Whip up this cheesy, creamy chicken and peppers skillet dinner in just 30 minutes! Packed with Mexican-inspired spices, it’s a low carb, gluten-free dinner with minimal clean up and maximum flavour.
Why you will love this recipe
- It has a subtle heat to it from Mexican-inspired spices, which you can lighten up, if needed
- You can prep and cook it in 30 minutes in one pan on the stovetop
- It is gluten-free
- No need to turn on the oven (perfect for hot days)
- It is balanced with protein, fibre, and healthy fats
- It is creamy and cheesy (the ultimate comfort food)
- You can serve it on its own or with rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice for variety
Key ingredients you will need (plus alternatives)
Chicken breast – Boneless and skinless
Bell peppers – A variety of red, yellow, orange, and/or green
Onion – Yellow or red
Spices – Chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, oregano, sea salt (adjust salt amount if using chicken broth that has sodium added)
Cornstarch – To thicken the cheese sauce and is gluten-free. You can also use all-purpose flour
Sour cream – Adds a rich creaminess to the sauce. Cream cheese could also be an option or alternative
Heavy cream – I used 18%, but whipping cream or half and half also work. You might have to adjust or omit the cornstarch, depending on how heavy your cream is. This will determine how thick your sauce will get
Chicken broth – This adds flavour and keeps the sauce saucy!
Grated cheese – I used a blend of cheddar, mozzarella, and Jack. You could try jalapeno for more spice, and parmesan
Garnishes – Red pepper flakes, jalapeno peppers, green onion, cilantro
Can you make it less or more spicy?
I find the recipe, as it is published here, to be really mild with just the chili powder. If you add the red pepper flakes and jalapenos as garnish, it will be more spicy. Just omit them if you want less heat.
What to serve this creamy chicken dinner with
Rice: Since there isn’t much nutritional value to rice, I love to cook it in chicken or bone broth to elevate its protein content and nutrients
Quinoa: This seed (not a grain!) is gluten-free and protein-rich. Adding a scoop of cooked quinoa to this recipe would be a great way to boost the protein content and fibre
Cauliflower “rice”: A low carb version of rice that also adds more fibre to your meal. If you don’t buy it already prepared, then it’s easy to make. Remove the stem from the head of cauliflower and either chop it by hand into the tiniest pieces, or pulse it in a food processor until it breaks down into pieces the size of a grain of rice. I like to sautee it for a few minutes in chicken broth or olive oil, sea salt and pepper
How to make this recipe in one skillet on the stovetop
- Heat some olive oil in the skillet on low-medium heat. Cut the chicken breasts into long, thin strips and start to brown them in the heated pan for 3-4 minutes, turning over to cook both sides
- Cut the onion into long strips and add them to the chicken. Sautee them for a few minutes until they start to become translucent
- Cut the bell peppers in half, scoop out the seeds, slice them into long strips and add them to the pan. Coat everything with the spices, stir together and cook another 3 minutes
- Sprinkle everything with the cornstarch and mix in well. Pour in the cream, sour cream, and chicken broth. Stir together, cover the pan with a lid, increase the heat until the mixture comes to a gentle boil, and let everything cook here for 20 minutes
- Remove the lid, stir in the grated cheese, and let it melt while the skillet cools slightly. The sauce will thicken up as it cools
- Serve as is, or with cooked rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice (see tips above)
Cheesy Chicken and Peppers Skillet (Gluten-free)
Ingredients
- 2 whole chicken breast boneless, skinless, cut into strips
- 1/2 yellow onion cut into strips
- 1 red bell pepper cut into strips
- 1 yellow bell pepper cut into strips
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp sea salt or to taste
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup chicken broth low or no sodium
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 cup grated cheese
- Garnish options: lime wedges red pepper flakes, cilantro, jalapeno peppers
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in the skillet on low-medium heat. Cut the chicken breasts into long, thin strips and start to brown them in the heated pan for 3-4 minutes, turning over to cook both sides
- Cut the onion into long strips and add them to the chicken. Sautee them for a few minutes until they start to become translucent
- Cut the bell peppers in half, scoop out the seeds, slice them into long strips and add them to the pan. Coat everything with the spices, stir together and cook another 3 minutes
- Sprinkle everything with the cornstarch and mix well. Pour in the cream, sour cream, and chicken broth. Stir together, cover the pan with a lid, increase the heat until the mixture comes to a gentle boil, and let everything cook here for 20 minutes
- Remove the lid, stir in the grated cheese, and let it melt while the skillet cools slightly. The sauce will thicken up as it cools
- Serve as is, or with cooked rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice
Video
Nutrition
If you love healthy Mexican recipes, try these next
Veggie Tacos with Chipotle Sauce
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