cheese has melted.
Now you have a delicious meal ready to enjoy! Grab some plates, serve it up, and add any additional toppings you want. Cilantro adds a nice pop of freshness. Avocado is always a great topping to add to any Mexican meal, and it adds a great, healthy fat to the meal. If you need some more spice, jalapeño or hot sauce are perfect toppings. Add more moisture, if necessary, by using sour cream or Greek yogurt. We have switched completely over to Greek yogurt as a no fat option that adds a little extra protein to our meal.
Mexican Chicken and Sweet Potato Skillet Ingredients:
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
- 1/2 cup white onion, diced
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 sweet potato, peeled, par-cooked and cubed
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 can black beans, rinsed
- 4 oz canned diced green chiles
- 1/3 cup salsa or red enchilada sauce
- optional toppings: shredded cheese, lime juice, cilantro, avocado, jalapeño, sour cream or Greek yogurt
Mexican Chicken and Sweet Potato Skillet Instructions:
- In a small bowl, mix all of the spices together.
- Par-cook the sweet potato by cutting it in half lengthwise, placing it in a shallow bowl with 1/4 cup of water, and microwaving it on high for 3-5 minutes. You want it to be tender but not fully cooked. Once it is done, remove the peel and cube it.
- Heat olive oil in a cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bite sized pieces of chicken breast in an even layer.
- Sprinkle the chicken with half of the spice mix and sauté for a few minutes.
- Add the diced white onion, and then continue to stir and cook until the chicken is cooked through, and the onion is soft.
- Lower the heat to medium and add in the sweet potato, cherry tomatoes, black beans, green chiles, salsa or enchilada sauce, and the remaining spice mix.
- Stir together and cook until everything is heated.
- Squeeze the lime juice over the whole skillet and top with shredded cheese.
- Reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid until the cheese has melted.
- Serve and top with any additional toppings.
Recipe Variations:
- If you are not a fan of cooked tomatoes (like me), just use fresh ones as a topping.
- The leftovers of this meal are great to turn into tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, etc.
- For kids, turning this meal into a burrito is a great idea, especially when it is their first time trying it. I don’t know about you, but my kids are always a little wary of a new meal. Especially one that is everything mixed together in one dish. If I put it in a burrito, they can’t see all of the ingredients and they are more likely to start eating it without question. They are big fans of burritos.
I have made this meal using salsa and enchilada sauce and it tastes great both ways. If you like a little bit more spice, a spicy salsa is a great option to add more heat. I usually prefer to use salsa because the jar can be closed and put back in the fridge. If you use enchilada sauce, you won’t end up needing the whole can. You can pour the rest into a freezer bag and freeze for the next time you need it.
Check Out More Simple Dinners:
Mexican Chicken and Sweet Potato Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast bite size pieces
- ½ cup white onion diced
- 1 sweet potato par-cooked and cubed
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 can black beans rinsed
- 4 oz canned diced green chiles
- ⅓ cup salsa or enchilada sauce
- optional toppings: shredded cheese, lime, cilantro, avocado, jalapeño, sour cream or Greek yogurt
Spice Mix
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
Par-cook the Sweet Potato:
- Cut the sweet potato in half lengthwise and place it flat on a plate or shallow bowl.
- Pour ¼ cup of water around it and heat in the microwave for 3-5 minutes, until tender but not fully cooked.
- Remove the peel and cube it.
Cooking the Meal:
- In a small bowl, mix all of the spices together.
- Heat olive oil in a cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bite size pieces of chicken breast and spread in an even layer.
- Sprinkle the chicken with half of the spice mix and sauté for a few minutes.
- Add the diced white onion, and then continue to stir and cook until the chicken is cooked through, and the onion is soft.
- Lower the heat to medium and add in the sweet potato, cherry tomatoes, black beans, green chiles, salsa or enchilada sauce, and the remaining spice mix.
- Stir together and cook until everything is heated.
- Squeeze the lime juice over the whole skillet and top with shredded cheese.
- Reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid until the cheese has melted.
- Serve and top with any additional toppings.
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