This fresh and tasty dish is quick and easy to prepare, making it perfect for a hot summer day lunch.
Salsa Verde is a tangy green sauce from the Mexican cuisine. It has many variations; some are raw, in some the tomatillos and pepper are roasted first, while others are cooked with added liquids. The texture can also vary from coarse to smooth.
In the version I have here I chose to process the ingredients coarsely and to cook the salsa briefly, so it will have a fresher taste and a somewhat crispy texture. You can choose how to prepare it according to your preferences, as long as you’ll be using the ingredients all the varieties have: tomatillos, jalapeno pepper, onion, garlic and cilantro.
My commitment to the Mexican cuisine ended when it came to the spices for the chicken, as I got some fresh Hungarian sweet and hot paprika which I wanted to experiment with. Here again, you can use your own spice blend or a good quality store bought chili powder mix, or Cajun spice mix.
As it was a fairly small quantity of chicken, I decided to prepare it using a panini grill pan with a metal press. I heated both first, which enabled cooking the chicken quickly and evenly from both sides. The metal press helped with creating beautiful grill marks on the bottom, which also added a subtle smoky flavor. If you don’t have such a pan, obviously any grill or frying pan can be used instead. In this case, you’ll need to turn the tenders while cooking and prolong the cooking time to 10-12 minutes.
Whichever way you’ll decide to make this dish, I’m sure you’ll enjoy the results.
Makes: 2
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
For the chicken:
1 lb (450 grams) chicken tenders
1 tsp salt
1 Tbs sweet paprika
½ tsp hot paprika
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
¼ tsp cumin powder
1 Tbs olive oil
A few drops hot sauce to taste
For the salsa Verde:
1 garlic clove, roughly cut
1 small onion, roughly cut
½ jalapeno pepper
A handful of cilantro
3-4 tomatillos, cut into large chunks
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbs olive oil
For serving:
Fresh tortillas, lightly toasted
Sour cream
Cilantro
1. The chicken: in a small bowl, mix the chicken tenders with the spices and olive oil. Cover and set aside.
2. The salsa: place the garlic, onion, jalapeno pepper, cilantro and tomatillos in a small food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process coarsely and transfer to a small pot. Add the salt, black pepper and olive oil. Mix and cook over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes (or longer, if you prefer the salsa more cooked), mixing occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Cool to room temperature.
3. Place the grill pan and with the press, on medium-high heat. Once the pan and press are hot, carefully remove the press and add the chicken tenders, in one layer. Place the hot metal press on top and cook for 4-5 minutes. If you’re using regular grill or pan, cooking time will be about 10 minutes, turning the tenders halfway. Serve immediately, with the tortillas, sour cream and salsa.
That looks delicious!
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Thank you Michelle, I’m glad you liked the dish. 🙂
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your dish looks soooo yummy…:P I will definitely try this..
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Thank you Rashmi, I’m glad you liked the dish and hope you’ll enjoy it too. 🙂
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I second this!
Or I think I mean, may I have seconds?!
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lol yes on both! 🙂
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Yum yum yum! Your salsa verde looks mouthwateringly good.
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Thank you Leen, I’m glad you liked it. It vanished very quickly! 🙂
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Oh I bet it did! Salsa verde doesn’t last long in my household, either 🙂
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Now you’re talkin’! ;-> Strange as it seems, I have never cooked or experimented at all with tomatillos even though we have them in abundance here. I guess I never really investigated the possibilities (slothful ways!), but these ideas resonate hereabouts. I got one once because I like the looks of it as a photographic subject, but after a few weeks of posing for me, it had deteriorated past the point of usefulness as an ingredient.
I have a stove-top grill panini thingy like that, but haven’t used it much since I got the Cuisinart Oven Central. It isn’t the same procedure, so I should drag it out and heat it up.
Your recipes always inspire me to do more!
Virtual hugs,
Judie
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Thank you Judie, I’m glad you’ve found this motivating.
