Creamy Salsa Chicken Skillet

$8.55 recipe / $2.14 serving
by Beth Moncel
4.92 from 62 votes
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Salsa is my secret weapon on busy nights. It’s a one stop shop for adding tons of flavor, without having to dice, chop, and measure out a million ingredients. Everything you need is inside that one jar. It just makes weeknight dinners so easy. Give this Creamy Salsa Chicken Skillet a try, and you’ll be a believer.

If you’re a fan of my Slow Cooker Taco Chicken Bowls, you’ll probably love this Creamy Salsa Chicken Skillet as well. It’s the same flavors, but faster and a little creamier. ;) If you didn’t remember to get the slow cooker going before you left for work in the morning, you can still whip up an almost identical dish in a skillet, in under 30 minutes.

Finished creamy salsa chicken skillet with cilantro and cheese sprinkled over top.

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What Kind of Salsa is Best?

You can use pretty much any type of store bought salsa for this recipe, but I’d aim for a thick and chunky variety to keep the sauce thick and give it some texture. Opt for a saucy-type of salsa, rather than a fresh, uncooked, juicy style salsa, which are usually sold in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. Chipotle flavored salsa would be awesome, but I’d probably skip fruit flavored salsa (like peach or pineapple).

A bowl full of creamy salsa chicken skillet served over rice.
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Creamy Salsa Chicken Skillet

4.92 from 62 votes
A simple jar of salsa is the key to making dinner fast and easy. Just try this Creamy Salsa Chicken Skillet and see for yourself.
A simple jar of salsa is the key to making dinner fast and easy. Just try this Creamy Salsa Chicken Skillet and see for yourself. Budgetbytes.com
Servings 4
Prep 10 minutes
Cook 20 minutes
Total 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast ($3.99)
  • 1 tsp chili powder ($0.10)
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin ($0.05)
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder ($0.02)
  • 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
  • 1/2 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.02)
  • 1 16oz. jar salsa ($1.79)
  • 1 15oz. can black beans ($0.59)
  • 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels ($0.19)
  • 1/3 cup sour cream ($0.56)
  • 2 oz. queso fresco* ($0.40)
  • 1 handful fresh cilantro or sliced green onions ($0.12)
  • 4 cups cooked rice for serving ($0.70)
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Instructions 

  • Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. Place the chicken on a cutting board and cover it with a piece of plastic wrap. Use a mallet or rolling pin to gently pound the chicken to an even thickness (about 1/2-inch thick). This step is very important to make sure the chicken cooks quickly and evenly, without drying out.
  • Combine the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle the spices over both sides of the chicken, and then rub it over the surface to make sure it’s evenly coated.
  • Heat a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add the cooking oil and swirl to coat the surface. Once the skillet is very hot, add the chicken and cook on both sides until browned and cooked through (about 5 minutes each side. Cooking time will vary with the size of your chicken pieces and type of cookware). 
  • While the chicken is cooking, rinse and drain the black beans. Roughly chop the cilantro or slice the green onions, depending on which you prefer to use.
  • Transfer the cooked chicken to a clean cutting board and let it rest while you prepare the creamy salsa. Turn the burner down to medium low. Pour the salsa into the skillet and stir to dissolve the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Add the black beans and frozen corn kernels and allow the sauce to heat through.
  • To prevent the sour cream from curdling when added to the salsa, first add a few spoonfuls, one at a time, to the sour cream to slowly increase it’s temperature and acidity. Once the sour cream is slightly warm, add it back to the rest of the salsa in the skillet and stir to combine. Turn the heat off.
  • Slice the chicken breast into strips, then place it on top of the creamy salsa sauce in the skillet. Top the skillet with crumbled cheese and cilantro or green onion. Serve over a bed of cooked rice.

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Notes

*If queso fresco is not available, crumbled feta is a great substitute, or use your favorite shredded cheese blend.

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 587.35kcalCarbohydrates: 74.73gProtein: 39.8gFat: 12.7gSodium: 1616.73mgFiber: 11.88g
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Front view of sliced chicken in the skillet with a creamy salsa sauce.

