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Tex-Mex Chicken and Sweet Potatoes is an easy weeknight dinner that comes together in one pan in under 30 minutes, featuring tender chicken and sweet potato, complemented by sweet corn, earthy black beans, and melty cheese.
Looking for more easy skillet dinner recipes? Don't miss Chicken and Green Beans Skillet, Honey Lemon Chicken Skillet, and Ground Turkey Taco Skillet.
30-Minute Tex-Mex Chicken Skillet
Sweet potatoes and Tex-Mex flavors are one of my favorite pairings. Their natural sweetness balances the chili powder and cumin in my homemade taco seasoning, which is why I keep coming back to them in my black bean sweet potato chili, sweet potato tacos, and ground beef sweet potato bowl.
This skillet brings that same combination together with chicken, black beans, and corn, all in one pan. It's one of my go-to quick, easy dinners, ready in under 30 minutes.
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
Notes on Ingredients
- Chicken: Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or thighs.
- Sweet Potatoes: Cube them into ½-inch pieces so they cook relatively quickly. Peeling is optional.
- Beans: While I personally prefer the flavor combination of black beans with sweet potatoes, you can opt to use pinto beans or red beans in their place.
- Corn: Use frozen corn kernels rather than canned corn, for the best flavor and to help control the sodium.
- Taco Seasoning: Homemade Taco Seasoning is always best for flavor and sodium content, but use a packaged blend if that is what you have on hand.
- Chicken Stock: You need a bit of liquid to help the dish cook. Low-sodium chicken broth is best, but you can add water if you don't have stock on hand.
- Cheese: Cheddar, Monterey Jack, or a Mexican Blend of shredded cheese all work well in this Tex-Mex Skillet.
- Lime: Don't overlook lime zest and lime juice. They finish the dish with just the right acidity to make the flavors pop.
How to Make Tex-Mex Chicken and Sweet Potatoes
While this Sweet Potato Chicken skillet is an incredibly easy one-pan dinner recipe, these steps are here to help you succeed. Think of it as me guiding you in your kitchen.😊
- Sear the chicken. Taking a few minutes to sear seasoned chicken will help to add a nice texture to the meal AND seal in the moisture in the chicken. Once golden on all sides, remove the chicken and reserve to add back to the skillet later.
- Sauté the sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes will need longer to cook than the remaining ingredients. So It is best to brown sweet potatoes on each side, flipping every couple of minutes, giving them time to caramelize and begin to soften.
- Simmer it all together. Once the sweet potatoes have begun to soften, add the seared chicken back to the skillet along with chicken stock, corn, beans, and seasoning. Simmer until the sweet potatoes are tender and the chicken is fully cooked, stirring often.
- Finish with cheese and lime juice. Adding lime zest and lime juice to this chicken and sweet potato recipe will make everything pop and turn a good dish into a GREAT dish. And of course, a thick layer of cheese always is a good thing.
Serving Suggestions
This Tex-Mex Chicken and Sweet Potato Skillet has so much flavor and so filling, that it is a complete meal all in itself. However, adding minced cilantro, a dollop of sour cream, Homemade Guacamole, or diced avocado is not a bad idea. My family also loves pairing this simple meal with a Piña Colada Smoothie or Tropical Kale Smoothie -- so good!
Recipe Modifications
- Use leftover chicken. While this recipe calls for raw chicken, you can opt to use leftover homemade rotisserie chicken. Skip browning the chicken and add the leftover diced or shredded cooked chicken to the skillet when you add the corn and beans.
- Swap the chicken for sausage. Another great option instead of chicken breasts or thighs is precooked sausage, such as al fresco jalapeno chicken sausage or andouille sausage. Slice the sausage, sear each side, remove it from the skillet, and proceed with the recipe as directed.
- Note on Gluten: Make sure your chicken stock is gluten-free and use homemade taco seasoning or a certified gluten-free blend.
- Keep it dairy-free (or lower-calorie). Simply omit the cheese.
More Easy Tex-Mex Recipes
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If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Tex-Mex Chicken and Sweet Potatoes
Video
Ingredients
- 3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch chunks
- 4 teaspoons Homemade Taco Seasoning, or store-bought taco seasoning (divided)
- 4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken stock, or water
- 1 large lime, zested and juiced
- 2 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese, optional
Instructions
- Heat a cast-iron or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, and add in a about 1 teaspoon of oil. While the oil is heating, season the chicken with 2 teaspoons of taco seasoning and then brown the chicken on each side, about 2-3 minutes per side, and then remove the chicken to a plate.
- Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil to the skillet along with 4 cubed sweet potatoes. Brown sweet potatoes on each side, flipping every couple of minutes. This should take about 5-7 minutes.
- Add in 1 can of drained black beans, 1 cup of frozen corn kernels, the remaining 2 teaspoons of taco seasoning, and ½ cup chicken stock. Add the browned chicken back to the skillet. Stir everything together and let simmer for 10 minutes over medium heat, or until sweet potatoes are tender, and chicken stock has evaporated. Remove the skillet from the heat, add the zest and juice of one lime, and stir to combine.
- If desired, top the skillet with a generous layer of shredded cheese, cover the skillet with a lid, and let the cheese melt.
- Serve as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Delicious! I subbed water in place of chicken broth and bought 16 oz pre-cubed sweet potatoes. I also baked the sweet potatoes instead. It tastes great reheated!
Thanks for sharing your modifications, Ava! Thrilled to hear you enjoyed so much!
Is it OK to use lemon instead of lime? All your recipes seem glorious.
Thanks! And for this recipe, lemon juice would work!
Great recipe. All the family loved it. I used kidney beans I had made in the instant pot last week. Turned out perfectly. Be more clear in the recipe though- add the chicken back in during step 4? That's what I did because it was still a bit undercooked when I took it off the pan.
Hi Jonathan! I am glad you enjoyed! And yes, add the chicken back in step 4. I am sorry if that was unclear in the instructions.
The combination of these ingredients is fantastic!! I couldn't believe how good this was. It's going on the dinner rotation.
I love hearing this is going on the dinner rotation! Thanks for sharing, Jessica!
This has everything delicious in one meal! Everyone in my family loved it. We cannot wait to make it again!
Awesome! I love hearing you enjoyed so much!
Delicious! I've been struggling to add sweet potatoes into the dinner rotation but this was a hit with my taco-loving kids. I also added a can of Rotel diced tomatoes with chiles for a little heat. Awesome recipe!
It is a great way to enjoy sweet potatoes, so glad your kids enjoyed! Thank you so much for sharing, Pia! We love this one as well.
This is my go-to for a quick, delicious meal. The combo of chicken, sweet potatoes, black beans, corn, and taco seasoning hits the spot. Affordable, easy, and downright delicious—family-approved.
I love hearing this, Gloria! I just made it myself this past week.
My family loved this recipe even more when i put the leftovers in tortillas, topped off with extra cheese, salsa, and avocado, and called it “burrito night” 🙂
Great idea! Thanks so much for sharing, Jenny!