Creamy Salsa Chicken Tenders
Creamy Salsa Chicken Tenders are a delicious chicken tenders recipe to make for a Mexican feast, made with salsa and creme fraiche and lime.
This 20-Minute Creamy Salsa Chicken Tenders recipe is quick and easy, easy to double for a large party! You can substitute creme fraiche for sour cream.
This Creamy Salsa Chicken Tenders recipe we enjoyed for dinner earlier this week and everyone loved it. Looking for how to fry corn tortillas for tasty tacos? It’s the way my mama taught me :)
Creamy Salsa Chicken Tenders
We love a go-to “20-minute chicken dish,” and this chicken is the best chicken tenders recipe, if you love Mexican food. You cannot go wrong. Saucy, sassy, such fresh flavor! What to serve with chicken tenders? Serve a Mexican rice, beans, and Best Homemade Guacamole Recipe, served with your favorite tortillas. You can also make our Coconut Lime Rice and Homemade Refried Pinto Beans.
Why we love this recipe
- What I love about chicken tenders is they do not take long to bake or cook over the stovetop.
- Once cooked, add the salsa. Then turn the heat down and stir in fraiche–a dinner on the table in 20 minutes.
- It’s a quick recipe for company!
Never cooked with fraiche? I buy it at Trader Joe’s and love making this Panna Cotta Basil Appetizer Recipe, too.
Ingredients needed
- Olive oil
- Chicken tenders
- Favorite seasoning, I used McCormick’s Perfect Pinch “Cajun” spice
- Salt and pepper
- Salsa: use fresh or canned salsa
- Creme fraiche: optional to use sour cream
- Chopped cilantro
- Lime wedges
How do make creamy chicken tenders?
- In a large nonstick skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Season the chicken. Cook it on both sides until golden; transfer to plate.
- Add the salsa to the skillet and cook on medium heat and stir.
- Turn the heat down to low; stir in creme fraiche.
- Return the chicken to pan, cover and simmer over low heat.
- Sprinkle with cilantro; serve with chips, rice, and lime.
How do you serve chicken tenders?
We love these served with tacos!
Or sprinkle with cilantro and serve with your favorite chips, rice, and lime.
But it’s also great served with tostadas, burritos, taco salad, or enchiladas!
You can use this chicken for chicken or taco bowls, or chop up for taco salad!
The best part: Scoop up the sauce with your favorite chips!
Tips and substitutions:
- Cook with fresh ingredients. (That is my canned Smoky Zucchini Salsa in the jar.)
- Optional to swap out the creme fraiche for sour cream.
- You can use chicken breasts, thinly sliced, in place of the chicken tenders.
- Feel free to add your favorite seasoning … a Mexican spice or Cajun, or even salt and pepper is good.
Skies the limit on the side recipes you can serve with this … rice, quinoa, beans, a salad, wraps. Don’t forget to serve lime on the side with plenty of cilantro!
Easy, easy, easy!
Great for Cinco de Mayo coming up, too!
More easy chicken recipes to try:
Lightened Up Chicken Fingers and Dipping Sauce [Wine and Glue]
Healthy Baked Chicken Fingers {Gluten-Free} [Sugar Free Mom]
Pineapple Chipotle Chicken Tacos
Get the Recipe:
Creamy Salsa Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2.5 – 3 lbs. chicken tenders
- Favorite seasoning, I used McCormick’s Perfect Pinch “Cajun” spice
- Salt and pepper
- 2 cups salsa
- 1/2 cup creme fraiche, or sour cream
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- lime wedges
Instructions
- In a large nonstick skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Season the chicken. Cook it on both sides until golden for about 3 minutes; transfer to plate.
- Add the salsa to the skillet and cook on medium heat, stirring for 2 minutes.
- Turn the heat down to low; stir in creme fraiche.
- Return the chicken to pan, cover and simmer over low heat, 4-5 minutes.
- Sprinkle with cilantro; serve with chips, rice, and lime.
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
Just made this for dinner tonight and it was sooo good. Quick and easy to make. I made homemade salsa so it took just a bit more time but it was definitely worth it. One of very few recipes I’ve tried that actually came out great!
Yummy Creamy Salsa Chicken Tenders!I am can’t wait to make one.. thanks for this!
always love cooking with chicken and I’ll be trying this one soon! Thanks for another delicious and simple recipe!
This looks yummy and simple. McCormick spices are always gluten free unless stated on label. I don’t have this one, so putting it on my list. Tell Jenny hello. xoxo
Sandy, I pulled two 1 lb packages of chicken tenders, from the freezer and my wife suggested that we have a friendly cook-off. I looked in the fridge for my ingredients and saw that we had salsa. I searched the web for chicken tenders and salsa, this brought me to your recipe. We also had chive and onion sour cream, limes, homemade fajita spice (no salt) and black beans on the shelf. I made this with the substituted ingredients, my wife said she would have one, well she finished the one and went back to the stove for one more. Returning to the table she informed me that she conceded and that I should use the other package of tenders. Thank-you, Rolf
I came across this recipe about 2 months ago. I’ve made it twice. I wasn’t planning on making it tonight, but when I took out the chicken tenders my very picky 16 year old son asked if I could make that “awesome salsa chicken”. How could I refuse?! If he loves it enough to request it, you know it’s good :)
Yum! Thanks for sharing Joanna!
Will be cooking this for 1st time tonight looks great and easy to do don’t want to do to much since thanksgiving is in 2 days lol
This was such a big hit in my house!!!!! My kids loved it and it was so quick to make. Thank you!
Excellent combination of spices. I added corn to my home made salsa and it turned all those flavors to an exquisite dinner. I just made basmati rice and green beans. Defenitely a repeat recipe!
Awesome! Sounds great! :)
I made this for dinner tonight and it was amazing.
This is a keeper! Delicious, quick and easy, with only a few ingredients, it makes my list of favorites. The Cajun Perfect Pinch spice is the key to its great flavor. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I made this for supper tonight, and it really was as quick and delicious as it looks! I served it on top of cilantro lime rice…
Just wanted to say that I made this last night and it was delicious. This is definitely making it’s appearance in our rotation of meals! I will be looking through your blog for other recipes. Thank you!
I know, Beth. So easy, right? Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
20 minutes? You genius you!! This look totally fresh and flavorful!
Love this simple dinner recipe Sandy! Love these flavors!
On the stove right now! Thanks, Sandy!!
Nice place :)
This recipe looks delicious and easy and I LOVE chicken recipes. I’m going to give it a try this weekend (but I’ll have to sub the homemade zucchini salsa for store-bought).
That’s okay, Beth, it will still taste amazing! :)
Yum! Looks great….I thought of your quote “never appologize for mistakes” the other night after I burned our teriyaki chicken when I got distracted…I was able to salvage most of it, but it wasn’t the best and I remember thinking “oh boy Sandy, good thing I’m not having company because I’m not sure I could cover this one”! LOL, lesson learned…in the phase of life we are going through right now I need to stay focused when cooking and take my time or I ruin the meal.
HAHA HAHA … I would have totally eaten it, Kirstin. I sort of like “crispy” tasting food! I’m serious! )
This recipe sounds great. Simple and full of some of my favorite things.
Thanx!
This looks delicious, and you can’t beat how fast it is! What did you use to season the chicken? It looks like some cumin maybe and something else?
Thanks, Becky. I used McCormick’s Perfect Pinch “Cajun” spice. I updated the recipe!
So funny, Sandy…and this chicken looks delicious!