This juicy Chicken with fresh Corn Salsa is the best simple dinner! It is a one pan meal that is packed with flavor without the fuss. Perfectly cooked chicken is topped with sweet corn salsa making for a light and refreshing dish that is sure to be a weekday staple.
Pan Seared Chicken – The EASY Way!
This pan seared chicken breast recipe is so quick and so simple. All you have to do is mix all the salsa ingredients and sear the marinated chicken. Plus, the corn salsa and marinade can all be prepped in advance, making for a truly easy weekday meal.
This meal is light but filling, packed with flavor, ready in one pan, and comes together quickly. That’s a lot of wins in one dish! My family loves Mexican inspired flavors, but you could easily make some simple modifications to enjoy how your family likes (be sure to check out the recipe variations!).
I love to make this during the summer months because it is so refreshing and because it is such a quick cook. This means more time for being outside and less time spent heating up the house by using the oven.
Why I LOVE this recipe!
- Light and refreshing but filling
- Comes together quickly
- Ready in one pan
- Easy to make
- Packed with flavor!
What to Serve with Pan Seared Chicken Breasts
Since this dish has the classic summer flavors of corn, cilantro, and citrus, it will pair well with many of your favorite spring and summer side dishes. There are both classic options and some healthy options to keep it light.
Side Dish Ideas
- Classic Options
- Cilantro Lime Rice – my favorite pairing as it is light and makes a perfect bite with a little marinated chicken and a little corn salsa!
- Mexican Rice – for a little more flair and flavor this style of rice is a good choice and goes great with corn salsa.
- Green Chili Cheddar Mashed Potatoes – a little switch up with these potatoes that are cheesy and has that unique flavor from the green chilis. So yummy!
- Easy Mexican Corn Bread – one of my favorites and a unique but delicious pairing with this chicken.
- Healthier Options
You can choose one or add a few sides to make a wholesome, well rounded dinner.
Recipe Notes
This summer savory chicken recipe is as simple as promised! Just 10 minutes of prep time and 20 minutes of cook time for a family friendly meal.
In this section I am going to go through a few tips and tricks I use when making this recipe to get the absolute best and most delicious results.
Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the FULL recipe card.
Ingredients + Substitutions
Pan Seared Chicken
- Chicken Breast – Chicken breast is our go to for this recipe, but you can make it with almost any cut of meat. It works well with chicken thighs, chicken tenderloin, even pork chops or pork tenderloin.
- Lime Juice – fresh is best!
- Taco Seasoning – Use any blend you love. We love my homemade taco seasoning, but I also use the pre-measured packets too.
- Vegetable Oil – any vegetable oil you have on hand will work. I prefer avocado oil because it can handle higher temperatures without burning off.
Corn Salsa
- Frozen corn – grabbing a bag of frozen corn is super easy and has great flavor, just thaw before making this (microwave or fridge is fine). You can also substitute fresh corn that has been cooked and cut from the cob, or even canned corn in a pinch.
- Black beans – These add protein and hardiness. The creamy texture of the beans with crisp veggies and sweet corn is a perfect topping to summer chicken recipes.
- Red bell pepper – Red pepper is a great color contrast in this salsa. Red pepper is sweeter and less bitter than other colors of peppers. Any pepper would be delicious if you choose to switch it out for what you have on hand- yellow or orange work, and green.
- Cilantro – Because of its citrusy flavor, cilantro really helps to give this the salsa flavor.
- Red onion – I prefer red onion, but a yellow, or white onion can be used too.
- Jalapeno – By removing the ribs and seeds, the jalapeno should become mild in flavor. If you want it spicier, you can leave some or all in. Or, you can omit the jalapeno all together to keep it more mild.
- Lime juice and Lemon Juice – Fresh will give you the best flavor.
- Salt – Salt is necessary for good salsa because it brings out the flavors of the citrus.
Recipe Tips
- Make salsa first – this allows the corn salsa to marinate and become super flavorful while you make the chicken.
- Marinate longer- This recipe doesn’t need a long time to marinate to be great. I usually just season and cook right away. However if you do want that flavor to infuse even more, you can marinate the chicken for up to 24 hours to get even more taste jam packed in the chicken.
- Slice the chicken thin- This isn’t a requirement, but one of my best tips for getting tender, juicy chicken every time, is to cut the chicken so that it is half the thickness. This allows the chicken cook more quickly and evenly and can be used with any cooking method.
- Cooking options– Speaking of cooking methods… you can use any method you want to cook the chicken for this recipe. Our two favorites are grilled chicken and pan seared chicken. Baking also works well for a quick, hands off method with almost no clean up!
- Don’t crowd the chicken and leave it be – Over crowding the pan with chicken does not allow air to circulate between the chicken and therefore will not get you that crispy exterior all around. You may have to cook these in 2 to 3 batches but I promise it will be worth it! Additionally, once the chicken is in the pan, leave it be. It can be hard to resist the urge to move it around, but by leaving the chicken until cook on one side, the chicken will develop the best crust and is easy to flip because it will naturally release from the pan when done.
- Hot Pan, Hot Pan! – Make sure your pan is hot when you add the chicken. This also helps with the crisp exterior by searing the chicken immediately when it hits the pan.
