Salsa Roja Chicken - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into six 4-ounce portions
1/4 cup all-purpose flour, or more as needed
1 pinch salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil, or as needed
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 cup tomato salsa
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
4 ounces crumbled cotija cheese, divided
1 (6 inch) corn tortilla, cut into 1/2-inch squares
1 cup stemmed and chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Preparation

Place chicken between 2 sheets of heavy plastic on a solid, level surface. Firmly pound chicken with the smooth side of a meat mallet to 1/2-inch thickness.
Combine flour, salt, and ground black pepper in a shallow dish. Dredge chicken in flour mixture.
Coat a large skillet with olive oil; heat over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and add chicken; cook until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Flip chicken and continue cooking until second side is golden brown, about 4 minutes more.
Stir diced tomatoes, salsa, chili powder, and cumin into the skillet. Cook until flavors combine, 2 to 3 minutes. Add chicken stock and lime juice; stir to blend. Transfer chicken to a serving platter. Add 3 ounces cotija cheese and tortilla pieces to the sauce; simmer, about 1 minute. Spoon sauce over chicken on the platter.
Garnish chicken with remaining 1 ounce cotija cheese and fresh cilantro.