Salsa Fresca Chicken is bursting with bright colors and bold flavors. It’s an easy low carb meal that’s perfect for busy weeknights!
You simply can’t beat this easy Salsa Fresca Chicken Bake for a fresh and flavorful meal. I whipped this one up for our family dinner last week and everyone dove into it with gusto.
And oh my heavens, did it smell good when it was cooking! The succulent chicken, fresh homemade salsa, and melty cheddar cheese send out mouthwatering aromas.
For a family that adores Mexican-inspired flavors, this easy baked salsa chicken was a massive hit. Just like Easy Taco Pie and Mexican Shredded Beef, we plan on making this healthy meal frequently.
Why you will love this recipe
If you love the bold flavors of salsa, you have to give Salsa Fresca Chicken Bake a try. It’s an easy casserole style dish, with everything layered together and baked in the oven.
You simply chop up the chicken, toss with some taco seasoning, smother it with freshly made Pico de Gallo, sprinkle it with cheese, and bake. By cutting the chicken into bite-sized pieces, you can simply scoop it into a bowl, grab a fork, and dig in! I highly recommend it served over some Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice.
The whole process takes under an hour. You could prep both the chicken and the salsa earlier in the day and store in the fridge. Then simply assemble the dish and toss it the oven for a streamlined weeknight meal.
You can also adjust the heat to your liking. If you’re not a huge fan of spicy salsa, use less jalapeño or skip it all together. Don’t like cilantro? Leave it out and it’s still a delicious dish.
Best of all, these flavorful chicken casserole has only 3.7g net carbs for a generous helping!
Ingredients you need
- Chicken: I like chicken thighs in this recipe but you could also use breasts. Chop the chicken into pieces about 1 inch across.
- Taco seasoning: I usually use pre-made taco seasoning, but you can also make your own easily.
- Tomatoes: Good fresh tomatoes are a must for this salsa chicken!
- Jalapeño: You can really adjust the heat to your liking. I do the whole jalapeño with seeds for extra heat.
- Onion: A small amount of minced onion adds flavor.
- Cilantro: Salsa Fresca (aka pico de Gallo) usually uses cilantro, but if you’re not a fan, you can skip it.
- Lime juice: A squeeze of fresh lime juice is fabulous in fresh salsa.
- Garlic: Use fresh garlic for better flavor.
- Cheddar: I shredded my own white cheddar for this recipe. But you could also do pepper jack, Monterey Jack, or even mozzarella.
Step by step directions
1. Prepare the chicken: Pat the chicken thighs as dry as possible and cut into bite-sized pieces, about 1 inch. In a large bowl, toss the chicken with the olive oil and taco seasoning until well combined. Spread the chicken out in a 9×13 glass or ceramic baking dish.
2. Make the salsa: In another bowl, combine the tomatoes, jalapeño, onion, cilantro, lime juice, and garlic. Toss to combine and season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Assemble the casserole: Use a slotted spoon to spread the salsa over the chicken, leaving as much liquid in the bowl as possible. Sprinkle the cheese overtop the salsa.
4. Bake: Bake at 375ºF for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken registers 165ºF on an instant read thermometer. Remove and let cool 5 minutes before serving.
Expert Tips
Casseroles with lots of fresh ingredients like Salsa Fresca Chicken Bake tend to release a lot of moisture during cooking. To help reduce the moisture, make sure you pat the chicken as dry as you can before chopping it. Also be sure to use a slotted spoon to drain off the extra liquid in the salsa as you spoon it over the chicken.
You will still end up with a fair bit of liquid in the bottom of the pan, but don’t toss it. It’s absolutely delicious spooned up like soup! So much amazing flavor.
If you are short on time, you can use pre-made Pico de Gallo for this recipe. Again, make sure to use a slotted spoon so that you don’t add unnecessary liquid to the pan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Salsa Fresca, also known as pico de Gallo, contains fresh tomatoes, onion, garlic, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper. It differs from regular salsa in that the ingredients are raw, rather than cooked.
