Salsa Chicken Breast and Chorizo Sausage Recipe
Spicy salsa chicken breast and chorizo is a flavorful combination of seasoned chicken breasts, homemade salsa, and spicy chorizo sausage. It’s a recipe that everyone will love.
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This recipe is so good! The combination of tender chicken and spicy Mexican chorizo creates a perfect balance of taste and texture. It’s perfect for serving to guests or an easy family meal.
🤍Why you will love this recipe
- Flavor! The combination of mild chicken and spicy chorizo creates a delicious and unique taste that will leave your taste buds wanting more.
- This is one of those easy dinners to make with fresh, simple ingredients.
What you will need
This is an overview of the ingredients and steps to make this recipe; scroll down for a printable full recipe card with exact measurements and detailed instructions.
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🛒Ingredients
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Mexican chorizo
- Ground cumin
- Garlic powder
- Chili powder
- Queso fresco
- Tomatoes
- Jalapeno pepper
- Cilantro
- Onions
- Lime juice
- Garlic
- Olive oil
🥄Equipment
- Large Skillet or shallow dutch oven
How to make spicy chicken breast and chorizo
Prepare the ingredients: Dice the tomatoes, garlic, onions, jalapeno peppers and cilantro; toss in a small bowl with lime juice to make the salsa topping. Preheat the oven to 350 Degrees F.
STEP 1: Mix the spices on a plate and dip the chicken pieces into it to season the chicken on both sides.
STEP 2: Heat one half tablespoon of olive oil in a heavy skillet at medium-high heat. Once the skillet is hot, cook the Mexican chorizo, breaking it into crumbles.
STEP 3: Remove the cooked sausage from the skillet and set it aside. Reduce the heat to medium heat. Add the remaining olive oil to the skillet and sear chicken. Cook until they turn golden brown on the outside – about 5 minutes on each side.
STEP 4: Turn the heat off and top the chicken breasts with the chorizo mixture, salsa, and crumbled cheese. Cover and bake for approximately 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Chorizo Sausage – This recipe uses Mexican chorizo, a raw ground pork sausage, not to be confused with Spanish chorizo sausage, a cured hard sausage. If you’re unable to find Mexican chorizo sausage, hot Italian sausage would be a better substitute for this recipe.
Chicken – I like to use boneless skinless chicken breasts in this recipe, but you can use boneless chicken thighs too.
Queso Fresco – This is a mild, fresh-tasting Mexican cheese. It can easily be substituted with mild feta cheese, Monterey jack, or Cotija cheese.
Tomatoes – Fresh tomatoes taste best in this recipe. I like using cherry tomatoes or plum tomatoes. If fresh tomatoes aren’t available, you can use diced canned tomatoes. I like to use low-sodium diced tomatoes from Muir Glen.
Onions – Any variety of onion will work in this recipe, I like to use red onion or sweet onions as Vidalia onions.
Jalapeno Pepper – If you don’t care for spicy food (the sausage might be hot enough for you), the jalapeno pepper can be left out of this recipe or replaced with a bell peppers. You can also substitute it with half of a poblano pepper which is less spicy.
How to store leftovers
Salsa chicken makes excellent leftovers. You can store your leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.
To reheat it, place it in an oven or the microwave. Leftover salsa chicken tastes great on top of a salad, steamed brown rice, in a wrap or quesadilla.
Serving Suggestions
Serve spicy salsa chicken with a side of green beans, salad, and your favorite whole grain or cauliflower rice for a low-carb version.
Are you too tired to cook dinner?
If you’re feeling uninspired when it’s time to cook dinner, this free guide will help you make a quick and healthy dinner with ingredients you have in your kitchen.
Recipe Variations
While this dish is packed with flavor, it is a spicy dish, if you prefer less heat or a different presentation, here are some suggestions to make this chorizo chicken your own.
Chorizo stuffed chicken breasts – Instead of layering the chorizo sausage on top of the chicken, cut a pocket into the chicken breast halves and stuff them with cooked sausage and cheese, top with salsa, and bake.
Chorizo with chicken casserole – If you have leftover chicken, chop it up and toss it with cooked chorizo, peppers, and black beans, and salsa. Top with cheese and bake until it is heated through.
Chorizo with chicken and peppers – Add chopped red peppers before placing into the oven for an extra helping of vegetables.
Smoky chorizo with chicken – Stir in a teaspoon or two to taste of smoked paprika for a smoky flavor.
💡Tips
- For best results, use a meat thermometer to ensure that the chicken is fully cooked to 165 degrees f.
- Time-saving tip! Use good quality salsa or canned diced tomatoes to save time prepping this recipe.
- If you don’t have an oven-proof skillet, lay chicken breasts in an oven-proof baking dish and layer the remaining ingredients on top.
Yes, you can. After cooking the sausage and browning the chicken breasts, layer the ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low heat for 3 to 4 hours.
Yes, you can. Follow the instructions for the recipe, but you will need to increase the cooking time by at least 30 minutes, be sure to check the internal temperature of the chicken which should be at least 165 degrees f.
Yes, this is perfect for making ahead of time or meal prep. Cook the ingredients making sure the chicken is fully cooked to 165 degrees f. Assemble the ingredinets in a baking dish or skillet and store in the refrigerator for two days. Bring to room temperature and bake in the oven until everything is heated through.
If you have a question that is not answered above, ask in the comment section below, and I will answer you as soon as I can.
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons [chili powder]
- 1/2 teaspoon [ground cumin]
- 1/2 teaspoon [garlic powder]
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or [avocado oil]
- 1 pound boneless chicken breasts
- 4 ounces of Mexican chorizo sausage
- 1 cup diced tomatoes
- 1 clove chopped garlic
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 1 chopped jalapeno pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lime juice
- 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 2 to 3 ounces crumbled queso fresco
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350
- Mix 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and rub the mixture over the chicken and set it aside.
- Make the Salsa: combine 1 cup diced tomatoes, 1 clove chopped garlic, 1/4 cup chopped onion, 1 chopped jalapeno pepper, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro and set it aside.
- Heat 1/2 tablespoon oil in a skillet and add the chorizo, and break it into crumbles as it cooks.
- Once it’s cooked, set it aside and add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet and brown the chicken breasts for about 3 to 5 minutes on each side – just until they begin to turn brown.
- Top the chicken with the salsa and the sausage; cover it and bake it for 20 until the chicken is cooked through (160 degrees).
- Remove the cover and sprinkle the chicken with the cheese and place it back into the oven and cook until the cheese has melted.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and can vary based on cooking methods and ingredients used
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