How to Make Creamy Salsa Chicken Skillet – Step by Step Photos

Pound Chicken to even thickness

Pat 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast dry with paper towel. This is going to help it brown up in the skillet and helps keep it from splattering when you pound it out. Place the chicken on a cutting board, cover it in plastic (again to prevent splatter) and gently pound it out to an even thickness. This step is super important because it helps the chicken cook a LOT faster and more evenly. This is especially important for chicken breast, which dries out if cooked too long.

Season Chicken Breast with spices

In a small bowl, combine 1 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, and 1/4 tsp salt. Sprinkle the spices over both sides of the chicken, then rub it in to make sure it’s evenly coated.

Sear chicken breast in skillet

Heat a large, deep skillet over medium. Add 1/2 Tbsp cooking oil to the skillet and swirl to coat. Once the skillet is nice and hot, add the chicken and cook on both sides until well browned and cooked through (about 5 minutes each side, depending on the size of your chicken and the cookware you’re using). Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board to rest. While the chicken is cooking, rinse and drain one 15 oz. can of black beans and roughly chop some cilantro or slice some green onions.

Add Salsa to Skillet

Turn the heat down to medium-low. Add one 16 oz. jar of salsa and stir to dissolve the browned bits off the bottom of the skillet.

Add Black Beans and Heat Through

Add your black beans and 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels to the salsa, and heat through (you can turn the heat up slightly, to speed up this process, if needed). Don’t mind my photos, I actually forgot the corn on the day that I photographed this. OOPS.

Temper Sour Cream

Now it’s time to add the sour cream to the salsa mixture, but if you add cold sour cream to a hot acidic mixture, it will curdle, so we’ll slowly bring it up to temp. Add about three spoonfuls of the hot salsa mixture to 1/3 cup sour cream, one spoonful at a time, until the sour cream has warmed up some. 

Combine tempered sour cream with salsa in skillet

Then stir the warmed sour cream into the rest of the salsa mixture in the skillet. Turn the heat off. And just a reminder, if it DOES seize up and curdle, that doesn’t mean it has “gone bad.” It simply means the proteins have clumped. It’s still perfectly safe to eat.

Slice Chicken Breast

Now go back to your chicken that was resting while you made your creamy salsa and slice it into strips.

Finished creamy salsa chicken skillet with cilantro and cheese sprinkled over top

Add your chicken strips to the skillet with the creamy salsa, then top with 2 oz. crumbled queso fresco and some cilantro or green onions.

Side view of creamy salsa chicken skillet

Serve this creamy salsa chicken goodness over a bed of warm rice and love the fact that you can create a delicious dinner so quickly! THANK YOU SALSA.

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  1. I use rotisserie chicken instead and omit the corn (and just add more black bean). So good! Try it in a burrito!

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  3. I had to make a few modifications due to dietary restrictions but I still followed the core of the dish and it was delicious! I subbed boneless skinless chicken thighs for breasts since that’s what I had on hand. I can’t have legumes or dairy so I used a frozen peppers and onions mix instead of the beans, and a vegan sour cream since I can’t have dairy. It still turned out super tasty and easy – a keeper for sure!

  4. I believe one of your commercials triggered my browser to resize, you might want to put that on your blacklist.

  5. This was SO GOOD and so simple to make. A great weeknight meal we will be coming back to for sure.

  6. What a winner. Have had this recipe pinned for 5 years & have skipped it over because it looked too ‘simple’. Boy what a mistake! Simple? Yes. Delicious? YES. Cubed my chicken, then mixed in some water & made it saucy. Very tasty over rice with tortilla chips for crunch, might stir in some cheese next time too. Will be on regular rotation.

  7. Whoot — this was a weeknight hit for the fam, served with tortilla chips for texture we all needed. Next time I’ll toss in a good pinch of red pepper flakes to simmer with the salsa. Cooking brings me NO joy, but you’ve done it again Budget Bytes, thanks!

  8. Very very very very good. And I used fresh salsa because that’s what I had. I cooked it a little while before adding sour cream. I also used another person’s suggestion of doubling the spices for the rub. I made yellow rice to go with it. My son said, “This is really good, Mom!”

  9. Really great! Making it for the third time tonight. I use vegan sour cream (or coconut cream) and add a little bit of canned chipotle, but otherwise leave it as is :-) I usually serve with rice.

