Quinoa Crusted Mexican Chicken
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Chicken parmesan gets a Mexican makeover in this gluten free recipe for quinoa crusted Mexican chicken covered in pepper jack cheese & fresh salsa!
My second most favorite thing about being a food blogger is recipe development. First is eating… obviously! 😉 
I love sitting down for a couple of hours each week and toying around with new recipe ideas.
I’ve had the idea for quinoa crusted chicken sitting in my “recipe idea list” for a while now, but it wasn’t until last week that the entire thing came together.
I decided to make a “Mexican style” version of chicken parmesan. I coated the chicken in quinoa instead of breadcrumbs to keep it gluten free, then replaced the parmesan with pepper jack and marinara with salsa.
The result was seriously delicious. I mean the combination of flavors was just off the charts… and the best part is, it’s easy! No seriously, 15 minutes of prep then put it in the oven and you’re good to go!
Quinoa Crusted Mexican Chicken Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts
- ¼ cup taco seasoning (click link for recipe)
- ½ cup cooked quinoa
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups pepper jack cheese (shredded)
- 2 cups salsa
Quinoa Crusted Mexican Chicken Instructions
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Slice the chicken breasts in half lengthwise.
Mix the taco seasoning and quinoa together in a shallow bowl.
Coat the chicken in the quinoa mixture.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Lightly brown the chicken in the skillet, 2-3 minutes per side.
Place the chicken in an oven safe dish.
Cover with the pepper jack cheese.
Pour salsa over the top.
Bake for 15-20 minutes.
Garnish with fresh cilantro and diced avocado if you’d like…. and let’s be honest, what’s not to like about fresh creamy avocado?
Slightly spicy, super flavorful and just so darn delicious!
This recipe would be perfect for Cinco De Mayo, which is less than a month away, and one of my favorite holidays to cook for. If you haven’t noticed, I have a flare for Tex Mex!
Growing up in Oklahoma then moving to California was a total culture shock when it came to Mexican food, Tex Mex and traditional Mexican food are very different.
I’ve tried to combine the two a little bit on the blog, but I totally lean towards my Tex Mex roots most of the time!
Quinoa Crusted Mexican Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts
- ¼ cup taco seasoning
- ½ cup cooked quinoa
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups pepper jack cheese, shredded
- 2 cups salsa
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Slice the chicken breasts in half through the middle.
- Mix the taco seasoning and quinoa together in a shallow bowl.
- Coat the chicken in the quinoa mixture.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
- Lightly brown the chicken in the skillet, 2-3 minutes per side.
- Place the chicken in an oven safe dish.
- Cover with the pepper jack cheese.
- Pour salsa over the top.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
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4 Comments on “Quinoa Crusted Mexican Chicken”
I’m definitely saving this to make sometime soon…looks delicious!
Thanks Sean! It’s one of my new favorites, totally love it!!