This southwestern style chicken is a quick family casserole good for busy week nights. Combines bright southwestern flavors with chicken and cheddar cheese.
Every once in a while I find a recipe that turns out so well I can’t wait to make it again. I love those, don’t you?
This Southwestern Style Chicken is definitely one. I first tried it out on a Wednesday night and it was so awesome that I made it again on Saturday.
It easily fits the quick and easy category and it’s definitely kid-friendly. Especially if your kids like tacos!
Of course, you know that I had to tweak the original recipe, don’t you? That original recipe was called “Mexican Chicken,” but by the time I’d thrown in some black olives and used cheddar cheese, it didn’t seem quite right to label it “Mexican.” It became somewhat more international, I think, thus the title Southwestern Style Chicken.
I also thought about using Monterey Jack instead of the cheddar, but honestly, I don’t think it would be quite as good with jack cheese. There’s just something about that combination of enchilada sauce and cheddar that’s pretty unbeatable. I hope you’ll give this one a try and let me know what you think.
How to Make Southwestern Style Chicken
To start, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a casserole or baking dish with cooking spray and set it aside.
Next, you’ll need to cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and toss them with some taco seasoning. You can use a purchased taco seasoning, or mix up your own. I’m including my taco seasoning recipe for you. It’s easy to put together and keeps a long time in the pantry.
Put a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. Cook the chicken until it’s a little browned and has stiffened up. Don’t worry about cooking it all the way through, it will finish cooking in the oven. You just want to get some good browning on it at this point.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the salt, enchilada sauce, black olives, cilantro, and green chilies. Turn the mixture into the prepared casserole or baking dish.
Top the mixture with the grated cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Remove from the oven and scatter green onions over the top.
Serve with warm flour or corn tortillas – whichever you prefer. I usually serve with sides of buttered, whole kernel corn and guacamole salad.
🧾 More Recipes You’ll Like
- Slow Cooker Southwestern Pork Stew
- Southwest Chicken Casserole
- Southwest Pulled Pork Sliders from the Slow Cooker
- Huevos and Grits
- Chicken Quesadillas with Avocado Salad
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Southwestern Style Chicken
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning (use 1 package of purchased or see recipe below to make your own)
- 4 tablespoons oil
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- 10 ounces purchased canned enchilada sauce
- 10 large black olives sliced
- ½ cup cilantro
- 4 ounces canned green chilies diced
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese grated
- 5 green onions chopped
For the taco seasoning:
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
To make the taco seasoning:
- Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Mix well. Store leftovers in a tightly sealed container.
To make the casserole:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Coat a casserole or baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
- Toss the chicken with the taco seasoning. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook, stirring, until chicken is almost cooked through. It will finish cooking in the oven.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the salt, enchilada sauce, black olives, cilantro, and green chilies. Turn the mixture into the prepared casserole or baking dish. Sprinkle the top with the grated cheese.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
- Remove from the oven and scatter green onions over the top.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
Have a question or thought to share?
If you have a question about the recipe or if you’ve made it and want to share how it turned out, I would truly enjoy hearing from you. Just scroll down to leave a comment or add your star rating.
Thank you for stopping by. It means a lot to have you here.
I’m Lana Stuart, an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, and lifelong cook raised deep in Southwest Georgia. I started Lana’s Cooking in 2009 to share the tried-and-true recipes I grew up with. Around here, the food is full of flavor, the traditions run deep, and there’s always room at the table.
This looks SOUL-warming. Yum. I love ooey-gooey cheesy casseroles…especially when they’ve got a little kick. Bookmarking.
Definitely bookmarking this one for La Crosse season – a perfect mid week dinner with ALL the flavors I love!!
You know, Nancy, at first I was skeptical about the cheddar with the enchilada sauce. I mean, you just naturally think of Monterey jack or a true mexican cheese, don’t you? But I have to say, it’s really a knockout combination. I don’t think it would be nearly as delicious with a different cheese.
Hubby loves chicken, and I love southwest flavors. So this delicious dish would be perfect for us! Yum, Hugs, Terra
Definitely would, Terra! Hope you both enjoy it.
Looks delicious – and EASY – thanks, Lana!
This sounds so good Lana. I need to add this to my chicken rotation. :) Yum!! Pinning!
Please do give it a try. I just know you’ll like it. And thanks for pinning!
This recipe looks SO delicious!! I must make it! :)
Thanks, Amanda. I do hope you’ll try it.
Sounds so good…and nothing wrong with easy; I need some of that right now!
Thanks too for mentioning my Cilantro Rice. It is deceptive. You think it’s just rice of sorts…and then I almost finished off the entire dish with ‘just one more bite.’ Wish I was kidding. :)
You’re welcome, Barb. Your cilantro rice recipe is so good. It goes perfectly with lots of mexican/southwestern recipes. This one included!