- Don’t overcook the chicken- To ensure you get the most delicious chicken make sure you don’t over cook it. Overcooked chicken will be dry, tough or rubbery. Chicken should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165˚F. The time it takes to cook to this temperature will vary based on cooking method, thickness of the chicken, climate, and many other factors.
- Chop Small – My other big tip for making the best corn salsa is to cut the ingredients small. This allows the flavors to more fully incorporate in every bite.
Recipe Short Cuts
If you need to make this recipe, but are extra short on time, here are a few ideas that can help make this recipe even faster!
- Make the salsa in advance – This salsa can be made up to three days in advance which means even more time for all those good flavors to marinade.
- Prep the ingredients – You can wash and chop all the of the vegetables ahead of time, as well as thinly slice the chicken up to 2 days in advance.
- Marinade – Combine the ingredients for the marinade and mix with the chicken in a plastic bag. Let this sit in the fridge for up to 24 hours. This is not only time saving but leads to very flavorful chicken!
Recipe Variations
If you chicken summer recipes as much as we do and want some quick ways to change it up for variety, these little tips will do the trick!
- Black Bean Corn Avocado Salsa – To add avocado this salsa is simple. Just dice one avocado and toss it with 1 tsp vegetable oil to coat. Then stir it into the salsa mixture.
- Black Bean Corn Green Chile Salsa– Add 1 4 oz can of diced green chiles to the prepared salsa to add southwest flavor of green chiles!
- Black Bean Corn Tomato Salsa– If you want a more traditional red salsa with black beans and corn in it, cut the ingredients all in half, then prepare as directed. Mix this black bean salsa mixture into 2 cups of your favorite red salsa recipe.
Freezer Meal Instructions
Making this dish into a freezer meal is simple! Follow the steps below and you can store this recipe in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- Combine the oil, lime juice, taco seasoning in a zip top bag or container.
- Place the thin chicken into the bag and toss around to cover all sides of the meat.
- Freeze.
- When ready to use, thaw in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours.
- Cook as directed.
For Meal Prep – Chicken
- Make recipe as directed. Bring to room temperature after cooking.
- Place chicken breast in a freezer friendly container with any desired sides such as rice and beans since they freeze the best.
- Freeze.
- Once ready to cook, thaw in the refrigerator for 24-28 hours.
- Reheat in the microwave or stovetop until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
Unfortunately, the corn salsa does not freeze while due to the high moisture content. But, it does come together super quickly and would make this freezer meal prep taste like it was prepared that day!
Pan Seared Chicken Leftovers
If you have leftovers after making summer chicken breast recipes, then it is your lucky day! They save and reheat well, and can make the start of another delicious dish.
To save leftovers, separate into meal sized portions and then place in an airtight container and store:
- in the refrigerator for 3-4 days
- in the freezer up to a month
Leftover Recipes
Here are a few ways to repurpose those leftovers and give them a delicious makeover!
- Quesadilla – Use the left over chicken in a cheesy quesadilla by cutting it or shredding it and combining it with pepper jack cheese and the corn salsa all wrapped up in a tortilla!
- Nachos – Nachos are a great way to use up left over chicken. Simply top with all your favorite toppings and shredded left over pan seared chicken and bake.
- Salad – This is my go to meal prep! I will make one of my chicken recipes for summer and any left over chicken gets shredded and added to a salad like this Cilantro Lime Chicken Salad.
More Summer Chicken Breast Recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe, I really hope you will take a moment to grab a few more easy recipes for another busy night!
You can check out all of my chicken recipes here, or see a few of our readers favorite recipes below.
Pan Seared Chicken with Corn Salsa
Ingredients
For the Corn Salsa
- 2 cups frozen corn, thawed
- 1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh jalapeño, finely diced (optional)
- 1/4 cup red bell pepper, finely diced
- 2 tsp lime juice
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp salt
For the Chicken
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into thin cutlets
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Instructions
For the Corn Salsa
- Mix all ingredients together.
- Chill while preparing the chicken.
For the Chicken
- In a large zip top bag or container, combine the chicken, lime juice, taco seasoning, and 1 tablespoon oil and mix to coat the chicken.
- Heat a large skillet with 1 tablespoon over medium high heat. Once hot, add the chicken in a single layer and let cook for 2-3 minutes without moving.Flip to the other side, reduce heat to low and cover. Cook chicken until done, 165˚F internal temp. Remove from skillet.If there is too much chicken for a single layer in the skillet, repeat with the rest of chicken.
- Serve each chicken breast with a scoop of corn salsa on top. Enjoy!!
Recipe Notes
Leftovers:
To save leftovers, separate into meal sized portions and then place in an airtight container and store:- in the refrigerator for up to a week days
- in the freezer up to 3 months
Variations:
- Black Bean Corn Avocado Salsa – To add avocado this salsa is simple. Just dice one avocado and toss it with 1 tsp vegetable oil to coat. Then stir it into the salsa mixture.
- Black Bean Corn Green Chile Salsa– Add 1 4 oz can of diced green chiles to the prepared salsa to add southwest flavor of green chiles!.
- Black Bean Corn Tomato Salsa– If you want a more traditional red salsa with black beans and corn in it, cut the ingredients all in half, then prepare as directed. Mix this black bean salsa mixture into 2 cups of your favorite red salsa recipe.
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