This Easy Chicken Skillet Dinner Is Perfect for Summer

It’s a creamy, spiced one-pan meal.

By
Jessica Furniss
Jessica Furniss
Jessica Furniss
Jessica's food writing and photography have appeared in Food & Wine, MyRecipes, and on billboards. Currently, she specializes in creating how-to articles on baking and creative charcuterie boards for Simply Recipes, Allrecipes, and Southern Living. 
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Published June 16, 2025
Jessica Furniss
close-up, overhead view of Southwest Creamed Corn and Chicken Skillet, garnished with herbs, green onions, and lime slices

Simply Recipes / Jessica Furniss

Creamed corn is my favorite way to eat corn, and has been since I was a kid. I’d ask for it at nearly every meal because I thought there was something special about how summer’s favorite vegetable transformed into a creamy side dish.

Creamed corn is delicious made from scratch or out of a can, but my go-to for busy weeknight meals is the frozen kind. The texture and flavor of a package of Birds Eye McKenzie’s White Creamed Corn beats the canned stuff every time, and that’s why it’s the star of this Southwest creamed corn skillet with chicken. 

If you’re a fan of skillet meals with creamy, spicy Southwest flavors, then this is the dish for you. Chicken breasts are seared, then baked over a rich mixture of creamed corn, chicken broth, cream cheese, RO-TEL tomatoes, and taco seasoning for a one-pan meal you’ll make again and again.

This chicken dish can be made in a cast-iron or stainless steel skillet, and it can be dressed up with toppings like cilantro, green onions, jalapeños, or a squeeze of fresh lime juice. 

overhead view of Southwest Creamed Corn and Chicken Skillet

Simply Recipes / Jessica Furniss

The Key Ingredients

  • If you can’t find the frozen McKenzie’s White Creamed Corn, you can substitute one and a half (15-ounce) cans of creamed corn. Just skip the 15 minutes of cooking time that the recipe calls for to thaw the frozen corn. Instead, add the canned corn to the skillet with the chicken broth and cream cheese. 
  • The RO-TEL tomatoes and chiles give this recipe a spicy kick, so for a milder flavor, you can substitute a can of diced tomatoes. 
  • I sometimes also like to add beans to this recipe, either to make it stretch a little further and feed more folks, or in place of the chicken to make it a vegetarian skillet meal. Black beans or kidney beans are my favorites, but pinto beans work well, too. 

Tips for Making This Chicken Skillet

  • It’s important to add the ingredients in the proper order in this recipe, so follow the instructions closely. 
  • Be sure to turn the temperature down and add the chicken broth to the pan before adding the frozen corn. The chicken broth will deglaze any remnants left over from the chicken and it will prevent the frozen corn from splattering when it hits the oil in the skillet. 
  • Allow the corn to fully thaw in the skillet with the chicken broth before adding the cream cheese, or else the cream cheese can burn. 
  • I love to serve this meal alongside a fresh salad like ALDI’s Little Salad Bar Southwest Chopped Salad Kit.
plate of Southwest Creamed Corn and Chicken, garnished with herbs, green onions, and lime slices

Simply Recipes / Jessica Furniss

Southwest Creamed Corn and Chicken Skillet

Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 60 mins
Total Time 65 mins
Servings 4 servings
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Ingredients

  • 4 chicken breasts (1 1/2 to 2 pounds total)

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

  • 1 (20-ounce) package frozen creamed corn (such as Birds Eye McKenzie’s)

  • 1/2 block (4 ounces) cream cheese

  • 1 (10-ounce) can RO-TEL Original Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles

  • 1 teaspoon taco seasoning (store-bought or homemade)

  • Optional toppings: lime wedges, chopped cilantro, sliced green onions, sliced jalapeños

Method

  1. Preheat the oven:

    Preheat the oven to 375°F. Season the chicken breasts on both sides with the salt and pepper.

  2. Sear the chicken:

    In a large oven-safe skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add two of the chicken breasts and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Set the chicken aside on a plate (it won’t be fully cooked yet), and repeat, cooking the remaining chicken breasts and adding them to the plate when they’re done.

  3. Make the corn mixture:

    Reduce the heat to low and add the chicken broth to the skillet, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.

    Increase the heat to medium-low and add the frozen creamed corn. Cover with a lid and cook until the corn is fully thawed, about 15 minutes, stirring and gently scraping up the corn from the bottom of the pan every 3 to 4 minutes.

    Once the corn is fully thawed, add the cream cheese and stir until fully incorporated. Then, add the tomatoes and taco seasoning and stir to combine. Remove from the heat.

  4. Bake:

    Arrange the chicken on top of the corn mixture and bake until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160°F on an instant-read thermometer, 25 to 30 minutes. Allow to rest for 5 minutes, then serve with your favorite toppings.

    Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a skillet over medium heat, adding a little water to thin the sauce as needed.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
464 Calories
19g Fat
30g Carbs
46g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 464
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 19g 24%
Saturated Fat 7g 37%
Cholesterol 161mg 54%
Sodium 1013mg 44%
Total Carbohydrate 30g 11%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 46g
Vitamin C 11mg 55%
Calcium 56mg 4%
Iron 2mg 8%
Potassium 930mg 20%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.