This loaded Mexican chicken consists of a perfectly seasoned chicken breast topped with chorizo, fajita vegetables, and melty cheese. A delicious skillet or griddle chicken breast recipe if you love Mexican food!
My wife is always wanting me to make chicken breasts on the griddle. Not only are they loaded with protein and low in fat, but chicken breasts are also inexpensive and she loves having leftovers to heat up for lunch the next day.
But let’s be honest, chicken can be quite bland. And if I eat regular grilled chicken breasts all the time, then my tastebuds get bored. So I’m always looking for different ways to cook the cheap and healthy protein.
I recently made this loaded griddle chicken (that you all LOVED), so I decided to do a Mexican version. Instead of mushrooms and bacon, I loaded these Mexican chicken breasts with chorizo and sautéed fajita vegetables. And instead of shredded cheddar cheese, I topped these with our favorite quesadilla cheese.
The result was fantastic! Served alongside some refried beans and griddle Mexican street corn, this Mexican chicken made a delicious and hearty dinner that the whole family loved.
Ingredients for Mexican Chicken Breasts with Chorizo
This easy Blackstone chicken breast recipe calls for a few basic ingredients. Here’s what you need:
- boneless skinless chicken breasts – You can also substitute boneless skinless chicken thighs in this recipe.
- fajita seasoning – Pick your favorite fajita-style or Mexican seasoning. I would NOT use a packet of taco seasoning, because those often contain flour or other thickening agents.
- chorizo – I prefer the variety pictured above, or the Johnsonville chorizo links that I remove from the casing. I find the chorizo that comes in the long, thin plastic tube-like case to be too mushy.
- quesadilla-style cheese – I recommend grating your own cheeses for best results. The freshly grated cheese will melt better on top of the chicken breasts. For this recipe, we love the Mexican quesadilla cheese that comes in a 10 ounce round block – the package literally says “Quesadilla” on it.
- bell peppers and onions – Sliced thin, like fajita-style vegetables. You can also add in some fresh jalapeno slices if you wish.
Prepping the Mexican Chicken Breasts for the Griddle
Before you cook the chicken breasts on the griddle, you’ll need to do a little prep work to get the meat ready. In addition to trimming any excess fat and gristle from your chicken, you’ll need to make sure that the breasts are even in thickness – so no fatter areas and thinner areas.
You have a few options for doing this:
- Use a knife to butterfly the chicken breasts. Or you could even cut them completely in half lengthwise. This is my preferred method because the chicken will cook more quickly on the griddle.
- Pound out the breasts so that they cook evenly on the griddle. Simply use a meat mallet or a heavy cast iron skillet to pound out the fatter part of the breasts so that they are even in thickness.
If you skip this crucial step, then the thinner area of the chicken breasts will overcook and become dry before the fatter parts are fully cooked. Your chicken should look something like this:
How to Cook Mexican Chicken Breasts on the Blackstone Griddle
Once your chicken breasts are trimmed and prepared to the correct thickness, it’s time to fire up the Blackstone griddle. Aim for a medium-low heat of about 350-375 degrees F. Then, just follow these steps:
- Apply a small amount of oil to the griddle surface and spread it around with your spatula. Place the seasoned chicken breasts on the oiled surface, and cook on the first side until halfway cooked through. *The cooking times will vary based on the temperature of your griddle and the size of your chicken. Flip to the second side and continue to cook.
- While the chicken is cooking, cook the chorizo on the griddle until cooked through, breaking it apart into crumbles as it cooks (similar to ground beef).
- While the chicken is finishing up, sauté the bell peppers and onions until tender to your liking.
- When the chicken reaches about 150-155 degrees F, it’s time to add the chorizo, vegetables, and cheese on top. This will give the cheese time to melt while the chicken finishes cooking to the correct internal temperature.
Griddle Chicken Tip:
Depending on the size of your chicken breasts, you may need to cover the chicken with a dome on the griddle to speed up the cooking time.
If your chicken breasts are thicker, you’ll need to flip them more than once to prevent the seasoning from burning on either side.
When the chicken is almost done cooking, it’s time to load up the breasts with all of those good Mexican flavors and melty cheese.
Add the cooked chorizo to the top of the chicken, then the sautéed vegetables. Top with a good Mexican-style melting cheese, and allow the cheese to melt. The cheese should take about 4-6 minutes (depending on your griddle temps) to fully melt, during which time the chicken can finish cooking. *You can also use your dome to speed up the melting time if needed.
