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Mexican Chicken with Cheese Sauce (Queso Chicken)

Mexican chicken with cheese sauce is a skillet dinner with pan-seared chicken breasts smothered in a glossy queso made with Velveeta, milk, and Rotel. It’s creamy, smooth, and finished with pico de gallo, fresh cilantro, and jalapeño slices for a bold Tex-Mex kick.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Calories: 650
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 and black pepper to taste
Cheese Sauce (Queso)
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 0.75 cup whole milk
  • 6 oz Velveeta, cubed
  • 0.5 can (5 oz) Rotel tomatoes with green chiles
  • 0.25 tsp cayenne
Serving Toppings
  • 1 pico de gallo
  • 1 cilantro
  • 1 jalapeños sliced

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.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and sear the chicken for 5–6 minutes per side, until golden and cooked through; set aside.
Make the queso sauce
  1. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat, then add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.
  2. Add the whole milk, bring it to a gentle simmer, then stir in the Velveeta, Rotel tomatoes with green chiles, and cayenne until completely smooth.
Smother and finish
  1. Pour the queso sauce generously over the seared chicken and serve immediately.
  2. Top with pico de gallo, fresh cilantro, and jalapeño slices before serving.

Notes

For the smoothest queso, keep the simmer gentle once the milk is hot and stir until the Velveeta fully melts; avoid boiling. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of milk to loosen the sauce. Freezing isn’t recommended as the cheese sauce can separate. If you want a dairy-light option, swap Velveeta for a dairy-free queso melt and use unsweetened oat milk (it may be slightly less creamy).