Grilled Tomatillo Chicken Recipes

GRILLED TOMATILLO SALSA

Steps:

• Prepare a grill over medium heat.
• Put the tomatillos, onion and garlic on the grill (put the garlic on a metal skewer or small piece of aluminum foil to keep it from slipping through the grates.) Grill the vegetables, removing them as they are ready, until the tomatillos, turning as needed, are soft but not bursting, the onion is tender and the garlic skin is charred, 5 to 15 minutes. Cool slightly.
• Peel the garlic and put in a blender with the tomatillos, onion, cilantro, chipotle chile and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Blend until well incorporated but slightly chunky.

GRILLED CHICKEN WITH TOMATILLO SALSA

Steps:

• Off heat, coat grill rack or grill pan with nonstick spray. Preheat gas grill or grill pan to medium-high, or prepare medium-high fire in charcoal grill.
• In large bowl, sprinkle chicken with cumin and 1 tsp salt. Drizzle with 1 tbsp oil and toss to coat. On 1 side of large piece of heavy-duty foil, arrange tomatillos, jalapeño, onion, and garlic. Drizzle with remaining 1 tbsp oil and sprinkle with 1 tsp salt. Using your hands, mix vegetables to combine. Fold foil over vegetables and crimp edges to tightly seal packet.
• Transfer chicken and packet to grill. Cook, turning chicken and packet halfway through cooking, until chicken is charred in spots and cooked through, instant-read thermometer inserted into centers registers 165°F, and vegetables in packet are softened, about 15 minutes total. (Check carefully when opening packet; steam will be released.) Transfer chicken to cutting board and let rest.
• Meanwhile, carefully transfer vegetables (including juices) to blender or food processor. Add cilantro, lime juice, and remaining 1 tsp salt and pulse until smooth. Season salsa to taste with more salt and/or lime juice.
• Slice chicken in thick slices and transfer to platter. Drizzle salsa over top and garnish with more cilantro. Serve immediately. (The salsa can be made up to 3 days ahead.)
• Serving size: 3 oz chicken plus 1⁄3 cup salsa

GRILLED CHICKEN WITH TOMATILLO SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat broiler or coals for the chicken. Wipe the chicken dry with paper towels and squeeze on the juice of the lime or lemon. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the garlic in its skin until soft (about 10 minutes). Peel.
• Meanwhile, grill the chicken until cooked. While it is cooking make the sauce. Chop the tomatillos and place them in a skillet with the chili, sugar, wine and vinegar. Cook until soft, stirring frequently. Season with salt and pepper.
• Add the garlic and mash into the sauce. Pour the mixture into a food processor. Add the coriander leaves (setting a few aside for garnishing) and puree. Pour the mixture into a saucepan.
• When the chicken is cooked, place on a serving dish. Heat the sauce, and swirl in the butter. Pour into a sauceboat and sprinkle with remaining coriander. Serve separately.

SHREDDED CHICKEN AND TOMATILLO TACOS WITH QUESO FRESCO

Steps:

• Preheat the grill to medium. Add the blackened tomatillos and serrano to a small saute pan and briefly saute in a little olive oil on the grates of the grill.
• Place the tomatillos, serrano, onion, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, and honey in a blender and blend until smooth. Place the tomatillo mixture in a large saute pan and place on the grates of the grill. Bring the mixture to a simmer, add the chicken, and heat through.
• Place the tortillas on the grill, and grill for 20 seconds on each side. Spoon the chicken mixture into the tortillas and top with a few tablespoons of queso fresco. Fold the tortillas in half serve immediately.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH TOMATILLOS AND JALAPENOS

Steps:

