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Grilled Chicken Tacos With Salsa Verde

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on September 14, 2011

Time

30 minutes

Yield

Serves 4

Grilled Chicken Tacos With Salsa Verde

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 ½ pounds)Salt and pepper 1 onion, peeled and cut into ½-inch rounds1 jalapeño chile, halved lengthwise and seeded (see note)1 tablespoon vegetable oil 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas 1 (11-ounce) can tomatillos, drained½ cup chopped fresh cilantro 1 tablespoon lime juice 2 garlic cloves, minced

Before You Begin

For a hotter salsa, leave in the white ribs and seeds of the jalapeños.

Instructions

  1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Brush onion rounds and jalapeño with oil and season with salt. Grill chicken over hot fire until well browned and meat registers 160 degrees, about 5 minutes per side. Grill onion and jalapeño until lightly charred and soft, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken, onion, and jalapeño to cutting board and tent with foil. Grill tortillas until lightly charred and warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to plate and cover with foil.
  2. When cool enough to handle, coarsely chop onion and jalapeño. Pulse tomatillos, onion, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, garlic, and 1⁄2 teaspoon salt in food processor until coarsely ground. Slice chicken and serve with salsa verde and tortillas.
Grilled Chicken Tacos With Salsa Verde

Grilled Chicken Tacos With Salsa Verde

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

30 minutes

Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 ½ pounds)
Salt and pepper
1 onion, peeled and cut into ½-inch rounds
1 jalapeño chile, halved lengthwise and seeded (see note)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1 (11-ounce) can tomatillos, drained
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 garlic cloves, minced

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 ½ pounds)
Salt and pepper
1 onion, peeled and cut into ½-inch rounds
1 jalapeño chile, halved lengthwise and seeded (see note)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1 (11-ounce) can tomatillos, drained
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 garlic cloves, minced

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 ½ pounds)
Salt and pepper
1 onion, peeled and cut into ½-inch rounds
1 jalapeño chile, halved lengthwise and seeded (see note)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1 (11-ounce) can tomatillos, drained
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 garlic cloves, minced

Why This Recipe Works

Instead of husking and boiling fresh tomatillos for our Grilled Chicken Tacos with Salsa Verde, we enhanced canned tomatillos with grilled onions and jalapeños for a quick, flavor-packed salsa. We found that much of the heat in jalapeños resided in the white ribs and seeds, so we could leave them in for a hotter salsa. Tasters preferred the tacos served with sliced avocados, lime wedges, and sour cream.

Before You Begin

For a hotter salsa, leave in the white ribs and seeds of the jalapeños.

Instructions

  1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Brush onion rounds and jalapeño with oil and season with salt. Grill chicken over hot fire until well browned and meat registers 160 degrees, about 5 minutes per side. Grill onion and jalapeño until lightly charred and soft, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken, onion, and jalapeño to cutting board and tent with foil. Grill tortillas until lightly charred and warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to plate and cover with foil.
  2. When cool enough to handle, coarsely chop onion and jalapeño. Pulse tomatillos, onion, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, garlic, and 1⁄2 teaspoon salt in food processor until coarsely ground. Slice chicken and serve with salsa verde and tortillas.

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