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This Spicy Chicken Recipe is the easiest weeknight meal! It only takes 30 minutes to make this dish – it’s a one pot meal. It’s quick and so flavorful with all the spices – your taste buds will love this recipe.
Dinners can be one of the hardest meals of the day to consistently come up with good ideas the whole family will not get tired of. This is one of the BEST Spicy Chicken Recipes ever!
I love making one-pot meals because only having to clean one pan makes dinner taste so much better. For the chicken, we usually have boneless skinless chicken breasts in the freezer but if I’m at the store I’ll often grab a package of chicken breast tenders. I like the taste of them better, probably because they’re smaller and cook faster and more evenly. If you have a busy schedule or need something tasty, this recipe is perfect!
Ingredients in Easy Spicy Chicken
- Chicken Breast Tenders: Or boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into even pieces. You can also use chicken thighs if you prefer them.
- Seasonings: Garlic powder, Onion powder, Italian seasoning, Chipotle Chili Powder, Smoked Paprika. The chili powder is what gives the recipe it’s spicy flavor!
- Vegetables: Corn, Red bell pepper, Zucchini, Jalapeño, Red or yellow onion
How to make Spicy Chicken Dinner
- Mix salt, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika and chili powder in a small bowl. Sprinkle over both sides of the chicken.
- Cook chicken in a large skillet over medium heat about 5 minutes per side or until the chicken is almost cooked through. Remove chicken to a plate.
- Add the onion, bell pepper and jalapeño to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften. Add zucchini and garlic. Season vegetables with about 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook until zucchini starts too brown.
- Add corn to the pan and stir all the vegetables together. Return the chicken to the pan and nestle it in the vegetables. Cover and finish cooking until the chicken is done (internal temperature of 165°F).
- Remove from heat and squeeze the juice of one lime over the pan. Add salt and pepper to taste.
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Expert Tips
- If you use whole chicken breasts, be sure to cut them into bite size or smaller pieces of similar sizes so they cook more evenly.
- Depending on the vegetables you use, be sure to add the softer ones last so they don’t over cook.
- Reduce the chili powder and remove all seeds and ribs of the jalapeño for a less spicy dish (or add those seeds for an even spicier meal).
- Serve hot with noodles or rice, a side salad, or alone.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Spicy Chicken Dinner with corn and zucchini Recipe
Make this easy one pot spicy chicken dinner with corn and zucchini! It's healthy and simple and a 30 minute meal!
Recipe Video
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 1 pound chicken breast tenders or boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
Vegetables:
- 1 small red onion diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 jalapeno seeds and ribs removed and diced
- 1 medium or 2 small zucchini cut small
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups frozen corn
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 Lime
Instructions
- If you’re using full chicken breasts, slice them into smaller uniform size pieces (about 4 per breast depending on size).
- Mix salt, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika and chili powder in a small bowl. Sprinkle over both sides of the chicken.
- Heat a skillet over medium high heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan. Add the chicken in a single layer. Cook about 5 minutes per side or until the chicken is almost cooked through (cooking time depends on thickness of chicken).
- Remove chicken to a plate. Add remaining oil to the skillet and turn heat to medium.
- Add the onion, bell pepper and jalapeño to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften, about 3-4 minutes. Add zucchini and garlic. Season vegetables with about 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook until zucchini starts too brown.
- Add corn to the pan and stir all the vegetables together. Return the chicken to the pan and nestle it in the vegetables. Cover and finish cooking until the chicken is done (internal temperature of 165°F), corn is hot and zucchini is cooked to your liking (less time if you like it al dente, more if you like it softer).
- Remove from heat and squeeze the juice of one lime over the pan. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve hot. Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Recipe Notes
Want it even spicier? Add another 1/4 teaspoon of chili powder and/or a dash of cayenne pepper!
Recipe Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 313kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 727mg | Potassium: 910mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1261IU | Vitamin C: 66mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
I don’t like veggies all that much, but I’m trying to lose some weight AND eat more veg in the process, so I decided to give this recipe a try. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much. Wow! Was I surprised! It’s a very flavorful dish. The combination of spices and that kick of lime juice at the end really comes together beautifully. In fact I think it’s the lime juice that sends it over the top, so don’t skip it. Quick to make, easy to put together and tastes great — I can’t ask for much more from a recipe! Thanks for sharing it.
Glad you like the recipe, Sandy! Thanks so much.
I made this recipe with chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces. Looking at the spices, I knew the amounts were too little. I doubled everything except the salt.
It is was perfect. My family loved it. I will make it again.
Awesome meal! Ticks all the boxes..
Low carbs, very filling, great tasting and so pretty with all those coloured vegetables! Well done!!👍😁
I fixed this recipe tonight for diner. I am always looking for something new to do with chicken. When my husband walked in the door from golf he said
‘ Wow, dinner smells really good’. He loved the chicken with the vegetables and so did I. It is an easy recipe to make and taste amazing. It has a tiny little kick to it and your taste buds will love the combination together. Thanks for all the wonderful recipes you email to folks. I have enjoyed everyone I have made!
Soooo good! I had zucchini in the fridge that needed to be used and this was a huge hit! Super easy and delicious. You won’t regret trying this. I didn’t have chipotle chili powder so just used regular and regular paprika and it turned out delightful!! Going to post on insta with my photo Of finished meal and be sure to tag you! Thanks for this delicious awesomeness!
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