The culinary world us just so beautiful to me because no recipe is ever truly owned or created by one single person. Rather recipes evolve and are adjusted to personal taste creating a different result each time. For me, this “Fiesta Chicken” recipe showcases just that. I have placed all that I have learned in the past years into developing this recipe, from what spices work well together to how to add a little bit of acidity in every bite. This recipe is also special to me because I used a home-grown jalapeño in it!
I would be lying if I said I didn’t jump on the trend of having a home garden during this pandemic…I fell madly in love with gardening because of it and I couldn’t be prouder of my little pepper plant! He already has three more jalapeño peppers ripening…
Yes. I said he. His name is Clyde and I have another pepper named Bonnie. They both came from bonnie farms here in the US, so I figured it was fitting. A bit quirky? Nah! Who doesn’t name their plants?
Anyway, back to the recipe! This is a hassle-back baked chicken that I adapted my favorite summer salsa to. SO it is a pineapple-salsa chicken bake and it is dang delicious. Topped with bell peppers, onions, pineapple, lime, and of course jalapeño.
The chicken itself is also marinated in a spicy “taco” seasoning that brings more heat…you could say that it recipe packs a bit of a punch, but the pineapple slices and hints of lime cool down the overall taste.
Fiesta Baked Chicken
(Pineapple Salsa Hassle-Back Chicken)
Difficulty:
Time: Prep Time: 30 minutes (marinating time included); Cooking Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts
½ a Bell Pepper (any color)
2 Jalapeños (deseeded)
1 red onion (diced)
2 cloves of garlic (diced)
1 20 oz can pineapple slices in juice
2 Roma tomatoes
Olive oil
1 tbs apple cider vinegar
1 lime (juiced)
2 tbs cilantro
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cumin seed
1/2 tsp chili powder
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup Mexican blend cheese
Method:
1*Slice 6 slices from end to end in each chicken breast (see image), diagonally and going about ¾ of the way down the breast with each cut, making sure not to cut through the chicken completely.
2* In a mixing bowl combine the juice from ½ of the lime, 2 tbs olive oil, 3 tbs of pineapple juice, 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, paprika, cumin seed, chili powder, salt, cayenne powder, and 1 tbs cilantro.
3* Take a large Ziplock bag and place your chicken breasts into the bag. Pour the marinade mixture you just made into the bag as well, covering your chicken breasts. Let this marinate in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.
4* In the meantime, preheat your oven to 375° F.
5* Slice and deseed one of your jalapeños into small thin slices. (these will be going in the slits you created in your chicken).
6* Deseed and remove the core of your bell pepper. Slice this into long thin slices (these will be going in the slits you created in your chicken).
7* remove your pineapple slices from the pineapple juice, being sure to reserve the juice for later use. Cut these in half (they will be going in the slits you created in your chicken).
8* Create the salsa in a separate small bowl by combining 2 cups pineapple chopped, 1 small jalapeño deseeded and finely chopped, two diced Roma tomatoes, 1 tbs cilantro, ½ of a red onion diced, t tbs pineapple juice, and the other half of your lime juiced. Mix well and set aside.
9* prepare a baking dish by greasing the bottom with a bit of cooking spray. Remove your chicken breast from the marinade bag and place them side by side in the tray (it is ok if they are touching).
10* In each cut you created in the chicken place 1 jalapeño slice, 1 pineapple half, and 1-2 bell pepper slices.
11* sprinkle the cheese over the chicken and then pour your salsa mixture over each breast.
12* Cook your chicken at 375° F for 30-45 minutes, until each breast is cooked through.
13* Plate each chicken on a bed of brown rice, or Mexican rice and beans, drizzling the salsa mixture over the top of your dish!
Et Voila
A Few Lil. Notes:
As always with baking or cooking chicken it is difficult to recommend a specific cooking time. It depends on the thickness of your meat, the freshness, and even the altitude you are living in. Chicken is one of the hardest meats to cook because of this, and the timing can be frustrating but don’t get discouraged, it is worth the wait! Just be sure that the internal temperature of each of your chicken breasts reaches 165° F using a cooking thermometer.
I served mine with Mexican style rice and beans and corn, broccoli, and cauliflower veg blend. Any sides you want would work; this was just what I ended up doing.
You could also serve this dish on top of a tortilla, cutting up your chicken and creating a sort of taco out of the bake!
Clyde.
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