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A gray platter of sals verde chicken breasts with tomatillo sauce, grated cheese and chopped cilantro.
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5 from 1 vote

Salsa Verde Chicken (green salsa chicken)

Make dinner in 20 minutes with these easy salsa chicken breasts. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, tomatillo salsa (salsa verde), grated cheese. Toasted pumpkin seeds are optional. Make the salsa ahead and refrigerate or freeze or use jarred sauce. For dairy-free, skip the cheese. For best results allow your chicken to stand at room temperature, unwrapped, for about 30 minute to get the chill off. This recipe halves easily for two servings and freezes well too.
Prep Time3 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time18 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican, Southwestern
Servings: 4
Calories: 319kcal
Author: Sally Cameron

Equipment

  • Cast iron skillet or similar pan with a lid

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 ½ - 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoons ground black pepper
  • 1 ½ cups tomatillo salsa verde (jarred or homemade) recipe on this site, or bottled
  • 2-3 ounces grated Jack cheese sub mozzarella, mexican blend, or grated manchego

Optional Garnishes

  • 2 teaspoons chopped cilantro or Italian parsley
  • 1 tablespoon toasted pumpkin seeds recipe on this site

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a 10" cast iron skillet or other heavy pan over medium heat. Lay the chicken breasts smooth side up and sprinkle evenly with the salt, pepper and garlic. When pan is hot, add the chicken smooth side down and cook until this side is golden, about 3 minutes. 
  • Turn the chicken over, pour the sauce over the top, put a lid on the pan and turn heat to medium low. Simmer chicken for 10-12 minutes or until a digital thermometer reads 160° when inserted in the thickest part. Sprinkle with cheese, pumpkin seeds and cilantro and serve. The cooking time could vary depending on how cold your chicken is when you start.

Notes

If you don't have time to make the sauce, use a jarred sauce like Traders Joes Salsa Verde. Click here for my easy recipe, which freezes well. 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 319kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 1037mg | Potassium: 837mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 694IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 116mg | Iron: 1mg