Baked Queso Chicken will be your new favorite weeknight meal! It’s not only QUICK and EASY, but delicious. With just a few ingredients and a special tip, you’ll have moist and tender chicken on the table with almost no effort.
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Are you looking for something to fix for dinner that doesn’t take much work and uses just a few ingredients. Queso Chicken is going to be you’re new “go-to” recipe when you can’t come up with something for dinner. Or maybe it’s your turn to cook during vacation and you want to find a meal that everyone will love without putting in too much effort.
With just six ingredients you’ve got a fabulous dinner that both kids and adults will love. While I enjoy experimenting with a ton of ingredients and making dishes with lots of steps, this is not one of those recipes. You basically just dump everything into a casserole dish and bake. A couple of things will help make this dish stand out. Start out by marinating your chicken.
How to make TENDER chicken breasts:
All you need is buttermilk and 30 minutes, overnight is even better for tender and juicy chicken. Just pour the buttermilk over the chicken in a ziplock and let it do it’s magic. I learned this from my mother-in-law who makes the best fried chicken in the South. Since buttermilk is slightly acidic, it tenderizes the chicken without making it tough and helps break down the protein. Once it’s marinated, rinse the buttermilk and pat the chicken dry.
Don’t have buttermilk, no worries, just add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to a measuring cup and add 1 cup of milk. Let it sit for 5 minutes and now you’re set.
What is Queso?
Queso is a Mexican cheese but it is also short for chili con queso which translates into chili with cheese. It is the creamy dip you see in most Mexican restaurants. You can make your own with Velveeta and Ro-tel tomatoes or add some chorizo for a spicy queso dip. If you have a few minutes, then make homemade queso with American cheese, for the absolutely best queso around.
But for this recipe I used a prepared queso from the grocery. I like to use a good quality queso like Leigh Oliver’s, that uses white American cheese and nothing artificial. You can find it in the refrigerated section at Whole Foods. Fresh Market also carries prepared queso in their refrigerated section. If you have some leftover, queso is great drizzled over grilled chicken or beef tacos.
If you can’t find queso dip in the refrigerated section, then use a jar of queso dip that you can find in the chip section of the grocery.
How do you make queso chicken
Step 1: Marinate the chicken in buttermilk. On those nights when I haven’t planned ahead and marinated the chicken overnight, I’ll cover it with buttermilk the minute I walk in the door and let it sit for 30 minutes. Then just rinse and pat dry.
Step 2: Place the chicken in a baking dish and sprinkle the chicken with taco seasoning.
Step 3: Drain and then pour Ro-Tel Tomatoes over the top, cover with queso and top with grated cheese. Bake for about 30 minutes depending on how thick the chicken breasts are. A meat thermometer should read 165º.
You can put this together in less than 10 minutes. The tomatoes and queso combined with the juice from the chicken make a fantastic sauce that’s great over rice or pasta, or serve with a baked potato and pour the cheesy sauce over the potato!
If you don’t have taco seasoning, don’t worry, it’s just a combination of chili powder, cumin, oregano, and onion and garlic pepper. For this dish, just sprinkle some chili powder and cumin on the chicken breasts. Here’s a fabulous recipe for taco seasoning mix you can make at home.
Why you have to try Queso Chicken?
- Super tender chicken breasts
- A cheesy Tex-Mex flavored sauce that is great with rice or pasta
- ONLY 10 minutes to prepare
- On the table in 35 minutes start to finish
- Everyone will love it
What are you waiting for!
FAQ’s and tips
Start by marinating for at least 30 minutes in buttermilk
Add a tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to a 1 cup measuring cup and fill with milk. Let it sit for about 5 minutes.
Chop up a fresh tomato and a jalapeno pepper
The best queso is found in the refrigerated section where the cheese or fresh salsa is located. You can also use the queso that is found on the potato chip aisle.
If you need more ideas for quick and easy dinners, give some of these recipes a try:
- Lemon Chicken Penne a light and fresh pasta dinner.
