When I'm caught in the 5 p.m. "what's for dinner" spiral, this southwest chicken recipe saves me every time. Juicy chicken breast get a smoky spice rub and a layer of cheddar. Then we pile on tomato, red onion, garlic, and jalapeno. It only takes about 10 minutes of hands on time. You can put it together in the morning, and bake when you get home.
Southwest Chicken Recipe: What You Need to Know
This easy chicken bake has been a go-to weeknight dinner for years. I love that everything happens in one dish, and the oven handles the rest.
Here's why it works. As it bakes, the tomatoes release their juices and baste the chicken. The veggies soften, and the cheese gets melty. When it comes out, you've got juicy baked southwest chicken breast with its own built-in salsa. It's easy enough for a Wednesday night, but I'd just as happily serve it to family and friends.
Tips for the Southwest Chicken Bake Recipe
- Pat the chicken dry. Before adding any seasonings, pat the chicken dry with a paper towel.
- Even out thickness. Chicken breasts vary sharply in size and thickness; for even cooking, pound or slice your breasts so they're evenly thick.
- Salt the night before if you can. This small step makes a difference. If you plan ahead, salt (from the rub; don't double up) the chicken the night before. Cover and refrigerate. The salt pulls out a little moisture, dissolves into it, and gets drawn back into the meat. It helps it hold onto its juices in the oven. It's the single best thing you can do for baked chicken breast. If you forget, no worries. Just add the salt to the seasoning mixture as directed.
- Trust the thermometer, not the timer. Pull the chicken when the thickest piece hits 160°F. It will climb to a safe 165°F as it rests. (And don't skip the rest; it does make a difference in how juicy the chicken is.)
- Storage: Leftovers keep three or four days in the fridge.
Ingredients
- Seasonings: Onion powder, chili powder, smoked paprika, and salt add just the right amount of kick. You could also add garlic powder or fresh ground black pepper if you like.
- Chicken: I used boneless skinless chicken breast, but chicken thighs would work as well.
- Oil: Use olive oil or avocado oil. I do not recommend extra-virgin olive oil in this recipe.
- Cheese: Shredded cheddar cheese or pepper jack cheese are both nice here.
- Tomatoes: I used sliced tomatoes, but you could top the chicken with halved cherry or grape tomatoes if you like.
- Onion: Red onion is nice here.
- Garlic: Feel free to adjust the amount to your liking.
- Jalapeno: If you don't like heat, you can seed and dice the jalapeno. Make sure you remove the white part from the jalapeno as that is where some of the heat comes from.
- Lime: Lime juice adds a final pop of flavor
Variations
- Southwest chicken thighs: If you want to subsitute them in, cook to 170°F instead of 160°F. This helps them turn tender instead of chewy.
- Seasoning shortcut: If you are short on time, use tacos seasoning instead of the seasoning blend. You'll need about 2 ½ tablespoons. Since most taco seasoning is salty, skip the salt and then add more after tasting.
- Need the oven at 350°F: If you've got something else cooking and need to lower the temp, plan to cook this southwest chicken recipe in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Make sure you have an instant-read thermometer on hand to judge doneness.
- Milder for kids: You can always make have of the pan with the onion, garlic, and jalapeno and half without!
Serving Suggestions
We love my Spanish brown rice with this. Slow cooker white rice, and slow cooker Mexican quinoa and rice are also easy options. And if you are watching carbs, make this with Spanish cauliflower rice.
To round out the plate, add slow cooker black beans, and jalapeno slaw. We also love Mexican cornbread with creamed corn.
Looking for more southwestern flavors? Try my southwestern pasta and grilled chipotle chicken.
How to Make Southwest Chicken Bake
Squeeze lime juice over chicken and garnish with chopped cilantro and green onions.
Tools Needed
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- Instant Read Meat Thermometer
- Small Bowl
- Baking Dish
Southwest Chicken Breast Bake
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 3 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 tomatoes sliced thin
- 1 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 6 cloves garlic sliced thin
- 1 jalapeño sliced thin
- 1 lime juiced
- Cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
- In a small bowl, mix together onion powder, chili powder, smoked paprika and sea salt.
- Place chicken in a baking dish and brush with olive oil. Sprinkled evenly with spice mixture.
- Sprinkle with cheese and top with tomatoes, onion, garlic and jalapeño.
- Bake for 25 minutes, until cooked through.
- Squeeze lime juice over chicken and garnish with chopped cilantro and green onions.
Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle says
I can't wait to try this! I LOVE southwest flavors, and everyone in my family is a big fan of peppers. I think this one is going to be a hit.
Wendy Polisi says
Hope you enjoy!
Heather Lawrence says
I love that you are including your family in the meal prep, then when push comes to shove everyone will be happy with what you serve! This dish looks delicious!
My Teen Guide says
Oh my goodness! That is really tempting and I wanna grab it from my screen!
Chrishelle Ebner says
Oh my goodness, this looks absolutely amazing. It will definitely fit into our healthy eating plan. I love smoked paprika. I need to pick some up to make this. Yummy!!!
michele d says
Baked chicken is just amazing! But your southwestern baked chicken is a must for me to try. It looks so so good!
Kathy says
This looks amazing. I need to give it a try. Chicken is one of my favorite meats too. I love how colorful this is as well. Looks delicious!
Kelly Hutchinson says
Wowza! This dish looks so inviting! The colors alone make me want to dive right in!
Kristen Dann says
Just looking at the photo and the ingredients list and my mouth is watering! This sounds like a GREAT recipe!
Shanéy Maharaj says
I've been scouting the internet like crazy for recipes! This year I decided to plan my cooking schedule every weekend so it makes it easier on weekdays to cook. I am so adding this to my list for next week! YUM!
OurFamilyWorld says
Oh wow, that looks amazing. I'm always on the lookout for healthy chicken recipes. I can't wait to try this.
Jae says
This is something that I think I could re-create! It looks (and sounds) delicious!
Lellalee says
I really need to try this recipe! My mouth is watering, it looks so tasty! Thank you for sharing xxx
KATHLEEN HEANEY says
You outdid yourself with this one! My husband had 3 helpings and raved about it. Generally he's not a huge chicken fan... till this recipe! I followed your suggestion of coating the chicken with salt and letting it sit in the refrigerator overnight -- it made a big difference! Our 2 favorite recipes now are from you! The other is Thai Black Rice and Quinoa. Thanks so much for these wonderful recipes!
Wendy Polisi says
YAY! I am so glad that you all enjoyed it. This and the Thai Black Rice are favorites of mine too.
Thanks for taking the time to let me know how it went.