Easy Mexican-Style Baked Salsa Chicken Breasts

Baked salsa chicken recipe is a scrumptious casserole-style dinner that takes 40 minutes to cook. Juicy flavorful chicken baked along with layers of delicious Mexican ingredients like refried beans, black beans, corn, and salsa topped with loads of cheese! Serve over a bowl of Spanish rice or Instant Pot Mexican rice for a filling meal.

Why does this recipe work?

1. Involves little prep work, made using a handful of canned food.
2. It’s quick and easy to make.
3. Bring dinner to the table in 40 minutes. Great meal for busy weekdays.
4. This dish packs a punch of flavors and textures.
5. Always a crowd-pleaser! Endless possibilities on how you can serve – stuff in tacos or quesadillas, over a bed of Spanish rice, over a bowl of salad.
6. Nutrient-rich food that is high in protein and fiber.

Ingredients

Variations

Add an extra layer of cream cheese for richness and added taste.

Feel free to use cotija cheese or other Mexican cheese blend in place of cheddar.

Step-by-step instructions

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• If chicken breasts are large, slice it into half lengthwise. Pat dry chicken breast completely in a kitchen towel. Season chicken breast with salt, pepper, and taco seasoning on both sides. Rub to evenly spread the seasoning.
• Heat olive oil in a cast iron pan or any heavy bottom pan. Sear chicken breast on both sides by cooking it for 2-3 minutes on each side.
• Remove from the pan and set it aside.
• Grease a casserole or baking dish with cooking spray.
• If you choose to use cream cheese, add it as first layer on the baking dish. I skipped cream cheese.
• Add refried beans and spread it evenly on the casserole baking dish.
• Add a layer of black beans. You can add as much or as little you prefer according to your taste preference. Canned black beans should be drained and rinsed before you use.
• Add a layer of corn. If using canned corn, drain it completely and use.

• Add half the quantity of salsa and spread evenly.
• Sprinkle little salt, pepper and taco seasoning.
• Place seared chicken breast on top of salsa.
• Top each chicken breast with remaining salsa. Spread evenly all over the breast.
• Sprinkle loads of fresh grated cheese on top.
• Cover the dish with aluminum foil.
• Bake in pre-heated oven at 375°F for 20 to 25 minutes.
• Remove foil and bake for additional 10 minutes until cheese is bubbly and chicken is cooked through. Note: if you have meat thermometer use it to check doneness of chicken, internal temperature of chicken should read 165°F
• Garnish baked salsa chicken with fresh cilantro.
• Serve.
• Baked salsa chicken serving ideas – stuff in tacos or stuff in quesadillas – shred chicken, mix it with beans. Serve it over tacos with sour cream, guacamole, rice and tortilla chips, or serve with Mexican rice, or serve with salad bowl.

Serving Ideas

1. Make a taco – Shred chicken after it’s baked and mix the layers of black beans, corn. Stuff inside warm tortillas and top it with sour cream, guacamole, diced onions, fresh cilantro and nacho chips.
2. Make a burrito – stuff it inside tortillas, layer it with cilantro lime rice or Instant Pot Mexican rice, add shredded cheese, lettuce, sour cream, green onion. Roll it all tight, sealing the ends. Warm it on a pan on all sides, serve.
3. Make a burrito bowl of it.
4. Make a salad – add salad greens to a bowl. Top it with sliced baked salsa chicken with black beans and corn.

Tips

If chicken breasts are large, cut into half lengthwise for quicker cooking time and to ensure chicken breasts are cooked through.
2. For maximum flavor and taste don’t skip to sear seasoned chicken breast in a pan before arranging it in a casserole dish.
3. Choose any type of salsa that you like, but chunky salsa works best for this recipe. Use either homemade or storebought. Pour salsa along with all the liquids in it to keep chicken breasts moist and juicy.

Recipe FAQs

5 from 1 vote

Baked Salsa Chicken

Jyothi Rajesh

Baked salsa chicken recipe is scrumptious casserole style dinner that takes 40 minutes to cook. Juicy flavorful chicken baked along with layers of delicious Mexican ingredients like refried beans, black beans, corn and salsa topped with loads of cheese!

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Mexican

Servings 4 servings

Calories 658

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 4 chicken breasts
• ▢ 16 oz refried beans canned or homemade
• ▢ 1 cup 15 oz can black beans
• ▢ ¾ cup corn canned or frozen
• ▢ 2 cups chunky salsa divided
• ▢ 1 packet taco seasoning or use 1 ½ tablespoon taco seasoning
• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese used white and yellow cheddar
• ▢ Salt to taste
• ▢ Pepper to taste

For garnish-

• ▢ Fresh cilantro

Instructions

 

• Pre heat oven at 375°F.
• If chicken breasts are large, slice it into half lengthwise. Pat dry chicken breast completely in kitchen towel. Season chicken breast with salt, pepper and taco seasoning on both sides. Rub to evenly spread the seasoning.
• Heat olive oil in cast iron pan or any heavy bottom pan. Sear chicken breast on both sides by cooking it for 2-3 minutes on each side.
• Remove from the pan and set it aside.
• Grease a casserole or baking dish with cooking spray.
• If you choose to use cream cheese, add it as first layer on the baking dish. I skipped cream cheese.
• Add refried beans and spread it evenly on the casserole baking dish.
• Add a layer of black beans. You can add as much or as little you prefer according to your taste preference. Canned black beans should be drained and rinsed before you use.
• Add a layer of corn. If using canned corn, drain it completely and use.
• Add half the quantity of salsa and spread evenly.
• Sprinkle little salt, pepper and taco seasoning.
• Place seared chicken breast on top of salsa.
• Top each chicken breast with remaining salsa. Spread evenly all over the breast.
• Sprinkle loads of fresh grated cheese on top.
• Cover the dish with aluminium foil.
• Bake in pre-heated oven at 375°F for 20 to 25 minutes.
• Remove foil and bake for additional 10 minutes until cheese is bubbly and chicken is cooked through. Note: if you have meat thermometer use it to check doneness of chicken, internal temperature of chicken should read 165°F
• Garnish baked salsa chicken with fresh cilantro.
• Serve immediately.

Video

Notes

1. If chicken is too large cut into half lengthwise for quicker cooking time and to ensure chicken breast is cooked in the center.
2. For maximum flavor and taste don’t skip to sear seasoned chicken breast in a pan before arranging it in casserole dish.
3. Choose any type of salsa that you like, but chunky salsa works best for this recipe. Use either homemade or store bought. Pour salsa along with all the liquids in it to keep chicken breast moist and juicy.
4. Refried beans, black bean, corn all together with chicken makes it a completely meal.

Nutritional Info – Please keep in mind that nutritional information provided is only a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

Nutrition

Calories: 658kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 70gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 189mgSodium: 2115mgPotassium: 1464mgFiber: 12gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 1312IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 406mgIron: 4mg

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