- Parmesan Crusted Chicken Fingers because who doesn’t love chicken fingers!
- Baked Apple Pancake for nights when you want breakfast for dinner.
- Go Tex-Mex with Chicken Enchiladas .
- Have left over turkey, then try Spicy Hot Browns.
Still in the mood for chicken, you’ll love these
- Roasted chicken with dates
- Chicken meatballs
- Tex-Mex chicken and rice
- Taco grilled chicken
- Chicken galette
- Chicken tamale pie
- Peach and chicken taquitos
- One pan chicken
- Slow cooker chicken
- Nut crusted chicken
Queso Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 cup Buttermilk
- 4 boneless chicken breast
- 2 teaspoons taco seasoning
- salt and pepper
- 10 ounces Ro-Tel tomatoes and chilies
- 1 cup queso 12 ounces
- 1 cup pepper jack and cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Place chicken in ziplock bag with buttermilk and let sit overnight or at least for 30 minutes. Drain, and pat dry.
- Preheat oven to 375º.
- Sprinkle chicken with taco season and salt and pepper. Place in a glass baking dish.
- Drain tomatoes and chilies and place half on chicken, cover with queso and place the rest of the tomatoes on top. Cover with grated cheese mixture.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until instant thermometer reads 155º. They will continue to cook once removed from the oven.
Video
Notes
Recipe Tip
- For tender chicken marinate in buttermilk for 30 minutes
- If you don’t have Ro-tel tomatoes, chop fresh tomatoes and a jalapeno
- You can find queso in the refrigerated section of the grocery or on the potato chip aisle
- This is great served over rice
Nutrition
If you make Queso Chicken, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! I would love to see your creation.
Absolutely delicious and easy to make, a new family favorite, thanks for the recipe! 😋
Mike, I’m so glad you and your family liked this, it’s one of my favorites, especially when I’m in a hurry.
Is that 1 cup of each cheese or a combination?
I used one cup of each, but I like a lot of cheese! You can easily cut the amount of cheese down since the queso itself is so cheesy.
Is the queso shredded or liquid?
It is liquid. It comes in a jar, just melt it in the microwave or on the stove and pour it over.
Do you use the Tostitos salsa con queso? Or something different?
You could use the jars of queso that you find on the chip aisle or try the fresh queso in the refrigerated section.
Do you rinse off all the buttermilk?
Yes, rinse and pat dry.
Do you just drain the buttermilk or rinse it off?
Yes, rinse it off.
What kind of quest do you use?
I use one in the refrigerated section or you can find queso dip in the potato chip section. My favorite is homemade queso dip.
I’ve printed the recipe to make very soon. I’m from Texas, so we eat Mexican food ALL the time!
In many grocery stores they have in house made Queso, that is delicious. Look for it, to use! Better than most I’ve ever bought. You also, could go by your favorite Mexican restaurant and buy amount needed. Or serve it with chips.
I bet you get some great house made queso in Texas. The better the queso the better this dish is.
So delicious and easy to make…thank you!
Monica, I’m so glad you liked it. You might also like Chicken Enchiladas, another delicious but easy dinner.
Can you use chicken thighs?
Yes, I would remove the skin and just what the time, it could be shorter.
Are you covering with foil before sliding in the oven?
No need to cover it, all the cheese keeps it moist.
With the queso, you have 1 cup and 12 ounces. Which one do you use? I don’t want to use too much and make the sauce too thin.
With the queso I used, 1 cup was about 12 ounces. If you use a little more or less it will not change the sauce.
This was the most juicy chicken breast I have ever made! Followed the recipe exactly as written & for the first time ever, no one chocked on my dry chicken breasts! Definitely a family favorite
Leah, that is awesome. If you’re looking for another quick and easy family friendly dish, check out one pot Taco Spaghetti
I know I always end up with dry chicken. I’m making this tonight. Can’t wait.