I can’t say I use tomatillos as often as I do with tomatoes, but I do love using them on occasion, especially for this sauce.
As for the panini pan, I didn’t use it much since I bought it, as it turned out I’m not into making panini too often! But now I use it often to prepare chicken, so it wasn’t such a bad investment after all. 🙂
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These look just delicious, yum 😉
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Thank you Jess, I’m glad you liked it. 🙂
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This looks great and not too hard.😊
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Thank you Carol, I’m glad you liked the dish. It is indeed very easy and quick to make. 🙂
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Just up my alley!
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Hope you’ll try and enjoy! 🙂
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I am planning on it.
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I just LOVE a homemade tomatillo sauce! I have 5 tomatillos on my plant, I hope they get big enough to use before the first frost. 🙂
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I hope they will Kathryn, I’m sure the sauce will taste so much better with home grown ones. 🙂
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Good recipe! looks delicious as usual
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Thank you Khadija, for your kind words. I’m glad you liked the recipe. 🙂
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You are welcome Ronit
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This looks great. Thank you for sharing it.
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Thank you! I’m glad you liked the recipe. It’s my pleasure to share. 🙂
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Mmm…. I am a lover of green sauces. I must try this one!
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Thank you Annika, I’m glad you liked the recipe. If you love green sauces, I think you’ll enjoy this one. I’ll be happy to hear your comments. 🙂
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I will let you know. Are tomatillos unripen tomatoes?
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No, they’re not tomatoes but a special type of their own. Here in the States most supermarkets have them, but they’re also always available in any Mexican store.
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Hmm… Thank you for clarifying that. These may prove to be slightly difficult to find here in Montreal…. I will keep you posted.
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Hope you’ll be able to find them, though I guess maybe green tomatoes can still be a substitute if you not. Good luck! 🙂
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I found them at the farmers market! Tomatillos… I can’t believe I never noticed them before. And best of all, your salsa verde recipe was a big hit here! Thank you so much for sharing. I am sure I have eaten this sauce before (at a small family-run restaurant in Tucson) years ago and I had loved it. Now I know what it is and how to make it!!!
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Thank you Annika, for this lovely update. I’m so glad to hear you’ve found tomatillos and enjoyed the recipe.
That’s the fun in reading other blogs – learning about new ingredients and different cuisines. We learn something new every day. 🙂
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You are very welcomed and you are so right!
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Beautiful pictures.. And WooHoo ! Naked chicken tenders that aren’t fried ! 👍
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Thank you Pan, I’m glad you liked the recipe and photos.
Coating in oil and cooking quickly on high heat, as done here, keeps the tenders moist even without heavy breading or deep frying. 🙂
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Pretty much how I bake boneless skinless chicken breasts and thighs..
I Preheat my little convection toaster oven to 450 F , lightly coat chicken with oil and seasoning and bake for the first 15 minutes of cook time based on weight.. Then turn down the temp to 350 for the remainder of time left.. Moist and tender.. works like a dream every time 😊
Other meats depending on cut, bone or skin is baked/roasted the same method with some temp adjustment for type..
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Sounds perfect! 🙂
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The Salsa Verde looks fab – I can smell it 🙂 – and spiced chicken as well! You know, I noticed the post last night, in the middle of night but didn’t read it. Cos as always, yours appetise me a lot! Very dangerous!! 😀
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Thank you, I’m glad you’ve found the recipe and photos so appetizing. “Mission accomplished!” 🙂
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Loving the flavors in this Ronit, it looks really good!
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Thank you Loretta, I’m glad you liked the flavors. It is one of my favorite quick lunches in the summer. 🙂
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Such great colour on your chicken! And I love the salsa 😉
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Thank you Elaine, I’m glad to hear. 🙂
I make the salsa often. It’s so quick to make and yet so full of flavors. Well worth trying. 🙂
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Me too, and they’re always different!
