I tripped upon a salsa verde chicken recipe the other day that was interesting, but it did not have the veg and herbs that I normally use in my cooking, so I made my own recipe. This one makes a BIG skillet of food and is very creamy and satisfying. You can leave out the pasta and serve this over rice if that’s more your thang. :)
Creamy Salsa Verde Chicken & Pasta
4 boneless and skinless chicken thighs (about one pound), one inch dice
S/P
olive oil
1 small onion, diced
3 baby bell peppers or one small red pepper, diced
1 Tbl garlic paste or 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp fresh thyme (optional)
2 Tbl pickled jalapeño chopped or 1 SMALL raw jalapeño, minced (optional)
zest of one lime
1.5 cups chicken stock
1.5 cups salsa verde (I use Herdez)
1.5 cups UNCOOKED penne pasta (or any small shape, can be omitted)
1 cup Mexican crema (or sub heavy cream; add more salt if using cream)
3/4 to 1 cup shredded jack cheese or Mexican mix shredded cheese
1/2 cup queso fresco to top (optional)
juice of the zested lime
Cut up chicken and season, then sauté in a large hot skillet. I used a deep chicken frying skillet for this, with a lid. Don’t crowd or the chicken won’t brown. When the chicken is browned, push to the sides of the pan and add onion, peppers, garlic, herbs and hot peppers. Sauté until translucent, but don’t brown.
Stir chicken and veg together and add lime zest. Add chicken stock and salsa verde, bring to boil. Add pasta and cook at a slow simmer, covered, for about 8-10 mins until the pasta is al dente. You may have to add a splash more stock if it gets too tight. If you omit the pasta, just cook until you get the consistency you want.
Cut the heat and add the crema and jack cheese (use as much or as little cheese as you like). Stir until smooth and creamy. Crumble up the queso fresco and sprinkle on top. Add lime juice. I added more oregano on top for the photo.
Check your seasoning and serve.