You just need five simple ingredients to make this Baked Salsa Chicken recipe! It’s easy, flavorful, and ideal for busy weeknights.
I love easy versatile meals, and today’s dinner is great. It can be served over rice or on a tortilla!
Aimee’s Recipe Notes
Flavor: Mexican inspired with the easy taco seasoning blend.
Budget Tip: Buy chicken breast in bulk and freeze individually so you can grab exactly how many you need at a time.
Ingredient Notes: Only 5 ingredients!
Prep: Assemble ahead of time.
Important Ingredient Notes
The full ingredient list with measurements is in the recipe card at the bottom of the post, but here are some highlights.
- Salsa – Use chunky salsa, not the thin restaurant-style salsa, which will add too much liquid to the dish.
- Chicken – I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or you can use chicken tenders.
- Taco seasoning – Homemade Taco Seasoning is my favorite because it’s not made with any unnecessary fillers or preservatives.
- Mexican blend cheese – Cheddar, Monterey Jack, or pepper jack work great too.
- Cilantro – For garnish. This is optional, so if you’re not a fan, you can omit it or garnish with thinly sliced green onions instead.
How to Make Baked Salsa Chicken
Assemble:
- Spread half the salsa in the bottom of a baking dish.
- Add the chicken on top, then sprinkle it with the taco seasoning.
- Spoon the remaining salsa over the chicken.
Bake:
- Place the baking dish in a 375ºF oven.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 165ºF.
- Add the cheese and bake for 3 to 4 minutes more until it melts.
Serve: Garnish with the cilantro and serve.
What to Serve With Salsa Chicken
Serve this baked salsa chicken over cilantro lime rice, Mexican rice, or this Mexican Street Corn Salad. You can also make this recipe into chicken tacos with a dollop of guacamole and your favorite toppings.
Tips and Tricks
- I love to use my corn and black bean salsa for this recipe, but a traditional chunky tomato salsa or even one made with tomatillos, peaches, pineapple, etc., would work—homemade or store-bought!
- I try to buy thin chicken breasts for this recipe, but if you have thicker chicken, you can pound the chicken breasts in a ziploc bag to make them thinner.
- Using an instant reader thermometer is the best way to know when chicken is safe to eat without over-cooking it. I highly recommend investing in one, especially if you cook a lot of lean meats, which are prone to dryness when over-cooked.
- Store leftover baked salsa chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- If you want to give your leftovers a second life, shred them up with two forks and add the shredded chicken to Dorito Taco Salad or burrito bowls.
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Baked Salsa Chicken Recipe
You just need five simple ingredients to make this Baked Salsa Chicken recipe! It’s easy, flavorful, and ideal for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
- 2 cups chunky salsa, divided
- 2 pounds bonessless, skinless chicken breasts, see notes
- 1 Tablespoon taco seasoning
- 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
- 1 Tablespoon cilantro, optional garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- In the bottom of a 13×9 ceramic or glass baking dish, spoon 1 cup of the salsa in the bottom of the dish.
- Lay chicken over the salsa. Sprinkle with taco seasoning. Spoon the remaining 1 cup salsa over the top of the chicken.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F. Sprinkle with cheese and return to the oven for about 3-4 minutes until cheese is melted.
- Remove from oven and sprinkle with snipped cilantro.
Notes
- A thick and chunky style salsa (like my corn and black bean salsa) would be best for this dish. Save the thin blender style salsas for chips and dip.
- I prefer using thin sliced chicken breast. However if you have thicker breasts, pound them in a ziploc bag using a meat mallet until breast are no thicken than 1/4-inch. Chicken tenders can also be used.
- Serve chicken over cilantro lime rice. Or serve on a tortilla with guacamole.
- Store leftovers in airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 1piece
Did you make this recipe?Mention @shugarysweets or tag #shugarysweets!
More Chicken Dinner Recipes
- Blackened Chicken Tenders
- Southwest Chicken Salad
- Buffalo Chicken Sliders
- White Chicken Chili
- Slow Cooker Bourbon Chicken
- Easy Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore
- For another Tex-Mex inspired meal idea, try this Easy Instant Pot Taco Soup. Looking for more winner-winner chicken dinners? I’ve got you covered with with this collection of 75 Chicken Dinner Recipes!
