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.
Servings 6
Calories 240kcal
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
Calories: 240kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 851mg | Potassium: 587mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 876IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 158mg | Iron: 1mg