- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 4 ounces shredded Mexican cheese blend
- 1 cup salsa
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season one side of chicken breasts with half the cumin, half the garlic powder, salt, and black pepper; arrange chicken breasts with seasoned sides down in the hot oil. Fry until chicken is lightly browned on the bottom, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Season the top of each chicken breast with the remaining cumin, remaining garlic powder, salt, and black pepper; flip chicken and cook until other side is lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. If the skillet gets dry, pour in just enough juice from the salsa to keep it from burning.
- Transfer chicken breasts to a 9×9-inch baking dish; sprinkle with Mexican cheese blend. Loosen all the drippings from the skillet with a little more juice from the salsa and pour on top of chicken breasts. Spoon salsa over cheese layer.
- Bake chicken breasts until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, 20 to 25 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).