  10. This is a great recipe! Super easy and delish. I like to serve with corn chips rather than rice and use Danish feta instead of queso fresco. Only other changes I make are to double the spice mixture (otherwise I find it’s only enough to coat one side of the chicken) and to add more sour cream.

  11. Start to finish, took me about 30min, as stated. Tastes AMAZING. I’m using Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. This is a great spin on my basic burrito bowl or taco night.

  12. We made this last night and its so great!! The chicken is absolutely delicious even on its own, definitely keeping the spice blend and cooking technique for it for future lunches and salads too. Loved this and the portion size was really great, I was stuffed after dinner. Very satisfying and tasty! :)

  13. This was so good and flavorful! Adding the sour cream into the dish instead of plopping it on top was a great alternative! Nice to have a quick and easy recipe on hand, thank you!

  14. This recipe is great, even better than I thought it would be!

    I made some adjustments to make it more affordable: I used a tube of ground turkey instead of the chicken breast (since it’s what I had on hand), a single-serve plain yogurt so I didn’t have to buy a whole tub of sour cream for just 1/3 cup, and I added extra frozen pre-chopped peppers and onions to increase the veggies in the recipe. Also, I chose the cilantro option. Even with my changes the recipe turned out great (although it definitely wasn’t as creamy as it would have been with sour cream).

    This is how much the recipe cost me to make in Canada in November, 2022, shopping at a discount grocery store:
    tube of ground turkey (1lb) – $2.50 (Food Basics sells these in a 4-tube package for $10 in the freezer section)
    16-oz can of No Name black beans: $1.19
    15-oz jar of President’s Choice salsa: $3.29
    single-serve Astro plain yogurt: $0.99
    prepackaged shredded cheese (optional) $4.99 on sale (I splurged!)
    package of No Name frozen corn: $2.00
    bunch of fresh cilantro: $1.29
    package of Selection brand frozen chopped “spaghetti mix” (peppers, celery, carrots, onion): $3.29

    Total cost (excluding spices and rice, which I had on hand): $19.54
    If you omit the cheese: $14.55

    I think this recipe is fantastic and I will be making it again! It will be even cheaper next time since now I have the frozen veg on hand.

      1. Some people like to read the substitutions that others make. She didn’t criticize the dish…

  15. Made this for the first time last night, my husband and I loved it! So easy and quick!
    Lightened mine up by using greek yogurt instead of sour cream and served with cauliflower rice and fajita veggies.

    Used my leftover creamy salsa mixture on my breakfast burritos this morning :)

    1. Could this recipe be a freezer meal? We had it for the first time tonight and loved it! Starting to also prep for baby #2!

      1. Congrats Dakota!! And yes, you can freeze dishes with cream-based sauces as long as they are stored in an airtight container or double-wrapped (first with plastic and then in foil) and completely thawed out in the refrigerator before you reheat them. XOXO -Monti

  16. I made this for the first time tonight. It was so nice not to do any chopping (except for green onions) and still feel like I was cooking and eating a real meal. The only change I made was to use chicken thighs instead of breasts – I never use breasts, thighs are cheaper and I think they taste better – so I skipped the flattening step, and instead of slicing them at the end, I just put them back in the sauce to simmer for a few minutes. I served over brown rice. This is going to enter our regular dinner rotation.

  17. This recipe looks delish but I feel like you should adjust the price based on chicken. I WISH chicken breast was 3.99 a pound lol

  18. Just ate this. Sooo good! And so easy. I served it over cilantro lime rice. I made my chicken in the foreman grill. It never dried out. The sour cream really elevates this dish and brings it into umami territory. I will definitely make again.

  19. This was easy to make and had satisfying results! It even made more than I expected so there’s leftovers for tomorrow. There’s not more I can ask for from a recipe! If you’re wondering if you should give this one a try, you should!

  20. I love this recipe so much, it’s one of our go-to weeknight recipes!

    One question, though — how long does the salsa keep? We have a bunch of the bean/corn/sour cream/salsa mixture left over, and I want to re-use it for other recipes. I feel like it should be fine for a while because it doesn’t contain meat, but, what do you think?