Clarification please – drain Ro-tel – separating “juice” from solids – pitch the liquid and use the solids ~~ am I correct? Sounds wonderful. I’m a cheese lover, too. 😉
Drain the Ro-tel tomatoes and pour out the juice, just use the solid tomatoes. If you love cheese, you will love this recipe. Even though it has a lot of cheese, it mixes with the juice from the chicken so the end product is not thick.
Can I use something other than buttermilk? What does the buttermilk do?
The buttermilk just tenderizes the chicken. You can substitute buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup and fill it to the 1 cup line with milk. This chicken is so tender, that you could skip this step all together.
I use milk, it makes the chicken moist
Easy and delicious! It’s a 5 star recipe!
So glad you liked it!
Can You put this together and then put it in the fridge and make the next day?
I don’t see why not.
So I could soak my chicken in my buttermilk over night tonight and put it all together cover it back up and toss it in the oven on Friday… would you recommend putting it back in the fridge or freezer
I would soak the chicken in buttermilk. Drain it and assemble and then refrigerate. I would not refreeze it raw with the cheese mixture added, just cover and refrigerate and take it out of the refrigerator about 15 minutes before you are going to put it in the oven.
Hi! What sides have you all prepared with it?
Thanks!
Since the sauce is so yummy, I like to pore it over rice or a baked potato.
Sounds yummy! I’m making it now! Can’t wait.
Could you make this in the crock pot?
Since this is so quick to make, I’ve never tried it in a slow cooker. Most chicken recipes woudl cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours in a slow cooker. I would not add teh grated cheese, but I think it should work ok. Let me know how it turns out.
I like to serve it with a baked potato because you can pour the extra sauce on the potato. It also is good over rice.
Super yummy. My new favorite chicken go to. I’m a freak for queso so this was right up my alley!! Need to find a good queso, we have HyVee grocery stores and I can’t find your recommendation…
Thanks for sharing!
This is even better if you make your own queso, give this recipe a try.
1 cup is 8oz, not 12oz. What do you mean by “rinse off” or “drain” the buttermilk?
The chicken has been soaking in buttermilk, so take it out of the buttermilk, and run water over the chicken to rinse off the buttermilk. Then pat the chicken dry with paper towels. I hope that makes sense.
You are right, 1 liquid cup is 8 oz. I think she is using a dry measuring cup, that’s why she used 12 oz. of queso.
The weight will depend on what type of queso dip you use. You need about a cup of queso, but that’s just a quideline.
If you wanted to add some vegetables and pasta or rice before cooking , would you alter the cooking time?
If you add vegetables, the cooking time is probably long enough to cook most vegetables. I’m not sure there would be enough liquid to add uncooked rice. If you’re going to experiment I would cover it while cooking so that the rice could steam and see how it does, you may need to add some chicken broth. Let me know how it turns out.
I made it and it was delicious. Quick and easy to.
This might sound like a dumb question but I had a question about soaking it in the buttermilk. I’m assuming that you put it in the fridge while it soaks but I never saw andy exact instructions about that. Just checking.
Tammy, yes you need to soak them in buttermilk in the refrigerator. Thanks for checking.
Loved this easy recipe chicken came out moist and tender And I don’t care for chicken breast sent the recipe to my children to make
Well that’s quite a compliment!
I can’t find a jar of queso the only jars are dip would that be the same?
Yes, you can use dip.
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ My entire family LOVED it
That made my day!
Question, I don’t have a glass dish, only a metal one, will that do? Or does it have to be glass?
Metal will work, just watch the cooking time. Hope you enjoy.
I like to meal prep. Do you think this would go good for meal prepping for the week for myself??
I always make extra when I make this and freeze it for lunches or dinners. It freezes well and is just as good reheated!
What kind of queso did you use?
I used Leigh Oliver’s found in the refrigerated section (http://leigholivers.com/product.htm) or you can use any type of queso in a jar in the chip section. Or better yet, make your own, it’s super easy. https://www.butterandbaggage.com/queso-dip/
sounds great, going to make this tomorrow. I notice the sodium/salt count is really high, any suggestions on how to cut that down?
