Easy Salsa Chicken

This cheesy Salsa Chicken is the easiest homemade chicken dinner ever. No cutting or measuring needed and made all in one pan!

I’ve shared a lot of low-effort dinners here, like my Quick Beef Teriyaki , BBQ Chicken Thighs , and Parmesan Chicken Soup . Today I’m sharing the recipe I make when I don’t even have the energy to make those.

This is the ultimate easy dinner, requiring no measuring, no cutting, you make it in one pan, and you probably always have the ingredients on hand: Salsa Chicken.

Looks good, huh? (It tastes even better!) The salsa reduces down in the oven, making it perfect for spooning over rice on the side, and the chicken comes out moist and perfect every time. All you have to do is steam some broccoli or toss together a quick side salad and dinner is DONE.

I’ve included measurements in the full recipe below so I could give a calorie count, but the wonderful thing about this recipe is that you don’t have to measure anything if you don’t want to. Eyeballing the ingredients works just fine and means you don’t have to wash any extra measuring cups or spoons.

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

Small-to-medium boneless skinless chicken breasts: This recipe calls for 8-ounce chicken breasts. You can use larger chicken breasts, but you’ll need to extend the cooking time.
Taco seasoning: If you don’t keep a taco seasoning blend on hand, substitute chili powder and cumin in its place.
Cheddar cheese: I like to use cheddar cheese for salsa chicken, but you could also use pepper jack, Monterey, or a Mexican blend instead.

Cheesy Salsa Chicken with broccoli and rice. - 3

Cheesy Salsa Chicken with broccoli and rice. - 4

How to Make Salsa Chicken

Sprinkle salt, pepper, and taco seasoning over both sides of your chicken breasts –don’t measure it, just sprinkle until it’s lightly coated.
Sear your chicken on the stove in an oven-safe pan, pour salsa over the top and then bake for 15 to 20 minutes. In the last five minutes of cooking time, sprinkle cheese over the top.
Let the chicken finish cooking, rest the meat for 5 minutes, and you’re done!

I don’t have an oven-safe skillet. What can I use instead?

If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, go ahead and sear the chicken breasts on the stove and then transfer them to a medium-sized baking dish. You want to use a dish that’s large enough to fit all of your chicken pieces without them touching (for even cooking) but not too large. If you use a dish that’s too large, the salsa can end up spread too thin and burn.

Once your chicken is transferred, follow the rest of the recipe as written.

What to serve with salsa chicken?

Serve your salsa chicken with a simple and easy side like steamed broccoli or green beans and rice. Spoon leftover pan drippings over the rice and enjoy!!

Can I make a smaller/larger batch of chicken?

Absolutely. This recipe scales up or down without any major preparation changes. To change the recipe yield, hover over the number of servings (or click if you are on mobile) and slide the slider.

Salsa chicken with green onions in a skillet. - 5

Salsa chicken with green onions in a skillet. - 6

More Easy Recipes

Tri-tip in the Oven
Homemade Carnitas
Carnitas Enchiladas
Asparagus-stuffed Chicken Breasts
Honey Garlic Chicken

Ingredients

Special Equipment

▢ Instant-read thermometer

Salsa Chicken

▢ 4 small (about 8-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts
▢ Salt*
▢ Pepper
▢ Taco seasoning*
▢ 1 ½ cup salsa
▢ 1 cup ( 4oz ) shredded Cheddar cheese

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400°F.
Sprinkle both sides of your chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and taco seasoning. Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Grease with cooking spray or a drizzle of your favorite cooking oil. Once hot, add chicken breasts to the pan and cook until well-browned. Flip the breasts and repeat.
Once both sides of the breasts are browned, remove pan from heat and pour salsa over the top of the chicken. Place pan in the oven and bake for 15 to 25 minutes (the size of your chicken breasts will have a dramatic effect on cooking time), until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the chicken reads 150°F.
Sprinkle cheese over the top and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F. Remove from the oven and allow chicken to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Spoon extra salsa from the pan over white rice and serve with steamed green beans or broccoli and enjoy!

Notes

This easy Chocolate Milkshake made with homemade chocolate syrup is thick and creamy with a killer chocolate flavor.

Hey, friends, it’s time for another milkshake recipe in my how to make a milkshake series. Today we’re tackling the perfect, the amazing classic Chocolate Milkshake.

