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This easy Salsa Chicken requires just one dish and about 10 minutes of prep for a nutritious and family-friendly dinner! Whether you serve your chicken in tacos, over rice, on a salad, in a bowl, or stuffed inside quesadillas, the options are endless. This is truly a meal that makes everyone at the table happy.

Overhead shot of sliced baked salsa chicken in white dish

Salsa Chicken 1-Minute Video

Easy and Healthy Salsa Chicken Recipe

I’m not exaggerating when I say that every.single.day. I receive emails from lovely readers with almost identical pleas for help. You’re looking for:

  1. New, healthy dinner ideas that the whole family can enjoy — not just the person on a “diet;”
  2. Quick recipes that come together easily at the end of a busy day;
  3. Affordable options that won’t blow your grocery budget.

And you know what? This Salsa Chicken checks ALL of the boxes!

Front shot of sliced baked chicken breast in salsa sauce

How to Make Salsa Chicken

While my Dump-and-Bake Salsa Chicken is obviously a nutritious, low-calorie dish, it’s definitely not lacking in flavor!

Best of all, the prep (which only takes minutes) is as easy as 1-2-3. Here’s how it goes:

Step 1: Stir together frozen corn, black beans, diced tomatoes, and salsa in a dish, along with minced garlic and cumin.

Corn and bean and salsa mixture in bottom of a white casserole dish

Step 2: Place your chicken breasts on top, and season with salt and pepper.

Raw chicken breasts on top of salsa mixture in white dish

Step 3: Pour additional salsa on top of the chicken; cover; and bake for 45-60 minutes (or until your chicken is done).

Salsa chicken in the white baking dish before it goes in the oven

In the end, you’ll have zesty, flavorful, tender, and juicy meat that serves as the base for a variety of easy dinners.

How to Serve Salsa Chicken

  1. In soft tacos! Stuff the chicken, salsa, corn, and beans into warm tortillas. Top with shredded cheddar cheese, lettuce, sour cream, green onions, olives, guacamole, or any of your other favorite toppings.
  2. In burrito bowls! Fill a bowl with rice (or cauliflower rice) and top it with the salsa chicken. Add shredded cheddar cheese, lettuce, sour cream, green onions, olives, guacamole, or any of your other favorite fixin’s.
  3. In quesadillas! Slice (or shred) the chicken and stuff it inside quesadillas. Use the corn and bean salsa as a delicious topping just before serving.
  4. On taco salad! Keep it really light and enjoy the salsa chicken over a bed of crispy romaine. Add toppings if you like, but it’s certainly not necessary!

I hope that your family loves this meal as much as we do, and that it makes your healthy lifestyle just a wee bit easier!

Enamelware dish with sliced salsa chicken over a bed of salsa corn and beans

Cook’s Tips and Recipe Variations

  • For a quicker cooking time, cut larger chicken breasts in half lengthwise to create thinner pieces of meat. Thin, small chicken breasts will be done in about 25-30 minutes.
  • Prepare this dinner in the slow cooker! Just place the chicken breast in the bottom of a Crock Pot. Add the remaining ingredients on top. Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or on HIGH for 2-3 hours.
  • Cooking Just for Two? Cut all of the ingredients in half and prepare the recipe in an 8-inch square baking dish. The cooking time will remain the same.
Overhead shot of salsa chicken in an enamelware plate

Other Healthy Chicken Recipes to Try

Square side shot of dump and bake salsa chicken

Dump-and-Bake Salsa Chicken

4.73 from 18 votes
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Total: 55 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 324 kcal
This easy Salsa Chicken requires just one dish and about 10 minutes of prep for a nutritious and family-friendly dinner!

Ingredients
  

  • 1 (14.4 ounce) bag frozen corn kernels (about 3 cups)
  • 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (15 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, drained
  • 1 cup salsa, divided
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic (I like to use a squeeze bottle of fresh minced garlic from the produce section for a shortcut)
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Spray a large (9 x 13-inch) baking dish with cooking spray.
  • In the prepared dish, stir together frozen corn, black beans, diced tomatoes, ½ cup of salsa, garlic, and cumin.
  • Place chicken on top of corn mixture. Season chicken with salt and pepper, to taste.
  • Pour remaining ½ cup of salsa over chicken.
  • Cover tightly with foil and bake for approximately 45-60 minutes, or until internal temperature of chicken reaches 165 degrees F. The total length of cooking time will vary depending on the size of your chicken breasts.
  • Remove chicken from dish and slice (or shred with two forks). Return to dish, stir to combine, and serve.