*TIP – If you find that your chicken is cooking too quickly before the cheese is fully melted, then you can elevate the breasts on a wire rack above the griddle surface, and top with a dome. That’s what I did when I made these Loaded Griddle Chicken Breasts below, and it worked wonderfully!
When the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, remove the breasts from the griddle and allow to rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
Then, serve your griddle Mexican chicken with your favorite toppings like guacamole, sour cream, pico de gallo, or hot sauce. A fantastic and flavorful griddle chicken breast recipe that the whole family will love!
Recipe Tips
- Cheese options – Feel free to experiment with different cheeses in this recipe. We like a Mexican-style melting cheese like Quesadilla cheese or Oaxaca, but you can substitute cheddar, pepper jack, etc.
- Instant read thermometer – Always use an instant read thermometer to check the internal temperature of your chicken breasts. Chicken is done cooking at 165 degrees F. A thermometer can help you to not overcook your chicken breasts.
- Mexican toppings – Experiment with different Mexican flavors and toppings. You could try adding a spoonful of your favorite enchilada sauce to the chicken breasts when they are almost done cooking, or swap the vegetables out.
- Melting dome and/or wire rack – These two griddle accessories can help you get the perfect melty cheese without overcooking your chicken breasts.
Pinterest User? Do us a favor and PIN this to your Blackstone recipes board! This is a great way to support us!
Loaded Mexican Chicken with Chorizo
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts *Or substitute boneless skinless chicken thighs.
- Mexican-style or fajita seasoning of your choice *See notes.
- 1 tablespoon high-heat cooking oil
- 1 lb chorizo
- 1 bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 medium yellow onion thinly sliced
- 8-10 oz Mexican-style melting cheese, like quesadilla or Oaxaca
Instructions
- Heat griddle to about 350-375 degrees F.
- Either butterfly the chicken breasts into thinner pieces or pound out any fatter areas of the chicken, so that the breasts are uniform in thickness and cook evenly on the griddle. Then, season the chicken with your fajita or Mexican-style seasoning.
- Cook the chorizo on the griddle, breaking it apart into crumbles as it cooks. When chorizo is done, transfer to a bowl.
- After removing the chorizo, sauté the bell peppers and onions until tender to your liking. Season the vegetables with your favorite all-purpose seasoning or salt and pepper.
- While the vegetables cook, in a separate area on the griddle, add about 1 tablespoon of oil and spread it around with your spatula. Place the seasoned chicken breasts on the oiled surface, and cook on the first side until halfway cooked through. *The cooking times will vary based on the temperature of your griddle and the size of your chicken. Flip to the second side and continue to cook.
- When the chicken reaches about 150-155 degrees F, add the cooked chorizo to the top of the chicken, then the sautéed vegetables. Top with shredded cheese. The cheese should take about 4-6 minutes (depending on your griddle temps) to fully melt, during which time the chicken can finish cooking. *If needed, you can use a melting dome to melt the cheese and/or elevate the chicken on a wire rack on the griddle surface.
- When the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, remove the breasts from the griddle and allow to rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
- Serve your griddle Mexican chicken with your favorite toppings like guacamole, sour cream, pico de gallo, or hot sauce.
Notes
- Cooking chicken breasts on the griddle – Depending on the size of your chicken breasts, you may need to cover the chicken with a dome on the griddle to speed up the cooking time. If your chicken breasts are thicker, you’ll need to flip them more than once to prevent the seasoning from burning on either side. You can also elevate the chicken breasts on a wire rack, and cover with a dome to help prevent the chicken breasts from burning on the griddle while the cheese melts on top.
- Seasoning options – Pick your favorite fajita-style or Mexican seasoning. I would NOT use a packet of taco seasoning, because those often contain flour or other thickening agents. Test your seasoning for saltiness to ensure you don’t add too much.
- Cheese options – Feel free to experiment with different cheeses in this recipe. We like a Mexican-style melting cheese like Quesadilla cheese or Oaxaca, but you can substitute cheddar, pepper jack, etc.
- Instant read thermometer – Always use an instant read thermometer to check the internal temperature of your chicken breasts. Chicken is done cooking at 165 degrees F. A thermometer can help you to not overcook your chicken breasts.
Get More Griddle Recipes!
Follow The Flat Top King on YouTube for more recipes and tips for mastering your griddle!