In my never-ending quest to find meals that everyone likes and are easy-to-prepare, I have come across another “weeknight winner”. Believe me, I love to cook elaborate and time-consuming meals but during the week, when the kids are in school, forgheddaboutit. It needs to be quick, easy and good.
This recipe happened to be a Grand Prize Winner in Taste of Home Magazine 10 Minutes to the Table contest. I thought I’d give it a chance, and it turned out great. This Sweet ‘n’ Spicy Chicken is the perfect addition to your weeknight repertoire. Ready in flash with its quick cooking time (10 minutes) and zesty flavor, I promise you will love it!
Let’s make it together…
Here is all you need: Skinless, boneless chicken breast, taco seasoning, vegetable oil, chunky salsa and peach preserves.
Cut 1 pound of skinless, boneless chicken breasts into 1/2-inch cubes. Place the chicken in a large resealable plastic bag; add 3 Tablespoons taco seasoning and toss to coat.
In a skillet, brown chicken in 1 to 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil.
Combine 1 jar (11 ounces) chunky salsa and 1/2 cup peach preserves; stir into skillet. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 2-3 minutes or until meat juices run clear.
Serve over rice.
Yeah, the canned corn. My kids think I’m offering some kind of treat when I open canned corn, go figure.
It’s really good, and easy.
Sweet ‘n’ Spicy Chicken
Adapted from Taste of Home
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
3 Tablespoons taco seasoning
1 to 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 jar (11 ounces) chunky salsa
1/2 cup peach preserves
Cut skinless, boneless chicken breasts into 1/2-inch cubes. Place the chicken in a large resealable plastic bag; add taco seasoning and toss to coat.
In a skillet, brown chicken in vegetable oil. Combine chunky salsa and peach preserves; stir into skillet. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 2-3 minutes or until meat juices run clear.
Serve over rice.
snowmoonelk says
Looks wonderful – I have all the ingredients in the store cupboard, except the peach preserve, so shall substitute recurrant jelly instead. Thanks for such a great and quick recipe.
[eatingclub] vancouver || js says
I love your quick-and-easy recipes. They surely don’t skimp on flavour. Rachel Ray, take that! 😉
Laura says
Perfect.
Love it.
KathyB. says
This recipe looks like a winner to me too. I will be making it. I have already acquired the ingredients to another pumpkin cake recipe you posted, and it will be our Thanksgiving dessert. I’ll let you how how it fared after Thanksgiving.
I am always interested in any recipes that I am able to make for lactose intolerant people ( daughter is extremely and seriously lactose intolerant) and the recipe I mentioned has yellow cake mix in it and I found a name brand cake mix that has NO dairy, so I am hoping this dessert is as yummy as it looked in your blog. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours Cathy !
clumbsycookie says
Sweet and spicy is the way to go! Looks delicious and if it’s fast, I’m up for it!
Mental P Mama says
What is it about canned corn and kids? Mine love it too.
Barbie with a T says
If your children are like mine, they get excited over canned corn, because they figure that will be the only vegetable for the meal, and they can handle corn. Just don’t bring out the lima beans, broccoli, brussel sprouts, or turnips!
Debbie Green says
Wow! That looks like magic! So quick. What a great meal…I’ll have to try this!
Jennifer says
I love quick and easy dinners. This one sounds so easy and good! Only minus the corn. My daughter and I do not eat corn at all. My husband however, could live off of canned corn if I let him.
Liz C. says
This is a great, easy recipe! As much as I love to cook I also occasionally just don’t feel like doing anything elaborate or complicated. This is going into my easy file for sure. I mean, what’s not to love about starches with chicken?
Biz says
What a great idea! I recently had a pot luck at work where it was a bag of frozen meatballs, 1 jar of Heinz cocktail sauce and 1 jar of jalapeno jelly – just put in a crockpot for a few hours and it was SO GOOD!
I never would have guess the ingredients!
Asthmagirl says
You had me right up until the canned corn! Your boys like canned corn? Kids are wacky sometimes!
Loving Annie says
Wow. Yummm. Oh my. Oh yes…. ! 🙂
Becky says
Sometimes the ingredients in your recipes don’t exactly appeal. But when you show the pictures, they look delicious.
You should be a food photographer!!
Stacey Snacks says
Cath,
Me likey 10 minute to table ideas…..
however, the peach jam thing reminds me of my mom’s saucy susan recipes on chicken!
I will make this for my 43 yr old kid (my husband!), he will think he has died and gone to heaven.
Like General Tsao’s chicken!
Happy Chicken Day!
Catherine says
Mmmm that looks yummy!
Alisa says
Yum!
Jennifer says
Mmm–that looks like a good one! I will try it!
I keep forgetting to tell you that I have made your maple/mustard chicken twice already–we all love it! And also the apple cider pork–delicious!!
Erinn says
We’re all so busy these days, a warm, tummy filling meal in 10 minutes? Thumbs up in my book and anything served over rice is always a plus!
