Chicken thighs prepared Mexican style in a skillet with black beans, fire roasted tomatoes, taco seasoning and fresh cilantro.
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I love one-pot, skillet meals and one of my new favorites is this Mexican Chicken with Black Beans. Last week when I was typing up the weekly newsletter, I included a nice comment for our recipe Chicken with Prosciutto, Rosemary & White Beans.
Since I hadn't made it in a while myself, I decided to make it for dinner that night. That was until I realized I didn't have white beans or prosciutto for that matter.
What I remembered most about that recipe was how easy it was so I scoured my pantry to find other items to make something similar with a totally different flavor.
My family LOVED this chicken thighs recipe as it had a bit of a smoky flavor from the taco seasoning and tasted great over steamed rice. Who says you have to eat tacos on Taco Tuesday, right?
The best part is that this dish is made in one skillet so less mess to clean up too!
Equipment
- Mesh Strainer
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Measuring Cup and Spoons
- Large Skillet with Lid
- Tongs
- Meat Thermometer
- Serving Platter
Ingredients Needed
For this recipe you'll need the following ingredients:
Chicken Thighs: I used bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs as it makes for a juicier dish. You can use boneless chicken breasts instead; however, the cooking time will be reduced slightly depending on the size and thickness of the piece of chicken.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: You only need a little bit to help brown the chicken a bit before adding in other ingredients. You can also use any other oil in its place in this recipe.
Taco Seasoning: Our pantry is always stocked with at least one package of low sodium taco seasoning and I hardly use it to make tacos! It taste great in other recipes like Taco Baked Sweet Potato Casserole, Slow Cooker Taco Beef or Low Fat Taco Spaghetti Casserole.
Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes: By far, these tomatoes are my favorite pantry item and I've used them in many recipes. Fire roasting helps bring out the natural sugars in tomatoes so you get sweetness and a smoky flavor from the charring. And don't forget to try these recipes for Pork Chops with Tomatoes and Mushrooms and Italian Ground Chicken Pasta Skillet. They're fantastic too!
Black Beans: Like most, I'm too busy to soak beans so I purchase canned beans; then rinse them well under cold water until it runs clear.
Fresh Chopped Cilantro: Many people have a love/hate relationship with cilantro. I for one like it, but if you're not a fan, you can use chopped parsley instead.
Chicken Broth: We prefer to use low sodium chicken broth or bone broth in this recipe.
How do you make Mexican Chicken with Black Beans?
Start by adding the oil to a large skillet; then heat over medium high heat. Sprinkle the taco seasoning on the front and back of the chicken; then add to the pan.
Brown 5-7 minutes per side; then remove from pan and set aside. Next, add the tomatoes with the juice, rinsed black beans, chopped cilantro and chicken broth. Mix well; then add the chicken back to the pan.
Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan with a lid; then simmer for 25-30 minutes until most of the liquid has absorbed and the chicken is cooked through.
The internal temperature of the chicken should be at least 170 degrees F when a meat thermometer is inserted into the thickest part.
Remove from the pan and place family style on a serving platter. You can serve over steamed rice or egg noodles and your favorite vegetable.
VISIT THE RECIPE INDEX TO SEARCH FOR MORE RECIPES BY CATEGORY.
More Chicken Thigh Recipes
- Rosemary and Lemon Roasted Chicken Thighs
- Pesto Chicken Thighs with Tomatoes and Olives
- Taco Baked Chicken
- Chicken Thighs in a Horseradish Cream Sauce
- Baked Deviled Chicken Thighs
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Mexican Chicken with Black Beans
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6- (6-ounce) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1- (1-ounce) packet taco seasoning
- 1- (15-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 1- (15-ounce) can black beans
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- ½ cup chicken broth
Instructions
- Start by adding the oil to a large skillet; then heat over medium high heat.
- Sprinkle the taco seasoning on the front and back of the chicken; then add to the pan. Brown the chicken 5-7 minutes per side; then remove from pan and set aside.
- Next, add the tomatoes with the juice, rinsed black beans, chopped cilantro and chicken broth. Mix well; then add the chicken back to the pan.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan with a lid; then simmer for 25-30 minutes until most of the liquid has absorbed and the chicken is cooked through. (The internal temperature of the chicken should be at least 170 degrees F when a meat thermometer is inserted into the thickest part).
- Remove from the pan and place family style on a serving platter.
Angela Gyetvan says
Very good, thx. I made my own taco seasoning. I also needed a little acid so squeezed lime over at the end.
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
You're welcome Angela! I'm glad you liked the recipe and I'm sure the extra lime juice gave it an extra fresh flavor!