Cheesy Baja Chicken Bell Pepper (Printable View)
One-pan Baja-style chicken with bell peppers, bold spices, and melted cheese for an easy, satisfying weeknight meal.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Meats
01 - 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into strips
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 red bell pepper, sliced
03 - 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
04 - 1 green bell pepper, sliced
05 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
→ Spices
07 - 1 and 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
08 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
09 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
10 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
11 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
12 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
→ Dairy
13 - 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
14 - 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
→ Pantry
15 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
16 - 1/4 cup chicken broth or water
17 - Juice of 1 lime
→ Fresh
18 - 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish
# Cooking Steps:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced chicken and cook until just cooked through and lightly golden, about 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.
02 - In the same skillet, add a little more oil if needed. Add the sliced bell peppers and red onion. Sauté until vegetables are softened, approximately 5 minutes.
03 - Stir in the minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Sprinkle chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper over the vegetables. Toss to coat evenly with the spices.
04 - Return the cooked chicken to the skillet. Pour in chicken broth and lime juice, scraping any browned bits from the pan. Mix thoroughly to combine all ingredients.
05 - Reduce heat to low. Evenly distribute Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese over the chicken and vegetables. Cover the skillet and allow cheese to melt for 3 to 5 minutes, until bubbly.
06 - Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- If you crave meals that do all the heavy lifting in one pan, this one keeps cleanup a breeze and flavors robust.
- That first, molten forkful of cheese, chicken, and pepper guaranteed it a spot in my regular dinner rotation.
02 -
- If you cook the garlic for more than a minute or two, it’ll burn and turn bitter so watch it closely.
- Freshly grating the cheese instead of using pre-shredded makes all the oozy difference—trust me, I learned the hard way.
03 -
- The cheese-melting step is best done covered and off heat; it’ll gently finish bubbling with no risk of scorching.
- A squeeze of lime right at the end brightens every bite—don’t skip it.