Southwest Chicken and Ranch Veggie Skillet
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Enjoy this one pot Tex-Mex meal with this Southwest Chicken and Ranch Veggie Skillet. Pan seared chicken topped with sauteed veggies, ranch dressing, Mexican cheese and bacon!
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Serves: 4-6 servings
Ingredients
  • For the chicken:
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 large or 6 medium sized chicken breasts
  • ¾ teaspoon salt*
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper*
  • ¼ teaspoon cumin*
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder*
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder*
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder*
  • For the veggies:
  • ½ yellow onion, diced
  • 1 poblano, seeded and diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • ½ cup diced mushrooms
  • 1 small jalapeno, seeded and minced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 cup diced zucchini (about 1 small)
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen corn (thawed and patted dry)
  • juice of 1 lime (about 1 tablespoon)
  • ½ teaspoon salt*
  • ⅛ teaspoon pepper*
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder*
  • ½ teaspoon cumin*
  • ¼ teaspoon ground mustard*
  • ¼ teaspoon paprika*
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano*
  • Additional ingredients:
  • ⅓-1/2 cup ranch dressing
  • ¾ cup shredded Mexican style cheese
  • 4 slices bacon, raw
  • ½ cup diced grape tomatoes
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • cilantro for garnish
  • lime wedges
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Prepare all veggies by dicing, mincing, etc. Set aside. Place chicken breasts on plate and season both sides with salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, and onion powder. Set aside.
  3. Heat a large oven proof stainless steel or cast iron pan over medium heat. Chop raw bacon into bite size pieces and place in pan. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid burning, until dark in color and cooked through. Remove and set on a paper towel lined plate.
  4. Reserving 1 tablespoon grease in pan (save the rest for later), add onion, poblano, red bell pepper, and mushrooms, Cook, stirring occasionally to avoid burning, for 5-6 minutes or until onion is tender. Add jalapeno, garlic, zucchini, corn, lime juice, and seasonings. Stir to combine. Cook an additional 4-5 minutes until zucchini is crisp/tender.
  5. Transfer veggies into a bowl. Cover with foil to keep warm. Return pan to stove and increase heat to medium high. Add 2 tablespoons more reserved bacon grease. Once pan is hot enough that drop of water sizzles, arrange seasoned chicken breasts in pan. Cook for 2 mins and then flip. Cook 2 minutes more.
  6. Transfer pan to oven and bake chicken for 15 minutes. Remove pan from oven and arrange veggies around chicken breasts. Quickly top chicken breasts with 1-2 tablespoons of ranch dressing, shredded cheese, and crumbled bacon. Return to oven and cook additional 5-10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
  7. Remove skillet from oven and top with fresh tomatoes, avocados, and cilantro leaves. Serve with additional lime wedges.
Notes
*You can substitute gluten free taco seasoning for the listed southwest seasonings.
Recipe by Breezy Bakes at https://www.breezybakesgf.com/southwest-chicken-ranch-skillet/