Best Santa Barbara Chicken Recipes

SANTA FE CHICKEN SKILLET

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400F and move the rack to the middle position.
• Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise so you have 4 thinner cutlets. Season both sides with the garlic powder, chili powder, and salt & pepper.
• Add the oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Once it's hot, add the chicken and cook for about 3-4 minutes/side until lightly golden. Take the chicken out of the pan.
• Add the onion to the skillet and sauté for 5 minutes or until it's softened and lightly browned.
• Stir in the Rotel tomatoes, beans, corn, and smoked paprika. Let it heat through for a couple of minutes, and be sure to scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
• Add the chicken back in and spoon some of the tomatoes/beans/corn onto the chicken. Sprinkle the cheese over top of everything (I concentrate it on the chicken).
• Place the skillet in the oven for 5-7 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through (165F) and the cheese is nice and melty. You can broil the cheese for a few minutes at the end if you want it to be browned.
• Top with fresh chopped cilantro and serve immediately.

EASY SANTA FE CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large skillet, saute onion in butter until tender. Add broth and salsa; bring to a boil. Stir in rice and garlic powder. Place chicken over rice; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. , Turn chicken; cook 10-15 minutes longer or until a thermometer reads 165°. Remove from the heat. Sprinkle with cheese; cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Garnish with cilantro if desired.

EASY SLOW COOKER SANTA FE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Combine black beans, chicken broth, diced tomatoes with green chile peppers, corn, cilantro, scallions, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, and salt in the crock pot. Season chicken breast with salt and lay atop the beans mixture.
• Cook on Low for 9 1/2 hours.
• Remove chicken from slow cooker to a cutting board; shred into strands, return to the slow cooker, and stir into the beans mixture.
• Continue cooking on Low for 30 minutes more.

SANTA BARBARA CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place one chicken breast half at a time, shiny-side down, between two sheets of waxed paper. With a wooden mallet or rolling pin, flatten to 1/4 -inch thickness. Peel off waxed paper.In a small bowl, stir avocados, bacon, green onions, lemon juice, salt and hot pepper sauce until well blended.Place about 3 tablespoons of the avocado-bacon mixture and 2 tablespoons of the cheese in center of each breast. Fold breast over and enclose mixture, tucking in ends. Fasten with wooden picks.On a sheet of waxed paper, mix bread crumbs and lemon pepper. Dip chicken into butter or margarine, then into seasoned bread crumbs, coating well. Place in a shallow 2-quart baking dish. Pour remaining butter or margarine around chicken. If making ahead, cover and refrigerate up to 1 hour.Bake in a preheated 400° oven for 15 minutes. Baste with butter or margarine and bake 10 to 15 minutes longer or until chicken is tender. Remove wooden picks.Serve with lemon.