Mexican Chicken Parmesan
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If you’re a fan of classic chicken parmesan, you’re going to love this Mexican twist on the dish! Mexican Chicken Parmesan combines juicy chicken topped with melty cheese and adds south-of-the-border flair with flavorful salsa and a tortilla chip crust. The bold flavors and delicious textures in this recipe will transport your tastebuds to Mexico without ever leaving your kitchen!
How this recipe brings the flavor
Mexican food is one of the most prominent categories on my site. I grew up on TexMex in Oklahoma, then moved to San Diego over 20 years ago and live close to the border of Mexico. This means I get to explore all kinds of delicious Mexican food!
You’ll find over 225 Mexican recipes on the blog, and this new Mexican-Italian fusion recipe is an immediate family favorite. Here’s why I loved it, my family loved it, and I know that you will too!
- The crispy tortilla chip crust. Instead of breading the chicken in breadcrumbs, I used crushed tortilla chips mixed with taco seasoning to really bring the flavor to the outside of the chicken breasts!
- Lots of melty cheese! I piled on plenty of shredded pepper jack cheese on top of the chicken. Most of it melts right over the chicken, but some of it falls in between the pieces of chicken and you get this incredibly delicious little crispy cheese crust around each piece of chicken that’s absolutely delightful.
- It’s perfectly cooked. Giving the chicken a quick sear on a hot stove crisps up the crust on the outside. Top it with a lid and pop it in the oven so the chicken can fully cook. To finish the dish, the lid comes off so the cheese can perfectly melt on top and you get that crispy cheese crust we talked about. (It’s so good!)
Here’s the deal, this dish easily comes together in 30 minutes, making it perfect for a weeknight meal. I honestly see this becoming a monthly staple at our house! You can serve it with rice, beans, salad, chips and guac, there are a ton of options, and they all make for a seriously flavorful meal.
Key ingredients
Above I show you all of the ingredients for the recipe to give you a good visual for your shopping list. Below I’ll give you some notes on specific ingredients in the recipe. You can find the full list of ingredients with measurements in the recipe card.
- Taco seasoning – I always keep my homemade mix in the pantry. It’s easy to mix up with pantry staples like salt, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and chili powder. Or you can pick up a packet of taco seasoning at the grocery store. A one ounce package equals two tablespoons, which is what you’ll need for this recipe.
- Tortilla chips – I highly recommend using crushed tortilla chips for the breading. It’s extra crunchy and adds an interesting flavor to the outside of the chicken. You’ll need 3 cups of tortilla chips, before you crush them. This is also a great way to use up the crumbs in the bottom of a bag of chips!
- Pepper jack cheese – I recommend grating an 8 ounce block of cheese at home. Freshly grated cheese melts so much better than the pre-grated stuff in a bag! If you want to go light on the spice, you can use Monterey jack or Oaxaca cheese.
- Salsa – you can use any kind of salsa to make this recipe. I’ve made it with my 10 minute homemade salsa, tomatillo salsa, and the giant 50 ounce tub of El Sol Salsa from Costco. Pick your favorite and spoon it on top!
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Bread the chicken. Dip each piece of chicken in flour, then egg, then taco-seasoned tortilla chip crumbs.
- Sear the chicken. Add the crusted chicken to oil in a hot skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes per side.
- Top with cheese and salsa. Generously top each piece of chicken with shredded cheese, then spoon the salsa on top.
- Bake it. Cover the skillet, place it in the oven, and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for another 5 minutes.
Whit’s Tip! Always be sure to use an oven-safe skillet that can go in a 500°F oven. If you don’t have a lid for the skillet, you can tightly wrap a piece of aluminum foil over the skillet. If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, transfer the chicken from the skillet on the stove to an oven-safe dish, then top with the cheese and salsa before placing it in the oven.
What to serve with it
My favorite way to serve this Mexican Chicken Parmesan is with cilantro lime rice or Mexican rice on the side. For even more protein, add a side of Mexican black beans.
I like to top the dish with sliced jalapenos, fresh cilantro, and crumbled cotija cheese. I also add pickled onions and sliced avocado or guacamole on the side.
If you have an Instant Pot, I recommend starting the rice in there before you start making the chicken parmesan. This way, when the chicken is ready, the rice will be ready too!
Mexican Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 3 cups tortilla chips
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 2 eggs, whisked
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 ounces pepper jack cheese, grated
- 2 cups salsa
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 500°F.
- Slice the chicken breasts in half, lengthwise through the middle, so that you have four pieces of chicken.
- Crush the tortilla chips in a food processor with the taco seasoning. Transfer to a shallow bowl. Prepare two more separate shallow bowls, one with the flour, and one with the whisked eggs.
- Add a piece of chicken to the bowl of flour and coat on all sides. Transfer the chicken to the bowl of whisked eggs. Once it’s covered, let any excess egg drip off the chicken, then transfer it to the bowl of taco seasoning chip crumbs. Gently press on all sides of the chicken to make sure that it’s completely coated.
- Heat the olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet. Once the oil is hot, brown the chicken in the skillet for 2-3 minutes per side.
- Turn the heat on the stove off, cover the chicken breasts with the shredded pepper jack cheese. Pour the salsa over the chicken in the skillet.
- Cover the skillet and bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
Notes
- Add the optional toppings of your choice, like sliced jalapenos, crumbled cotija cheese, sliced avocado, or fresh chopped cilantro.
- To make this recipe gluten-free, use a gluten-free flour blend.
- If you don’t have a food processor, you can crush up the tortilla chips with taco seasoning in a large zipper bag. Either use your hands, or use a rolling pin.
Nutrition Facts
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