Creamy, cheesy, and full of Tex-Mex flavor, this easy queso chicken comes together in one pan with just a few pantry staples. Tender chicken breasts simmer in a rich queso sauce with tomatoes and chiles, and a kick of spice, weeknight comfort food without the fuss.
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 chicken dinner that both kids and adults will love.
Featured reader review
“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
While I enjoy experimenting with a ton of ingredients and making dishes with lots of steps, this is not one of those recipes.
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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.
It’s So Easy
Step 1: Marinate
All you need is buttermilk and 30 minutes, overnight is even better for tender and juicy chicken. Pour the buttermilk over the chicken in a bowl or ziplock. I usually use a glass mixing bowl (these are the ones I use because they’re easy to cover and reuse). 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, learn how to make buttermilk with things you have in your pantry.
If you have a few minutes, then make homemade queso with American cheese, for the absolutely best queso around. Don’t want to take the time, I use a prepared queso from the grocery all the time. 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.
Step 2: Season
Place the chicken in a 9×13 baking dish and sprinkle the chicken with taco seasoning. (this is the one I use because it cooks evenly and keeps the chicken from drying out on the edges).
Step 3: Cover it with sauce
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 digital meat thermometer (this is the one I use because it gives a quick, accurate reading) should read 160º before removing from the oven. You want chicken breasts to be at 165º, but they will continue to cook after you remove them from the oven, so I take them out at 160º.
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 it with a baked potato and pour the cheesy sauce over the potato! The sauce is thin, not thick.
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.
Tools That Keep This Chicken Juicy Every Time
If you’ve ever had chicken breasts turn out dry, it’s usually not the recipe, it’s how they’re cooked.
The baking dish and pan you use make a big difference in how evenly the chicken cooks and how well it holds moisture. A good dish keeps the edges from overcooking before the center is done, which is what makes this turn out tender and juicy instead of dry.
These are the ones I use:
- 9 x 13 Pyrex – This is what I use for this recipe because it heats evenly and doesn’t dry out the edges before the center finishes cooking.
- A ceramic 9 x 13 – This looks a little nicer on the table.
- ThermoWorks Digital Instant Read Meat Thermometer – This is the easiest way to make sure your chicken turns out juicy instead of overcooked. I pull it at 160° and let it rest to 165°.
- Pyrex Glass Mixing Bowl Set – Perfect for marinating the chicken, easy to cover and clean, and I use these constantly.
If you loved this recipe, give it a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating! Also, snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #butterandbaggage and tagging me @butterandbaggage.
Baked 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 160º. They will continue to cook once removed from the oven.
Video
Barbara’s Tips + 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
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Karen says
I can’t find pepper jack cheese. Can u use some other type of cheese and add red pepper flakes
Barbara Curry says
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.
Alyssa says
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?
Barbara Curry says
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.
Susan says
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!
Barbara Curry says
Susan, I’m thrilled it was a hit.
MeganSeelow says
I think it’s going to be delicious, but the cooking time for us is way off! Still raw. Am I missing something?!
Barbara Curry says
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.
Kelsey says
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🤞🏼😍
Barbara Curry says
It should still turn out fine, the buttermilk flavor will probably be covered up by the other flavors in the dish.
Julie says
I found queso in the Mexican Section of my grocery store, near the taco/salsa shelves.
William Eason says
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
Barbara Curry says
That’s awesome!
Laurie says
Made this tonight, LOVED IT!!!!!
Barbara Curry says
That’s awesome.
Susan says
Oh my goodness! This recipe is delicious , full of flavor, and not a major time. Investment!
I’ve made it at least 2-3 times in the last few months, and it’s a major hit!
Planning on it again this weekend for a friends 60th birthday bash!
My family and I thank you!!!
Barbara Curry says
So glad you found a great recipe to add to your rotation.
Jan says
Can thighs be used in place of breasts?
Barbara Curry says
If you use thighs, they should be boneless and skinless. You will need to cook them until the internal temperature reaches 175º.