Baked Salsa Chicken
This no-fuss Mexican inspired Baked Salsa Chicken is packed with rich flavors, inexpensive ingredients, and the convenience of assembling everything in one dish from start to finish!
Salsa Chicken is one of my favorite Mexican-inspired meals for busy weeknight dinners that can be served as a complete meal or with a side of roasted vegetables or a light green salad. Either way, it takes minimal effort and only 10 minutes of prep work.
Chicken breasts are laid over a mixture of long-grain white rice, chicken broth, kidney beans, sweet corn, and chopped cilantro, baked, and then topped with salsa and cheese. The last few minutes of baking ensures a melted cheesy topping infused with salsa – delicious!
🌟 WHY THIS BAKED SALSA CHICKEN WORKS
If you enjoy minimal mess or fuss, this one-dish recipe is for you. Simply add the ingredients to the baking dish and cook!
This salsa chicken recipe is a budget-friendly meal that will fill those hungry stomachs. Enjoy it as a complete meal or a side of your choice.
Easily adjust the seasoning used to suit your preferences. Cayenne pepper, paprika, red chili flakes, or finely diced jalapenos will offer a delicious kick of heat.
🍽 KEY INGREDIENTS
Rice – Uncooked long-grain rice
Broth – Chicken broth is best for this dish as the cooking liquid, adding loads of flavor to the ingredients as they cook in it.
Chicken – Use skinless boneless chicken breast that’s halved lengthwise.
Add-ins – Kidney beans (canned) sweet corn (frozen or canned), and cilantro.
Topping – More Salsa, grated cheddar cheese, or some yummy pico de gallo.
Swaps
Seasoning – I’ve used a simple seasoning for this dish consisting of salt and black pepper. You could use taco seasoning instead.
Cheese – Use any cheese of your liking. Regular cheddar cheese is great, but you could also use a Mexican cheese blend.
Cooking liquid – Vegetable broth could be used instead of chicken broth.
🥣 EQUIPMENT
You’ll need a 9×13-inch baking dish and a cutting board with a sharp knife to prepare your ingredients.
🔪 HOW TO MAKE BAKED CHICKEN SALSA
This comforting baked salsa chicken recipe is unbelievably easy to assemble, allowing you to dump the ingredients into a single baking dish to cook while you get on with other tasks. Here are the simple step-by-step instructions for fail-proof success.
Preparations
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Add the chicken broth, sweet corn, uncooked rice, kidney beans, and chopped cilantro to the baking dish. Stir together.
Step 2
Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
Step 3
Lay the chicken on top of the rice mixture. Cover the baking dish and bake in the oven for 40 minutes.
Step 4
Remove the baking dish from the oven and remove the foil. Top the chicken breasts with salsa.
Step 5
Sprinkle grated cheese over the chicken breasts and return the baking dish to the oven to bake for another 5-8 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
Step 6
Remove the baked salsa chicken from the oven and season with chopped cilantro. Enjoy it while it’s hot.
💭 COOKING TIPS
This recipe calls for long-grain white rice. Other types of rice require different cooking times and liquid which must be kept in mind if you choose something other than long-grain white rice. For instance, brown rice takes almost twice as long to cook.
You can tell that your chicken breasts are fully cooked by inserting a food thermometer into the thickest section. The thermometer should read 165 degrees F for the chicken to be safe to eat.
Covering the baking dish for the first round of baking helps keep the chicken juicy and tender.
Try to select chicken breasts that are of similar size. This will ensure that all breasts cook at the same rate in the oven.
🥗 WHAT TO SERVE WITH BAKED SALSA CHICKEN
This baked salsa chicken is best served while it’s still bubbling hot from the oven. While it can be enjoy as is, here are a few tasty suggestions that may elevate the dish even further:
This baked salsa chicken is a complete meal on its own. Since it’s a hearty dish, consider enjoying a light green salad with it or Oven Roasted Vegetables.
I’ve topped this Mexican rice and beans recipe with freshly chopped cilantro. You could also enjoy a serving with freshly sliced jalapeno, guacamole or a dollop of sour cream.
If you cook the rice separately from the chicken, consider pairing your dish with Instant Pot Chipotle Rice, Instant Pot Cheesy Broccoli Rice, or Instant Pot Basmati Rice.
🙋 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Absolutely! As long as the chicken is cooked by the end of the baking time, that’s what is important. I’ve selected long-grain white rice which is an ideal rice since it requires about the same time as chicken breasts to cook in the oven.
You can, and this might be a good idea if you decide to cook a type of rice that requires a shorter or longer cooking time than long-grain white rice. You may need to adjust the amount of chicken broth when baking the chicken without the rice to avoid the chicken boiling and becoming rubbery and dry.
This step isn’t necessary as the dish is delicious when the rice takes on a starchier and stickier texture. Of course, feel free to wash the rice first if you prefer.
🧊 STORING AND ♨️ REHEATING
FRIDGE
Store leftover Mexican rice and beans in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
FREEZER
This dish freezes really well for up to 3 months. Store the entire dish, wrapped with plastic wrap and then foil, or store leftovers in an airtight container in the freezer. Thaw overnight in the fridge to reheat and enjoy.
REHEAT
Reheat leftovers in the oven with a splash of broth to loosen the mixture at 350 degrees F for 15 -20 minutes or until heated through. Smaller portions can be reheated in the microwave.
🍳 RELATED MEXICAN-INSPIRED DISHES
👪 SERVING SIZE
This easy chicken and rice casserole serves a generous portion for 4 people. You can half the recipe and use a smaller baking or casserole dish instead, but then be sure to adjust the cooking time, if required.
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟 rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.
Be sure to check out my FREE Meal Planner and Kitchen Organizer!
📋 RECIPE
Baked Salsa Chicken
Baked Salsa Chicken is a flavor-rich complete meal made with inexpensive ingredients and the ease of assembling everything in one dish!
Ingredients
- 1 cup long grain rice, uncooked
- 2 cups chicken broth (16.23 fl.oz)
- 1 cup kidney beans (canned)
- 1 teaspoon chopped cilantro, more to garnish
- ½ cup sweet corn (frozen or canned)
- 2 large chicken breast, halved lengthwise
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup salsa, store bought
- 1 cup grated cheddar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F | 180°C.
- In a 9x13 inch baking dish, add rice, chicken broth, kidney beans, cilantro and sweet corn. Stir all together. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Lay chicken on top of the rice. Cover and bake in the oven for 40 minutes.
- Open the oven, remove the foil. Add salsa and cheese on the 4 chicken breasts. Put back in the oven and bake until the cheese melts. About 5-8 minutes.
- Remove and season with chopped cilantro.
- Serve hot.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 366Total Fat 13gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 81mgSodium 1285mgCarbohydrates 31gFiber 5gSugar 4gProtein 32g
