Crispy Tortilla Chip Crusted Chicken with Queso Sauce is an easy delicious dinner that will be on your table in 30 minutes! It’s crispy, cheesy and so delicious!
This recipe is inspired by this Pretzel Crusted Chicken that I’ve been making for over ten years. I thought it was time to give it a little south of the border twist by coating it with tortilla chips instead of pretzels and swapping out the original mustard cheddar sauce with a spicy queso.
Oh my gosh you guys.
This is sooooo good!
Plus, it’s baked instead of fried, so we can all feel just a little bit better because of that, right?
How to Make Tortilla Chip Crusted Chicken
- Grind chips in a food processor to resemble coarse breadcrumbs. (Or crush them in a large ziploc bag.)
- Butterfly chicken breasts and flatten with a meat mallet to 1/4″ thickness.
- Season chip crumbs with cumin, paprika, garlic powder.
- Dredge chicken in flour, then eggs, then chip mixture.
- Bake on a wire rack for 12-15 minutes, until crispy & golden brown.
How to Tell When Chicken is Done
- The chicken should register 165-degrees with an instant read meat thermometer. If you don’t have one, you can also check the chicken for doneness by cutting into it with a knife. It should no longer be pink inside and the juices should run clear.
How to Make Queso Cheese Sauce:
This easy queso sauce will be ready to go in just about 5-minutes. You can make it while the chicken is in the oven.
- Melt butter in a saucepan.
- Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute, until golden.
- Whisk in milk and cook until thickened, 3-5 minutes.
- Stir in cheese, chiles and spices.
I used my favorite Cabot Sharp Cheddar Cheese in this recipe. If you’d like to make your queso a bit more spicy, try swapping out the sharp cheddar for Cabot Pepperjack Cheese or Cabot Habanero Cheddar Cheese. The habanero is my personal favorite for snacking on! It’s got a good amount of heat to it if you love spicy things!
You could also top this tortilla chip chicken with some zesty cilantro lime crema or pico de gallo.
If you loved this Tortilla Chip Crusted Chicken I would appreciate it so much if you would give this recipe a star review! Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #platingsandpairings and tagging me @platingsandpairings.
Wine Pairings for Chicken:
- Prosecco or unoaked Chardonnay would pair nicely with this dish.
- If you would like to go the red route, I’d suggest a Pinot Noir, or other light bodied red. Avoid hard, oaky tannic reds.
Easy Chicken Recipes:
Easy Chicken Recipes:- Easy White Chicken Chili
- 30 Minute Easy Chicken Piccata
- Easy Roasted Chicken
- 20-Minute Sesame Chicken Noodles
- Miso Chicken
- Grilled Chicken with Peanut Sauce
What to Serve with Tortilla Chip Crusted Chicken:
- Oven Roasted Carrots (Elote Style)
- Instant Pot Mexican Rice
- Vinegar Coleslaw Recipe
- Instant Pot Refried Beans {No Soaking}
- Blistered Shishito Peppers
Tortilla Chip Crusted Chicken Recipe
Tortilla Chip Crusted Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 cups tortilla chips (crushed)
- 11/2 teaspoons cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 eggs
Queso:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups shredded Cabot Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- 4 ounce can green chiles
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
For serving:
- Handful of cherry tomatoes (sliced in half)
- 1/4 cup cilantro (a generous handful, chopped)
- 1/4 small red onion (finely chopped)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Set a wire rack inside a baking sheet and grease with nonstick spray.
- Cut each of the chicken breasts in half lengthwise, making a total of 4 thin chicken breasts. Then flatten with a mallet so that they are uniform in thickness, about 1/4″.
- Put the crushed tortilla chips in a shallow dish and combine with cumin, garlic powder, and paprika. In another shallow dish, beat the eggs with a splash of water. In a third shallow dish combine the flour and salt.
- Dredge chicken in flour mixture, shaking off excess; dip in egg mixture, and dredge in crushed tortilla chips. Arrange chicken on wire rack.
- Bake the chicken for 18-20 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through (165-degrees or no longer pink).
- While the chicken is baking, make the spicy cheese sauce.
- In a saucepan, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and cook until slightly thickened, 3-5 minutes. Stir in the cheese, chiles and spices. Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve chicken breasts with a drizzle of spicy cheese sauce and a sprinkle of tomatoes, cilantro and red onion.
Nutrition
I teamed up with Cabot to bring you this post. As always, all opinions are my own.
This recipe was fast and easy to put together and it tasted great. I made it as written, minus the cayenne pepper. My daughter even uses the extra leftover cheese sauce as a dip for tortilla chips! Thanks for the recipe …
You’re welcome Rick! I’m glad you liked it!