Are you looking for a super easy, quick chicken dinner for busy weeknight meals? This New Mexican Baked Chicken is the answer! Tender, moist chicken breasts with Mexican seasonings and salsa will delight your whole family!
Using boneless chicken breasts and utilizing your oven, makes this a super simple meal to put together, giving you time to make the rest of your side dishes. I love fresh vegetables and my Mexican Rice recipe if you’re looking for ideas.
Adding a green vegetable adds beautiful color to your plating and a healthy side for your family.
Because my husband and I have different dietary requirements, I made ours in two separate smaller dishes like mini casseroles or au gratins. If you don’t need to separate them, use an 8×8-inch (20×20 cm) square pan or a 11×7-inch (28×18 cm) baking dish.
Using your own homemade taco seasoning mix for this recipe lets you customize the ingredients to your family’s tastes. You can make it mild or spicier so everyone is happy. It also allows you to guarantee you are using gluten-free seasonings, keeping your family safe!
I love the flavors of the Southwest in the United States, with a special nod to New Mexico. I also like a touch of heat in my cooking and the mild green chiles from Hatch are something you would find all over New Mexico. The city of Hatch, New Mexico is the chile capitol of our country. Their roasted chiles are shipped all over and I buy some every year, keeping them in my freezer to use throughout the year until next year’s crop arrives.
You can find Hatch brand of chiles and salsas at many grocery stores and online on Amazon or fresh roasted chiles that are shipped frozen so you can enjoy the taste of New Mexico all year long!
Look for the Hatch brand of ingredients and salsas in the Mexican or International aisle. They are gluten-free and absolutely delicious. The medium level is pretty hot so start with the mild and work your way up.
If you prefer, you can use chicken thighs in place of the chicken breasts. Because they are so much smaller, they will cook much more quickly. Start checking them at about 15 minutes – you are looking for 165°F to 170°F (74°C to 77°C) on an instant read thermometer. Plan on about 2 pieces per person with sides to fill everyone’s tummies.
If you are in the market for a new instant read thermometer, I highly suggest you look at the products from Thermoworks. I think they are the best of the best and worth the investment. Their Thermapen ONE is a must have in my kitchen and I use it for everything. If you are looking for a more affordable option, look at their ThermoPop2 – it is good for many applications too!
Don’t be surprised when the salsa gets darker as it bakes. Mine started out a bright red and became a very dark red in the oven. The photos are much darker than I expected but boy is this chicken delicious!!
Put this New Mexican Baked Chicken on your must make list. It is good enough for dinner parties (who wouldn’t love salsa and cheese on chicken?!) plus fast and easy enough for a busy weeknight meal. This is on regular rotation in our home and I hope you love it as much as we do!
Have a wonderful weekend and we’ll see you back here for Chocolate Monday next week!
If you try this recipe, let me know! Please leave a star rating in the recipe card, comment below, and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it @theheritagecook on Instagram! Seeing your creations makes my day and I love hearing from you!
Ingredients needed for New Mexican Baked Chicken:
- Chicken: boneless chicken breasts or thighs, taco seasoning, cumin, salt, pepper, salsa or enchilada sauce, diced green chiles, shredded Mexican blend cheeses
- Topping Ideas: cilantro, sour cream, green onions or chives, limes, additional pico de gallo salsa or chopped tomatoes
PRO Tip:
Be sure to use a high quality instant read thermometer to know when the chicken is done to perfection. My favorite is the Thermapen or check out the ThermoPop, both from Thermoworks.
How to make New Mexican Baked Chicken:
- Coat your baking dish with vegetable oil or cooking spray. Season all sides of the chicken pieces with taco seasoning and place in the oiled baking dish in a single layer. Sprinkle with ground cumin and salt and pepper to taste. Cover each piece with some of the salsa.
- Bake uncovered in a 375°F (191°C) oven for 20 to 30 minutes (depending on the thickness of your chicken pieces) and remove from the oven.