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Yes, I love the combinations you come up with. 🙂
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Thank you 😀😀
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Because I’m vegetarian and don’t eat chicken I can’t say I ‘like the recipe’, but I love your site and look forward to more wonderful recipes from you. Have a peaceful day.
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Thank you Eddie for your heartwarming words and open mind.
Hoping for a peaceful day to all. 🙂
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Really tasty recipe 👌
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Thank you Payel! 🙂
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Salsa verde yum!
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Thank you Ish. 🙂
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Looks really delicious. I need to try your salsa verde 🙂
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Thank you Myra, I’m glad you liked the recipe. I hope you’ll enjoy it! 🙂
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I recently made a basic salsa with tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, onion, cilantro, and lime; but I’ve never made Salsa Verde. This recipe looks wonderful. I made have to give it a try.
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Thank you Sheryl, I’m glad you liked the recipe. If you like tomato salsa, I think you’ll like Salsa Verde as well. In fact, by now I prefer this one most of the time. I hope you’ll enjoy it too. 🙂
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what a great spice mix you have here – so full of flavour. Bet this tasted amazing.
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Thank you, I’m glad you liked the dish. It’s so flavorful quick to assemble and I make it very often. 🙂
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This is my kind of a meal Ronit and a great idea to use a “green sauce”. I made my first sauce using tomatillos in a Mexican cooking class a couple of years ago – normally I have just bought it already made. The seasonings sound wonderful 🙂
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Thank you Judi, I’m glad you liked the dish. I make it whenever I see nice fresh tomatillos. So tasty. 🙂
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This is my kind of meal, Ronit. It looks delicious! I use my panini press to cook small amounts of chicken too… it’s done in no time at all and doesn’t up my kitchen to uncomfortable levels. Salsa verde has always been my salsa of choice…I love the flavor of tomatillos. I’ll have to compare your recipe to the one I use (I grow tomatillos and can salsa verde)…mine could use some updating! Thanks for sharing another yummy recipe!
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Thank you Nancy, I’m glad you liked the recipes. I hardly use the panini press for its original purpose by now.
How great it is to have fresh produce from your garden. I’m sure it makes for much better results… 🙂
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Hungry just looking at the picture. Will be making this sooner than later!
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Thank you, I’m glad to hear. I hope you’ll enjoy the results. I’ll be happy to hear your comments. 🙂
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Tasty.. mouthwatering..!!!
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Thank you! 🙂
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Droolicious! Your recipe is reminding me to make salsa verde too! Great combination of flavors, Ronit!
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Droolicious – what a great word you made here, Sandhya, thank you! 🙂
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Delicious Ronit!
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Thank you Antonia, I’m glad you liked the dish. It really was delicious! . 🙂
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I am trying the chicken tenders tonight. I’m sure I will like them…hope hubby does too. Thanks.
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Thank you for the update. I hope you’ll both enjoy the dish. I’ll be happy to hear your comments. 🙂
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Had them for dinner and we both loved them! Thanks for the recipe!
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Thanks for the update, I’m very glad to hear! 🙂
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We’re traveling down the same path, Ronit. I made a similar dish for lunch yesterday. I used leftover roasted chicken for mine. Next time, I’ll borrow a page from your blog and prepare chicken tenders as you’ve done. They sound delicious!
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Glad to know! Hot summer days definitely call for easier preparations. 🙂
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Chicken tenders again tonight! Happy face!
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Sounds good! Enjoy! 🙂
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im a learning home cook..i got to try these
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Thank you for commenting and following. I’m glad you’ve found this recipe worth trying. I hope you’ll enjoy the result. I’ll be happy to hear your comments. 🙂
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Great post!! Salsa verde and spicy chicken tenders amazing combination of flavours!! And the photographs are stunning!!
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Thank you Sumith, I’m glad you liked the recipe and photos. This combination is indeed very tasty. Well worth trying. 🙂
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Defenetly will give this a try. Thank you Ronit.
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