Who doesn’t enjoy Mexican dishes? Bring a new scrumptious addition to Taco Tuesdays or Tex Mex Nights at home. This Mexican Chicken Zucchini Skillet recipe will definitely become a new family favorite! It’s made with fresh ingredients and colorful veggies. Also a quick and easy meal option to whip up for busy nights!
What is Tex Mex?
Most people are familiar with the term in references to certain dishes. Tex Mex is a shortened form of Texan Mexican and is used to describe dishes created by Tejano Mexicans living in Texas. Many of the dishes include a mix of traditional Mexican dish ingredients with certain additions or changes. The most common ingredients found in a Tex Mex dish include two or more of the following: shredded cheese of choice, chicken or beef, beans, peppers, and spices, and/or flour tortillas.
What makes Mexican Chicken Zucchini Skillet Tex Mex?
This recipe includes a few of the Tex Mex staple ingredients. You have your yummy black beans and tasty taco seasoning for spices. You also also have your star which is the chicken and of course, can’t forget, mozzarella cheese!
Zucchini
So one day I noticed that I had some zucchini in my fridge that I really needed to use asap. I thought to myself, “What could I make that is tasty, puts the zucchini to good use, EASY, and everyone would enjoy?” Next thing you know, I had some chicken breast cooking and I was chopping away at the zucchini. I knew something great would be on the dinner table, but this dish really exceeded my expectations.
What makes zucchini such a great part of this dish? Simple, it adds wholesomeness and balances textures. Plus, it has a lot of benefits including:
- rich in nutrients like manganese and vitamins especially Vitamin A
- high in antioxidants
- helps maintain healthy digestion
- aids in reducing blood pressure
Mexican Chicken Zucchini Skillet
This recipe can be made in one skillet or pan. Makes for less dishes (YAY!) and saves prep time and clean up time! It’s real easy to prepare and put together so you can have the entire meal, from start to finish, done in about 30 minutes.
You can play around with the ingredients or leave out the higher carb ingredients to create the perfect low carb dinner. Mexican zucchini dishes aren’t common, but they should be a trend. In general, any veggies go great in many varying Mexican dishes. You can even make this dish totally vegetarian by leaving out the chicken. You can make it into a keto tex mex casserole by using beef in place of chicken and going heavy on the cheese and leaving out the higher carb ingredients.
Needless to say, chicken and zucchini marry well in any dish. A simple chicken zucchini casserole taste amazing so imagine adding taco seasoning, other spices, and the other ingredients in my recipe. It’s an out-of-this-world treat for you and your family!
The Best Side Dishes with Mexican Chicken Zucchini Skillet
- Cilantro lime rice
- Chickpea Pasta
- Mexican street corn salad
- Sweet potatoes
- Tangy Mexican Slaw
Chicken and Zucchini Skillet
Tips
- It’s so important that you not overcook the zucchini. If you overcook it, not only will it become mushy but you’ll have a skillet full of water that drains out of the zucchini.
- Zucchini has a 5-7 minute max cook time.
- Don’t drain tomatoes so you can have a juicy final product and a bit of tang in the flavor.
- Use a large skillet so everything fits and you don’t have spills and overflow while cooking or serving.
- You can use shredded rotisserie chicken or leftover grilled chicken.
- For added spice, add chili powder or chili flakes to the skillet or onto your dish.
- Don’t freeze leftovers because zucchini will turn to mush when it thaws.
- Keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. Preheat oven and heat for about 15 minutes to serve warm.
List of Ingredients
- avocado or coconut oil
- onion finely chopped
- garlic cloves minced
- boneless chicken breast or chicken tenders
- can of corn drained
- yellow squash diced
- zucchini diced
- can of black beans drained
- tomato diced
- taco seasoning
- cumin
- salt
- ground black pepper
- mozzarella cheese shredded
- cilantro chopped
Steps to Prep
- Preheat large skilled on medium heat, add in the oil. Add onion and sauté for 3 minutes.
- Move vegetables to the side of the skillet and add chicken. Add the cumin, salt, and black pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add corn, beans, tomatoes, zucchini, and taco seasoning. Stir, cover, and cook on low-medium for 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle with cheese, cover and cook for a few minutes or until cheese has melted. Top with cilantro. Serve hot. Enjoy it on it’s own or with rice, chickpea pasta, or quinoa.
Frequently asked question
Adding the zucchini last while cooking stove top is the best way for for it not to get soggy since it cooks fast.
Not at all. The peel is soft and cooks down fast as well. No need to peel it off. The skin contains rich flavor to meals, so it is best not to peel it off.
Other Recipes to Enjoy
- French Onion Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Air Fried Honey Tortilla Chips
- Best Sweet Potato Casserole
- Taco Mac & Cheese
- Bean Taco Pie
Mexican Chicken Zucchini Skillet
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons avocado or coconut oil
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 3 large garlic cloves minced
- 1 pound boneless chicken breast or chicken tenders cut into 1" pieces
- 14 ounce can of corn drained
- 1 large yellow squash diced
- 2 large zucchini diced
- 14 ounce can of black beans drained
- 1 medium tomato diced
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ground black pepper to taste
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- ½ cup cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Preheat large skilled on medium heat, add in the oil. Add onion and sauté for 3 minutes.
- Move vegetables to the side of the skillet and add chicken. Add the cumin, salt, and black pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add corn, beans, tomatoes, zucchini, and taco seasoning. Stir, cover, and cook on low-medium for 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle with cheese, cover and cook for a few minutes or until cheese has melted. Top with cilantro. Serve hot. Enjoy it on it’s own or with rice, chickpea pasta, or quinoa.
Charlotte says
This is absolutely delish and easy to make! My entire family loves it and that is rare that we all like the same thing. My husband asks me to make this about once a week!