Skillet Salsa Chicken

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!

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.

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.

More easy chicken recipes you may like:

• Crockpot Mexican Chicken Soup
• Chicken Fajita Soup
• Easy Chicken Marsala
• Mexican Chicken Salad with Orzo
• Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
• Easy Chicken Lazone

Will you give this easy salsa chicken recipe a try?

Questions? Ask me in the comments below.

5 from 4 votes

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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!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Tex-Mex

Keyword salsa chicken recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4

Author Natasha Bull

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

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. Add the chicken broth to the pan and scrape up any brown bits. Stir in the salsa.

5. 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.

6. Place the skillet in the oven and let it cook for 5 minutes (chicken will cook through completely and the cheese will melt).

7. Serve with fresh chopped cilantro if desired. Season with extra salt & pepper as needed.

Recipe 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.