    1. I don’t keep any cooked food longer than five days in the refrigerator, meat or not. :)

  21. I SO appreciate you mentioning that even if the rest of the sour cream does curdle nothing is spoiled — you’re the best Miss Beth! I think I’ll be giving this a whirl, but will cube up the chicken so it can be served over some rice in a bowl and spooned up sort of like taco style chili. Mmmm my mouth is watering!! Thanks :-)

  22. Yeah baby! I’m amazed at how wonderful it smells, looks and tastes with much less effort than it looks. I’ll come back to this again.

    1. Could I use cream cheese in place of sour cream here? I have cream cheese but not sour cream, which is harder to find in my country. I made mexican salsa from an abundance of tomatoes so I am curious to see how it can be used.

      1. Yes, cream cheese melted into salsa is very delicious.

  23. Delicious. My daughter bought a meal plan and this was the first one we made. It’s similar to a zesty chicken bowl, like they use to have at Taco Bell. Easy to prepare too. 

  24. Absolutely obsessed with this recipe. It makes great leftovers too and I love finishing off the sauce with some tortilla chips. Delicious!!!

  25. This was delicious, and so easy! I served it over some cilantro lime rice and it was perfect. Thanks for the recipe! 

  26. This was really good. I doubled the rub and then added in two bell peppers, a roma tomato and a cup of cooked rice. Served it over a tortilla bowl! Will make again.

  27. This is a sure winner! Rave reviews from the fam. Definitely one I’ll make again! The creamy sauce part reminded me of those 7 layer taco dip recipes. Very yummy!

  28. Can you remove my last name from the last comment I put on this recipe?? Lol auto fill

  29. I gotta say, this recipes is so similar to my recipe on Allrecipes I posted in 2012. Latin Inspired Spicy Chicken Stew. Mine doesn’t use salsa and it’s set up to cook in a crock pot with about a block of softened cream cheese added at the end, instead of Sour Cream- but dang it, your flavors are just as yummy!! Will def make again!! 

    Here’s my recipe for comparison- try it, it’s a good base to jazz up anyway you like!!  

    https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/218545/latin-inspired-spicy-cream-chicken-stew/

  30. I have made this CREAMY SALSA CHICKEN 4 times now. It is Soooo Freakin good. I love it & everyone I serve it to loves it. 
    Makes me look like a Master Chef. 

  31. I’ve just made this for the third time. We really like this recipe! Today I used a vegan sour cream substitute for a dairy-allergic guest, but non-dairy plain yogurt would work too. We ate it on corn tortillas with cilantro lime rice, avocado, and extra limes and cilantro for garnish. Yum! This dish is crazy simple, so yummy, comforting, and flexible. I really like this method of cooking pounded chicken with the spice crust for other applications, too – really good with a lazy bowl of buttered noodles, too. I also love that this recipe sneaks more beans into my diet, since I’m a little legume shy. Another hit for us.

  32. Question- I live alone so only feed myself. Could leftovers from this be reheated without the sauce getting all wonky due to the sour cream? Or should I have this recipe for when I have guests over?

  33. I was raised having just about the same dinner every night so as an adult I very rarely make the same dinner twice. Enter this recipe!!! I found it, made it once, and with two kids and a husband, I need something quick and easy- this was it! I make it at least once a week. LOVE!!!

  34. This was so good and ridiculously easy. I used Great Value Organic Smoky Chipotle Salsa. I just had some leftovers and I gotta say it’s even better the next day after the chicken has been sitting in the sauce for a while.

  35. Sooooooo good! Delicious and easy, can’t wait to eat the leftovers for lunch tomorrow. 

    1. Love this recipe! I’m allergic to chicken so I subbed in beef rib. I didn’t have any salsa so I used marinara. I’m lactose intolerant so I used skim milk, I don’t beans so I used green olives. I have a hard time digesting rice so I used some packaged bacon bits instead. My kids eat this up like crazy!

  36. hi ! only have boneless thighs at the moment – still a good idea ? dying to try this one !

    1. I haven’t tried that to know how it would turn out, but I do know that I wouldn’t try to use a fat-free Greek yogurt. You definitely need the fat in there to balance the acidity of the salsa.

      1. Good to know! Thanks for sharing Ashleigh.

  37. Hi, can you use heavy cream instead of sour cream? I have some left from another recipe and trying to avoid buying another ingredient.