I think the high sodium is coming from the queso dip that the nutrition app is pulling. You could choose one with a lower sodium content and you could also use fresh chopped tomatoes and chilies to decrease the sodium in canned tomatoes. I hope that helps.
As my husband said, this is a keeper! I used white queso – not gourmet- and Monterey Jack instead of pepper jack because that is what I had on hand. Will definitely be adding this to my list of favorite recipes.
I made it for dinner tonight also and used up a bunch of different cheeses in my cheese drawer. I didn’t have any spicy cheese so I just added some red pepper flakes to the top before baking.
Sorry if this should be obvious, but could you give me some details about how you would freeze this? In the whole pan, or individual portions in plastic containers? How long does it need to thaw? Sorry, I am new at this and freezing seems like such a great option but it also sort of intimidates me!
You can freeze it either way. For lunches, I freeze it in an individual container, but If I’ve made enough for another dinner, I’ll freeze it in a larger plastic container. You can also freeze it in a Ziplock freezer bag. Either way, take it out the night before and let it thaw in the refrigerator. It should thaw by dinner. Once thawed, you can microwave or heat in the oven. Make sure you put some of the sauce in the freezer container. Good luck, my freezer is always stocked with left overs.
Can you use fresh Queso?
Yes, I use this recipe for queso dip.
So easy, so delicious! Super juicy chicken, great over rice. My family loved it.
I couldn’t find that cheese in two stores all I could find was the jar of queso in the chip section and shredded queso which one should I use??
Queso in the chip section.
I could only find the jar and the shredded Queso which one should I use? Making tonight
The jar is what you need. Good luck
I need to double this recipe because I have a lot of kids. Should my baking time be longer?
As long as the chicken breasts are not on top of each other, the cooking time should be the same. I double it all the time!
Thank you tons!!!
This sounds delicious! Have you ever used pork chops instead of chicken?
I have not, I’m not sure how it would turn out. When you bake chicken it produces a lot of liquid which would not be true for pork chops. Let me know how if you try it. If you’re in the mood for pork chops, I like this recipe with peaches.
Just made this for dinner, exactly by recipe, and it was delicious. Husband, daughter, and son-in-law loved it. I topped it with fresh cilantro – ahhhmazing! Thanks for sharing!
Glad you could please the whole family.
Hey there!! Crock pot instead of oven?? Please advise!!
I haven’t tried this in a slow cooker. If you try it, I would leave off the grated cheese until the end. I would suggest cooking on low for 4 hours or high for 2 hours. Let me know how it turns out.
Did the crock pot work out for you? I’m wanting to do it that way
The taco seasoning you use, is it like from the packets?
You can use a packet or make your own, this is the mix that I use.
By far the best chicken we’ve ever had. OMG so good. this will be apart of our dinners. Thank you so much.
It seems too simple to be so good, glad you liked it.
Absolutely delicious! I used queso Blanco dip in the recipe. Easy and fork tender chicken breasts. I did pound breasts so chicken cooked more evenly!
This is everyone’s favorite and so easy to make.
Thank you for this easy delicious recipe
It may be Memorial Day and it’s not what most people are eating but I would not of changed a thing. Dinner was absolutely delicious and I will be making again
I’m so glad you liked it. I’ve made an e-book with easy weeknight recipes if you’re looking for similar recipes. It’s free on the website.
This is a real hit at our house. The chicken seems to take longer to cook than that for us by about 10 minutes. Larger breasts maybe? My husband really likes it with corn. The chicken is SO tender, I’m assuming from the buttermilk! Thanks. It’s on our rotation for dinner recipes!
The larger the chicken breasts the longer it takes.
I love to try new recipes, and this one was a 10! Delicious and easy. Will definitely make this for company. Thanks!
It’s a great dish for company, glad you liked it.