Oh, I loved the photos from your last post as well, gorgeous!
Rachel says
yum. I’ve made something similar, just without the preserves. I’ll have to try this.
Thanks for the heads up Cathy.
Starwoodgal says
You a speaking my language. Fast, easy and delicious! This looks really good.
Kristy - Where's My Damn Answer says
Looks good :-D. I guess the 10 minutes doesn’t include the rice though … right? Unless you use something like Minute Rice I’m guessing. I use mostly jasmin or brown rice which is 20 min – an hour.
Pam says
Sweet, spicy and quick. My kind of dinner. Looks really tasty Cathy.
Louise says
I’m convinced that the true measure of a home cook is this kind of week night meal … simple, quick, and loved by all.
Marjie says
I did tell you my favorite cookbooks are “The 60 minute gourmet” and “Too Busy to Cook?”, right? This is a winner, too!
grace says
i’ve made something almost exactly like this and was pleasantly surprised by its deliciousness. the combination of sweet and spicy apparently just does it for me.
Cheryl says
Ten minutes. You are an angel sent from heaven, Noble Pig. Merci beaucoup. 🙂
Joanna says
you got me salivating 🙂 Thanks much
Darius T. Williams says
Love the play by play – this looks great!
ELRA says
Whoa Cathy, This look really delicious!
I’ve made your chicken with mustard glaze a few weeks ago, it was a hit. I have the photo, though it’s not as good as yours, I still want to let people out there how good it was. I’ll post it soon.
I’m also planning to borrow your mini pumpkin stuffed rice for my thanksgiving side dish (your article on Davis Life Magazine), but I have to (though, I don’t want to) skip the bacon, and the breakfast sausage) Husband’s father is here with us for thanksgiving. I have to keep everything khoser (because he is very religious Israeli man, you know). Speaking of kosher, I got so piss off because I ave to spend $50 for 12lb kosher turkey, then found out a few hours later that TJ’s actually carry kosher turkey. The same turkey only cost about $23. I was so mad, because I couldn’t return it. DENG…+ Arghhhh…! Anyway, thanks for reading my comment, Cathy… I just need to complaint!!! That’s all!!!
gorillabuns says
This is totally unrelated to the chicken but how soon can I make my pies? Pumpkin/pecan BTW. Like today soon?
Dr. John says
It looks great but I’m not much for salsa.
Deborah says
This is my kind of meal. I’m all about quick and easy, and this totally fits the bill!
threeundertwo says
Perfect. At least 2 of my kids would love this!
I have to find these Taste of Home recipes, I didn’t know they did a 10 minute series. Just my style on weeknights.
Granny Sue says
Peach preserves? Go figure! The combination of ingredients is intriguing. I’d bet my men will love this.
Jamee says
peach preserves and salsa sounds strange to me, but the pictures look so good I might have to try it!
Laura says
I love this kind of semi-homemade food. Plus, sweet and spicy? I’m there!
Dragon says
How can you go wrong with this winning recipe. Gorgeous!
maris says
This sounds so good! Bookmarking this immediately! Sometimes quick and easy dinners turn out even better than the long, complicated recipes.
Leslie says
I will take a ten minute dinner any night!!
Bunny says
Let’s see if I can find Peach jam at the store, still hoping somehow I can get some plum for that other chicken recipe!
Kalani8u says
You can also use canned pineapple (but you need to add a couple tablespoons of sugar) or canned mandarin oranges for this recipe 😀
Alan in CA says
I just made this tonight, and it was excellent! The only thing is that it takes so much jam and salsa, that you have to have those on hand to really make it a “quick” meal. It is worth it to store up an extra bottle of salsa and jam though.
What made this even better is that I have my own home-made taco seasoning mix. I can set how spicy I want it (I like it really hot, but my partner likes it none to really light).
Wine Tasting Guy says
Huh! That does look, quick, easy and tasty. Another one I’ll have to give a try to at some point.
Thanks!
Erin says
yum!
chanelireli says
as always, you make me salivate and wish that I would have waited to read your blog before going to the grocery store.
Kevin says
Salsa and peach preserves sound like a great combo for chicken!
Tara says
I wanted to let you know that I tried this recipe. My first one of yours! It was super fun to make. For some reason the night I made it the chicken didn’t seem to have much flavor. But I let the leftovers (I made the entire recipe but only cook for 1) sit in the fridge over night and the next day it was DELICIOUS! I guess it needed to marinade? What do you suggest for the next time I make this?
adrina says
Man oh man I just finished making this for dinner and wow such rave reviews from the family. This is something that I will do again and again. So good and so easy.
Thanks again. Your are the bomb Cathy!!
Kenna says
This would be a great appetizer, served w/fancy toothpicks nearby!
Kelly says
Just thought I would let you know this recipe has become a staple in my weekly meal planning. We have it at least once every two weeks. My picky BF and I are both big fans!
Marie says
My family love this recipe for a quick easy dinner. I use sugar-free preserves and salt-free taco seasoning to fit our diets.