    1. Yep, that should work pretty good in this recipe. Just make sure not to add too much because you don’t want it too soupy. :)

  38. Even my teenage son who won’t eat anything will ask for seconds and thirds!!! Thank you Beth!!!

    1. Hi! I’m making this tonight but my husband doesn’t like sour cream. I hate Greek yogurt and coconut milk as an alternative (both full fat). Which of these options do you think would work best??

      1. Probably Greek yogurt, but it will definitely still be different than the sour cream.

  39. Made this tonight in my IP because the pots I needed wasn’t clean…another home run Beth! It came together really quickly and was so easy! I served it with some white rice that I cooked up on the stove, and a toasted tortilla for my husband to fill. I also squeezed a slice of like over the top before eating…so good!

    1. Love this recipe! I’m allergic to chicken so I subbed in beef rib. I didn’t have any salsa so I used marinara. I’m lactose intolerant so I used skim milk, I don’t beans so I used green olives. I have a hard time digesting rice so I used some packaged bacon bits instead. My kids eat this up like crazy!

  40. Yas. This is delicious, stupid easy and makes a ton of food. My grocery store ran out of chicken breasts, culets AND thighs (???) so I pulled some random tenders out of my freezer and they worked perfectly.

  41. Using salsa is a brilliant idea. Your dish looks absolutely delicious! I really love that Southwestern combination of flavors.

  42. Could I freeze some of this?  It made a lot and not sure I can eat it all.  Quite delicious though!

    1. I haven’t tried freezing this one, but usually sauces that have sour cream don’t hold up well to freezing. :(

    2. This is a great one, I use green mountain gringo salsa because it’s the lowest sodium one I can find. Low fat sour cream which works just as well, and I just cook up some rice or quinoa to serve it on top of. Super easy, tasty and quick recipe that I’ve made several times. Really like this on

  43. I made this with cauliflower ‘steaks’ instead of chicken and it was DELICIOUS!

  44. I soooo want to cook this, but I HATE BEANS, can I just leave them out.  Are they absolutly necessary for this recipe?

    Pleaseeeeeee say NOT NECESSARY!!!! 

    1. Not necessary. :) They’re pretty much just a filler for this recipe, added only to bulk it up.

  45. I’ve made this a few times now, but I used low fat greek yogurt instead of sour cream just to control the calories a little (you can barely taste the difference in my opinion). Makes it a perfect post-workout meal.

  46. Oh my goodness this was soooo good, it’s hard to find recipes both my husband and I love and we are OBSESSED with this one! Can’t wait to try out even more of your recipes!

  47. Just to report in on this recipe…
    We have made this now with a green salsa and also a red salsa. Different flavors, but both were absolutely delicious! Last night, since I was serving a crowd, I made the rice and put it in the bottom of a large casserole pan, then I put the sauce on top and added the chicken strips last. When I served it, I sprinkled both green onions and cilantro and, finally, the cheese. It got rave reviews from everyone who came over.

  48. This recipe is definitely a keeper for when you need something quick but filling.

    I regret using brown rice because it kind of overwhelmed the taste of the chicken and sauce. Will try white rice next time or a bed of roasted broccoli and carrots.

    I also didn’t have a rolling pin or mallet to tenderize the chicken with. Used the jar of salsa and that did the trick, haha.

  49. this is soooo good!! made this last night with some mexican style rice…holy moly! perfection after a long day. I used everything from Trader Joes (love their red salsa autentica) It was so simple too. This is definitely going to be a staple meal. I’ve also made your creamy tomato & spinach pasta several times (slightly addicting :P )… thanks Beth!!

  50. This was so easy and good!! Also looked fancy. :) Pretty sure I’m making this a lot in the future. I used Archer Farms roasted tomato and chipotle salsa. Not too hot but good flavor. I also used some Trader Joe’s Mexican style corn I had leftover for the corn – thinking their frozen roasted corn would be good too. 

    1. This can depend on a lot of factors, but I usually cap my leftovers at four days.

  51. Another delicious one! I substituted feta cheese as suggested when I couldn’t find queso fresco and it really made the meal (I forgot to bring it to add to my leftovers at work, which were still good but definitely missing something). I also missed the point about what kind of salsa to use and grabbed pineapple, but it still came out great! I think the bit of sweetness was nice, but can see how it wouldn’t work for everyone.

