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.
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:
- New, healthy dinner ideas that the whole family can enjoy -- not just the person on a "diet;"
- Quick recipes that come together easily at the end of a busy day;
- Affordable options that won't blow your grocery budget.
And you know what? This Salsa Chicken checks ALL of the boxes!
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.
Step 2: Place your chicken breasts on top, and season with salt and pepper.
Step 3: Pour additional salsa on top of the chicken; cover; and bake for 45-60 minutes (or until your chicken is done).
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
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.
Other Healthy Chicken Recipes to Try
- Chicken Teriyaki {Instant Pot or Slow Cooker}
- Healthy Chicken Parmesan
- Crispy Roast Chicken with Vegetables
- Farmhouse Chicken and Rice Soup
Dump-and-Bake Salsa Chicken
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
Amy
Would you say a serving is about 1 cup? Thanks! I have this in the crock pit right now! 🙂
Blair
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!
Josh
I used thin-sliced chicken and the regular time was needed.
Meredith
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.
Blair
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! 🙂
Liz
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!
Blair
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.
Rick W
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!
Blair
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!
Down in my back
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.
Blair Lonergan
Sounds perfect! Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Nancy Marshall
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.
Blair
Wonderful! Thanks, Nancy!
Cathy
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!
Blair
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!
Rochelle
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!
Blair Lonergan
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!
Rochelle
It worked out perfectly, thank you!
Blair Lonergan
Oh, good. I'm so glad to hear that, Rochelle! Thanks for taking the time to come back here and let me know! 🙂
Sarah
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!
Blair Lonergan
Sounds perfect, Sarah. Thank you!