Green Chile Chicken Skillet

Christine Gallary
Christine GallarySenior Recipe Editor at The Kitchn
I grew up in a Chinese food-loving family, eating my first restaurant meals in Oakland's vibrant Chinatown. My love of food but lack of cooking experience led to me Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, where I graduated with a Diplôme de Cuisine in French cooking. After culinary school, I learned how to test and edit recipes in test kitchens at Cook's Illustrated and CHOW, falling in love with the process of rigorously testing recipes to make sure they were foolproof for the home cook. I've worked with thousands of recipes over the past 15 years, including developing recipes for the James Beard-award winning Mister Jiu's in Chinatown cookbook. Living in the delicious diversity of San Francisco, I never get tired of finding new ingredients or cuisines to try. My favorite type is Cantonese home cooking — I'm on a quest to recreate the dishes my grandmother used to make. All the food I test at home is eagerly tasted and enjoyed by my husband, Hayden, and daughter, Sophie, while our little dog, Mochi, looks wistfully on.
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published Aug 26, 2024
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overhead shot of green chili chicken, in a skillet, with one chicken breast taken out of the pan
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: Rachel Perlmutter

Wrap it all up in a warm tortilla.

Serves4

Prep10 minutes

Cook30 minutes to 35 minutes

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overhead shot of green chili chicken, in a skillet, with one chicken breast taken out of the pan
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: Rachel Perlmutter

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.

With the help of a can of diced green chiles and some onion, store-bought salsa verde turns into a delicious, super-easy sauce that turns seemingly boring boneless, skinless chicken breasts into something vibrant and flavorful. Finishing it with a blanket of melty cheese adds just the right amount of richness. I like serving this green chile chicken skillet with Mexican rice or slicing and stuffing the chicken into warm tortillas. Even better, you can repurpose any leftovers by dicing up the chicken, mixing it with a little of the sauce, and stuffing it into a fantastic cheese quesadilla.

Why You’ll Love It

  • It’s equal parts cheesy and saucy. Because the chicken cooks in the tangy sauce, it’s super juicy. And the layer of melted, browned cheese on top adds richness.
  • There’s minimal prep but maximum flavor. The only prep is dicing up an onion and seasoning chicken. Using store-bought salsa verde and diced green chiles adds tons of flavor to the sauce with zero effort.

Key Ingredients in Green Chile Chicken Skillet

  • Chicken: You’ll need 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Aim for medium-size ones (about 8 ounces each), so they’ll all fit into the skillet at the same time for searing.
  • Salsa verde: Tangy, vibrant green salsa made with tomatillos is the base of the sauce. You can make homemade salsa verde, but you can also grab your favorite store-bought salsa instead. Even the bottled shelf-stable ones will work here.
  • Diced green chiles: Little cans of diced green chiles are full of flavor and save you all the work of prepping and roasting fresh peppers. Try to get the fire-roasted ones for an extra little bit of smoky flavor.
  • Cheese: You’ll need Monterey Jack or a shredded Mexican blend cheese — whichever you like.
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: Rachel Perlmutter

How to Make Green Chile Chicken Skillet

  1. Sear the chicken. Season the chicken with salt and ground cumin, then sear until browned on both sides; take them out of the pan.
  2. Cook the sauce. Sauté a diced onion in the pan until tender, then add a jar of salsa verde and a can of diced green chiles.
  3. Top with cheese and finish in the oven. Return the chicken to the pan, sprinkle with shredded cheese, and bake until the chicken is almost cooked through. Switch on the broiler for a few minutes to brown the cheese and finish cooking the chicken.

Helpful Swaps

  • You can choose between mild or spicy salsa verde and canned diced green chiles. Go with your spice comfort level.
  • Swap in bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for the chicken breasts. Sear and bake them the same way until they register 165ºF in the middle.
Comments

Green Chile Chicken Skillet Recipe

Wrap it all up in a warm tortilla.

Prep time 10 minutes

Cook time 30 minutes to 35 minutes

Serves 4

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces

    Monterey Jack or shredded Mexican blend cheese (about 1 cup)

  • 1

    medium yellow onion

  • 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

  1. Arrange a rack in the upper third of the oven. Heat the oven to 425ºF. Meanwhile, grate 4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese on the large holes of a box grater if needed, or measure out 1 cup store-bought shredded cheese. Dice 1 medium yellow onion (about 1 1/2 cups). 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.

  2. 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).

  3. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the 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.

  4. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices on the plate to the skillet, nestling the chicken into the sauce. Sprinkle evenly with the cheese.

  5. 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.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Filed in:
Main Dish
Chicken
poultry
dinner