Pico de Gallo is an excellent choice for keto diets, as long as you don’t eat it with tortilla chips. Made with fresh vegetables, it has only 2g of carbs per 2 tablespoon serving. Use it as a sauce for chicken or fish, or make a keto taco bowl with cauliflower rice.
This recipe for Salsa Fresca Chicken has 4.8g of carbs and 1.1g of fiber, so it has a net carb count of 3.7g.
More easy chicken recipes
Baked Salsa Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lb (907.18 g) chicken thighs, boneless skinless
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 tbsp taco seasoning
- 2 cups (298 g) chopped tomatoes, remove seeds
- 1 medium jalapeno, minced
- 1/3 cup (53.33 g) chopped onion
- 1/4 cup (4 g) loosely packed cilantro leaves, chopped
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 cups (169.5 g) shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Pat the chicken thighs as dry as possible and cut into bite-sized pieces, about 1 inch.
- In a large bowl, toss the chicken with the olive oil and taco seasoning until well combined. Spread the chicken out in a 9×13 glass or ceramic baking dish.
- In another bowl, combine the tomatoes, jalapeño, onion, cilantro, lime juice, and garlic. Toss to combine and season to taste with salt and pepper. Use a slotted spoon to spread the salsa over the chicken, leaving as much liquid in the bowl as possible.
- Sprinkle the cheese overtop the salsa and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken registers 165ºF on an instant read thermometer. Remove and let cool 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Free Bonus: Secrets to Keto Baking!
Sign up for your favorite recipes delivered straight to your inbox plus get our FREE bonus: Secrets to Keto Baking!
Winner, winner chicken dinner! My whole family loved it. I paired it with the cilantro lime caulirice and sautéed Zucchini. Delish!
So delicious! Perfect amount of salsa with just the right amount of heat.
My husband said this is in his top 5 faves!
Thank you! <3
I LOVE THIS RECIPE ….THANK YOU
Great to hear!
Great recipe! Next time I will use more jalapeno. I did not have fresh tomatoes so I used a cup of diced tomato with green chilies and a cup of diced plain. I served avocado on top but wished I had a dollop of sour cream to go with! The season for fresh garden tomatoes is over and I can’t bring myself to buy a red ‘plastic’ tomato! Will look forward to making it with fresh ingredients but will make it with canned until then! Thank you Carolyn, I am not sure how you keep up with this all – but your recipes/web site is my go to!
We thought it was fair. Loved the minimal ingredients and easy to make. However, the cooked cilantro gave a metallic taste and was overpowering. I like cilantro normally but not so much here.
This looks awesome! I can’t wait to try it.
My husband Loved this!! Thank you so much for all your great recipes. I am type 2 diabetic and have lost 142 lbs doing keto and your recipes are instrumental in my journey. It’s a win win for me when my husband loves your recipes too 😉
Thank you for all your hard work!
That is so wonderful to hear. Thank you!
I made this only much smaller, as it is for 2. I used my on seasonings instead of the taco seasoning packet. I will be using this recipe a LOT. we love it. The Pico de Gallo is excellent (my favorite part!). Thank you for all you do to help us remain healthy.
We loved all the flavors of this easy recipe. I made it even easier by using a can of Rotel tomatoes in place of chopping my own fresh tomatoes. I forgot the instruction to leave as much liquid in the bowl as possible, but I did use a slotted spoon to serve it. Next time I think I’ll add sliced green onions and sliced avocado on top after cooking.
This recipe looks fabulous. I have lately become obsessed with my Ninja Speedi. Any advice for steam/bake or air fryer settings? If not, I’ll experiment!
I don’t own one so I can’t advise.
Made 1/2 recipe today, only change is I put it in 3 individual ramekins. I wrapped two of them individually with oiled foil and cooked in the air fryer at 350 for 25 min. and served with sour cream. So good, this is a keeper. I’ll have the other one tomorrow for lunch.
Great to hear!
I couldn’t help myself, Carolyn! I had to make it when I saw you post it today on Facebook. Absolutely delicious!!!
I made 1/2 the recipe in my toaster oven. Cooked at 350* for 20 minutes. I served it with smothered spinach. Soooo Goood!
Thanks again, doll!
Excellent!