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Nacho Baked Chicken

Melissa Jo Posted:
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A plate with cheesy chicken casserole topped with green onions, served alongside a mound of white rice and a small ramekin of more casserole, garnished with green onions.

This Nacho Baked Chicken is exactly the kind of dinner I love because we are basically throwing everything into one baking dish and letting the oven do the work! I took all those cheesy, creamy, loaded nacho flavors and piled them right on top of seasoned chicken breasts.

The chicken gets rubbed with taco seasoning, then covered with a mixture of cream cheese, salsa, cheddar, green onions, black olives, and even MORE cheese on top because obviously! Cover it up, bake it until the chicken is juicy and tender, then uncover it for the last few minutes so that cheesy topping gets hot and bubbly.

I served mine with white rice, black beans, and tortilla chips, and that is absolutely the move. Scoop a little chicken, rice, and beans onto a chip and tell me that isn’t delicious! If you love this recipe you’ll also love my TikTok Viral Queso Swim Chicken and Rice or my
TikTok Viral Queso Swim Beef and Rice!!

Ingredients for a dip: shredded cheese in a measuring cup, two jars of salsa, cream cheese, taco seasoning packet, sliced black olives, and chopped green onions on a checkered surface.
Start with getting those ingredients prepped for the delicious nacho dip!!
A person opens a foil-wrapped block of cream cheese over a large empty metal mixing bowl on a kitchen counter.
A hand holds a packet of taco seasoning mix above a metal bowl containing a block of cream cheese, with a kitchen visible in the background.
A stainless steel bowl filled with shredded cheddar cheese, chopped green onions, sliced black olives, cream cheese, salsa, and taco seasoning, ready to be mixed.
Add softened cream cheese, the remaining taco seasoning, salsa, shredded cheddar, green onions, and sliced black olives to a bowl and Mix the creamy nacho topping together until everything is evenly combined!
A hand wearing gold bangles pats raw chicken breasts dry with a paper towel in a white dish on a kitchen counter.
Pat the chicken breasts dry and season both sides with half of the taco seasoning packet!
Three raw chicken breasts coated with a reddish-brown spice rub are arranged in a white baking dish on a wooden counter. A metal bowl and a person in blue jeans are in the background.
Season the chicken with half of the taco seasoning packet!
Three raw, seasoned chicken breasts in a white baking dish are topped with a mixture containing cream cheese, herbs, black olives, and diced vegetables, placed on a checkered towel on a wooden counter.
Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the seasoned chicken!
A white baking dish contains bread slices topped with a creamy, orange spread mixed with vegetables and black olives. The dish sits on a wooden table with a checkered napkin partially visible underneath.
A white casserole dish filled with sliced bread topped with shredded cheddar cheese and chopped green onions, sitting on a patterned surface.
Sprinkle another cup of shredded cheddar cheese over the top and finish with a little more chopped green onion!
A baked casserole topped with melted cheddar cheese, sliced black olives, and chopped green onions in a white dish. Orange-colored sauce is visible around the edges.
Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake at 375°F for 30 minutes!
A person serves a cheesy, golden-baked casserole with green onions from a white baking dish using a spatula.
Remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 10–15 minutes!
A spoon holding a cheesy, saucy casserole mixture with visible vegetables, lifted from a white dish. A hand with dark nail polish holds the spoon.
Bake until the cheese is hot and bubbly and the chicken reaches 165°F. Serve the Nacho Baked Chicken with white rice and black beans. Add tortilla chips on the side for scooping up all that cheesy nacho goodness!!
A woman smiles in a kitchen, holding a plate with cheesy baked stuffed chicken breast and a small ramekin. More stuffed chicken is on a tray beside her on the counter.
MAKE IT!!

Melissa Jo’s Tips!!