- Sprinkle the tops with chopped green chiles if desired and the shredded cheese. Return to the oven and continue baking another 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the temperature in the center of the chicken is at least 160°F (71°C) on an instant read thermometer.
- Remove from the oven and let rest 5 minutes. If you are using chicken thighs or small breasts, the timing will be faster. Transfer to serving plates, add vegetables and Mexican rice if desired. Serve hot.
PRO Tip:
Put this delicious dish on the menu for those hectic and harried days when you need something on the table quickly and easily!
Recommended Tools (affiliate links; no extra cost to you):
- Kitchen scale
- 8-inch (20cm) square pan or 7×11-inch (18×28 cm) baking pan
- Pastry brush
- Instant read thermometer
- Tongs
- Chef’s knife, for prepping the toppings
Gluten-Free Tips:
Be sure all the processed foods you are using are gluten-free. If you have any questions, contact the manufacturer for assistance.
* My preferred brand of kosher salt is from Diamond Crystal. If you use Morton’s or another brand you will likely not need as much because they are saltier.
You will get the best and most consistent results by using a digital kitchen scale and weighing your ingredients, especially when you are baking. And use grams, they are much more accurate than pounds and ounces.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
New Mexican Baked Chicken (GF)
Are you looking for a super easy, quick chicken dinner for busy weeknight meals? This New Mexican Baked Chicken is the answer! Tender, moist chicken breasts with Mexican seasonings will delight your whole family!
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1-1/2 lb (680g) about 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tbsp gluten-free taco seasoning*, preferably homemade (see Note)
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin (if you love it as much as I do), optional
- Kosher salt** and freshly ground black pepper
- 16 oz (454g) gluten-free salsa, either fresh or in a jar, such as Hatch brand or enchilada sauce
- 2 to 3 tbsp gluten-free mild diced green chiles, such as Hatch brand, optional but delicious
- 2 cups (227g) Mexican blend shredded cheeses
Topping Ideas
- Finely chopped cilantro
- Sour cream
- Chopped green onions or chives
- Lime slices
- Additional pico de gallo salsa or chopped tomatoes
- A sprinkling of additional chopped green chiles, to taste
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375°F (191°C).
2. Coat an 8x8-inch (20 cm) square or 11x7-inch (28x18 cm) baking dish with vegetable oil or nonstick cooking spray. You can also use au gratin dishes for individual servings.
3. Generously season both sides of the chicken pieces with the taco seasoning*. Place in the prepared baking dish in an even layer. Sprinkle with additional cumin if desired and season to taste with salt** and pepper. Top each piece with some of the salsa.
4. Bake 20 to 30 minutes uncovered then remove from the oven. Top the chicken with some of the chopped green chiles and the shredded cheese. Return to the oven and bake until the chicken is cooked through and cheese is melted, about 5 minutes longer. An instant-read thermometer should register at least 160°F (71°C) in the center. Remove from the oven and let rest 5 minutes; the temp will rise to about 165°F (74°C). If you are using chicken thighs, the timing will be lower. Timing depends on the thickness of your chicken pieces.
5. Add your choice of favorite toppings and pass extras at the table. Serve with a green vegetable and Mexican Rice alongside or another vegetable if desired.
Recipe found at www.theheritagecook.com
Notes
* If you want to make your own taco seasoning and control the ingredients and how much of each, check out my recipe here and customize to your heart’s content!
** My preferred brand of kosher salt is from Diamond Crystal. If you use Morton’s, another brand, or table salt you will not need as much because they are saltier.
If you are looking for an easy restaurant-style Mexican rice recipe as a side dish for this chicken, check out my recipe here.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
Adapted from a recipe by Gwynn of Swirls of Flavor
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 600Total Fat: 42gSaturated Fat: 24gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 126mgSodium: 2323mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 3gSugar: 10gProtein: 31g
The nutritional information for recipes on this site is calculated by online tools and is merely an estimate. If you need nutritional calculations for medical reasons, please use a source that you trust.
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