This easy salsa chicken requires just one dish and about 10 minutes of prep for a nutritious and family-friendly dinner! Serve the chicken, corn, and beans in tacos, over rice, on a salad, in a bowl, or stuffed inside quesadillas.
Table of Contents
If you love Mexican-inspired recipes, be sure to try this fiesta crockpot chicken, a tray of ground beef nachos, chicken taquitos, and this creamy crock pot salsa chicken, too!
How to Make Salsa Chicken | 1-Minute Video
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…
– Meredith
A Few Tips Before You Get Started
- I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. Since chicken breasts can vary greatly in size and shape, the total cooking time will vary. For instance, the two large chicken breasts shown in these photos each weighed about 16 ounces and required 1 hour in the oven. If you’re using smaller, thinner chicken breasts, you can likely reduce the total baking time to about 45 minutes.
- If you prefer dark meat chicken, you can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. The smaller thighs will be done sooner.
- You will know that the chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, is no longer pink in the center, and the juices run clear.
- You do not need to thaw the corn before adding it directly to the dish.
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste, or jazz it up with a little bit of taco seasoning instead. If using taco seasoning, you will not need an entire 1-ounce packet (just use less). The whole packet will likely make the dish too salty.
Directions
While this baked 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. You’ll find detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the overview:
- Stir together frozen corn, black beans, diced tomatoes, and salsa in a dish, along with minced garlic (or garlic powder), and cumin. Feel free to get creative and add even more spices here if you like! Other good options include chili powder, paprika, onion powder, oregano, and cayenne pepper.
- Place the chicken breasts on top, and season with salt and pepper or taco seasoning. If you’re using taco seasoning for a little bit of extra flavor, feel free to use either homemade taco seasoning or a packet of store-bought taco seasoning.
- Pour additional salsa on top of the chicken; cover; and bake for 45-60 minutes. Let the chicken rest for a few minutes.
- Slice the chicken breasts and serve with the corn, beans, tomatoes, and salsa.
Serving Suggestions
Use the zesty, flavorful, tender, and juicy salsa chicken as the base for a variety of easy dinners. For instance, it’s delicious in warm tortillas for soft tacos — just add shredded cheddar cheese, lettuce, sour cream, green onions, olives, guacamole, or any of your other favorite toppings. Similarly, the salsa chicken works well with rice or cauliflower rice in burrito bowls, in quesadillas, or on taco salads. Alternatively, pair it with a pan of Jiffy Mexican cornbread or a loaf of jalapeño cheddar bread.
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Make Ahead: This recipe is great for meal prepping, because you can bake a batch of the chicken over the weekend and keep it stored in the fridge to enjoy throughout the week.
- How to Store: Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- How to Reheat: Warm the chicken, corn, beans, and tomatoes in a baking dish covered with foil in a 350 degree F oven for 15-20 minutes, or just until heated through. You can also do this in a skillet on the stovetop over low heat. Reheat individual portions in the microwave for about 30-60 seconds.
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!
– Rick W.
More Dump-and-Bake Chicken Recipes to Try
Dump-and-Bake Sesame Chicken Noodles
55 minutes mins
Dump-and-Bake Chicken Tzatziki with Rice
1 hour hr 35 minutes mins
Dump-and-Bake Chicken Alfredo Casserole
45 minutes mins
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Watch How to Make It
Dump-and-Bake Salsa Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 (16 ounce) bag frozen corn kernels (about 2½ cups)
- 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 cup salsa, divided
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic (or ¼ teaspoon garlic powder)
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper or taco seasoning, to taste
- Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley, fresh cilantro, fresh limes, or sliced green onions
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In the prepared dish, stir together frozen corn, black beans, diced tomatoes, ½ cup of salsa, garlic, and cumin.
- Place the chicken on top of the corn mixture. Season the chicken with either salt and pepper or with a little bit of taco seasoning, to taste. If you use taco seasoning, do not use an entire 1-ounce packet (that will make it too salty). Just sprinkle a little bit of the seasoning blend on each side of the chicken breasts. Pour the remaining ½ cup of salsa over the chicken.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake for approximately 45-60 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F. The total cooking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of your chicken breasts.
- Let the chicken rest for a few minutes. Remove the chicken to a cutting board and slice into strips. Return the meat to the dish; stir to combine. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley, cilantro, a squeeze of fresh lime juice, or sliced green onions if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Baked Salsa Chicken Recipe Variations
- For a quicker cooking time, cut larger chicken breasts in half lengthwise to create thinner chicken cutlets. 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. Shred the chicken with two forks and stir it back into the pot.
- 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 remains the same.
This recipe was originally published in March, 2018. It was updated in August, 2024.
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?
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. 🙂
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!
Perfect!!! Thank you, Cassie!
I just put this in the oven! Easy and pretty healthy! Can’t wait to eat it! Thanks!
Great, hope you enjoy! 🙂
Very good as is.
Thank you, Susan!
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!
You’ll love this dish, Kristy! Thank you!
Wondering if you can freeze this meal in its raw condition and later, thaw and bake?
Hi, Cindy! Yes! This is a perfect freezer meal!
Hi
Could you freeze this once it is cooked Aswell not raw?
Hey, Kerrie! Yes — the leftovers freeze really well!
Thank you for this quick put together chicken recipe. I’m making it tonight. Sounds wonderful.
Awesome! Enjoy, Susan!
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!!!
That’s wonderful, Amy! I hope that it was a hit! 🙂
How many days do you recommend to be consumed once cooked separated and put back in fridge.. (Basically meal prepping!)
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! 🙂
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?
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! 🙂
I made this tonight and it is DELICIOUS! Thank you for the amazing recipe. It will definitely be a keeper.
Yay! Thanks, Lindsey!
Can I use canned corn
Hi, Rachel! Yes, you can definitely use drained, canned corn. 🙂
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.
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. 🙂
I have made this twice and it has always taken considerably more than 45-60 minutes. Maybe wrong oven temp?
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. 🙂
I butterflied the chicken breast last time and still needed to cooked them for another 30 minutes uncovered.
At what altitude do you live? The higher the altitude, the longer it takes to cook. Just a thought?
What can you use instead of corn?
If you are unable to eat corn, what would you suggest using?
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! 🙂
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??
Yes! That will work perfectly! Enjoy, Michele!
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!
Sounds perfect, Joanne! Thanks so much!
Do you think you could cook trice directly IN this recipe while it’s in the oven? Is there enough liquid? Thanks !
*rice
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. 🙂
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?
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!
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
Wonderful! That sounds delicious, Jane!
Can this be cooked in an Instant Pot pressure cooker?
Hi, Joann! I bet it would work well in the Instant Pot! I haven’t tested it myself, so I can’t give you specific timing, but I would look at this Instant Pot chicken recipe and start there for the timing and settings: https://www.theseasonedmom.com/slow-cooker-root-beer-barbecue-chicken/
Let me know if you give it a shot!
Did you try this recipe in the instant pot? If so, how did you adapt the recipe, please?
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.
That’s wonderful! Thank you, Ellen!
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
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. 🙂
Blair, could you us chicken tenders for this meal? Would make it eazy to put in tortillas when done.
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. 🙂
Delicious