Description
This mexican chicken sweet potato black bean skillet brings together seasoned chicken, roasted sweet potatoes, and black beans in one easy pan that your family can enjoy for dinner any night of the week. Everything cooks together with cumin, lime, and cilantro, so you get a satisfying meal with minimal cleanup and maximum flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Proteins and Legumes:
- 1 pound chicken breast, diced
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
Vegetables:
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Seasonings and Cooking Fat:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pour 2 tbsp of olive oil into your large skillet and let it warm over medium heat for about 1 minute until shimmering.
- Toss in your chopped onion and bell pepper, letting them soften for 4-5 minutes as you stir occasionally.
- Add your 2 minced garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Push everything to the side and add your 1 lb of diced chicken breast to the pan, cooking it for 6-8 minutes over medium heat until the pieces turn golden brown.
- Stir in your cubed sweet potatoes along with 2 tsp of chili powder, 1 tsp of cumin, and a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.
- Cover your skillet and reduce the heat to medium-low, cooking for 18-20 minutes while you give it a stir every few minutes so nothing sticks.
- Check that your sweet potatoes are tender, then add your drained and rinsed can of black beans.
- Keep the skillet on medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring gently until the beans are warmed through.
- Serve your skillet hot straight from the pan, and adjust your seasonings if needed before plating.
Notes
- Cut your sweet potatoes into small, even pieces so they cook through at the same time as the chicken instead of leaving some raw while others get mushy.
- Stir the skillet every few minutes during the simmering step to prevent sticking on the bottom and help the flavors blend together.
- Toast your cumin and chili powder in the pan for about 30 seconds before adding the other ingredients to deepen their flavors and make them taste less flat.
- For a vegetarian version, swap the chicken for extra black beans or crumbled tofu, keeping everything else the same since the spices work just as well with plant-based proteins.
- If your sweet potatoes are taking longer to soften than expected, cover the skillet tightly and let them steam for a few extra minutes rather than cranking up the heat.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: More Chicken Recipes
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 365 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 220 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg