Looking for a quick, easy recipe that won’t ruin your macros but that everyone will love? Look no further, this creamy and delicious high protein fiesta chicken recipe is fast, easy, delicious and healthy. It is perfect to spice up your meal prep rotation or even serves as a great party dish. It can be eaten on its own like a soup, served over rice, or scooped up as a chip dip. This versatile dish is a crowd pleaser that is sure to become a staple in your recipe list!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Low budget friendly → costing less than $3 per serving, this meal is not only easy to make but it’s cheap too!
- Quick & simple → only 10 minutes of prep (and that is if you prefer to trim your chicken breasts), set it in the crockpot and forget it for hours
- Family and macro-friendly → this recipe is high in protein, low in fat calories and is still loved by kids! It’s a family-friendly recipe that all will enjoy while keeping up with your protein goals
- Make ahead → you can easily make a large batch and portion it out to freeze if needed
- Versatile → add or remove ingredients to spice things up or tone it down (add some cayenne or chili powder for more spice, remove the cream cheese for a more calorie-friendly option)
The Ingredients You Will Need
This is one of the most simple dishes to make. I love it because it’s perfect for days when I’m not feeling very creative and have no idea what to make. I often find that I already have most of the ingredients at home as well which is an added bonus. It is incredibly easy to scale this recipe up or down depending on how much you need.
- 1.5-2 lbs chicken breast
- 1 can black beans
- 1 medium jar salsa
- 1 bag frozen corn
- 1 pack Old El Paso taco seasoning
- 1 block of cream cheese
- (Optional) Rice or tortilla chips
To make a larger batch just double all ingredients.
Cooking Instructions
- Trim chicken breasts and place in bottom of crockpot.
- Combine black beans, corn, salsa and taco seasoning in a bowl and mix.
- Pour mixture over chicken (stir if desired) and cook on high for 3 hours.
- After 3 hours, shred the chicken and place the block of cream cheese on top. Cook on high for another 30 minutes.
- After the 30 minutes, stir in the cream cheese then cook for another 30 minutes.
- Serve alone in a bowl, over rice, or as a chip dip with tortilla chips.
Storage: Keep in fridge for 4-5 days. Freeze for up to 2 months.
Macros (makes 5 servings): 500 calories, 50g protein, 45g carbs, 14g fat
Tips & Variations
The great thing about this recipe is how versatile it is. By simply adding or swapping ingredients you can customize the flavor profile to your liking. Here are a few suggested variations:
- My recipe uses reduced fat cream cheese but full fat cream cheese will bring added richness (it will also bring more calories though)
- Add some cayenne pepper, chili powder, hot sauce or buffalo sauce to spice up this dish
- Swap the black beans for kidney beans or use multiple types of beans to give it more of a “white chili” vibe
- Add more veggies like bell pepper, onion or sweet potato to enhance the color and nutrients of this dish
Final Thoughts
Hopefully now you see why this high-protein fiesta chicken is a staple dish in my meal prep rotation. It’s flexible, delicious and macro-friendly. It is great for parties and families and can be served various ways. It’s also cost-effective (because with grocery prices now we need all the help we can get) and simple to make so it is not as time-consuming as some other meal prep options. If you aren’t convinced yet then try it and let the wonderful smell that will inevitably emanate from your kitchen do the convincing.
This is one of those rare recipes that’s simple enough for a busy weeknight but flavorful enough to serve for company. However you choose to enjoy it — over rice, scooped with chips, or straight from the bowl — it’s proof that eating healthy doesn’t have to be boring or complicated.
For more detailed instruction on this recipe check it out in my video here.
