Salsa Verde Chicken

Tender, juicy salsa verde chicken made with a fresh homemade sauce of roasted tomatillos, garlic, onion, and peppers. This easy, flavor-packed recipe comes together quickly and is perfect for tacos, burrito bowls, rice, or simple weeknight dinners.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Mexican Inspired, Southern

Keyword salsa-verde-chicken

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

Total Time 1

Servings servings

Calories 550kcal

Ingredients

2.5-3 lbs boneless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tsp salt
1 tsp Mexican oregano
1 tsp lemon pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 lb tomatillos husks removed, washed and cut in half
1/2 medium yellow onion cut into wedges
1/2 medium red onion cut into wedges
8 medium garlic cloves peel intact
4 medium poblano peppers seeded and cut in half
2 medium jalapeno peppers seeded and cut in half
2-3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup lime juice plus wedges for garnishing
2 tsp granulated sugar optional
1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro plus additional for garnishing
cooked white rice, beans and tortillas for serving

Instructions

Chicken: Place the chicken pieces in a bowl and sprinkle with salt, oregano, lemon pepper, cumin and cinnamon. Toss to combine and let stand at room temperature for 10-15 minutes, just while you roast the peppers.
Preheat the oven to broil, line a large baking sheet pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray.
Arrange tomatillos, peppers, onions and garlic on the prepared baking sheet, skin side down. Drizzle with oil.
Place pan in the oven (on middle rack) and broil for about 10 minutes then flip and continue to broil for another 10-15 minutes or until the skins are blackened and the peppers are soft. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes, then remove peel from peppers (totally optional!) and squeeze garlic to remove skins.
Transfer roasted vegetables to a stand blender. Add 1/2 cup cilantro. Pulse to puree until no large pieces remain.
Brown Chicken: Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned chicken. Brown in batches on all sides and remove to a plate.
Reduce heat to medium, return browned chicken and cooking juices back to the pot along with the chicken broth, lime juice, and sugar. Stir to combine, then add salsa verde sauce. Bring mixture to a gentle simmer.
Once simmering, reduce the heat to medium-low. with lid offset, gently cook for 20 minutes or just until the juices from the chicken run clear.
Remove from heat and taste. Adjust salt and lime juice, if desired.
Let stand uncovered for 5 minutes, then serve garnished with lime wedges and cilantro over white rice with beans and warm tortillas.

Notes

Chicken - You can make this dish with boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken tenders. Both will cook quicker than chicken thighs so adjust the cooking time as needed.
Onion - I like to use a combination of onion for depth of flavor. That said, you can use Vidalia onion, white onion or only yellow onion.
Extra Spice - If you want this very spicy, leave the seeds and membranes when prepping the jalapeño or you could add a serrano. If you want a milder taste, use 1 jalapeno and remove the seeds and membrane.
Chicken Broth - I don’t recommend full sodium chicken broth in this recipe. The salt on the chicken adds salt to the dish and you don’t want it too salty. You can always add more salt to taste in the end. You can also use low sodium chicken stock.
Fresh Herbs - If you don't care for cilantro you can use fresh parsley or chives.
Make a Half Batch - If you need a smaller batch this recipe can be halved. I recommend a whole batch and freeze what you don’t eat for an easy freezer meal later.
Toppings - Enjoy with sour cream, sliced cherry tomatoes, avocado, queso fresco or monterey jack cheese, fresh cilantro or top it your favorite way.

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