Baked Salsa Chicken wants to serve up the most flavorful chicken ever imagined! Seasoned with a smoky, herby, garlicky spice mixture, coated in rich butter, and baked to juicy perfection with a topping and infusion of bright, enticing salsa. It doesn’t get much more flavorful than that! Melty, sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack, hearty beans, and fluffy rice all serve as tasty partners to the chicken, ensuring that you have a full meal in each dish and a full flavor experience in each bite! Baked Salsa Chicken is ready in under an hour and makes enough for everyone at the table. This is a new way to bring tantalizing Tex-Mex to the table!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
- 4 small chicken breasts or 2 large breasts cut in half, boneless and skinless
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted or olive oil
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15-ounce) can corn, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15-ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes, optional, drained
- 2 cups rice, cooked
- 1 (4-ounce) can mild chopped green chiles
- 1 1/2 cups salsa, divided
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, freshly grated
- fresh cilantro, optional, chopped, to taste
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Step 2 –Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Step 3 –Whisk the chili powder, the cumin, the garlic powder, the onion powder, the smoked paprika, the oregano, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper together in a small bowl.
Step 4 –Pound the chicken to an even thickness.
Step 5 –Pat the chicken dry.
Step 6 –Drizzle one side of the chicken with 1/2 of the butter or olive oil.
Step 7 –Sprinkle 1/2 of the seasoning mixture over the buttered side of the chicken, rubbing it in.
Step 8 –Flip the chicken and repeat the drizzling and seasoning process.
Step 9 –Add the black beans, the corn, the tomatoes, the rice, the chiles, 1 cup of the salsa, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper into the prepared baking dish, stirring to combine and spreading it into an even layer.
Step 10 –Add the chicken on top of the mixture.
Step 11 –Spoon the remaining salsa over the chicken.
Step 12 –Bake uncovered until the chicken is cooked through at 165 degrees F, about 40-50 minutes.
Step 13 –Transfer the chicken from the oven and sprinkle with the cheddar cheese and the Monterey Jack cheese.
Step 14 –Bake until the cheese is melted, about 4-5 minutes.
Step 15 –Garnish with the cilantro and serve.
