Salsa Fresca Chicken
This Salsa Fresca Chicken is packed with juicy chicken breasts, fresh pico de gallo, and melty Monterey Jack cheese for a high-protein meal that’s big on flavor and low on effort. It’s the perfect weeknight dinner—just layer everything in a baking dish and let the oven do the work! With only a few ingredients and minimal prep, this easy chicken bake brings bold, Tex-Mex flavor to your table in under 30 minutes.
Why You’ll Love The Recipe
- Easy to Make – It doesn’t get much easier than this recipe! This one can be made in one dish with minimal dishes to wash.
- Flavor-Packed – The seasonings on the chicken plus the pico de gallo bring so much flavor and even a little spicy kick!
- Customizable – This is a recipe that is easy to modify for picky eaters. My kids choose to leave the pico de gallo off their chicken and they still love it with the melted monterey jack cheese.
Nutrients in Salsa Fresca Chicken
Vitamin C – The diced tomatoes are packed with vitamin C which helps fight off inflammation and helps your skin glow.
Protein – You’ll get a great amount of lean protein from the chicken in this dish. It’s an easy way to meet your protein needs.
B vitamins – The chicken also provides vitamins B6, B12, and niacin which help support your nervous system as well as energy production.
The Ingredients:
- Chicken Breast – I prefer boneless, skinless chicken breast because it’s extra lean and full of protein.
- Seasonings – Cumin, salt, pepper, and garlic powder
- Pico de Gallo – You can make your own, but to save time, I like to buy store bought.
- Cheese – I love the melty texture of Monterey Jack cheese in this recipe, but if you love a little extra kick, pepper jack cheese is delicious too!
- Optional Cilantro – If cilantro is your thing, you’ll definitely want to add some chopped cilantro this one.
How To Make Salsa Fresca Chicken
(Full Recipe Below)
This recipe is super easy to make!
First you’ll preheat the oven. Next, add the 4 thinly sliced chicken breasts to a large greased skillet and sear for about 3 minutes per side.
Add the chicken breasts to a 9×13 baking dish. Season well with the seasonings and then top with about 1/2 cup of pico de gallo. If you have picky eaters, you can leave the pico de gallo off on their chicken breasts.
Lastly, sprinkle with 1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese then bake in oven at 375 degrees F for about 20 minutes or until chicken reaches 165 degrees F.
Recipe Tips & Variations
➡️ Make it One Pan – If you don’t want to grill the chicken before adding it to the baking dish, you can skip this step and extend the baking time by about 10-15 minutes.
➡️ Reduce the Spice – for less flavor, you can modify your pico de gallo or use less of it!
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If you love this Salsa Fresca Chicken, check out these recipes!
High Protein Chicken Enchilada Skillet
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (thinly sliced)
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 2 cups fresh pico de gallo
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese shredded
- Cilantro optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Season the chicken with the salt, pepper, cumin, and garlic powder.
- In a large, greased skillet, grilled the seasoned chicken breasts for about 3 minutes then flip and cook on other side for an additional 3 minutes.
- Remove chicken breasts from skillet and place in a 9×13 baking dish. Top each chicken breast with about 1/2 cup of pico de gallo.
- Top with 1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until chicken has reached internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- If desired, garnish with chopped cilantro. Enjoy!