Super easy! Unlike most recipes that claim prep time is 10min that is more like 30. Prep is easy and quick. I have teenage boys that eat everything so I added cream of chicken soup (dont add water) to the bottom with minute rice. Was out of rotel so I used salsa and it worked out perfect!
Great way too improvise!
My chicken came out very chewy. I don’t know if I soaked it in buttermilk too long…..from midnight until about 7pm next day, or if I cooked it too long? 30 minutes. They were pretty thick. Otherwise-the flavors were excellent and I love the the sauce.
I don’t think marinating them is your problem. I would use a meat thermometer if possible taking them out when it reaches 160º. You can also pound them a bit so that one end is not thicker than the other and they cook more evenly. Hope this helps.
This was super delicious and easy! We shredded it and put it in tortilllas with diced jalapeños on top.
Great idea to make it into tacos!
Can I make this dish in a toaster oven?
Absolutely! All toaster ovens are not the same, it needs to have a bake setting. You might need to alter the time depending on the strength of your oven.
So, is it one cup of shredded pepper jack & 1 cup shredded cheddar plus the queso
I used a total of 1 cup of cheese, but it’s just a guideline.
This is absolutely delicious! The whole family loved it. Didn’t have buttermilk, so I added 1 Tbsp white vinegar to 1 cup of 2% milk and I marinated for about 6 hours. I blended the Rotel a little in the Ninja and it was easier to distribute over the chicken breasts. I did pour off most of the liquid too. Spooned the finished cheese sauce over rice and my guys were very satisfied! The chicken was so tender and juicy! It will be a recipe we make regularly.
Glad it was a hit!
This was absolutely delicious! My family loved it! I didn’t have buttermilk, so I added 1 Tbsp White Vinegar to 1 cup of 2% milk and marinated for about 6 hours. I poured off most of the liquid from the Rotel and blended it a little in the Ninja to make it easier to distribute over the chicken. I spooned the finished cheese sauce over rice and my guys were so satisfied. The chicken was so tender and juicy. We will definitely add this recipe to our regular dinner favorites. Thank you for sharing it!
If you need some additional easy dinner ideas, check out the e-book avaialble on the website.
This recipe is so good! One of my fave dishes. I shredded it and put it in small white corn tortillas and folded it and baked them to make baked chicken tacos. Then I served the tacos with my guacamole! Thank you!
That sounds yummy!
Do you think you can shred and make tacos?
Yes, it makes great tacos, that’s what I’ll do with the leftovers.
I bought fresh queso. Do you know of a good way to melt it first?
I just put the jar in the microwave for about 30 seconds, just be careful, it gets really hot!
Didn’t do the buttermilk step because I was lazy and it still came out delicious. Served over spaghetti squash. Yummy.
Spaghetti squash was a great idea!
My husband and I both loved this tonight!
I made my own Queso and only made a couple of changes. I drained the Rotel and added it to the queso. Then I put some queso in the bottom of the dish before adding chicken. I then poured the queso over it and sprinkled with the cheeses.
It was delicious!
Thank you for this recipe!
Homemade queso makes it even better.
Delicious! I chopped my chicken into pieces inside & elimated some of the tomatoes due to my husband being picky and it was still delicious! Thanks for sharing! Definitely a must try!
Chopping the chicken is a great idea especially if serving over rice.
Would this be good with chicken thighs and legs instead of breast?
I’ve never tried it. It would change the cooking time. If you try it, let me know how it turns out. If you need a fabulous recipe for chicken thighs, one of my favorites is this one with lemons and shallots. https://www.butterandbaggage.com/roasted-chicken-with-lemon-thyme-and-shallots/
This chicken is amazing! So easy and all the ingredients are items I always have! Definitely will be a regular meal for us!
Each time I make it, I’m amazing at how delicious it is with so little effort.
I can’t find a button to print the recipe, is it no longer available?
Thanks so much for letting me know, it’s up now!
