Quite the claim, I know. And while it may or may not be true, this meal is unbelievably simple and very food allergy-friendly. My husband quite literally threw this dish together one night when we were starving and uninspired, so of course it is aptly named (after him), Tony’s Two-Ingredient Salsa Chicken.
It has since become one of our go-to meals on those hurried nights. But even more than its simplicity, I love the versatility of this recipe. You can easily customize the flavors with one simple tweak of an ingredient: go with a mild salsa (for timid taste buds), or extra-spicy (for fire lovers), use green salsa, a fresh homemade salsa, add a tropical flare with pineapple or mango salsa. What about a corn and bean salsa? Or stick with the cheapest all-natural salsa you can find.
Tired of chicken? This will work well with fish too, just keep an eye on the cooking time.
Special Diet Notes: Two Ingredient Salsa Chicken
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, soy-free, nut-free, peanut-free, and gluten-free.
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup salsa
- Chopped or sliced olives (optional)
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF, and lightly grease a baking dish large enough to fit the chicken.
- If your chicken breasts are particularly thick, you may want to butterfly them for a faster cooking time and to ensure that they evenly cook through. Lay the chicken breasts in a single later in the baking dish, douse with salsa, sprinkle with olives (if using), and put it in the oven, uncovered. Bake for about 30 minutes. The baking time will depend on the thickness of your chicken. You don’t want to cook it for too long, lest the meat become tough, but do make sure it is cooked through, with no pink left in the middle.
- Choosing your salsa – One of the great things about this dish is that you can easily customize the flavor. Go mild (for timid taste buds) or extra-spicy (for fire lovers), use green salsa, a fresh homemade salsa, or stick with the cheapest all-natural salsa in a jar that you located on sale at your local grocer for $1.34 (that would be our pick!).
- Make it a meal – I throw in some veggies to roast for an easy one dish meal. You can either add some extra salsa to flavor the veggies, or toss the veggies with just a wee bit of oil, some salt and pepper, and place them in the baking dish around the chicken just before you put it in the oven. I like cauliflower florets best, which seem to roast to perfection along with the chicken.
- To serve – enjoy with steamed or roasted vegetables, rice, or potatoes.
