30-Minute Mexican Chicken and Zucchini Skillet couldn’t be any easier to make and results in a nutritious, tasty meal! Simply toss everything in one skillet, cook, and you’re in for a lovely lunch or dinner.
Friends who don’t love to cook, have I got a recipe for you?!
This quick and easy one-pot 20-Minute Mexican Chicken and Zucchini Skillet is the type of meal anyone can make under virtually any time crunch with any set of culinary skills.
Let me explain just why.
Ordinarily, when I make recipes that involve various types of vegetables and a protein, I cook the meal in stages, first by sauteing the hardy vegetables, then adding the protein, then the less hardy vegetables, etc.
This time, I had a fancy thought.
What would happen if I just dump everything in the skillet and cook it all at the same time?
Just for funsies, in the name of science, for the sake of experimentation.
The end result was shocking, as I felt the meal turned out better than it would have had I gone through all of my usual steps of cooking various ingredients at various stages.
In essence, the dump and cook was the way to go in this case.
So you see, preparing this healthy dinner recipe is a total cinch and requires far less time than deciding what to order for takeout.
Ingredients for 30-Minute Mexican Chicken and Zucchini Skillet:
Avocado oil, boneless skinless chicken breasts, zucchini, bell pepper, red onion, chili powder, garlic powder, sea salt BOOM that’s it!
Feel free to toss in any of your favorite vegetables. Carrots, broccoli, red cabbage, and diced tomatoes would be my additions if I so chose.
Let’s talk about ways you can change up the recipe to make it a family favorite!
Recipe Changeups:
If you’re anything like me, you can’t leave a recipe alone and simply have to make adjustments. Here are some ideas to you-ify this situation.
Need to make it a little more enticing? Simply add grated mozzarella or jack cheese at the end!
Interested in a little bean action? Toss in a can of black beans or garbanzos…we’ve got options!
Love spicy food? Add hot sauce, a jalapeno or two, and/or serve with salsa. We’ve got this!
Avocado fanatic? Slice, dice and let it rain avo!
Into tacos, burritos, or burrito bowls? You know what to do!
How to Make 30-Minute Mexican Chicken and Zucchini Skillet:
Add all of the ingredients to a large non-stick skillet and heat to medium-high. Stir the mixture well and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and the zucchini reaches desired done-ness, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Serve with your choice of side dishes. More sautéed or roasted vegetables and steamed brown rice are my picks, but serve it up how you like it!
More Healthy Easy Skillet Meals:
- Crispy Skillet Salmon with Lemon Caper Dill Sauce
- Teriyaki Ground Turkey Skillet with Vegetables
- Mexican Vegan Black Bean Sweet Potato Skillet
- Ground Turkey Taco Skillet
- Mediterranean Shrimp Skillet
Mexican chicken + zucchini skillet forever!
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1 cup red onion, sliced
- 2 large zucchini, or 3 medium, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, cored and chopped
- 1 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp sea salt, to taste
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a large non-stick skillet and heat to medium-high. Stir the mixture well and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and the zucchini reaches desired done-ness, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Serve with your choice of side dishes. More sautéed or roasted vegetables and steamed brown rice are my picks, but serve it up how you like it!
Nutrition
michele
Thursday 27th of July 2023
Very easy and tasty. A great base dish to add on other ingredients. I halved everything for 2 people except olive oil (no avocado) as I was cooking on a carbon steel skillet. Used leftover rotisserie chicken. Added cheddar and Monterey Jack.
Julia
Tuesday 1st of August 2023
All of that sounds amazing, Michele! Thanks so much for sharing your experience!