Video

Notes

  • For a quicker cooking time, cut larger chicken breasts in half lengthwise to create thinner pieces of meat. Thin, small chicken breasts will be done in about 25-30 minutes.
  • Prepare this dinner in the slow cooker! Just place the chicken breast in the bottom of a Crock Pot. Add the remaining ingredients on top. Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or on HIGH for 2-3 hours.
  • Cooking Just for Two? Cut all of the ingredients in half and prepare the recipe in an 8-inch square baking dish. The cooking time will remain the same.
How to Serve Salsa Chicken:
  1. In soft tacos! Stuff the chicken, salsa, corn, and beans into warm tortillas. Top with shredded cheddar cheese, lettuce, sour cream, green onions, olives, guacamole, or any of your other favorite toppings.
  2. In burrito bowls! Fill a bowl with rice (or cauliflower rice) and top it with the salsa chicken. Add shredded cheddar cheese, lettuce, sour cream, green onions, olives, guacamole, or any of your other favorite fixin’s.
  3. In quesadillas! Slice (or shred) the chicken and stuff it inside quesadillas. Use the corn and bean salsa as a delicious topping just before serving.
  4. On taco salad! Keep it really light and enjoy the salsa chicken over a bed of crispy romaine. Add toppings if you like, but it’s certainly not necessary!

Nutrition

Serving: 1/6 of the recipeCalories: 324kcalCarbohydrates: 36.7gProtein: 42gFat: 2.9gSaturated Fat: 0.6gCholesterol: 88mgSodium: 434mgFiber: 7gSugar: 7.3g
Keyword: Baked Chicken Breast, Salsa Chicken, Zero Point Chicken Recipe
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican
Author: Blair Lonergan
blair

Hey, I’m Blair!

Welcome to my farmhouse kitchen in the foothills of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Inspired by local traditions and seasonal fare, you’ll find plenty of easy, comforting recipes that bring your family together around the table. It’s down-home, country-style cooking!

Read More

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Comments

  1. Blair,
    I’m not a huge fan of salsa, but my kids are, so this looks like one we should try. I’d like to try it in the crock pot. Do you recommend maybe on low for 2-3 hours or would I just end up with very mushy corn/beans/tomatoes?

    1. Hi, Jeannie! Yes, the slow cooker should work well! It’s hard to say exactly how long it will take, since different slow cookers run at different temps. In general, if you’re cooking chicken breasts, I think it’s safe to cook them for 3-4 hours on low. You just need to be careful because chicken breasts can dry out pretty easily in the slow cooker, so you don’t want to cook them for too long. Chicken thighs work really well in the slow cooker as an alternative, if you like dark meat. 🙂

    2. 5 stars
      This was absolutely amazing!! I used chicken breast cutlets and 45 minutes was perfect!! I ended up using a packet of taco seasoning, half in the mix, and 1/4 on top the breasts and 1/4 beneath them. I served with avocado wrapped in a large tortilla . Didn’t even need any cheese or sour cream. So delicious and easy, thank you!

  2. We rarely use salsa because we always have leftovers – but now I know what to do with it! I think we’ll have to have salsa on our tacos tonight and then make this later in the week!

  3. 5 stars
    Thanks for saving dinnertime tonight Blair!! I got home exhausted from work, with my husband and hour behind me, also exhausted from work. Our 19.5 month old toddler needed supper, a bath, etc etc. What to make for dinner?! I had a look through your chicken recipes and this one jumped out. Lo and behold, I had all the ingredients! We’ve not even eaten it yet, but it smells so good I know it’s going to be delicious. Quick, easy, healthy: exactly what we needed on this tired, hungry, busy summer weeknight. Thank you so much!!!

  4. How many days do you recommend to be consumed once cooked separated and put back in fridge.. (Basically meal prepping!)

    1. Hi, Chasity! I have enjoyed it for at least 3 or 4 days in the refrigerator. I even eat it cold — wrapped up in a tortilla or on top of a salad! 🙂

  5. I am confused. The ingredients here are all zero points, but the nutritional facts below come up to 7 points. Are you able to provide a breakdown of where the totals came from?

    1. Hey, Kim! If you use the Recipe Builder on the Weight Watchers app or website, it will show you that the zero points ingredients all add up to a zero points meal. Don’t use the total calories and nutrition facts, because that will give you the wrong point value. Just like plain nonfat Greek yogurt, for example — that’s a zero points food, but if you just enter the nutrition facts for the yogurt, it will give you a point value. Hope that makes sense! 🙂

    2. 5 stars
      I made this tonight and it is DELICIOUS! Thank you for the amazing recipe. It will definitely be a keeper.

  6. 2 stars
    I cooked my meal for 50 mins and my chicken was no where to be done. It’s going to cook uncovered for 25 more minutes. I pounded out my chicken too. Very strange to me.

