Roadside Green Chile Chicken Skillet
Chicken, green chiles, and creamy pepper jack make a fast skillet dinner with smoky Southwestern flavor.
Prep: 12 · Cook: 23 · Total: 35 · Serves: 4 · Difficulty: Easy · Rating: 4.8/5 (267 reviews)
INSPIRED BY
A fast roadside cafe style skillet with browned chicken, canned green chiles, corn, and a creamy pepper jack finish.
Story
This is the skillet I want after a long drive, the kind of plate that lands hot and smells like green chiles before it hits the table. The chicken gets browned hard, then the sauce goes creamy with pepper jack and a little broth. It is stacked with corn and chiles, but still fast enough for a weeknight. Grab a tortilla, squeeze over lime, and go to town.
By Theo
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (4 oz) diced mild green chiles
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 4 oz cream cheese, cubed
- 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro and warm flour tortillas
Instructions
- Toss the chicken with salt and cumin. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Cook the chicken in a single layer for 5 to 6 minutes, turning once, until browned and cooked through. Transfer it to a plate.
- Add the onion to the skillet and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, green chiles, and corn for 1 minute.
- Pour in the broth and scrape up the browned bits with a wooden spoon, then stir in the cream cheese until smooth.
- Return the chicken to the skillet and sprinkle the pepper jack over the top. Cover for 2 minutes until the cheese melts.
- Finish with cilantro and lime juice. Serve hot with warm tortillas for scooping.
Chef Tips
- Boneless thighs stay juicy, but chicken breast works if you cut it into small pieces.
- For more heat, use hot green chiles or add a few dashes of hot sauce.
- Let the cream cheese soften on the counter so it melts into the broth quickly.
- Store leftovers up to 3 days and loosen the sauce with a splash of broth when reheating.
Cook's Notes
- **Browning:** Cook the chicken in batches if the skillet feels crowded.
- **Sauce:** Keep the heat at medium after adding cream cheese so it stays smooth.
- **Tortillas:** Warm them in a dry skillet for 20 seconds per side.
- **Leftovers:** Add broth before reheating to bring the sauce back together.