DELICIOUS EASY Recipe! I followed the ingredients, but did sauté the chicken first in a cast iron skillet, then deglazed it with a bit of chicken broth. Assembled all of it in the same cast iron skillet. And then followed the recipe. Cooked great in the cast iron and made for a nice oven skillet meal! I served mine with Quinoa and brown rice, along with a nice salad! Yum!
Glad that you liked it and made it your own. I love cooking in a cast iron skillet, if that’s a favorite for you, I’ll bet you would like chicken and wine. https://www.butterandbaggage.com/chicken-in-white-wine/
Delicious! Kids were picky and took some of the tomatoes off. Loved by the rest! Served over brown rice with broccoli and the leftover sauce was yummy on it.
So glad it was a hit with the picky eaters!
We are eating low carb. Is this carb content per serving or for whole dish? 8 net carbs in not too bad if it’s per serving. Making now with velvetta.
It’s 8 per serving assuming you eat all the sauce with it. I find it makes a lot of sauce that is left in the pan, so it’s probably less.
I have not tried this yet. But my son and daughter in law made one like this in the crock pot. He went home at lunch, put the chicken, taco seasoning, and Rotel in the crock pot. Cooked 6 hrs. on low. Then when he got off from work. He added the Queso and shredded cheese, and let that cook until wifey got home. They were going to serve with rice or pasta. They really liked it. So now I am going to try it :). P,S. I don’t think they soaked theirs in the Buttermilk.
Buttermilk isn’t necessary, it’s just a way to make thicker chicken breasts more tender. I bet cooking it in the slow cooker made it pretty tender.
This sounds amazing, does the chicken shred apart at all?
You can shred it, just use 2 forks and pull it apart. It’s great for tacos!
My new favorite chicken recipe. I always make a recipe just as written the first time and it was delich. Next time, added 1/2 can drained black beans and 1/2 can drained kernel corn with the first Rotel layer. Made delicious even more so.
I love the idea of adding beans and corn, yum.
Ok, so I never comment on anything! But this is fantastic! I am currently 8 months pregnant with gestational diabetes, and made this over fresh cilantro, lime rice with avocado. It was perfect! The whole family loved it! Thanks for the awesome recipe 😊
Good luck with your pregnancy, I’m glad you found something you could enjoy. Roasted Chicken with Shallots might be another that you could eat that’s one our favorites.
I can’t find pepper jack cheese. Can u use some other type of cheese and add red pepper flakes
Absolutely, you can use any type of cheese you like and add as much red pepper flakes as you want depending on how spicy you want your chicken.
Would this turn out right in the crockpot? Would you do everything the same? Add all ingredients and cook on low for like 6 hours?
I haven’t tried this in a slow cooker, but I’m sure it would work. I would wait to add the cheese until 30 minutes before serving. Let me know how it turned out.
Oh my goodness, this was delicious! Our family of four devoured this tonight.
Recipe was easy and on the table quick. I made yellow rice and a garden salad along with it. A real hit! Thank you so much!
Susan, I’m thrilled it was a hit.
I think it’s going to be delicious, but the cooking time for us is way off! Still raw. Am I missing something?!
The time can vary depending on your oven and the thickness of the chicken breasts. If you have very thick breasts, it’s going to take longer. A meat thermometer is a life saver when making chicken. I hope they tasted great once they cooked through.
Hi I’m currently making this! Looking so delicious but i made an error… I saw that I was supposed to rinse off the buttermilk and then pat dry but I just shook off what I could of the buttermilk and then patted dry. Ugh! Will this make a big difference in the dish? Crossing my fingers it doesn’t, hope it tastes as it’s smelling🤞🏼😍
It should still turn out fine, the buttermilk flavor will probably be covered up by the other flavors in the dish.
I found queso in the Mexican Section of my grocery store, near the taco/salsa shelves.
My wife doesn’t cook in this house I showed her the picture of the recipe and she kind of rolled her eyes said okay, after devouring an entire breast she told me I could make it anytime and even serve it to guests. Not much to add to that
That’s awesome!