A bright, refreshing and spicy salsa verde chicken recipe for when you need dinner quick.
You know that moment when you’re standing at the cash register with your wallet open awaiting change, grabbing all your grocery bags, trying to dig your keys out of your pocket and simultaneously putting your gloves back on because it’s 8 degrees outside and then the cashier goes to hand you your change and does that thing where she puts the change on top of the receipt and shoves it in your hand all together?
WHY DO THEY DO THAT?
I mean, she’s a she. She has a wallet. She knows how they work. Bills in one compartment, change in another and receipts (if you’re ocd like me) in another or at least shoved into your bag, not your wallet. With all my hands occupied, how the hell am I supposed to easily take that mess and put it away quickly? And I totally wouldn’t mind standing there for a minute to put it all in it’s proper place but then you have the next customer in line breathing down your neck as he vies for the check out spot before you can even say “thanks” to the cashier who just put you in this predicament to begin with.
That all happened the other day at the store buying the ingredients for this salsa. Except this time the change went flying all over the bagging area and the floor and I just couldn’t contain my frustration.
So while I tried to pick it all up I said something along the lines of “why does everyone DO THAT?” to which the poor cashier looked at me like I was nuts with a completely lost expression on her face. So of course I felt the need to clarify myself, “Why do all cashiers hand you your change on top of the receipt? You realize how awkward that makes it for me trying to put it away in my wallet? Try giving people the change in one hand and the bills & receipt in another. I swear you’d make people’s lives easier.”
No response, just a baffled expression.
And then guess who was all up in my face before I could even turn to leave? Mr. Must Get to the Checkout Spot Now behind me.
Moral of this story? There’s two.
1. I’m crazy
2. See the lengths I go to just to share a kickin’ spicy green salsa chicken dish with you? It’s fresh, bright, spicy and pretty much everything this horridly cold weather is not right now. It’s exactly what I was craving and even worth the “incident”.
More chicken recipes like this to try
Salsa chicken is a cheesy version of this dish that uses jarred salsa, cheese and corn to create a comforting meal that couldn’t be easier to make.
Air fryer frozen chicken breasts can be substituted for the grilled chicken in this recipe and topped with the salsa verde.
Pecan crusted chicken is another easy way to liven up some chicken for dinner with an easy crunchy coating and delicious honey mustard sauce to drizzle on top.
Spicy Salsa Verde Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 cup basil leaves, packed
- 1 cup cilantro, packed
- 1/2 cup parsley, packed
- 1/2 jalapeno pepper, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 small shallot, chopped
- zest of 1 lime
- juice of 1/2 lime
- 3 tablespoons orange juice, fresh is best
- salt & pepper
- 1 lb. chicken breasts
- extra virgin olive oil for grilling
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except chicken in a blender.
- Blend until pureed.
- Combine chicken breasts with half the salsa mixture in a large bowl, toss to coat, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour, up to overnight.
- Heat a stove top grill pan (or outdoor grill if it’s not 8 degrees where you are) over medium heat and grease with extra virgin olive oil.
- Place chicken breasts on grill pan and cook for about 5-7 minutes per side or until chicken is cooked through. This will depend on how thick your chicken is.
- Once cooked through, remove from grill pan and spoon remaining salsa over the top of each chicken breast.
- Serve with a lime wedge and garnish with cilantro.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
Amazing
Hi! What is the side dish shown on the plate with the chicken?
It’s just some mashed sweet potatoes/carrots.