    1. I made this recipe with boneless pork loin and decided a jar of pineapple salsa would be a great way to get that al pastor flavor–it was, and absolutely delicious. I always have Feta in the fridge, but often no queso fresco as the closest supermarkets to me don’t carry it–not to mention that it only keeps a short while after opening (I freeze it to get around that, but freezing does affect the texture). I pretty much consider the 2 cheeses interchangeable.

  52. Another winner. This came together easily and quickly. I love not having to chop a lot of stuff. Served it with whole wheat pasta because I was out of rice. Definitely going into the rotation.

  53. This was amazing! I used Labneh instead of sour cream because that’s what I had. And ate it over roasted Vegas because I eat low carb. It tasted great. Thank you so very much!

  54. So freaking delicious. I’m looking forward to enjoying leftovers for the next several days. Thank you, Beth for this amazing recipe!!! :-)

  55. I made this tonight and my family and I absolutely loved it. Definitely going in the make again catagory. :-)

  56. Hey !

    I would love to try this recipe but I do not understand what kind of “salsa” you’re speaking about. Tomato ? Sorry, it’s coming from a French speaking person :).

    1. Hi Cecile :) Yes, in the United States salsa is a mixture of tomato, peppers, onions, garlic, and sometimes other ingredients. The type I used here is a cooked salsa, so it is kind of saucy in texture, rather than just a chunky mix of chopped vegetables.

  57. Hi Beth,

    Can you make this meal in the slow cooker? If so, should I still brown the chicken and add the dairy at the very end of cooking? Thank you!

    1. I don’t think there would be any advantage to doing this in a slow cooker, since the only cooking you do after the chicken takes about five minutes (you’re really just heating the salsa up and stirring in the sour cream). I have something similar that is more specifically designed for the slow cooker, that would probably work better: Slow Cooker Taco Chicken Bowls. You can add sour cream at the end to make it more like this. :)

  58. Would you be able to use greek yogurt instead of sour cream? Just something I often have at home anyways?

    1. Unfortunately, I’m not sure how yogurt will work with this without testing it out. Some things are just hard to predict. :)

    2. I used Greek yogurt, and it turned out fine! I’m pretty sure that the taste is slightly different (a little tangier probably than what it would be with sour cream), but I don’t mind it!

  59. This was so good! It’s was really easy to make, and my husband practically ate the whole pan himself. Will definitely make again!

  60. This was so easy and yummy! I found a double fire roasted salsa at Aldi that ended up being delicious :)

  61. What if you don’t like sour cream? Is the taste strong? Could I use cream cheese instead to give it that “creamy” look?

    1. I think cream cheese would also work, yes. :) I’ve used cream cheese to make sauces creamy before, and almost used it for this recipe as well. I ended up going with sour cream here because I feel like it has a slightly more mild flavor, but if you prefer cream cheese I think that’s a suitable swap.

  62. This was so delicious!! I made it for myself and my boyfriend, and it was a big hit. I followed the recipe exactly, and it was super easy. I also threw my salsa into the blender for a few pulses before I put it in the pan, because I don’t like chunks. I used green onion because the BF doesn’t like cilantro, and we both added Cholula hot sauce at the end because we like a little bit of spice :) Will definitely be adding this one to the regular rotation.

  63. I need to know the carbs and fibre in each recipe. Could you add this to the recipes?

  64. Hey Beth, can you think of anything I could substitute the sour cream with? I’m lactose intolerant. Bummer for me. This looks so yummy. 

    1. I would say cream cheese is the closest, but that doesn’t help the lactose issue. Hmmm, maybe you can find a non-dairy sour cream substitute in the store? Even then, I’m not sure how those products blend with sauces like this. The only other creamy ingredient I can think of that is not dairy based is coconut milk, but I don’t think that flavor would pair well with the salsa.

    2. Have you tried making vegan cashew sour cream? Pretty simple ingredient list and I think the taste would work in this one.

  65. Oh. My. Goodness.  That was good!  So easy, quick and flavorful.  I used chicken thighs that I had.  I happened to notice earlier in the day today that I had saved your Creamy Black Bean Taquitos from January in my Inbox.  Since some of the ingredients overlapped I made both for a Beth Two-For!  I ended up using one can of black beans between the two and added corn to the taquitos to use up a partial bag.  Even added some of the diced green chilis to the chicken skillet.  It was all so delicious!  Thank you!

