Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Chicken Santa Fe
Melted cheddar makes a colorful topping for this seasoned chicken, with beans and sweet corn nestled above it. The peppers bring a fresh bite against the savory cheese. A piece with plenty of those toppings makes an enjoyable plate without needing a separate sauce.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 25 min
- Original yield
- Serves 4
- Ingredients
- 10 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Chicken · Beans & lentils
- Cuisine
- Mexican
- Cooking method
- Baking · Baked & roasted
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
A few quick notes
1. Season both sides
Coat both sides of the chicken with taco seasoning, salt and pepper before starting the skillet cook.
2. Cook before topping
Cook the chicken through on both sides before adding cheese, beans, pepper and corn above it.
3. Check the melting cheese
Use the brief oven stage to melt the cheddar after the chicken is already cooked.
Get to know the ingredients
Chicken
Thin-cut breasts are the preferred form, though their thickness determines the progress of the skillet cook.
Beans
Rinse and drain the canned black beans before adding them over the cheddar-topped chicken.
Corn
Thaw frozen corn before it joins the beans and red pepper above the cheese layer.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 4. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 5 steps completeMake room for Chicken Santa Fe
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Cilantro after baking
Sprinkle the chicken with chopped cilantro after the cheese melts, then serve with its toppings.
A little more help as you go
Use an oven-safe pan
Choose an oven-safe pan for the initial chicken cook so it can go directly into the oven.
Even cheese coverage
Sprinkle cheddar evenly across the cooked breasts before adding beans, diced pepper and corn.
A few questions you might have
Do the beans cook separately?
Use rinsed canned beans directly over the chicken's cheese layer before the short oven finish.
When do the peppers go in?
Add the diced red pepper with the beans and corn on top of the cheese.
Does all the chicken cook at the same speed?
Its thickness affects cooking, so check each breast is cooked through before applying the toppings.
Is cheddar stirred into a sauce?
No, the shredded cheddar melts directly over the cooked chicken beneath the vegetables and beans.
When should I preheat the oven?
Preheat while heating the pan for the chicken so it is ready for the cheese-melting stage.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: dinneratthezoo.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.