Spice Rubbed Salsa Chicken takes the typical chicken and salsa pairing up a few notches in an easy, gluten-free, allergy-free, and paleo way! A great dinner recipe to have on hand so you can whip up something tasty and healthy for the whole family on any weeknight!
You can do salsa chicken in the slow cooker, but why not bake it in 30 minutes instead? I’m pretty sure this baked recipe came about due to the fact that I was stuck with only some thin sliced chicken breasts. The grocery back home is either a hit or miss with good, on sale chicken breasts. Sometimes they have an amazing sale, sometimes I might as well buy a car, and sometimes they have none at all. This time…they had zero; they did have these thin sliced breasts, though!
If you’ve ever made chicken in the slow cooker, you know it shrinks to about half the size. If you’re going to cook chicken breasts in the slow cooker, they’d better be darn big! Otherwise, you’ll be left with a sad tiny piece for dinner…Yes, it’s the same “nutritionally as when it started, but let’s get real here! I want more than just a few bites for dinner! Now that I was stuck with these thin slices of chicken breasts, I was already down to “smaller” pieces. Putting them in the slow cooker would be pointless. They’d cook super fast anyway right in the oven! Less thickness to cook through!
So why not dry rub those babies with some spices, throw them in the iron, cover in salsa, and bake!? Not only do you get the killer flavor from the magical cast iron, but the spices fuse into the chicken and the salsa tastes even better when it’s warm and baked right in, keeping the chicken super moist! No need to fear the thin chicken breasts any longer! We can make them nice and yummy and not miss their bigger cousin!
I just realized something tragic. I have neither my cast iron or my slow cooker(s). This is bad! I’m been thinking about buying a small cast iron. The one I have at home is a nice big 10.25 inch. I want a small 6.25 inch one next! Not only for a single-serve dinner of one chicken breast but to make a skillet cookie and/or brownie too! Priorities, right? You can’t really beat $8 so this cast iron may just be my early Christmas gift to myself!
And a dutch baby! A gluten-free and vegan dutch baby! I’m not sure how I’ll pull that egg-filled dish off, but I do know I need the cast iron magic for it! Cast iron skillets never fail you. They basically guarantee a winning recipe (<—proof!). More proof that my dreams of a dutch baby will come is this recipe for thin sliced chicken breasts! No fail, my friends!
Spice Rubbed Salsa Chicken
- 1 lb Thin Sliced Chicken Breasts (about 4)
- 16oz Mild Salsa
- ½ Tsp Smoked Paprika
- ½ Tsp Cumin
- ½ Tsp Onion Powder
- ½ Tsp Garlic Powder
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Rub the chicken breasts with the spices and place in a seasoned cast iron skillet.
- Pour the salsa over the chicken to cover.
- Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
Well, I give you chicken and I give myself the inspiration to go make a skillet brownie, skillet cookie, and dutch baby recipe! But first I need that small cast iron! Hello, Amazon! Is there anything the cast iron can’t do? I think not!
So tell me:
+ Thin sliced? I think thin sliced are great for dishes like Chicken Piccata!
+ Ever have a dutch baby?
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I love a bit of chicken, and your dish looks deliciously moist and full of flavours.
Mel recently posted…Mumsnet Blogfest 16 – Thoughts & Tips
Thank you!
mmm that looks delicious
Thanks!
This chicken just looks so fun and full of flavor!
CJ @ Morsels of Life recently posted…Roasted Banana Bread
It is!!
Great quick and easy dinner, gotta love that.
For sure!
Your Spice Rubbed Salsa Chicken will have a fantastic flavor that we will love !
Miz Helen recently posted…Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallow Topping
Yes “you” will!
Yum! Hubby loves anything salsa… this is one I’m pinning! 🙂
Awesome! I hope you both enjoy!
What a yummy post! Looks simple and super healthy.
For sure! Thanks!
Sounds like a GREAT quick & easy weeknight meal!
Sure is!
How easy is that and I am sure it tasted awesome.
Kathleen – Bloggers Lifestyle recently posted…Niume Update – Get Paid for Your Posts
Super easy and delish! Give it a try!
Love the spice and salsa on this chicken! Looks so delicious!
Lindsay Cotter recently posted…Crock Pot Autumn Quinoa Pilaf {Gluten Free}
Thanks, Lindsay!