  66. Wow – this looks amazing! I love chicken but it gets a bum wrap with drying out quickly. This solves the flavor and drying problem. My husband loves salsa and flavors so we’ll definitely be making this tonight!

  67. Made a vegan version with homemade tofu based sour cream and Gardein chicken strips. It was a huge hit. Thanks!

  68. This is was a huge hit with my family. I did add a diced zucchini that I happened to have sitting around.  I didn’t have black beans so I swapped in some great northerns instead. We served it up with a side of blue tortilla chips because I didn’t feel like rice tonight. I’m sure this would be awesome rolled up in some tortillas too. 

  69. Thanks for yet another great go to.  Absolutely delicious and so simple!  Love the edition of queso fresco! 

  70. Easy, cheap and delicious! I’m one person, so it fed me for four dinners and leftovers were just as good. Served with cauliflower rice. Yum!

  71. I second Paul’s question: what’s the viability of subbing Greek yogurt for the sour cream? I always have full-fat yogurt on hand and love the extra-protein bonus.

    Thanks! Can’t wait to try this one.

    1. Unfortunately I haven’t tried that, so I’m not sure how much of a difference it will make in the overall flavor. :)

      1. Thanks for the reply. I am so glad to have found your web site. I found it years ago after a Times Picayune piece re: two drunk Cajuns getting into a fight over pastalya, which I had never heard of.  Have loved your blog and gifted your cookbook to many friends. Continued success to you. Paul

      2. Ha! I never saw that piece in the Times Picayune! Regardless, I’m glad it led you here. :) Thank you for your kind words!

  72. I made this on Thursday night and it was fantastic! Salsa is my new secret weapon now :) thanks for another fantastic recipe. Your recipe blog is my favorite!

  73. A question:  what do you think, can I substitute Greek yoghurt for the sour cream?  Recipe looks great. You have dramatically upped my game AND reduced my food budget. 
    Thanks
    Paul

  74. Sometimes I scoff when I read comments on blog recipes that say “I already had all the ingredients in my pantry for this so I just whipped it up!” … but this time I really did have the ingredients, whipped it up right after reading your post , and it was delicious! I used chicken thighs. Thanks!

  75. Made this for dinner last night and it was really great. I had (most) everything in my fridge/pantry and it came together super quickly. I really wouldn’t change much- maybe throw in some chopped olives before eating, but really it was a great weeknight dinner.

  76. delicious! decided to add some slightly sauteed bell peppers that i had in my fridge~

  77. I make something similar. If any leftover sauce, it’s good over cornbread the next day. Gently heat the sauce though.

  78. One of my favorite supermarket brand jarred salsas is stuffed with corn and black beans (great over nachos). I have lots of varieties in my pantry, so will pick another for this recipe, maybe even a green salsa. While I usually select non-big name brands, many small producers including some from Texas are often on sale, so I stock up at prices similar to that given in your recipe. I LOVE queso fresco–best sub is Feta, next best goat cheese crumbles. You don’t want specific mercantile recommendations, but a couple of European style budget supermarkets have it at about half the prices of American supermarket franchises.

    Great tip about curdling. That’s the point when I usually grab my immersion blender, but with the beans and corn already in the sauce, it’s not an option here. Cooling the sauce a little before adding the sour cream might help with that–not to room temp or anything drastic, just off boiling.

    Thanks , Beth! You are keeping my dinner table inspired these days. Tonight this chicken, a little rice, a lightly cooked veggie, and we are set for happy tummies

  79. Perfect! I love when I open up a recipe, and I already have all the ingredients in my kitchen.

  80. I have a raw chicken leg in the fridge left over from the weekend – could I use that instead of chicken breast?  Also – could the leg be grilled in a Foreman grill or does it have to be baked?  

    1. A chicken leg will take a LOT longer to cook because, I assume, it still has the bone in it. It would take a little testing with that particular cut to see how to make it work in this recipe.

      1. Okay – thanks Beth – love all of your recipes – you are an inspiration!

    1. I honestly don’t have a favorite. I just buy whatever is priced right. ;) I love salsa so much that I’m not sure I’ve ever had one I didn’t like. :P