Easiest Mexican Chicken Recipe Ever (2024)

13 Comments / By Kiran Dodeja Smith / November 17, 2016 / Recipes

5 Reviews / 4.8 Average

If you can rip open a bag and open a can, you're halfway there! This is a go-to for us because it's easy to tweak and we often have the ingredients on hand.

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By blog team member, Kiran. To learn more about Kiran, check out ourteam pageor her blog!

We all have go-to recipes we turn to on busy nights when we don’t have time to cook. Or nights when we just don’t feel like cooking. This Easy Mexican Chicken is one of ours.

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My husband and I came up with this recipe back when we were dating. Yeah, that’ll take us back 16 years ago – yikes! It was a go-to for us because we always had most ingredients on hand, and it was always one that we could tweak with minor changes. It’s basic upon basic, I know. I mean, if you can rip open a bag and open a can, you’re halfway there! So we came up with these silly names for it to make it sound fancier than it really is – El Pollo was one and Chicken Especial was another. Ah, the dating days …

Back then, we used whatever canned chicken we could find. I had yet to learn about the importance of organic, real food and did not even realize until last year there is now an organic canned chicken option from Valley Fresh! Part of what makes it a better product is that it has minimal ingredients – three to be exact: chicken, water (or broth), and sea salt. You won’t find any unwanted preservatives or artificial ingredients. Lisa created a chicken salad recipe with it, and you can substitute it in most recipes that call for shredded or chunks of chicken.

Easy Mexican Chicken

If you can rip open a bag and open a can, you're halfway there! This is a go-to for us because it's easy to tweak and we often have the ingredients on hand.

5 Reviews / 4.8 Average

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 10 minutes mins

Total Time: 15 minutes mins

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Mexican

Method: Freezer Friendly

Diet: Dairy Free, Egg Free, Gluten Free, Peanut/Tree Nut-Free

Ingredients

1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 onion (medium, diced)
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 10-oz can chicken (Valley Fresh organic, drained (see note))
1 can diced tomatoes (drained)
1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)
cheese (shredded, optional)

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a skillet or cast iron pan. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 - 3 minutes.
Add corn and cumin and cook for 1 minute.
Add chicken, tomatoes, and black beans and cook for 4 - 5 minutes with an occasional stir.
Add cheese and cook to combine for one minute.
Serve on tortillas, with rice, or on tortilla chips.

Notes

1. I typically double the chicken in this recipe and use 2 cans because of our family size (6 people) and because my husband loves meat, but this recipe works fine with 1 can, too.

2. Dairy free if cheese is omitted.

3. Gluten free if served with gluten-free tortillas, chips, or rice.

4. We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.

Nutrition Facts

Easy Mexican Chicken

Amount Per Serving

Calories 162Calories from Fat 27

% Daily Value*

Fat 3g5%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Cholesterol 2mg1%

Sodium 423mg18%

Potassium 615mg18%

Carbohydrates 28g9%

Fiber 9g38%

Sugar 3g3%

Protein 9g18%

Vitamin A 120IU2%

Vitamin C 14.9mg18%

Calcium 79mg8%

Iron 3.7mg21%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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