This Chicken Drumsticks Southwest Skillet is a colorful, flavorful, gluten free one pan dinner recipe!

I’ve been on a little bit of a bell pepper kick lately, which you’ll have to excuse because they’re just so darn tasty (and so good for you!). So, sweet bell peppers of course feature in this Chicken Drumsticks Southwest Skillet recipe — along with corn, beans, and just a little bit of cheese to elevate the humble chicken drumstick into a full & flavorful cast iron skillet dinner.

Nothing better than a chicken dinner with its own built-in side dish, right? Corn, beans, and bell peppers are a classic combo for a reason, and they work so well together here in creating a toothsome complement to the affordable chicken drumsticks.

Chicken Drumsticks Southwest Skillet

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil
Sea salt, to taste
2.25-2.5 lbs chicken drumsticks
1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
1/2 Tbsp minced garlic (about three cloves)
2 sweet bell peppers, chopped
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 cup shredded cheddar
Chopped green onions or cilantro to top (optional)

Directions

Trim drumsticks if necessary, then season them with sea salt. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat olive oil in a 12″ cast iron skillet over medium heat until shimmering, then swirl in the pan to coat. Brown drumsticks on both sides (3-4 minutes per side), then remove the chicken to a separate plate.

While drumsticks are browning, chop your veggies and drain the corn and black beans.

After the chicken is browned, add the onion to the same pan (without wiping out the skillet) and saute over medium heat for two minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic and peppers and continue to cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for another five minutes.

Stir in the corn and black beans, and season everything with chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and cayenne.

Saute the veggies over medium heat for another three minutes, then nestle the browned drumsticks back into the skillet.

Turn off the heat under the pan, and top everything evenly with shredded cheddar.

Move the entire skillet into the oven. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through to temperature.

Top your chicken drumsticks Southwest skillet with chopped green onions or cilantro (optional) and serve with salsa and/or sour cream, if desired.

Note: You could kick things up a notch here by using pepper-jack cheese rather than cheddar, if you prefer a little extra kick.

This Southwest chicken skillet is a feast for the eyes

Isn’t it pretty? Recipes that are a feast for the eyes as well as the palate just make my heart sing — and, the flavors and textures in this cast iron skillet recipe luckily complement each other just as well as the colors do. Just serve the peppers, beans, and corn as a built-in side to the cheese drumsticks for a complete dinner; add a little fruit or salad on the side if your family needs something more.

This naturally gluten free Southwest skillet is a great one pan meal idea for your family.

More recipes using bell peppers?

If you have more bell peppers to use up, why not give one of these other recipe ideas a try?

You have so many different flavor combos to choose from using colorful bell peppers; they add a great pop of crunch and sweetness!

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Chicken Drumsticks Southwest Skillet

This Chicken Drumsticks Southwest Skillet is a colorful, flavorful, gluten free one pan dinner recipe!

Course dinner

Keyword bell peppers, cast iron skillet, chicken, chicken drumsticks, gluten free, southwest

Total Time 50

Servings

Author Rachel Singer

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil
Sea salt to taste
2.25-2.5 lbs chicken drumsticks
1 medium yellow onion roughly chopped
1/2 Tbsp minced garlic about three cloves
2 sweet bell peppers chopped
1 can corn drained
1 can black beans rinsed and drained
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 cup shredded cheddar
Chopped green onions or cilantro to top optional

Instructions

Trim drumsticks if necessary, then season them with sea salt. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Heat olive oil in a 12" cast iron skillet over medium heat until shimmering, then swirl in the pan to coat. Brown drumsticks on both sides (3-4 minutes per side), then remove the chicken to a separate plate.
While drumsticks are browning, chop your veggies and drain the corn and black beans.
After the chicken is browned, add the onion to the same pan (without wiping out the skillet) and saute over medium heat for two minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the garlic and peppers and continue to cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for another five minutes. Stir in the corn and black beans, and season everything with chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and cayenne.
Saute the veggies over medium heat for another three minutes, then nestle the browned drumsticks back into the skillet.
Turn off the heat under the pan, and top everything evenly with shredded cheddar.
Move the entire skillet into the oven. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through to temperature.
Top your chicken drumsticks Southwest skillet with chopped green onions or cilantro (optional) and serve with salsa and/or sour cream, if desired.

Notes

You could kick things up a notch here by using pepper-jack cheese rather than cheddar, if you prefer a little extra kick.

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