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Skillet Salsa Chicken

Published: / Updated: / 39 Comments

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This salsa chicken recipe has tender pan-fried chicken that's covered in tomato salsa and plenty of melted cheese. It's easy to make and the whole family will love it!

salsa chicken in a skillet

What can I say? Chicken and salsa and gooey melted Tex-Mex blend cheese make for a tasty weeknight dinner. Total comfort food.

This recipe makes plenty of sauce... perfect for serving over rice or even with tortillas or some crusty bread. You could chop up some avocado and scallions too if you wish. And even add a dollop of sour cream if that's your thing.

extreme close-up of baked salsa chicken with melted cheese
ooey gooey

How to make salsa chicken skillet

This cheesy salsa chicken recipe is mostly cooked on the stove, but I like to finish it in the oven to melt the cheese and finish cooking the chicken. Oven-proof skillets are the best. This is the one I used for this recipe, and it's very reasonably priced. If you don't own an oven-proof skillet, I do have some tips in the recipe card below on what you can do if you still want to make this recipe.

For this recipe, I cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise to make four thinner cutlets. I do this so the chicken cooks faster and remains more tender. I season the chicken with garlic powder and chili powder (alternatively, you could use taco seasoning if you prefer) to seal in some amazing flavor prior to coating each piece with flour. This helps them fry up beautifully. If you need to make this low-carb, you can skip the flour, but to me it makes everything that little bit more tasty. 😉

You then deglaze the skillet with a bit of chicken broth, add the salsa, and add the chicken back into the pan. Sprinkle the cheese on top, pop it in the oven for a few minutes, and you've got yourself a crowd-pleasing dinner. 

Pro tip: If you like it spicy, add some cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, or use a jar of hot salsa.

If you love cheesy chicken, try my Santa Fe Chicken or this Cheesy Mozzarella Chicken Bake.

salsa chicken in a cast iron skillet

More easy chicken recipes you may like:

close-up of skillet salsa chicken with cheese pull

Will you give this easy salsa chicken recipe a try?

Questions? Ask me in the comments below.

close-up of skillet salsa chicken with cheese pull

Skillet Salsa Chicken

This salsa chicken recipe has tender pan-fried chicken that's covered in salsa and plenty of melted cheese. It's fast and easy to make, and the whole family will love it!
5 from 12 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Tex-Mex
Servings 4
Calories 324 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 2 large chicken breasts cut in half lengthwise
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • Flour for dredging
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth
  • 1 (14.5 ounce) jar salsa use your favorite kind
  • 1 cup shredded Tex-Mex cheese blend
  • Fresh cilantro, chopped to taste (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400F.
  • Cut the chicken in half lengthwise so you have 4 thinner cutlets. Sprinkle the chicken pieces with the garlic powder, chili powder, and salt & pepper, then coat them in flour.
  • Add the butter and oil to an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, sear the chicken for 3-4 minutes/side until lightly golden. Take the chicken out of the pan and set it aside.
  • Add the chicken broth to the pan and scrape up any brown bits. Stir in the salsa.
  • Add the chicken back into the pan and let the sauce start to bubble. Spoon some of the salsa over the chicken and sprinkle the cheese over top.
  • Place the skillet in the oven and let it cook for 5-7 minutes (chicken will cook through completely and the cheese will melt).
  • Serve with fresh chopped cilantro if desired. Season with extra salt & pepper as needed.

Notes

  • I used my Lodge 10.25" cast iron skillet for this recipe.
  • If your skillet isn't oven-proof, for step 5 you can either transfer the skillet contents to a baking dish or simply keep cooking the chicken in the skillet (cover it with a lid so the cheese melts).
  • If your chicken breasts are smaller, no need to cut them in half lengthwise, but you will need to increase cooking time. If you're unsure about whether chicken is cooked, always use a meat thermometer to ensure it's 165F in the deepest part.
  • Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition

Calories: 324kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 33gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 106mgSodium: 1134mgPotassium: 747mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 873IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 221mgIron: 1mg
Keyword salsa chicken recipe
Author Natasha Bull
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  1. Christina says

    5 stars
    Made this tonight - Oh my!! So good!! Meant to top with sour cream as others did, but forgot and didn't even miss it. Thank you for sharing this recipe - I will definitely be making this one again!

