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Cowboy Chicken is a quick and easy casserole packed with bold flavors and hearty ingredients! Featuring juicy chicken, seasoned corn, fire roasted tomatoes, green chilies, and black beans covered in melty cheese, Cowboy Chicken delivers a family-favorite casserole perfect for any night of the week.
Looking for more easy flavor-packed Tex-Mex Chicken Recipes? Don’t miss my recipes for Chicken Enchilada Casserole, Tex-Mex Chicken and Sweet Potatoes, and Chicken Al Pastor.
If you are looking for an easy chicken recipe that packs some serious flavor, let me introduce you to Cowboy Chicken.
No, not the restaurant chain known as Cowboy chicken, but a bold and flavorful Tex-Mex Chicken Dish, sometimes referred to as Sante Fe Chicken, filled with flavor, yet made with super simple, inexpensive ingredients.
You are going to making this quick and easy chicken recipe on repeat! It is a family-favorite!
Helpful Tips Before We Get Cooking
- Chicken Options: Use boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs. Whatever you like or have on hand. You can opt to purchase thinly sliced chicken cutlets, or pound the chicken yourself to save some money.
- Sear the Chicken & Saute the Onions. Taking the time to brown the seasoned chicken and sauté the onions prior to baking the casserole enhances the texture and flavor of this dish.
- Choose the Right Tomatoes. Opt to use fire-roasted diced tomatoes vs regular diced tomatoes, to add a smokiness to the casserole. Perfect for cowboys and cowgirls!
- Don’t Skip the Mexicorn Mexican Style corn is made with corn kernels, bell peppers, and seasonings. It is the perfect compliment to the chicken and bean mixture.
- A Fresh Lime is Key! Drizzling the baked chicken casserole with fresh lime juice makes all the flavors pop and the dish taste so fresh. Don’t overlook it!
How to Make Cowboy Chicken
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1. Prepare Chicken. If not using thinly sliced chicken, it is best to place the chicken breasts (or thighs) between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound gently with a heavy skillet or meat mallet until even in thickness. Then rub the seasonings into the chicken, coating to cover.
2. Sear Chicken. Heat a bit of oil in a large skillet. Add the seasoned chicken and cook, undisturbed for 2-3 minutes per side, or until the chicken is browned and pulls away easily from the pan. Remove the chicken from the skillet, placing it into a large casserole dish.
3. Prepare Beans Mixture. Using the same skillet used to sear chicken, sauté the minced onion in a bit of oil over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, or until the onion has begun to soften. Add in minced garlic cloves and sauté for 30-seconds longer, just to toast. Turn off the heat. Add beans, tomatoes, Mexicorn, green chilies, and seasonings into the skillet (or large mixing bowl) and stir to combine.
4. Assemble Cowboy Chicken. Pour the bean mixture over the chicken and spread to evenly distribute the mixture over the chicken. Top generously with shredded cheese.
5. Bake Casserole. Bake until the chicken reaches 165 degrees F, which is about 35-40 minutes. Don’t overbake, to ensure the chicken will not dry out.
Serving Suggestions
Featuring protein-rich chicken and hearty beans, this Cowboy Chicken makes a hearty, all-in one meal. However, there are MANY delicious options for serving this casserole.
- Add Toppings: Top with sour cream, minced cilantro, diced avocado, guacamole, shredded lettuce, minced onions, fresh salsa, pickled jalapenos, tortilla chips, etc.
- Serve with a Salad: Serve with a side salad OR use leftover Cowboy chicken to make a delicious version of a Southwest Chicken Salad.
- Serve over Grains: Stretch this casserole to feed more mouths by serving further by serving Cowboy Chicken over quinoa, rice, or couscous (think Instant Pot Brown Rice, Instant Pot Jasmine Rice, Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice, Instant Pot Spanish Rice, or Instant Pot Quinoa.)
- Make a Taco or Burrito: Chop the baked chicken into bite-sized pieces and serve in your favorite taco shell or tortilla with all your favorite toppings.
- Make a Sandwich: Use the baked Cowboy Chicken to make a delicious version of a chicken torta.
Recipe Modifications
- Lower the Sodium: Omit the added salt and use low-sodium canned tomatoes.
- No Mexican-Style Corn? Replace it with 1 cup of frozen corn kernels and sauté a small red bell along with the onion.
- Use Salsa in Place of Diced Tomatoes: Instead of fire-roasted tomatoes, use 2 cups of your favorite salsa. You can skip the added onion if desired as well.
- Make It Cheesier: Cover the casserole with 2 cups of cheese instead of one.
- Keep it Dairy-Free: Omit the addition of cheese. I promise you, it will still be delicious!
- Swap out the Beans: Feel free to replace the black beans with pinto beans or red beans.
Storage Instructions
- Refrigerate: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: Store cooled, leftover Cowboy chicken in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
- Reheat: Reheat the leftover casserole in a baking dish, covered with foil, at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until warmed through. Alternatively, reheat individual servings on a heat-safe plate covered with a damp paper towel in the microwave.
More Tex-Mex Favorite Recipes
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Cowboy Chicken
Featuring juicy chicken, seasoned corn, fire roasted tomatoes, green chilies, and black beans covered in melty cheese, Cowboy Chicken is a quick and easy casserole packed with bold flavors and hearty ingredients.
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Servings: 6
Calories: 299kcal
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 or 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray or oil and set aside.
Trim off any fat or grizzle from the chicken and then place each piece of chicken between two pieces of plastic wrap or parchment paper and use a meat mallet or heavy skillet to pound the chicken until it is about 1 to 1-¼ inches thick.
In a small bowl, combine 2 teaspoons chili powder, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon onion powder, and ½ teaspoon oregano together. Using half of this spice mixture, liberally sprinkle evenly over each side of the chicken. Reserve the rest of the spice blend.
Heat ½ tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, or until just golden. Remove the chicken from the skillet and place into the prepared pan.
To the same skillet that you browned the chicken, add in an additional ½ tablespoon of oil if the pan is dry. Add the diced onion and sauté over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, or until the onion has begun to soften. Add in the 3 minced garlic cloves and sauté for 30-seconds longer, just to toast. Turn off the heat, and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
To the onions, add 15 ounce can of drained black beans, 15 ounce can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes, an 11-ounce can of drained Mexicorn, a 4 ounce can of green chilies, and the remaining seasoning mixture.
Spread the bean and tomato mixture over the chicken in the baking dish and then top with 1 cup of shredded cheese.
Bake uncovered at 375˚F for 35-40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and reaches and internal temperature of 165˚F.
Remove from the oven and squeeze the fresh lime juice over the chicken and serve with any desired toppings.
Notes
No Mexican-Style Corn? Replace it with 1 cup of frozen corn kernels and sauté a small red bell along with the onion.
Use Salsa in Place of Diced Tomatoes: Instead of fire-roasted tomatoes, use 2 cups of your favorite salsa. You can skip the added onion if desired as well.
Make It Cheesier: Cover the casserole with 2 cups of cheese instead of one.
Dairy-Free: Omit the addition of cheese. I promise you, it will still be delicious!
Leftovers: Allow to cool slightly then transfer to an airtight or freezer-safe storage container. Refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before reheating. Reheat the cowboy chicken in a baking dish, covered with foil, at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until warmed through. Alternatively, reheat individual servings on a heat-safe plate covered with a damp paper towel in the microwave.
Nutrition
Calories: 299kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 118mg | Sodium: 325mg | Potassium: 663mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 815IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 181mg | Iron: 1mg