    1. Hey, Jennifer! That’s definitely strange! The chicken breasts (especially if they’re thin) should definitely be cooked through in 50 minutes! Hope that the additional time helped. 🙂

      1. Hey, Abbie! The cooking time for chicken breasts can vary drastically, depending on the size of your meat. You’re probably using very large chicken? If you want to cut down on the cooking time, just use cutlets, tenderloins, or boneless breasts that you slice in half. 🙂

          1. 5 stars
            At what altitude do you live? The higher the altitude, the longer it takes to cook. Just a thought?

    1. Hi, Bella! You can use an equal amount of additional black beans (or sub with another kind of bean like pinto beans), an equal amount of frozen lima beans, frozen diced carrots, chopped onion, or just about any other vegetable that you enjoy! 🙂

  7. I cook for my parents every week, I am thinking of putting this together in the morning and having my mom get to my house before I get home from work to throw in the oven — this way she doesn’t have to do any of the work and it’s ready sooner rather than waiting to get home and put it together. Do you think that would be ok??

  8. 5 stars
    I have just made this and it was delicious – I used sweetcorn from our farm that I froze way back in summer, and Quorn because my partner is vegetarian. It worked really well!

  9. Do you think you could cook trice directly IN this recipe while it’s in the oven? Is there enough liquid? Thanks !

    1. Hi, April! It will depend on how much rice you use and what type of rice. If you’re using long grain rice, you will probably need to add some broth or liquid before baking. If you use instant rice or parboiled rice (which absorbs less liquid), then it may be enough. Sorry I can’t be more specific — I just haven’t tested it this way. 🙂

  10. Hi – I would love to make this tonight, I have thin slice chicken cutlets from Wegmans. How long do you think I should try cooking for? They are not as thick as a chicken breast. Is your recipe for pounded even chicken breasts?

    1. Hi, Tara! The thinner chicken cutlets will bake much faster than the thicker chicken breasts that I used. I would start with about 30 minutes, check the meat, and then return it to the oven if it’s not quite done at that point. Enjoy!

  11. 5 stars
    Hi Blair , I made your Salsa Chicken last night for dinner .. at the last few mins I sprinkled on some cheddar cheese and let it melt and it was amazing … we put jalapenos and sour cream on top and it just brought it all togather ..its a keeper that’s for sure ….yummmm

  12. 5 stars
    So glad I found this recipe! My husband (the picky eater) likes it! Of course I had to leave out the black beans… but its still delicious. I add a big squeeze of lime and some cilantro before serving.

  13. Hi does the chicken need to be thawed first or would this work for frozen chicken. I always forget to take the chicken out of freezer. Thanks love your recipes

    1. I always thaw the chicken first, but I suppose you could bake it frozen — you’ll just have to extend the baking time. I would think that a frozen chicken breast should take about twice as long as the thawed version. 🙂

        1. Hi, Jo! Yes — that would be a great option. The tenders will cook faster than chicken breasts, so it will cut down on your baking time too. 🙂

  14. What about doing this on a traeger smoker? Thinking about trying that tonight instead of heating up my house with the oven.

    1. Hi, Erin! I haven’t tried cooking this dish on the grill, and I don’t have a Traeger smoker so I can’t speak to that specifically. Chicken is always delicious when it’s smoked though, so I’m sure it would be delicious!

  15. 5 stars
    I needed a quick dinner with what we have on hand. I used frozen chicken breast sliced about 1” thick and mixed everything together in my Instant Pot Mini. Cooked at high pressure for 9 minutes. Perfect! Thanks for the recipe!!

    1. Hey, Laura! I don’t think that you necessarily did anything wrong. The chicken and the vegetables are naturally going to release some liquid during the cooking process. Just use a slotted spoon to serve the meat and veggies, leaving any excess liquid in the dish, and you should be all set. 🙂

    1. Hi, Ben! I haven’t tested this one in the Instant Pot, but I imagine it would probably work well. You probably need to add 1/2 cup of chicken broth to the pot before cooking, though, because you need a minimal amount of liquid in the pressure cooker in order for it to build up pressure. It will have more liquid in the pot when it’s done, but you can just serve with a slotted spoon and leave the rest in the pot. Here’s how I like to cook chicken breasts in the IP:

      Press the “Manual” button on high pressure, and then set the timer to 10 minutes.

      It will take about 10 minutes for the pot to heat up and build up pressure. Once the 10-minute timer is done, quick release the pressure from the pot, sliding the steam release handle to the “Venting” position, releasing all of the steam until the float valve drops down.

      Open the lid and press the “cancel” button.

      Remove the chicken to a cutting board. Allow the meat to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

    1. Hi, Amy! I assume about 6 servings per recipe, so the serving size would be about 1/6 of the total dish. I’m not sure how many cups that equates to. Hope you enjoyed it!

  16. 5 stars
    WHOA….this recipe was DELICIOUS and almost too easy to make! I followed it exactly and the chicken came out perfectly done and juicy. The ingredients are so basic, but the flavor was big and very tasty. I’m also doing WW so the 0 point factor is huge! My husband had his over white rice with some shredded cheese, I made two little wraps for our girls with just the chicken & some cheese (picky eaters) and I had mine exactly as it was out of the oven. Served it with some fresh avocado as well. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes.

