Salsa Chicken Bake Recipe

With just four ingredients and one dish, this Salsa Chicken Bake recipe is a guaranteed way to get a wholesome dinner on the table on a busy weeknight!  It is filled with kid friendly flavors and a family pleaser when it is paired with rice and tortillas!  You can even make it for a crowd with just minutes of prep!

Sometimes I go to restaurants, or hang out with my fancy friends that seem to have it immeasurably more together than me and I think to myself “Self, you should fix these nice fancy dinners.  Look how easy they make this fancy food look! See how tasty this fancy food is!  Make more fancy food!”

But then I quickly crash back down to reality, because y’all, I am into simple.  I like my dinners to be delicious, on the healthy side of things, and most of all easy to prep, make, and eat.  Just simple.  I have crazy kids, with endless energy, homework, and activities, and the husband is always running late, so easy dinners just fit our family.

This Salsa Chicken Bake recipe is everything.  Seriously, who knew 4 ingredients could taste so, so good!  This little one dish wonder made my whole family clean their plates.  It is great because you can use your favorite salsa to flavor it so you can cater to your personal preferences for milder or hotter, or even regional flavors.

The salsa is packed with veggies, but hey, we don’t call them veggies, we call it salsa, and everyone loves eating salsa!  The kids eat a lot of extra veggies without a second thought!  That is winning around here!

So let’s get to it!  I promise it is just as easy as I have made it sound, you won’t be disappointed!

Salsa Chicken Bake Recipe – Step by Step

If you just want the recipe, skip down to the bottom of this post.  Read below to get my step by step tips to making this a great, and super easy meal!

Ingredients

• 3 Boneless skinless chicken breasts – trim the fat off of these to prep.  I often buy a family pack of chicken breasts and trim the whole package then freeze it in groups of 3-4 so I have the perfect amount ready to pull out to make a meal.
• 1 Tbsp taco seasoning– I used McCormik here, but you can sub this homemade fajita seasoning here for equally delicious results
• 1 cup salsa, mine was Old El Paso.  If you have a preference on heat or like regional flavors, grab a salsa that includes those and it will be even tastier!
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375F.
2. Trim any excess fat from the chicken breasts and then lay them flat in a single layer in a baking dish.I am still absolutely head over heels for my new Wüsthof knives!  I was still using the first knife set we had purchased out of college until recently and WOAH, sharp, amazing knives will literally change your life in the kitchen.  These knives are perfect for the job and make prepping so much quicker and easier, especially when you have a bunch of meat to trim like I mentioned above!
3. Sprinkle the taco seasoning evenly over the chicken breasts then pour the salsa over the top of the dish and cover with cheese.You can use a  little more or less based on taste, but I found 1 tablespoon to be just about perfect for us!  It cooks right on the chicken breast to load every bite with lots and lots of flavor!
   Bake on the middle rack in the oven for 35-45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear.

   When you are baking this, you shouldn’t need to cover it if you have it on the middle rack.  If you see it getting a little browner than you want, you can pop a little foil over the top for the remainder of the time.  I do think that it is important to bake uncovered as long as possible to let a little of the liquid cook off while baking.

   Serve hot over rice, greens, cauliflower rice, tortillas, or potatoes. Garnish with fresh cilantro and sour cream for an extra delicious touch!

   This dish is such a fun one to serve up with a bunch of options to let your dinner companions choose what their favorite way to eat it is!  You can serve it with tortillas for a fun twist on taco Tuesday or just spoon it over rice for a super fast and easy dinner option.  If you want it lighter make a “taco” salad, or serve it over sautéed spinach for an extra nutritional punch.  Any way you serve it, you can’t go wrong!  Quick, easy, healthy and delicious is just a winning combination.

I really hope that you enjoy this recipe as much as we did! If you get a chance to try it out, snap a pic and tag  me on Instagram @easyfamilyrecipes, or leave me a comment here.  It makes my day to heart that people are making my recipes and spending time at the dinner table together!

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5 from 3 votes

Salsa Chicken Bake Recipe

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Author:Kimber

Print Review Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 Boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 Tbsp taco seasoning
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375F.
• Trim any excess fat from the chicken breasts and then lay them flat in a single layer in a baking dish.
• Sprinkle the taco seasoning evenly over the chicken breasts then pour the salsa over the top of the dish and cover with cheese.
• Bake on the middle rack in the oven for 35-45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear.
• Serve hot over rice, greens, cauliflower rice, tortillas, or potatoes. Garnish with fresh cilantro and sour cream for an extra delicious touch!

(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)

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