With just 5 ingredients, this Tomatillo Chicken is a healthy dinner that comes together quickly and easily for a fun twist on family taco night! A fresh blender salsa verde simmers with chicken breasts for a zesty and flavorful skillet recipe. It's one of my reader's favorite meals, and she was kind enough to share it with all of us!
So, I must admit: before Nancy sent me this recipe for Tomatillo Chicken, I was not an expert at cooking with the little green Mexican gems. In fact, I had never actually prepared tomatillos at home!
Sure, I've enjoyed a jar of salsa verde and I've seen tomatillos in the grocery store, but I couldn't tell you exactly what to do with them. That's why I was so intrigued by this easy, flavorful, and approachable tomatillo recipe. It seemed like the perfect place to start!
Before we get to the actual recipe, you might also be wondering:
Are tomatillos the same as tomatoes?
In short, no. The tomatillo is also known as the Mexican Husk Tomato, and it looks like a small green tomato with a corn husk on the outside. Tomatillos are members of the nightshade family, and have been a staple in Mexican cuisine for generations.
Can you eat a raw tomatillo?
Yes! Tomatillos are regularly eaten both raw and cooked, in a variety of Mexican dishes. The most common use for tomatillos is in salsa verde, and that's basically what you're going to prepare here!
Nancy's easy dinner recipe takes advantage of a quick raw blender salsa verde, which later simmers with chicken breasts in a skillet.
While your chicken is browning on the stovetop, it's time to whirl together the salsa.
First, you'll puree about 10 halved tomatillos (just pull off the husks first and give them a good wash), 2 seeded jalapeños, and 1 large onion. This simple salsa verde is ready in about 5 minutes!
By removing the ribs and seeds from the jalapeño peppers, you also remove most of the spice. The recipe is actually quite mild and kid-friendly!
The tomatillo salsa goes into a skillet with the chicken breasts and simmers for another 15 minutes (or until your meat is cooked through).
Then you've got this perfectly moist, flavorful, and tender chicken that you can slice and serve just about any way you like.
Nancy said that she prefers her tomatillo chicken with fresh tortillas made with beef tallow, but I can assure you: I'm not that fancy!
I used store-bought soft flour tortillas and served our tomatillo chicken tacos with all of our favorite toppings.
As I said, this family-friendly dish is not too spicy at all and offers a delicious twist on your regular Taco Tuesday. There's not a kiddo out there who will complain about a plate full of chicken tacos, right?!
I have also enjoyed Nancy's 5-Ingredient Tomatillo Chicken on top of "Taco Salad" and over rice or cauliflower rice. With a bowl of crispy tortilla chips on the side, it's a winner winner chicken dinner!
If you’ve tried this Tomatillo Chicken or any other recipe on The Seasoned Mom, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! You can follow me on Facebook, on Instagram, on Pinterest, and on Twitter!
5-Ingredient Tomatillo Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5 – 2 lbs. total)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 10 tomatillos, husks removed and halved
- 1 large onion, quartered
- 2 jalapeños, seeded and ribs removed (use gloves for this and wash hands)
Instructions
- Heat about 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Season chicken with garlic powder, salt and pepper; place in the hot skillet. Sear chicken until golden brown on both sides (about 4-5 minutes per side). Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 10 more minutes.
- While the chicken cooks in the skillet, prepare the tomatillo salsa.
- Place the halved tomatillos, the onion, and the jalapeños in a blender. Blend until smooth (you may need to add a splash of water to get the blender going).
- Add the tomatillo salsa to the skillet. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked.
Jen
I grew tomatillos for the first time and needed a recipe. I have 2 adventurous eaters, and one untra-picky one. I adjusted only a little and I decided to roast the tomatillos and jalapeños first, and I did cook the chicken in some stock, which I also added in the blender instead of water, and they ALL loved it. I served it over rice with some homemade flash-fried and seasoned tortilla chips, and I had to eat something else for dinner because there was only enough for my 3 guys, so I'll add 50% more next time. Thanks, it was great!
Blair
That's so good to hear, Jen. Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a note. Such a treat -- homegrown tomatillos!