    1. Thanks, Meredith! I’m so glad that you made it work for your family. I appreciate you taking the time to leave me a note! 🙂

  17. 5 stars
    Like all the comments, this recipe is fantastic. I adde a can of Hatched diced chilis to the bean/corn mix and doubled the cumin, and it was out of this world. I do have a question. Looking at the ingredients, the recipe should be 0 points on WW. But I put the nutritional information into the WW calculator, and it came out 7 points. Is the nutritional info correct? Either way, it is still a fantastic recipe!

    1. Hey, Liz! I’m glad that you enjoyed the meal! 🙂

      When this post was written, all of the ingredients were included on the Zero Points list, which is why it was a “zero point” meal. If you just enter the nutritional facts into a calculator, the calculator can’t account for zero point foods, so it’s going to give you a point value that’s only based on calories, fat, etc. That explains the difference. BUT, now I believe WW has changed their points system (or they give you a variety of options or tiers), and I am not familiar with that new system. If the Zero Points food list has changed in the last couple of years, the points value for the recipe may change as well. I hope that all makes sense.

  18. 5 stars
    I made this last night. I used a jar of Mango Salsa. I also cut up some Avocado and placed it in a bowl on the dining table. It’s REALLY good on top of the chicken with the salsa.

    Thank You for an easy meal and a great last minute dinner rescue!

    1. Sounds perfect, Rick! I’m so glad that it was a hit. Thanks for taking the time to come back here and leave a note!

      1. Hi Seasoned Mom! I found your recipe on a day I was waiting on my paycheck, down in my back and trying to use what I have on hand! Ingredients I chose was frozen boneless chicken breasts, can of corn, taco seasoning, fresh diced tomatoes, chicken broth, and minced garlic. Marinating all of that, then I will put salsa I have on hand on top, follow your instructions for the oven, and then melt cheese and then top with some sour cream. All over rice or macaroni noodles, not sure yet. Thanks for your help with a hearty chicken and salsa meal.

  19. I made this for my niece & myself & we thought it was one of the best chicken dinners we had had in a ling time. I had sour cream & low carb tortillas, also. The next day, I had guacamole wit it, too.

  20. I made this earlier this spring; it was wonderful. I doubled the recipe and had enough for three meals for 4 adults. The first night we had the salsa chicken over rice. The second meal was chicken enchiladas and the third was a Dorito chicken casserole. ALL were terrific. I did not freeze any in May but I would like to do so now. I know you freeze lots of meals for quick meal prep. Will the vegetable mixture freeze without degrading the mixture?
    Thanks!

    1. Hi, Cathy! I’ve had good luck freezing this dish, yes. 🙂 The vegetable/sauce might get a little bit more watery when thawed, but you can always stir in some extra salsa to thicken it up again, if necessary. So glad that you enjoy the meal!

  21. Hi – Quick question. I have a lot of fresh corn around – would you cook it at all first (quick steam maybe) or do you think it’d be OK to add uncooked? Excited to make this, I’m sure it’ll be as excellent as your other recipes!

    1. Hi, Rochelle! I think the fresh corn should be fine to just throw in there raw, since it will have about 45-60 minutes to cook. That said, if you prefer the corn really soft, I would do a quick steam first — just to be sure. 🙂 Hope you enjoy the dish!

        1. Oh, good. I’m so glad to hear that, Rochelle! Thanks for taking the time to come back here and let me know! 🙂

  22. 4 stars
    I made this in our instant pot tonight and it was a hit! I had frozen chicken so I had it on high pressure for 12 minutes. I also added a chopped red onion, cilantro, about 4 times the suggested garlic, double the salsa, and double the chicken. We served it over seasoned rice with tortilla chips on the side. I’ll definitely make it this way again!

  23. 4 stars
    This was GOOD. And could be excellent with very minor tweaks.

    I made it as written other than cooking uncovered because I didn’t realize I was out of tin foil – but when I checked the temp on the chicken I realized that it was more liquidy/watery than I had hoped, so I stirred in some flour for the last 20 minutes. Glad I did – that slight thickening really helped.

    Next time, I’ll probably dice up some onions, and maybe some bell pepper if I have one, and I’ll probably double the black beans – I think onions and pepper would make the flavor a little more nuanced. But overall, this was incredibly quick and easy, used stuff I generally have in the house, and we all found it quite tasty. Also, pretty healthful!

    Thanks for sharing! After tweaks, this is going into my regular rotation.

    1. Hi Gail,
      That should work! You may need to add an extra splash of salsa to freshen it back up if too much is absorbed. We hope you enjoy!