A quick and easy one pot meal that can be in the oven in under 30 minutes. Colourful vegetables and fresh flavours will turn this Tex Mex Chicken Bake into a family favourite in no time!
Ingredients
This dish is super flexible so feel free to exclude, switch up, or add in any vegetables, herbs, or seasonings you wish.
- Chicken thighs - bone-in, skin on. You can use any pieces of chicken you like. I do recommend at least leaving the skin on for extra flavour.
- White onion - you can also use yellow, sweet, or Spanish onions
- Red pepper - or any colour of bell pepper
- Zucchini - or summer squash
- Corn - frozen or fresh kernals
- Salsa - My favourite is Organic Jack's Cantina Salsa but any fresh, store bought, salsa will work. One jarred option that is good is Herdez brand but most others tend to be more like a sauce then a salsa.
- Cilantro - You can omit this if you're not a fan or substitute with fresh parsley.
- Old cheddar cheese - You can substitute with any type of cheddar, Monterey Jack or a combination.
- Green onions/scallions - These are an optional garnish added at the end for freshness.
- Sour cream - An optional garnish. You could also add guacamole or fresh avocado slices.
Make it Vegetarian
To make this dish vegetarian simply omit the chicken and add 1 - 2 cans of black beans. Add the beans at the time you would add back in the chicken, before baking in the oven.
To make it Vegan, do the same but use vegan cheddar or omit the cheese.
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Tex-Mex Chicken Bake
A quick and easy one pot meal that can be in the oven in under 30 minutes.
Servings:3 to 6 servings
Equipment:
- Large, deep frying pan
Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin on
- 1 large white onion, peeled and diced
- 1 large red bell pepper, or any colour, diced
- 1 large zucchini, diced
- 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped, 1 tbsp.
- 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
- 2 cups salsa
- 1 small bunch cilantro, washed and rough chopped. Divide in two portions. One half is for garnish
- 150 g or about 2 cups Old cheddar cheese, grated
- 2-3 green onions, sliced, for garnish
Optional toppings
- Sour cream
- guacamole or avocado
- pickled jalapenos
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Season chicken thighs on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Heat olive oil in large sauté pan over medium-high heat.
- Add chicken thighs, skin side down and set sear, without moving them, for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown. Flip over and sear the other side for 3-4 minutes more or until golden brown.
- Remove chicken to a large plate or dish and set aside.
- Add diced onion to the pan with the oil and fat from the chicken. Saute, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until soft and glossy.
- Add diced zucchini, red pepper, and garlic. Continue cooking and stirring occasionally for 3-4 minutes.
- Add corn and cook for 2 more minutes. Add salsa and half the chopped cilantro.
- Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Nestle chicken pieces into the vegetable mixture.
- Top with grated cheddar leaving the chicken skin exposed.
- Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until a thermometer reads 165 degrees F.
- Top with remaining cilantro and sliced green onions.
- Serve on it's own or with rice or quinoa. Top with sour cream and/or guacamole.
Notes
- This dish will keep covered in the refrigerator for 3 days.
- Freezes well for up to 3 months.
Making this for the first time tonight. I would like to add spinach but do I add it after or can I put on bottom of pan under the chicken so it's all in one pan.
Hi Gale!
You can just add the spinach into the vegetable mixture before you add the chicken back into the pan. Hope you enjoy it!
Fixed this for the first time last night and actually doubled the recipe because we were having a big family dinner. It was a huge success--everyone loved it and kept saying, "This is a keeper!" It was a beautifully colorful dish and looked exactly like your pictures (that is one thing I love about your recipes). I especially love the vegetables included in the dish.
Hi Lynne! I'm so happy you loved the dish! I especially like that yours are looking just like the photos!! Love that!
I don't usually take time to comment on recipes but made this tonight for Fathers Day and it was a show stopper! I just had to leave a comment. Thank you.
Thanks so much for taking the time! I really appreciate it and so happy everyone enjoyed the dish!
Fam favourite! Leftovers we awesome too !
Thank you Andrea for this amazing recipe, my family thoroughly enjoyed it and devoured it!
Made this today. I quite like it. Even my picky eating spouse liked it. Thank you!
Best compliment ever!! 🙌 So happy everyone enjoyed it!
Excellent, made as directed, will make again, thanks Andrea 🙂
On Ginas plan what would we have with this dish
All you need are some leafy greens Ann's you are good to go! 😀
I made this and took it to my Mom for her Mother’s Day supper tonight. It was excellent ❤️
Andrea, phenomenal! It was beyond my expectations after reading the recipe. Even my pickiest eater requested I make it again.
Thank you! As always every recipe an absolute hit!
I love to hear that!! So happy you all enjoyed it!!
Thank you Andrea! That was delicious! My family gobbled it up! Will definitely be making this dish again.
this dish is SO DELICIOUS! I was not expecting something so simple to be so amazing and satisfying. Just started in Gina's Spring / Summer group and this is a perfect solution for a yummy dinner over a bed of spinach. Feels like a treat but super healthy!
Last night’s dinner! Loved it - so tasty!
So happy you enjoyed it!
Oh sweet geezuz, who needs Saturday night whoopie when you can have THIS?! Just as caliente (I added some green chilies) and dare I say, more satisfying?! SO easy and SO good! Thank you Andrea 🙂
LOL! I love this! Wow what a compliment!! So happy you loved it! 😊
Another big hit with the family! I added cumin to the vegetable mixture to ‘mex’ it up a little more. We really enjoyed it!! Thank you, Andrea!
Fantastic! Happy to hear! Yes, depending on how well seasoned your salsa is, You can definitely spice it up with things like cumin and chili powder 👌
This is fabulous and has become one of my go to recipes.
I'm so happy to hear that!!
Loved this! The thighs did make a huge mess on my stove and you do really need a deep pan for the oven. I followed your recipe the first time and it was awesome so tried it again using black beans instead of thighs. Loved that too and mixed in some black rice and some cut up precooked chicken. Will definitely be making it again. So thankful for all your great recipes.
Nice choices for the switch up! So happy you liked it!
Thank you Andrea for this amazing recipe. Tried in today for the first time. It's so delicious.
It's my pleasure! Happy you enjoyed it!
That was a great supper! Simple to make and so tasty. Thanks for the recipe.
It's my pleasure! So happy you enjoyed it! 😃
This was so good. Thanks Andrea
So happy you enjoyed it!! 😊
Than you again Andrea ,
So delicious hubby said this is another
Keeper .
Just love my kind of flavor.
Deb
Gotta love those Tex-Mex flavours right?!! Happy to hear it was enjoyed by all! 😃
This is an awesome dish, that even my picky kids loved
Now that's the ultimate compliment 🤗