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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Angie says
My family really enjoyed this, although I did change it up a bit. My kids will eat raw tomatoes alone, but not cooked in a casserole or other meal. Why? Who knows; I’m just glad they eat them.
Because of this, I omitted the Ro-Tel and added a can of enchilada sauce, then baked it as directed. When the chicken was cooked through I shredded it, stirred it in some of the cheesy sauce, and wrapped it in tortillas. I poured the last of the sauce over the tortillas and served with Mexican rice and refried beans. Delicious!
Barbara Curry says
That sounds delicious!
Dee Willis says
Made for my family for Taco Tuesday dinner. We have a taco restaurant called Moe’s in which I gotten the Queso sauce from. I used chicken strips so we can use the soft tacos with… everyone loved it….. had it with a side salad. We will have again..very quick and easy to make.. Thank you for this recipe..
Barbara Curry says
This is a great recipe for tacos, thanks for sharing!
Ruth says
Want to try this. Can it be frozen ?
Barbara Curry says
Yes, it freezes very well.
Dede says
This is my absolute favorite dish to make for friends and family! It is super easy to put together and super delicious! My grandkids absolutely love this dish!
Barbara Curry says
It’s crazy how easy and delicious this is, I’m glad it’s a favorite.
Brittany Homerston says
We’ve made this quite a few times! We love it! Usually serve it with mini tater tots— something about dipping the tots into the queso. So good!
Barbara Curry says
I love the idea of tater tots with it!
Donna says
Will definitely try this. Sounds delicious.
Barbara Curry says
It’s so easy and delicious, I think you’ll love it.
Donna A Pollock says
This is a great recipe. I made this for a friend who is getting a little bit older. She has a bit of a hard time getting around. I thought this would be right up her ally for a good meal. I put it all together. All she had to do was to stick it in the oven and bake. I also sent her a box of Rice a Roni to go with it. A nice loaf of great bread, and a Broccoli salad. They loved this meal. I will make it again for them. This is a great easy recipe…
Thank you and God Bless you.
Barbara Curry says
I’m sure your friend appreciated this, it’s such an easy recipe to throw together.
Paula says
Looks delicious!
What do you serve with it?
Barbara Curry says
I generally serve rice with it and pour the extra sauce over the rice. Potatoes work well, or if you’re watching carbs, then cauliflower rice.
Veronica says
Love this recipe! Delicious every time! Even my picky teens love it. I use chicken tenderloins rather than breasts. We have it on a regular basis. I keep rotel and queso on hand at all times just for this recipe! I rarely have buttermilk so I make my own with 1 tbs of white vinegar and a cup of milk as recommended. 5 stars for sure!
Barbara Curry says
That’s a big compliment that your picky teens love it!
Nancie S. says
In anticipation of making this soon, and not knowing anything about queso cheese, I bought a solid block of queso fresco in the refrigerated section, but then, on second thought, not sure how that would be liquefied and poured over chicken in this recipe, as on googling how to use this cheese, it sounds like it’s not really a melting cheese. Should I just have bought a jar of the liquid queso in the chip aisle?
Barbara Curry says
Queso Fresco will not work in this recipe, but you can use it to top salads or tacos or enchiladas. For this recipe you will need a jar of queso from the chip aisle or in the refrigerated section with the fresh salsas. Or you could make your own, here’s a recipe: https://www.butterandbaggage.com/queso-dip/