Description
This Chicken Salsa recipe is a flavorful and easy baked dish combining seasoned chicken breasts with a hearty mixture of black beans, corn, rice, green chiles, and salsa. Topped with melted cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, it makes a perfect crowd-pleasing main course that's simple to prepare and customizable for make-ahead or freezer meals.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Seasoning
- 4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts or 2 large breasts cut in half (about 24 oz)
- 1 tablespoon melted butter or olive oil
- 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
Mix-ins
- 1 15 oz. can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 15 oz. can corn drained and rinsed
- 1 15 oz. can fire roasted tomatoes, drained (optional if not using chunky salsa)
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 1 4 oz. can mild chopped green chiles
- 1 1/2 cups salsa, divided
Toppings and Garnish
- 1 cup freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup freshly grated Monterey Jack cheese
- Fresh cilantro, chopped (optional to taste)
- Sour cream (optional garnish)
- Avocados (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F to prepare for baking the salsa chicken.
- Season the chicken: Whisk together chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, dried oregano, and salt. Pound chicken breasts to an even thickness and pat dry. Drizzle melted butter or olive oil over the chicken. Sprinkle half of the seasoning mixture on one side of the chicken and rub it in, then flip and repeat on the other side. Set aside.
- Prepare the bean and rice mixture: Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish. In the dish, combine black beans, corn, cooked rice, chopped green chiles, 1 cup salsa, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Stir well and spread into an even layer.
- Assemble the dish: Place the seasoned chicken breasts on top of the bean and rice mixture. Spoon ½ cup salsa evenly over the chicken breasts.
- Bake the chicken: Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Depending on the thickness of the chicken, you may need to bake an additional 10-20 minutes to ensure it is fully cooked.
- Add cheese and finish baking: Remove the baking dish from the oven and sprinkle the sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses evenly over the chicken. Return to the oven and bake for another 4-5 minutes, or until the cheese melts.
- Garnish and serve: Garnish the baked chicken salsa with fresh cilantro, sour cream, and avocados as desired. Serve hot and enjoy.
Notes
- Make ahead: Assemble the dish completely without adding cheese. Cover with foil and refrigerate. When ready to bake, let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes, then bake adding 10 minutes to cooking time.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Reheat leftovers by chopping or thinly slicing chicken and microwaving in 20-second intervals or reheating in a skillet over medium-low heat until warm.
- Freezing: Assemble without cheese, double wrap in plastic wrap and foil, and freeze up to 3 months. Defrost in refrigerator overnight and then let sit 20 minutes before baking. Add 10 minutes to bake time.
- You can omit fire roasted tomatoes if using chunky salsa.
- Use an instant-read thermometer to ensure perfect doneness of chicken.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg
