Salsa chicken
Summary:
I like to cook the chicken thighs at a slightly higher heat. In both cases, you made need to alter the recommended cooking time since there is no standard size for chicken pieces. I wrote the recipe two ways, however, because thighs do tend to be smaller than breasts. Use the recipe as a flexible guide. For instance, if you'd like to cook six thighs, use the amount of seasoning, salsa, and cheese recommend in the recipe for four chicken breasts.
Ingredients
For chicken breasts
- 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon taco seasoning mix
- 1 cup salsa
- 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar or Mexican blend cheese (mozzarella would even be good with a spicy salsa)
For chicken thighs
- 4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning mix
- 3/4 cup salsa
- 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
- Optional toppings: sour cream, chopped avocado, cilantro, or scallions
Steps
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F for chicken breasts, 425 degrees F for chicken thighs.
- Place the chicken in a lightly greased baking dish that is big enough to comfortably fit the chicken without lots of extra room. Sprinkle the taco seasoning on both sides of chicken, and pour salsa over all.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until chicken is nearly cooked through. Remove the baking dish from the oven, sprinkle the cheese evenly overtop, and continue baking for an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted and the chicken is fully cooked. Serve with optional toppings, as desired.