Salsa-Marinated Chicken

Name: Salsa-Marinated Chicken
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 pound chicken breast (raw); 1 cup salsa; 2 tablespoons lime juice; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon onion powder; ½ teaspoon cumin; ½ teaspoon ground red cayenne pepper; ½ teaspoon chili powder; ½ teaspoon paprika; ½ teaspoon sea salt

ByAlex Langdon Updated onFebruary 19, 2026

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Make this quick and easy salsa marinated chicken to brighten any of your favorite Mexican dishes. Just 20 minutes of marinating will take your baked or grilled chicken to the next level for any recipe.

A serving dish of freshly shredded salsa marinated chicken with a large fork.

Taco night is one of the most important nights of our week. And we always make them memorable. But sometimes carne asada, pork belly, or even just carnitas can be a lot of work. So, we turn to our trusty salsa marinated chicken for easy shredded chicken tacos. And every time it lives up to our taco night standards.

But this recipe is perfect for so much more than just tacos. Whether it’s a meat and two, enchiladas, burritos, or bowls, chicken is always better when it’s marinated. And what better way to marinate it than in salsa?

What To Expect

Great for: An easy protein to add to any Mexican recipes, especially tacos!
Ready in: 35 to 45 minutes depending on how long it’s marinated (we recommend 20 to 30 minutes).
Makes: About 4 servings depending on its use.
Flavor profile: Salsa with some lime and added spice creates a bright and fresh tasting chicken.
How to make it: Combine the chicken and all marinade ingredients in a large bowl, stir to combine and let marinade at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes, cook, shred or slice, and serve.

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Why We Love This Recipe

Our lives changed when we started marinating chicken before cooking it. And this simple salsa marinade is one of our favorite go-to options. It’s perfect for many of our favorite Mexican recipes.
– NIcole & Alex

Key Ingredients

Ingredients for salsa marinated chicken: chicken breast, lime juice, salsa, paprika, cayenne, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, and salt.

Salsa – We prefer this recipe with a thinner salsa or even a picante sauce. We also recommend using a cheaper salsa as they work well for marinating and adding flavor without needing to use any of the good stuff.
Seasonings – While seasoning isn’t necessary, we love adding some lime juice, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, cayenne, chili powder, and paprika.
Salt – While salsa tends to have salt in it, we like to add some extra salt to the marinade. Salt is necessary for marinades because it helps to penetrate the protein and improve texture. Read more about how salt (and an acid) are the easiest ways to improve your cooking.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Serving Suggestions

Make it a simple chicken dinner with grilled chicken, Mexican rice, and black beans.
Use it for easy sandwiches, tacos, or in place of pork on our carnitas torta.
And no matter what, serve it with a fun margarita like our spicy mezcal margarita!

How To Make Salsa Marinated Chicken

A glass bowl of chicken breast marinating in salsa, lime juice, and spices.

Step 1: Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until well combined and the chicken is fully coated. Let it marinate at room temperature for about 20 to 30 minutes.

Salsa marinated chicken breast on a foil-lined baking sheet before going into the oven.

Step 2: Bake at 375F until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Alternatively, you can grill the chicken.

Freshly baked salsa marinated chicken breast being shredded with two forks on a cutting board.

Step 3: Shred or slice depending on your needs. We love shredding it for easy chicken tacos!

Expert Tips

Add salt – Salt is a crucial component of marinades as it helps to penetrate the meat while also helping to break it down. And you don’t have to be shy about using salt either because most of it will get left behind in the marinade.
Don’t use the fancy salsa – Cheap salsa works just as well as fancy salsa for this recipe. So save the good salsa for serving with tacos.
Shredding chicken – We find it easiest to shred chicken using two forks. Use one to stab the chicken and hold it in place while the other scrapes over the chicken, tearing it into fine shreds.

Shredded salsa marinated chicken in a white serving dish with a large fork for serving.

FAQs

While we aim to marinate chicken for 20 to 30 minutes, chicken can be marinated for anywhere between 20 minutes and 24 hours in the refrigerator. The longer you let the chicken sit in the marinade, the more time the meat has to absorb the flavor. However, if you have a high acid content within your marinade, the texture of the chicken can become mushy as the proteins break down – which is why we opt for a shorter marinating time for this recipe. If you’re looking to prep chicken for future you however, check out our freezer friendly chicken marinades for easy meal prep.

Yes you can! We love using salsa as the base for marinades (or even as the whole marinade!). But we recommend adding salt and extra seasoning for an even more flavorful chicken marinade.

We love using this salsa marinated chicken in all of our favorite Mexican food. In particular it works great for chicken burritos ranchero, shredded chicken tacos, and our easy chicken enchilada casserole.

Related Chicken Recipes

Love this recipe? You may enjoy these meal prep recipes, too:

Korean Slow Cooker Gochujang Chicken

Crockpot Chipotle Chicken

Slow Cooker Chicken Tinga

4 Simple Freezer Friendly Chicken Marinades Recipes

Tell us what you think!

We hope you enjoy this recipe! When you try it out, please leave a review and a star rating in the comments below. Happy cooking! – Nicole and Alex

If you have any questions regarding the information presented in this post, please refer to our Nutrition Disclaimer here.

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Alex Langdon

As a kid, Alex was deemed the pickiest eater ever. That was at least, until he learned how to cook. While he always enjoyed cooking and eating good food growing up, the definition of good food was just really limited. Alex’s world of food quickly expanded in college as a way to get to know new friends. Now he’s constantly looking forward to finding new recipes and cuisines to try.

Alex is a mechanical engineer by degree, but a food blogger by reality. Even though engineering isn’t his day to day anymore, Alex has carried over many lessons learned from the engineering world to The Candid Cooks. With a very detail oriented, analytical mind, Alex thrives in the amount of data, science, and experimenting that comes with both cooking and running a website.

When Alex isn’t cooking or working on the blog, his favorite hobbies include playing soccer, running, hiking, reading a good book, or getting lost in a video game. Alex loves baking bread of all sorts, which is probably why pizza is one of his favorite foods to both make and eat!

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