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Mexican Chicken with Cheese Sauce

Mexican chicken with cheese sauce features pan-seared chicken breasts smothered in a glossy queso made with Velveeta, Rotel, and jalapeños. Serve it immediately topped with pico de gallo and cilantro for a quick, cheesy skillet dinner.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Calories: 730
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
  • 0.25 salt to taste
  • 0.25 black pepper to taste
Cheese Sauce
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 clove garlic minced
  • 0.75 cup whole milk
  • 6 oz Velveeta cubed
  • 0.5 can (5 oz) Rotel tomatoes with green chiles
  • 0.25 tsp cayenne
Toppings
  • 1 pico de gallo
  • 1 cilantro fresh
  • 1 jalapeño slices

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Season and sear the chicken
  1. Season the chicken breasts with cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper until evenly coated.
  2. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and sear chicken for 5–6 minutes per side until golden and cooked through; set aside.
Make the queso sauce
  1. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat and cook minced garlic for 1 minute.
  2. Add whole milk and bring to a gentle simmer, then stir in Velveeta, Rotel, and cayenne until completely smooth.
Smother and serve
  1. Pour queso sauce generously over the chicken and serve immediately while glossy and hot.
  2. Top with pico de gallo, fresh cilantro, and jalapeño slices.

Notes

For the smoothest queso, keep the heat at a gentle simmer once the milk is hot and stir continuously when melting Velveeta. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days; freeze only the chicken (up to 2 months) and reheat gently, then remake/refresh the sauce for best texture. For a lighter option, use low-fat milk and a reduced-fat melting cheese blend in place of Velveeta, then warm just until melted.