    Reply

  2. Jacqueline Rodriguez-Mathurin says

    Made your skillet Salsa chicken tonight with my own twist, but the basic ingredients were used - it was delicious!

    I used pre cooked chicken breast left over from the weekend BBQ - found a salsa recipe online and went from there! Made the salsa, placed the chicken in the sauce and stewed it in my clever chef for 45mins, transferred into oven dish, topped with mozzarella and grilled till nice and brown!!

    thank you for sharing I will definitely be doing more of your recipes! I only found you today on Insta and already i'm in awe! Luckily being a home cook in lockdown I had all the ingredients to hand.

    Kind Regards - Jacqueline @jaxhomecooking, I've already posted a picture...lol

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Sure! Just double check that it's properly cooked thorough (165F). 🙂 I find chicken thighs need a little more time to get tender.

      Reply

  4. Shelley says

    5 stars
    Made this last night. Was a big hit! I made it with half salsa and half marinara because I had an open jar. Served with Mexican rice and sour cream on the side. Easy and delicious. Will definitely make it again. Not one of those recipes that you try and just make once.

    Reply

  5. Evelyn says

    5 stars
    This was amazing. Followed instructions and cooked in cast iron pan. Served with diced avocado, pan fried potatoes (seasoned with chile powder) and sauteed zucchini. Hubby went back for more sauce♡

    Reply

  6. Jacki Everett says

    5 stars
    A quick easy make. I used half jar salsa and a half a jar the black bean corn salsa smothered it with cheese it was fantastic I put out tortillas and rice Family loved it! Cleaned up while I was in the oven so the end clean up was simple! Thank you for the recipe!

    Reply

  7. Ronni says

    5 stars
    So good. A big hit. Served it over rice with a dollop of sour cream. Will definitely make again. Thank you!

    Reply

  8. Roger says

    Great recipe, giving it a try now. You may want to do a google search on cooking tomato based dishes in cast iron skillets. In short, the acidity breaks down the seasoning.

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      I've heard that, but it's a myth 😉 It's fine as long as your cast iron pan is well-seasoned (and mine is).

      Reply

  9. Courtney says

    5 stars
    This is one of my favorite dishes - quick and easy and does not require many ingredients when you’re stuck [...]

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi! I'm so pleased you like it and it's getting you thru being stuck at home haha. (I edited your comment because bloggers are being told not to use buzzwords associated with current events because it may impact search engine rankings).

      Reply

  11. lindsay says

    5 stars
    THIS DISH WAS SO GOOD. I've needed easy recipes for dinner during this [...], and this was so perfect. Everyone loved it.

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      I am so happy you all liked it!! 🙂 I had to edit your comment because bloggers aren't supposed to use buzzwords associated with the current state of events let's call it (Google can ding us in search rankings apparently).

      Reply

  12. Emily says

    5 stars
    Made this for dinner tonight. It was delicious. Used three chicken breasts halved for four people and have one piece leftover. I served it over rice. Two of my kids aren’t huge salsa fans, so I probably could have used less salsa. The best part was the chicken. It was delicious. Super flavorful and did not dry out at all. I will definitely be cooking chicken that way again! Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply

  15. Tracy Cordon says

    All of the recipes on salt and lavender are amazing! They are the easy and delicious meals I’ve been searching for all my life as a wife/mom. My whole (super picky) family loved salsa chicken!

    Reply

  17. Elise Walden says

    5 stars
    I made this tonight and it was not only fantastic, it's pretty quick to make...My picky teenagers actually complimented me for once! I used a store bought jarred roasted tomato salsa (gave it a smoky richness) added extra cheese for gooey yumminess and served with rice with black beans. Def will make this again. YUM!!

    Reply