Looking for a quick and easy weekday meal layered with delicious flavour? Then you’re in luck with this Mexican-style single skillet chicken and pasta.
The chicken stays moist and juicy, the pasta is kid-friendly, and it’s easy to hide extra veggies in this dish (toss in a handful of spinach – no one will notice!). Here’s what you’ll need:
Ingredients:
- 500g chicken breasts, cut into 3cm chunks (if the chicken’s frozen, make sure you start thawing it the night before!)
- 15g (1 Tbsp) chilli powder
- 15g (1 Tbsp) cumin
- 7g (1.5 tsp) paprika
- 7g (1.5 tsp) garlic powder
- 7g (1.5 tsp) onion powder
- 1 red, yellow, or orange capsicum, diced
- 1 jalapeno, deseeded and ribs removed, minced
- 1 red onion
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 500ml (2 Cups) of your favourite whole wheat pasta (rotini and penne work well)
- 500ml (2 Cups) chicken stock or broth
- 125ml (1/2 Cup) shredded Tex Mex cheese
Here’s how you can put this recipe all together:
- Start by putting the Mexican seasoning together by combining the chilli powder and cumin with the paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Grab a large skillet. Add a bit of olive oil (about 15ml) and set it to medium-high heat.
- Take the chicken chunks and sprinkle about 15g of the Mexican seasoning over top of it. Add some salt and pepper to taste.
- Place the chicken in your heated skillet and cook until the cubes are browned and cooked through (less than five minutes).
- Remove the chicken and add a bit more olive oil if the pan looks dry. Now add the vegetables and another 15g of the Mexican seasoning and saute until they have softened a bit (approximately five minutes).
- With your veggies still in the skillet, add the pasta along with the chicken stock and the rest of the Mexican seasoning. Bring it to a boil and continue to boil until the pasta is al dente (approximately ten minutes). Stir every couple of minutes.
- When the pasta is cooked, remove the skillet from heat and add the cheese and chicken. Stir, top with coriander if you please, and serve!
This recipe makes enough for roughly five servings. Can’t finish it all in one night? Here’s some good news: it makes for a fantastic lunch the next day.
Bon appetit!
Photo by The Garlic Diaries