This salsa verde chicken is simple and requires very few ingredients making it a perfect meal for the week. All you need a baking dish and about 5 minutes of prep time. The salsa verde gives this chicken a wonderful flavor that will have you coming back for seconds.Â
This was one of those meals that I just happen to accidentally make. I wanted to make something new for dinner but didn’t want to spend a lot of time. There was a little salsa verde left and I figured I would try and recreate a meal I had at a friend’s. The best part of this meal is that it will cook in about 25 minutes making this something you can throw together in 30 minutes.Â
In this recipe
I use chicken thighs for this recipe however chicken breasts work just a well. Depending on their size you will need to cook a little longer. Feel free to leave out the jalapeno if you are sensitive to spicy food. You will want to trim off a lot of the extra fat on the thighs however leave some of it on. This will help keep the chicken nice and juicy.Â
All in a row
When filling the baking dish you want to make sure all of the chicken is lined up in a row and only in one layer. This will make sure that all of the chicken cooks at the same time. Also if they are layered it will take much longer for all of it to cook. The most important part however is that not all of the chicken will be covered in cheese and that is a horrible prospect.Â
Choosing the right salsa verde
I use my homemade salsa verde in this recipe. This salsa is uncooked and when cooked will add additional liquid to the dish as the tomatillos release their liquid. The important part is to be aware of the salt content. Some packaged salsa verde sauces will be higher in sodium making this dish saltier than expected.Â
Cooking tips and ideas
- If you want to make this for meal prep or to freeze then cook the chicken without the cheese. Once you take it out of the freezer reheat in the oven and add the cheese then.
- If you would like you can also put this recipe in a slow cooker and once it has cooked add the cheese.Â
- If baked without the cheese you can shred the chicken to add into rice, salad, or as a sandwich wrap. The cheese can be added at the end of preparation.Â
Looking for other chicken recipes?
- Coconut Chicken ThighsÂ
- Whole Roasted Blackened Chicken
- Herbed Baked Chicken Tenders
- Buffalo Chicken Sliders with Coleslaw
- Spicy Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
Baked Salsa Verde Chicken
Equipment
- 8 x 10" baking dish
Ingredients
- 6 pounds chicken thighs skinless
- 1½ cups salsa verde
- 1½ cups pepper jack cheese shredded
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper chopped
- tsp pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F, 190°C, or gas mark 5.
- In the baking dish add the chicken in 1 layer. Season with the garlic powder and pepper. Add the chopped cilantro, jalapeno, and salsa verde. Cover with the pepper jack cheese.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temp of 165°F/74°C
Nutrition
