Green Chile Chicken Skillet

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 30 mins

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 4 Servings

One of the things I love best about my favorite Mexican restaurant is the colorful salsa bar they have. There’s a bright array of salsas in various spice levels, and I always, always go for their salsa verde. The tangy tomatillos (no, they’re not green tomatoes) that go into salsa verde perk up whatever I spoon it onto. I love it so much that I decided to go beyond using it as a condiment and cook with it instead.

Ingredients

4 ounces Monterey Jack or Mexican blend cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4 medium)
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 (16-ounce) jar salsa verde, or 2 cups homemade salsa verde
1 (4-ounce) can mild or hot diced green chiles, preferably fire roasted
Coarsely chopped fresh cilantro and/or 2 thinly sliced red radishes, for garnish (optional)
Serving options: Warm tortillas or Mexican rice

Instructions

Arrange a rack in the upper third of the oven. Heat the oven to 425ºF. Pat 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Season all over with 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt and 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin.
Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a 10-inch cast iron or broiler-safe high-sided skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the chicken in a single layer (it’s OK if it’s crowded) and sear until browned on both sides, 7 to 9 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate (the chicken will not be cooked all the way through).
Reduce the heat to medium. Add 1 diced medium yellow onion and remaining 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt to the skillet and cook, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan and stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add 1 (16-ounce) jar salsa verde and 1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles and their juices. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan and bring to a boil.
Return the chicken and any accumulated juices on the plate to the skillet, nestling the chicken into the sauce. Sprinkle evenly with 4 ounces shredded Monterey Jack or Mexican blend cheese (1 cup).
Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until the chicken is cooked through and registers about 155ºF in the thickest part, 10 to 12 minutes. Switch the oven to broil and broil until the cheese is well-browned in spots, 2 to 4 minutes. Garnish with coarsely chopped fresh cilantro and/or 2 thinly sliced radishes if desired, and serve with warm tortillas or Mexican rice.