  • Use softened cream cheese so your topping mixes together easily.
  • Pat the chicken dry before seasoning it so that taco seasoning really sticks.
  • I used cheddar, but freshly shredded cheese will melt especially well.
  • Drain the black olives before adding them so you don’t introduce extra liquid into the topping.
  • If your chicken breasts are really thick, they may need a few extra minutes in the oven.
  • Keep the dish covered for the first 30 minutes. That helps keep the chicken nice and juicy while everything melts together.
  • The last 10–15 minutes uncovered is when that cheesy topping gets hot, bubbly, and delicious.
  • Do not skip the tortilla chips! They are so good for scooping up all that creamy cheesy topping.

What to Serve With Nacho Baked Chicken

I served this with white rice and black beans, and it was PERFECT because they soak up all that cheesy salsa goodness from the chicken.

Melissa Jo

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And put a bowl of tortilla chips on the table! You can eat the chicken like a regular dinner or scoop bites of chicken, rice, beans, and that creamy topping right onto the chips.

Honestly, that may be my favorite way to eat it!

🤔 Common Questions

Can I use 2 chicken breasts instead of 3?

Yes! If your chicken breasts are really large, two will work just fine. Just make sure the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.

Can I make Nacho Baked Chicken spicy?

Absolutely. Use a hot salsa, spicy taco seasoning, add chopped jalapeños, or leave a few jalapeño seeds in if you really want some heat.

Can I leave out the black olives?

Of course! If black olives aren’t your thing, just leave them out. You could also add diced jalapeños or a little extra green onion instead.

Melissa Jo

Nacho Baked Chicken

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Nacho Baked Chicken is an easy, cheesy baked chicken dinner loaded with taco seasoning, cream cheese, salsa, cheddar, green onions, and sliced black olives. Everything gets piled right onto seasoned chicken breasts and baked until juicy, melty, and bubbly. Serve it with white rice, black beans, and plenty of tortilla chips for scooping!
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
uncovered and back in the oven 15 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Course: dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 529

Ingredients
  

For the Nacho Baked Chicken
  • 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 packet taco seasoning divided
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • 1/2 cup salsa
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/4 cup chopped green onions
  • 1 small can sliced black olives about 4.25 oz, drained
  • 1 cup additional shredded cheddar cheese for topping
  • Additional chopped green onions for topping

Method
 

Step 1: Prep the Chicken
  1. Preheat your oven to 375°F.
  2. Pat the chicken breasts dry and place them in your baking dish. Sprinkle about half of the taco seasoning packet over the chicken and rub the seasoning onto both sides.
Step 2: Make the Nacho Topping
  1. In a bowl, add the softened cream cheese, remaining taco seasoning, salsa, 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, chopped green onions, and drained sliced black olives.
  2. Mix everything together until well combined.
Step 3: Load Up the Chicken
  1. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the tops of the seasoned chicken breasts.
  2. Sprinkle another 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese over everything and add a little more chopped green onion.
  3. And that’s pretty much it — throw it in the pan, load it up, and let the oven handle the rest!
Step 4: Bake
  1. Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake at 375°F for 30 minutes.
  2. Remove the foil and continue baking for another 10–15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the chicken reaches 165°F internally.
  3. Let it rest for a few minutes before serving.
For serving!
  1. Cooked white rice
    Warm black beans
    Tortilla chips

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Nutrition

Calories: 529kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 29gFat: 44gSaturated Fat: 20gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 131mgSodium: 1724mgPotassium: 397mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 1507IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 482mgIron: 1mg

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👝 How to Store Leftovers

Store leftover Nacho Baked Chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3–4 days.

Reheat individual portions in the microwave until warmed through, or place the chicken back into a covered baking dish and warm it in the oven at 350°F.

If you’re storing the rice and beans too, I would keep the tortilla chips separate so they stay crunchy.


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Recipe Creator & Cookbook Author

I'm Melissa Jo — the recipe creator, Amazon Live host, and everyday food lover behind Melissa Jo Real Recipes. I learned to cook the old-fashioned way, watching my Italian grandmother and my mama work their magic in the kitchen, and now I share easy, saucy, no-fuss meals for real life alongside the authentic Italian family recipes I grew up on. Grab a stick of butter and let's make something delicious together.

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