Chocolate milkshake in a tall glass. - 8

The Secret to the Best Chocolate Milkshake

I’m pretty picky about my chocolate milkshakes. They must be thick, they must be creamy, and they must have a killer chocolate flavor. This chocolate shake absolutely fits all those bills, and might just be my favorite chocolate shake in all the world.

And want to know the secret to making the best chocolate milkshake?

Start with vanilla ice cream.

I know, I know. It sounds counterintuitive, but the best chocolate shakes are made with a combo of vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce.

Why You Should Use Chocolate Sauce to Make a Chocolate Shake

The best chocolate shakes are made with vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup because that allows you to control the level of chocolate flavor and make sure your shake is packed with it.

Blending chocolate ice cream with milk creates a good shake, but the milk is going to dilute the chocolate flavor, and it’s just not going to pack the same chocolate punch as a shake made with plenty of chocolate sauce.

This recipe includes my favorite fudge sauce recipe , so you can make a chocolate shake even if you don’t have any chocolate syrup in your fridge, but if you do have some, feel free to use the sauce you have on hand.

Chocolate milkshake ingredients in a blender - 9

Chocolate milkshake ingredients in a blender - 10

How do you make a chocolate milkshake from scratch?

Start by making your chocolate syrup , simmering together butter, milk, cocoa powder, and sugar.
Once the sauce is complete, combine ice cream, milk, and some of the sauce and blend until smooth.
Pour into a chilled glass , top with whipped cream , and drizzle with remaining fudge sauce.

How to Make a Chocolate Shake Without a Blender

No blender? That’s not a problem. Make the chocolate sauce as described in the recipe and then scoop your ice cream into a mason jar (preferably a quart-size jar ). Microwave ice cream for 15 to 30 seconds, until the ice cream begins to melt, but don’t melt it all the way.

Add milk and chocolate syrup, put a lid on the jar, and shake until blended. If you have any stubborn ice cream lumps at the bottom, use a spoon to help them mix.

Then pour into a glass and drink! If you want to see a more in-depth post on this, go check out my post How to Make a Milkshake Without a Blender .

More Chocolate Milkshake Recipes

Want some more Chocolate Shake combos? Add some of these mix-ins to the base chocolate shake recipe to make something new.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Shake: Add 1 slightly heaping tablespoon of peanut butter before blending.
Chocolate Oreo Shake : Blend in 3 Oreos. Break an additional Oreo into pieces and drop crumbs over the top of the finished shake.
Chocolate Banana Shake : Add 1/2 to a whole banana, broken into pieces, to the shake before blending. Using frozen bananas will create an extra creamy shake.

Are chocolate milk and chocolate milkshakes the same?

No, chocolate milk and chocolate milkshakes are not the same thing. Chocolate milk is made with milk and chocolate syrup (usually made with cocoa powder, sugar, and a bit of water) and a chocolate milkshake is made with milk, chocolate syrup, and ice cream, so it’s much richer, thicker, and frostier.

How do I thicken a chocolate milkshake?

For a thicker milkshake, start by using less milk, 1/2 cup instead of 3/4, and don’t over-blend, especially if you have a really powerful blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec . If the shake is still not as thick as you’d like, add more ice cream until it reaches your desired consistency.

Can I make a chocolate milkshake without ice cream?

You cannot make this milkshake recipe without ice cream. But if you want to make a chocolate milkshake without ice cream, either go try my Banana Milkshake Without Ice Cream recipe and make the chocolate version or check out my Frozen Hot Chocolate recipe.

Even though it’s called “frozen hot chocolate,” if I were going to make a non-ice-cream-based chocolate shake, this is exactly how I would do it, with sugar, cocoa powder, milk, and ice. It’s not as rich as a real chocolate milkshake, but it’s very good!

Can I make a chocolate milkshake with chocolate ice cream?

Sure. If all you have is chocolate ice cream, you can still use it to make a milkshake. Just follow the recipe below and either omit the chocolate sauce for a less chocolatey (but quicker) shake. Or use about half the chocolate sauce and then add more to taste if necessary.

Chocolate milkshake with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and sprinkles. - 11

Chocolate milkshake with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and sprinkles. - 12

More Chocolate Recipes

Small Chocolate Cake
Homemade Hot Chocolate
Small-batch Chocolate Chip Cookies