I love my cast iron and I love thin cut chicken…awesome for piccata, but I also like it to do a quick Balsamic Marinade with and add to spinach salad!
Yup! It is a great cut for certain dishes for sure!
Hi Rebecca,
Yum – Chicken one of my favorite dishes. Sounds delicious and nutritious.
Marla recently posted…Real Food Fridays #164 Sharing Health
Always a win!
That salsa looks good.
Wow, Megan.
Oh my goodness, hearing about all this glorious spice infusing into the dish is making me drool like crazy! So many incredible spices–I can only imagine how flavorful this is!
Demeter | Beaming Baker recently posted…No Bake Vegan Pecan Pie Bites (Paleo, Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free)
Tons of delicious flavor!
You’re too funny, Rebecca! And yes, I’m just using a slow cooker for the first time so it’s good to hear your advice on chicken, lol.
This looks fantastic and love the flavourings you chose! Great shots, too!
Haha, thank you, Robyn 😉
This looks amazing Rebecca! I love the salsa and spice combo! Yum!
Thank you dear! All about that easy flavor!
I wish my husband liked chicken & tomatoes as this looks really good! I may have to try it for my nephews instead 🙂
Miss Food Fairy recently posted…In My Kitchen October 2016
Why not yourself?
I am staying in tune for that gfree, vegan dutch baby <3
I’ll work on it during winter break 😉
Simple, flavorful and delicious! Win-win-win!!!
Totally!
This looks super yummy. Thanks for sharing with us all.
Charlene Asay recently posted…Spicy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
I hope you give it a try!
Looks beautiful! I bet my husband would love this, I bet it’s juicy and full of flavor.
Tons of salsa flavor!
beautiful, easy weeknight meal!
Yes!!
Salsa and chicken is always a great combination! Looks tasty
Mary recently posted…Happy Halloween!
It sure is!
Oh WOW does this look succulently good!!! Love salsa on anything, and this is going on my to-do list asap!! Love it!
Salsa always wins!
Great idea for the salsa chicken combo!! I don’t have a cast iron skillet, but totally want one for the purpose of making dessert cookies/cornbreads 🙂
Tara | Treble in the Kitchen recently posted…Sweet Potato Oatmeal Snack Cookies
You need one!!!
Wow, looks amazing. And only 6 ingredients!
Chrystal @ Gluten-Free Palate recently posted…2016 Stocking Stuffer Guide
Ha, sure!
Yum! An easy meal AND Paleo?! Definitely adding this to my recipe index. Thank you!
Awesome! Hope you enjoy!
We’ve never cooked chicken in a slow cooker before so thank you for the warning! Putting chicken with salsa is awesome. We always have salsa at home so we will be trying this out for sure. Oh and speaking of cast iron – we just bought a 3-in-1 set so now we have all sizes! So convenient 🙂
Haha! Well slow cooker chicken is amazing, just not very economical 😛
Ah! I need one in each size 😛 Hahaha!
That rub sounds so fragrant and versatile!
Kate recently posted…Chocolate Chunk Butternut Squash Cake
Nice and easy way to add flavor!
This chicken is something that I’d love to try. I got a cute little cast iron pan at a flea market recently so will work perfect for “just me”.
Platter Talk recently posted…Cranberry Nut Bread Recipe
Ahh!! Lucky!
Yum, this is my kind of dinner. Love that it looks almost like a stew, so comforting!
Cricket Plunkett recently posted…Pumpkin Goat Cheese Scones
O yea!! Perfect for this cold weather soon!
Haha the worst thing in the world is cooking chicken in a crockpot and realizing that it’s only 1/3 of the size it was before it was cooked! Hence that’s why baked chicken is wayyyy better! I’ve been putting salsa on my chicken since I can remember so this chicken is perfect for me!
rachel @ Athletic Avocado recently posted…Paleo Pumpkin Rosemary Pesto Gnocchi
Hahaha! It seriously just disappears in there!!! Tastes so good…but…gives you so little!
Rebecca – love these spiced and salsa drenched chicken breasts! A simple and delicious twist on chicken! BTW, I have a large cast iron and a small one and use them both at least once a week! Also – dutch babies are the best – I have failed so far in making one – but gotta keep trying 🙂
Shashi at RunninSrilankan recently posted…Pumpkin Spice, Almond & Raspberry Hot Chocolates
I need a small one!!!! I will get one soon!