This salsa chicken is chicken breasts coated in taco seasoning, salsa and cheese, then baked to perfection. A quick and easy meal that the whole family is sure to love.
When I’m looking for dinner in a hurry, I often turned to baked chicken dishes. My kids adore lemon chicken and this super easy salsa chicken. You can serve this chicken over rice, or cut it up and wrap it in tortillas for burritos or fajitas.
Sometimes I just need to get dinner on the table without a lot of fanfare, and this salsa chicken is the perfect solution. It literally takes 5 minutes to put together and everyone in my house likes Mexican food so this meal is always a big hit.
How do you make salsa chicken?
The first step is to grab some chicken breasts and place them in a baking pan with some salsa. The chicken breasts get sprinkled with taco seasoning, then topped with more salsa and baked. The finishing touch is some cheese, a dollop of sour cream and green onions.
Tips for salsa chicken
- You can make this recipe with boneless skinless chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs. Try to choose chicken pieces that are about the same size and thickness so that they cook evenly.
- You can use any type of salsa you like. I typically use a mild red salsa. Other great options are green salsa, chipotle salsa, or even enchilada sauce.
- I typically top my salsa chicken with sour cream and green onions, but sometimes I add other toppings such as diced tomatoes, olives, tortillas strips or avocado.
- You can make this recipe a complete meal by adding some black beans and corn to the pan along with the salsa.
What temperature do you bake chicken?
I bake my chicken breasts at 375 degrees F. The chicken typically takes around 30 minutes to cook. If you’re not sure if your chicken is done, you can cut into it to make sure it’s not pink, or use a thermometer. A thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken should read 165 degrees F when the chicken is done.
You can serve this salsa chicken as is, or sometimes I cut the cooked chicken into strips and serve up a side of warm tortillas, rice, and beans for people to make tacos with. Regardless of how you serve it, it’s a healthy and easy dinner you can feel good about feeding to your family!
More chicken dinners
Salsa Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 1/2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1 1/2 cups salsa
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons green onions sliced
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 2 quart baking dish with cooking spray.
- Spread 1/2 cup of salsa in an even layer in the bottom of the dish. Place the chicken breasts on top.
- Sprinkle the taco seasoning evenly over the chicken.
- Pour the remaining salsa over the chicken.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
- Remove the dish from the oven. Sprinkle the cheese over the chicken.
- Return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted.
- Top each chicken breast with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkling of green onions, then serve.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published on January 3, 2017 and was updated on January 20, 2019 with new content.
Karen Gilmore says
The perfect entree when you are short on time but need something flavorful. I used my homemade salsa fresca and it gave up quite a bit of water so I ladled it out. I will definitely buy a jar of salsa just for this. I served it with a big dollop of quacamole and a drizzle of crema. The finishing touches are really endless.
Elie Q says
Thank you for this delicious and simple recipe! I used a little bit more taco seasoning and rubbed onto the chicken than just sprinkling on top. Our youngest loves it and asks to make it again tomorrow 🙂 We serve it with southwestern style corn and rice.
Rich allan Mildren says
Should this be covered in the oven?
Sara says
It bakes uncovered.
Emmanuel Damian says
This Salsa Chicken looks so good! I love this. I need to try your recipe. And yes, I’ll add more cheese for sure!
Fatima Torres says
Such a great dish to try for the family. I know our boys love chicken and cheese. Definitely sounds like a hit.
Heather Barber McMechan says
This salsa chicken recipe looks delicious! Great idea to pair it with some veggies. Curious if our girls would enjoy it? They’re picky eaters
Autumn Murray says
Salsa Chicken sounds yummy. I might switch up my “Taco Tuesdays” for this dish because technically – it has taco seasonings. Thank you for the recipe.
Kiwi says
Looks like a good presentation. If I still ate meat I would of tried this I am pescatarian now.
Joyce says
You can do the same thing with fish; I’ve cooked tilapia with salsa, but I’m off tilapia now. A nice firm white fish would work, or even salmon…..which I’ve also cooked with salsa on top.
StylishGeek says
I love cooking chicken breast and this recipe you shared is something new so I am bookmarking this post! Thanks so much for sharing!
artchee says
Hello Sara! Thank you for sharing your recipe. This dish has almost everything I like. I like chicken. I like cheese. I also like food when it’s baked!
Debbie says
Definitely making this dish this week! I love Mexican food and top everything with fresh salsa, sour cream and guacamole!
Marcie W. says
Yum, this dish looks beyond tasty! I love the avocado suggestion, and since our family always enjoys a touch of heat, I would use a medium salsa.
Stacie says
Salsa and cheese is the best way to make anything better! I can’t wait to make this for my family. They’re going to love it.
Richard says
This chicken is super flavorful. I love having everything in one pan. I ate mine with corn tortillas.
[email protected] says
Love one pot meals and this salsa chicken looks delicious!
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers says
What a great combination of flavours and textures! Love one-pan meals like this 🙂