Cheesy Baja Chicken Bell Pepper (Printable)
One-pan Baja chicken with sauteed bell peppers, smoky spices, and melted Monterey Jack and cheddar.
# What You'll Need:
→ Meats
01 - 1 lb 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 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
# How-To Steps:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken strips and sauté until cooked through and lightly golden, approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
02 - In the same skillet, add additional oil if needed. Sauté the red, yellow, and green bell peppers with red onion for about 5 minutes until softened.
03 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until aromatic. Add chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper. Toss vegetables to coat evenly with spices.
04 - Return sautéed chicken to the skillet. Pour in chicken broth and lime juice, scraping any browned bits from the bottom. Stir to integrate ingredients.
05 - Reduce heat to low. Evenly sprinkle Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses over the skillet contents. Cover and allow to melt for 3 to 5 minutes until cheese is bubbly.
06 - Remove from heat. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and serve immediately.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- All it takes is one skillet and a swirl of spices to fill your kitchen with irresistible aromas.
- This recipe practically guarantees there’ll be no leftovers—everyone goes back for seconds.
02 -
- If you crowd the skillet, the veggies steam instead of caramelize—work in batches if you must, I learned quickly!
- Letting the cheese melt with the lid on is a game changer—impatiently skipping the cover leaves you with patchy cheese puddles.
03 -
- If you want those perfect charred pepper edges, let them sit untouched for a minute before stirring.
- Hand shred your cheese—the melt is silkier and you skip the anti-caking stuff in bags.