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This baked southwest chicken is an easy weeknight dinner with flavors your family will love! Smoky spice-rubbed chicken breasts bake under slices of Roma tomato, red onion, and jalapeño. Then top with cheddar and broil until browned. It’s made in one baking dish, takes under an hour, and serves four to six.

A spatula lifts a piece of baked chicken covered in melted cheese, red onion slices, and jalapeño rings from a white casserole dish.

This recipe has been on my website for a long time, and I recently worked on it to make it more of an easy weeknight chicken dinner than a project!

In the current version, I simplified the seasoning mixture. We also wait to add the cheese until the end. Adding it at the beginning made it a little greasy.

We give it a quick broil, which blisters the edges of the onion and jalapeño. The char really brings out the flavor in this southwestern chicken recipe.

I recommend pounding the chicken so it cooks evenly. Or, if your breasts are really thick, slice them in half horizontally.

Add the cheese when the chicken reaches about 155°F. By the time it is done under the broiler and rests, it is up to the recommended 165°F

Four raw chicken breasts in a baking dish, surrounded by ingredients for southwestern chicken including bowls of shredded cheddar cheese, sliced jalapeños, sliced tomatoes, red onions, and spices.

A Few Shopping Notes

Chili powder: Use a regular American chili powder blend from the spice aisle, not pure ground chile like ancho or cayenne.
Smoked paprika: Smoked paprika comes in hot and mild versions. Unless your family likes a lot of heat, I recommend mild.
Tomatoes: I use Roma tomatoes because they are less watery. This choice keeps too much liquid from pooling at the bottom of the pan.
Red onion: You could use white onion, but I prefer the mildness of red here.
Cheddar: Shred it off the block if you can. Bagged shreds are coated with starch to keep them from clumping, and that coating keeps them from melting as smoothly.

Salt It the Night Before

You can absolutely make this as a last-minute dinner. But if you have the time, salt the chicken the night before. I put it in the casserole dish I’ll be using. (Make sure you leave it out of the blend so you don't double-salt.)

Salting ahead not only seasons the chicken deeper, but it also makes the cooked chicken juicier. Why? Because it pulls moisture to the surface, where the salt dissolves, then draws it back into the chicken.

It's an easy prep-ahead step for a busy weeknight. Salt it after tonight's dinner, then make the rest of the spice blend.

What to Serve with Southwest Chicken

This weeknight family dinner pairs well with a lot of sides.

Spanish Cauliflower Rice.
Tangy Mexican Slaw or Jalapeño Coleslaw.
Mexican Cornbread or Blackstone Corn on the Cob

Leftovers are great for packed lunches. Slice the chicken and tuck it into chicken quesadillas, or pile it into a street corn chicken rice bowl. If you love this flavor combo, my Southwestern Pasta and Southwestern Chicken and Rice are both in the same family.

Tools Needed

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Instant Read Meat Thermometer
Small Bowl
Baking Dish

Easy Swaps

Chicken thighs: This also makes great Southwest chicken thighs. No need to pound thighs. I recommend you add the cheese when the thighs reach 165 °F.
Make it Milder: I leave the jalapeño seeds in, but you can remove them if you like.

FAQ

Why is there liquid in the baking dish?

Pat the chicken dry and use Romas to keep too much liquid out of the baking dish.

How do I store and reheat leftovers?

Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Reheat them covered to keep the chicken moist.

How to Make Baked Southwestern Chicken

Four raw chicken breasts in a tray, with a silicone brush applying sauce to the bottom piece of southwestern chicken. — Brush the chicken breasts with oil.

Four raw chicken breasts seasoned with a reddish spice rub in a white ceramic baking dish, ready to be prepared as southwest baked chicken. — Season.

Raw southwest baked chicken breasts in a baking dish, topped with slices of tomato, red onion, and jalapeño. — Arrange the veggies on top and bake.

A metal baking pan filled with baked southwestern chicken topped with shredded cheddar cheese, sliced red onions, tomato slices, and jalapeño rounds. — Add the cheese and broil.

A spatula lifts a piece of seasoned chicken topped with melted cheese, sliced jalapeños, and red onions from a baking dish.

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A white baking dish filled with baked chicken breasts topped with melted cheese, tomato slices, red onion, and jalapeño rings.

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Baked Southwest Chicken Recipe

This baked southwest chicken is an easy weeknight dinner with flavors your family will love! Smoky spice-rubbed chicken breast bake under slices of Roma tomato, red onion, and jalapeno. Then cheddar goes on top and browns under the broiler. It’s made in one baking dish, takes under an hour and is dinner for four to six.

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Prep Time10

Cook Time22

Resting Time5

Total Time37

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings:

Calories: 240kcal

Author: Wendy Polisi

Ingredients

Spice Rub

2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 ½ teaspoons sea salt

Chicken and Toppings

1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
½ tablespoon olive oil
3 Roma tomatoes sliced thin
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 jalapeño sliced thin
4 ounces cheddar cheese shredded

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Pat the chicken dry. Pound it to an even ¾-inch thickness, or slice any extra-thick breasts in half horizontally.
In a small bowl, mix the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, oregano, and sea salt.
Place the chicken in a baking dish. Brush with the olive oil and sprinkle evenly with the spice mixture.
Layer the tomatoes, red onion, and jalapeño on top.
Bake until the thickest piece reads 155°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Sprinkle the cheese over the top. Bake 5 minutes more, until melted.
Broil 1 to 2 minutes, until the cheese browns in spots and the edges of the onion and jalapeño blister.
Let rest 5 minutes. Squeeze the lime juice over the chicken. Garnish with cilantro and green onions.

Notes

Chicken thighs: Use 2 pounds boneless, skinless thighs. Skip the pounding. Bake to 165°F before adding the cheese.

Pre-Season: Sprinkle the chicken with the salt the night before, cover, and refrigerate. Leave the salt out of the spice mixture.

Nutrition

Filed Under:

Chicken Recipes Gluten Free Recipes

Easy Baked Southwest Chicken Recipe

A Few Shopping Notes

Salt It the Night Before

What to Serve with Southwest Chicken

Tools Needed

Easy Swaps