Baked Salsa Chicken

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Made with simple pantry staples, this Baked Salsa Chicken is a tasty and easy recipe that your whole family will love. As all you need are a handful of ingredients, it’ll become your new go-to chicken dinner. Coated in a tasty salsa and melty cheese, this is will your family licking their plates clean.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Chicken

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Author: Mariam Ezzeddine

Ingredients

4 skinless chicken breast
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ cup chunky salsa mild
1 cup cheddar cheese blend shredded
Sliced fresh jalapenos to garnish
Chopped fresh cilantro to garnish

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Season the chicken breast with garlic powder, chili powder, ground cumin, black pepper and salt.
Heat a skillet on a medium flame, add oil followed by seasoned chicken. Cook for 4-5 minutes flipping halfway through until slightly golden on both the sides.
To a casserole dish layer ½ cup of chunky salsa. Arrange the chicken breast and top them with the remaining salsa and spread a layer of mozzarella cheese generously.
Bake the chicken for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the cheeses are melted.
Once done, garnish the salsa chicken with jalapenos and cilantro. Transfer the chicken to a plate and serve.

Notes

Make this spicier by using spicy salsa! Not a fan of heat? Use mild salsa.
Do not overcook the chicken so you don’t end up with dry chicken. Always use a cooking thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken. It should be at 165 F.
Freshly shredded cheese melts better than pre-shredded cheese as some bags have an anti-caking agent added that prevents them from melting as well.
You can top this baked salsa chicken with homemade pico de gallo, guacamole, or diced avocado for something extra.
Additional things you can add to the casserole dish are cooked corn, beans, and onions.
Try and use chicken breasts that are similar in size and thickness so they cook evenly.
You are welcome to swap your boneless skinless chicken breasts for boneless chicken thighs. Cook time will have to be adjusted if you use a different cut of meat.

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