Tex Mex Baked Chicken
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Tex Mex Baked Chicken is perfect for a weeknight dinner. Lean chicken breasts and black beans with flavorful Tex Mex sauce on top. It’s delicious and healthy too!
Baked chicken dinners are popular for many reasons, but one of the biggest reasons may be that chicken is so versatile. No matter what cuisine you’re craving, there are spices and ingredients that pair perfectly with the blank canvas of a boneless chicken breast or thigh.
The seasonings and the majority of the ingredients in this baked chicken dinner are without a doubt, Mexican. Cumin, chili powder, Cojita cheese and enchilada sauce. However, the use of shredded cheddar cheese technically classifies it as Tex Mex chicken.
Tex Mex baked chicken
Unlike a casserole, where ingredients are combined together before baking, this baked chicken dinner is assembled layer by layer. As a result, you are able to taste each ingredient separately.
Ingredients and substitutions
Here are the ingredients you will need to make the recipe:
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts – If you prefer dark meat, boneless skinless chicken thighs are a good substitute
- Cooked black beans – If you’ll be using canned beans, be sure to drain and rinse them first
- Onion – I use yellow but red or white onion would work as well
- Bell pepper – Use the color of your choice; I prefer green bell peppers
- Seasonings – Garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, salt and black pepper
- Red enchilada sauce – For the best flavor, consider making your own. I have an easy red enchilada sauce recipe.
- Cheese – Shredded cheddar and crumbled Cojita cheese
- Cilantro – This is an optional garnish for the top of the Mexican baked chicken.
Video: making Tex Mex baked chicken
For cooking tips, be sure to watch the video in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. The complete instructions for making the dinner are there as well.
- Prep the baking pan and preheat your oven. Use non-stick cooking spray to grease the inside of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
- Mix the seasoning blend. Add all of the seasonings to a small bowl and whisk them together to combine.
- Assemble the Tex Mex chicken.
- Place the black beans, onion and bell pepper into the bottom of the baking dish.
- Next, place the chicken breasts in a single layer on top of the vegetables and sprinkle the seasoning blend over the chicken breasts.
- Drizzle half of the red enchilada sauce on top of the chicken.
- Cover pan with foil and bake for 25 minutes, or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 163°F. (See my recipe notes for more information on properly cooking chicken.)
- Remove baked Mexican chicken from the oven. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese over the top, drizzle with remaining enchilada sauce, and bake uncovered for 5 minutes to melt the cheese.
Recipe notes
- Chicken: To ensure that the chicken breasts cook evenly, you may want to use the flat side of a meat mallet to lightly pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness. Place the chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper to prevent it from sliding around.
- Shred cheese yourself. Ready to use shredded cheddar cheese comes with a starchy coating to prevent the shreds from clumping together. Unfortunately, it also prevents the cheese from melting well.
Instead, consider buying a block of cheddar cheese and shred it yourself. You can buy large blocks of cheese from places like Sam’s Club or Costco, then shred it all at once and freeze what you don’t need.
- Check by temperature, not time. For best results, use an instant read thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken. It is properly cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
However, the meal will continue to cook for a couple of minutes after it comes out of the oven. So, you can pull it out when the internal temperature reaches 163°F.
Serving suggestions
This is a healthy and hearty meal, so the best side dishes to serve would ideally be light and healthy. Some ideas include Peachy Coleslaw, Classic Caesar Salad, or a simple Cilantro Lime Rice.
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Tex Mex Baked Chicken
Ingredients
- 30 oz black beans (2 15-oz cans), drained
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 2 lbs chicken breasts (See Note 1)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp chili seasoning
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups red enchilada sauce
- 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese or Oaxaca cheese
- 1/2 cup crumbled cotija cheese or queso fresco
- cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. In a small bowl mix together the garlic, cumin, chili powder, kosher salt and pepper.
- Place the black beans, onion and bell pepper in a rectangle 9×13″ casserole dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray or vegetable oil.
- Layer the chicken breasts on top of the black beans/vegetables and top with seasoning mixture.
- Drizzle half of the red enchilada sauce on top of the chicken.
- Bake covered with foil for 25 minutes, depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts. (See Note 1) Be sure chicken internal temp reads at least 160°F as it will continue to cook.
- Remove from oven and top each chicken breast with the remaining red enchilada sauce and cheddar cheese. Put it back in the oven, uncovered for 5 minutes. We want a finished 165°F internal temp, check. Remove from oven and allow to rest 5 minutes before slicing or serving.
- Sprinkle the cotija cheese crumbles over all and chopped cilantro (optional) for garnish.
Video
Notes
- Chicken breasts can vary in size from 5 ounces to 10 ounces, meaning that the cooking time varies. I use boneless and skinless chicken breast meat. To ensure that the chicken breasts cook evenly, you may want to use the flat side of a meat mallet to lightly pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness. Place the chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper to prevent it from sliding around or slice in half horizontally and pound between sheets of plastic wrap for even thickness.Â
- For best results, use an instant read thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken. It is properly cooked when it reaches internal temperature of 165°F.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Thank you so much, the kids loved this and it was so easy. Pounded the chicken like you should to cook even and everything was perfect. I didn’t find the onion or peppers too crunchy and with the beans, it was a complete meal. Another winner!
These came out perfect, just as you said and the recipe (as written) works. Not sure how big the other commenter’s chicken breasts were that said it took longer to cook, but you did mention to pound or cut horizontally if too thick? Anyways, delicious and will be making again, the family loved this one!
This was very tasty and easy, but like some other reviewers I think it could benefit from some additional cooking time . My peppers and onions were slightly crunchy and I prefer them to be soft . I precooked the chicken a bit after reading the reviews.
Wow this came out so juicy and delicious!!!
I am so glad it did! Thank you!
after 25 min. in the oven, following the recipe exactly, I uncovered the dish and the chicken wasn’t nearly cooked. I used thin chicken cutlets. So I removed the chicken filets to a hot pan and cooked them and returned then to the bean mixture and then into the oven for another 20 min. Even the onion/pepper mixture was not cooked after the first 25 min. The recipe ingredients were great but the cook time was all wrong. This is the first recipe I’ve made that did not work.
I am sorry that it didn’t turn out for you with the times. I hope you give it a try again and it comes out right! Did you read the Notes on the chicken re: slice in half horizontally and pound between sheets of plastic wrap for even thickness if your chicken breasts are too thick?
Same thing happened with our dish. We are doing what you did and cooking the chicken in the pan. Thank you for your comment!
My family would love this for dinner! It looks incredibly delicious!
You will enjoy it! I hope you give it a try!
Oh boy this looks terrific! I bet it tastes amazing!! YUM!
It really is! You will love it!
I know for sure this Mexican Baked Chicken is would be a huge hit in my house!
It was a huge hit at mine!
I like that you used cotija cheese for this! Adds the perfect flavor to this dish.
Thank you Jen! I love that cheese as well!
Oh my gosh! I am so making this for dinner this week! I need to get a couple things from the store to make it but I cannot wait!
You are sure to love it!