Salsa Chicken takes a few ingredients and turns them into your new favorite weeknight meal.
This baked Salsa Chicken recipe is seriously delicious and so simple to make! The salsa does the heavy lifting here and has all the seasoning you need. I’m a big fan of flavorful chicken dishes where you can put all the ingredients in one pan, like my Baked Chicken with Tomatoes, Basil, and Chilies. Less prep and cleanup for those busy weeknights.
Scroll down to read more about how it all comes together or click here to jump straight down to the recipe.
What Kind Of Chicken Should I Use?
I used boneless skinless chicken breasts for this baked salsa chicken. If you want it to be super juicy, you can substitute chicken thighs. The salsa already contains plenty of flavor and salt, so there’s no need to brine or marinate the chicken ahead of time. Quick, easy, and delicious is the goal with this meal.
How To Make Baked Salsa Chicken
While your oven is preheating to 400°F, spray your baking dish with oil (I love using this oil mister). If using chicken breasts, cut each one through the thickest part in the middle to create two portions from each. For chicken thighs, keep them rolled up as they come in the package.
Arrange the chicken in a single layer in the baking dish and top with the salsa. The salsa is providing the seasoning here, so pick your favorite kind whether that means mild or hot for you! Bake for about 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F as shown on an instant read thermometer.
Then, you’ll sprinkle cheese on top of each chicken portion and bake an additional 3-5 minutes to melt the cheese. Serve topped with a dollop of sour cream and green onions and enjoy.
Serving Salsa Chicken
The salsa and juices from the chicken come together to create a really delicious sauce that is great alongside some rice and veggies. In addition to the sour cream and green onions in the recipe, it’s nice to top the chicken with slices of avocado. And of course, no one would turn away a side of tortilla chips!
You could also use two forks to shred the chicken after cooking and put it into tortillas for easy tacos. Or add it to a rice bowl along with some black beans and corn for a filling meal.
More Recipes Using Salsa
Now that you know salsa can be used to add tons of flavor with minimum effort, try these other great recipes that include salsa.
- Instant Pot Chicken Tacos
- Quick Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Mexican Ground Beef Casserole
- Taco Stuffed Shells Recipe
- Southwest Chicken Skillet
- Easy Hamburger Dip Recipe
Podcast Episode About Making Salsa Chicken
Listen to me explain briefly about how to make this chicken, along with some other great tips, by clicking the play button below:
Listen to more Recipe of the Day episodes here.
PrintSalsa Chicken Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Entrée
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
DESCRIPTION
Salsa Chicken takes a few ingredients and turns them into your new favorite weeknight meal.
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts*
- 1 and 1/2 cups salsa
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 2 green onions (optional), chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a 13×9″ baking dish with cooking spray (or use an oil mister like this).
- Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise so that each one is two portions.
- Arrange chicken breast portions in a single layer in the baking dish.
- Top evenly with the salsa. It’s fine if some of the salsa spills off of the chicken portions and into the baking dish.
- Bake until chicken is cooked through to 165°F as read on an instant read thermometer, about 30 minutes.
- Sprinkle the cheese over the chicken breast portions. Bake until cheese is melted, 3-5 minutes.
- Transfer chicken to plates and top each portion with a dollop of the sour cream and some of the green onions, if using.
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Notes
*8 boneless skinless chicken thighs can be substituted for the 4 large chicken breasts. Keep the thighs rolled up as they are sold in the packaging. Do not cut them in half but otherwise proceed with the recipe exactly as written.
This post originally appeared in August 2020 and was revised and republished in November 2023.