Tex-Mex Chicken with Chiles and Cheese

by Tony Rosenfeld

read reviews (16)

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Serve with rice pilaf, or wrap the chicken in warm corn tortillas.Serves four.

chicken breasts chili powder cumin seeds more more

1-1/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, trimmed and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1-1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3-1/2 Tbs. unsalted butter
1-1/2 cups fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels
1 medium jalapeño, seeded if desired and thinly sliced
1 large clove garlic, minced
2–3 medium limes, 1 or 2 juiced to yield 3 Tbs. and 1 cut into wedges
1 Tbs. chopped fresh oregano
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar

Position a rack about 4 inches from the broiler and heat the broiler to high. Toss the chicken with the chili powder, cumin, 3/4 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. black pepper. Lightly dredge the chicken in the flour and shake off any excess.

Melt 2-1/2 Tbs. of the butter in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Add the remaining 1 Tbs. butter, the corn, jalapeño, garlic, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring, until the corn begins to brown lightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken, lime juice, oregano, and 1/2 cup water. Cook, stirring, until the chicken is just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with the Cheddar and transfer the skillet to the broiler. Broil until the cheese melts and browns on top, about 3 minutes. Serve with lime wedges.

nutrition information (per serving):
Calories (kcal): 470; Fat (kcal): 23; Fat Calories (g): 210; Saturated Fat (g): 13; Protein (g): 38; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 4; Carbohydrates (g): 28; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 1.5; Sodium (mg): 610; Cholesterol (mg): 130; Fiber (g): 3;

photo: Scott Phillips

From Fine Cooking 99, pp. 86

May 6, 2009

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by Jennifer0hmy, 12/26/2009I've made this many times and really like this recipe. It is very quick and easy. I'm not easily impressed and I think it's a solid "good" yet everyone to whom I've served it has LOVED it.

by czburger81, 12/20/2009This was great - I prefer to use smoked paprika instead of the cumin.

by Jason123, 11/16/2009This was not as good as I had hoped, given all the previous rave reviews. It was slightly on the goopy side and did not have the sharp, salty and cheesy tang that I like from a taco like recipe. Maybe it would taste better in a hard taco shell with non cooked cheese, salsa, etc.

by ladyfish, 10/7/2009This IS a great recipe! Very easy to put together and extremely tasty. I thought I had made every combination of Mexican/Tex-Mex ingredients, but I was wrong, and this is now going into frequent rotation in our house. Like another reviewer, I substituted roasted poblano for the jalapeno, I highly recommend that if you like poblanos. I served this with tortillas, avocados and sour cream and my husband called it "the best chicken taco" he'd ever eaten.

by Drillerdave, 7/26/2009Very good recipe, It was very easy to prepare and tasted wonderful, served wit chips. Was a real Hit!!!

by cook1928, 8/23/2009Quick, easy and delicious. I substituted chopped roasted poblanos for the jalapenos. I roast, peel chop and IQF about 12 at a time and keep them in freezer bags, then can pull out whatever I need.

by Dorrybea, 7/21/2009Fantastic! Even my son who does not like Mexican food loved this. This is easy enough to pull off even after a busy day. I served it with rice pilaf as suggested, cornbread, and topped it with sliced avocado and sour cream. I did, however, use more chicken (1-1/3 to 1-1/2 lbs.) instead of 1-1/4 lbs. suggested in the recipe to feed 4 good appetites.

by gromett75, 7/6/2009All of my men went nuts over this!! This is a family keeper. I used fresh corn for a nice crunch and I seeded the pepper to make it more kid friendly. But all the flavors work together to make a mouth watering meal!!

by xianne, 6/27/2009I seeded my jalapeno (that's the only thing I regret doing in this recipe)! This is a fantabulous meal - and so very fast! I added a little more lime juice to give it an extra twang, and more sharp cheddar:)

by Amy, 6/3/2009Yummy!!

by rennis47, 5/31/2009Excellent. 'nuff said.

by cklawrence, 5/20/2009I made this to serve with tortillas with guacamole and sour cream. Was a very nice easy quick meal. Will make again!

by nktaube, 5/14/2009Great, bold flavors. I used the full amount of jalapeno and chili powder and didn't find it overpowering. I did deseed my jalapeno though. I cut back the butter, but both my husband and I found this very tasty.

by Elonios, 5/12/2009This was really quick, easy and delicious. I tossed the chicken in whole wheat flour-and you couldn't tell it was whole wheat when it was cooked. Also, I only used a third of the butter called for. I sauteed the chicken in a T of olive oil and did the corn/jalapeno/5 cloves garlic in the butter. Also topped with fresh cilantro and chives when it came out of the oven. Served with some spanish rice, corn chips and pico de gallo. Yum-really worth making because of taste and quickness.

by Itsgigi, 5/12/2009I "made it tonight" and we all agreed that it was very tasty and would be great served in tortillas (crisp or soft) with guacamole and salsa. I did, however, make one very important change; I used only 1/2 tsp. chili powder. There was a good hint of flavor, but it didn't overpower the chicken. I have used what seemed a lot of chili powder when reading other recipes, and I have learned to err on the side of caution. This time it paid off. I will definitely make this again and will be passing it on to my friends! Thanks for a great addition to my cook book!!