• For the chicken: Preheat the grill.
• Place the tomatillos and jalapenos on the grill and cook until the skins char and blister, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the tomatillos and jalapenos from the grill and let cool.
• Coat a large, wide straight-sided saute pan with olive oil and bring to medium-high heat.
• Sprinkle the chicken generously with salt. Add the chicken legs and thighs, skin-side down, to the hot pan. Brown the chicken well on all sides. Remove from the pan and reserve.
• Ditch the excess fat from the pan and add a few drops of new oil. Add the onions, season with salt and cook until the onions are very soft and aromatic, 7 to 8 minutes.
• While the onions are cooking, coarsely chop the tomatillos and reserve. Chop the jalapenos into 1/4-inch dice and reserve with the tomatillos. If you want to tone down the heat, remove the seeds from the jalapenos before chopping.
• Add the garlic to the pan with the onions and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add the reserved tomatillos and jalapenos. Stir to combine and add the chicken stock, lime juice and zest. Taste and season with salt if needed (it probably will).
• Return the chicken to the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for 15 minutes.
• Remove the lid and let cook for 15 more minutes. This will allow the stock to reduce. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed.
• For the sour cream: Combine the sour cream with the lime zest and juice and reserve.
• Remove the chicken from the pan and stir in the cilantro.
• Spoon the sauce over the chicken, sprinkle with cilantro leaves and serve with the lime sour cream.
• Beverage Pairing Suggestion: Light Lager

GRILLED-CHICKEN TOSTADAS WITH TOMATILLO-CILANTRO SALSA

Steps:

• Smashed Kidney Beans: Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high. Add onion; cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add coriander, chipotle in adobo, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook 30 seconds more. Add cinnamon, beans with liquid, and broth; bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced and thickened slightly, about 5 minutes more. Remove from heat.
• Smash beans with a fork or potato masher until creamy and spreadable, leaving some intact. Let cool until warm but no longer hot before serving (if beans are too hot, tostada shells will become soft), or refrigerate in an airtight container up to 5 days (return to room temperature before serving). (Makes 2 1/4 cups.)
• Tostadas: Heat a large skillet (preferably cast iron) over high. Add tomatillos, onion, garlic, and jalapenos in a single layer and cook, turning a few times, until blistered in places, about 5 minutes. Let cool slightly, then transfer to a blender with 1 cup packed cilantro leaves and stems, broth, lime juice, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Puree until smooth.
• Season chicken with salt and pepper. Return skillet to medium-high heat; swirl in oil. Add chicken in a single layer and cook, flipping once, until golden brown in places but not cooked through, about 3 minutes. Add 2 cups salsa (reserve the rest); reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, turning chicken a few times, until just cooked through and salsa has thickened and darkened slightly, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat; let cool 10 minutes. Using 2 forks, shred chicken in skillet into bite-size pieces, tossing to evenly coat.
• Spread 2 tablespoons smashed beans onto each tostada shell. Top with shredded-chicken mixture, avocado, crema, cabbage, remaining salsa, and more cilantro; serve with lime wedges.

CUMIN-CRUSTED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH GRILLED TOMATILLO SALSA

Steps:

• 1. In a large bowl, combine the chicken thighs and oil. Toss to coat the thighs evenly. Transfer the thighs to a platter and sprinkle evenly on all sides with the cumin rub. Set aside at room temperature.
• 2. Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for indirect grilling over medium heat; the temperature inside the grill should be 350°-375°F (180°-190°C). If using charcoal, bank the lit coals on either side of the grill bed, leaving a strip in the center without heat, and place a drip pan in the center. If using gas, preheat the burners, then turn off 1 or more of the burners to create a cooler zone. Brush and oil the grill grate.
• 3. To make the salsa, place the tomatillos and chile over the direct-heat area of the grill. (You'll probably need a grill screen for the chile or you'll lose it through the grate.) Cook, turning as needed, until well charred on all sides, about 3 minutes. Transfer the tomatillos and chile to a blender, add the lime juice and oil, and pulse until combined but still chunky. Transfer to a bowl, fold in the cilantro, and season with salt. You should have about 2 cups (16 fl oz/500 ml). (The salsa can be made up to 1 week in advance and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving.)
• 4. Place the thighs, meaty side down, over the indirect-heat area of the grill. Cook, turning once, until the thighs are nicely grill-marked on both sides and firm to the touch and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh away from bone registers 170°F (77°C), 10-15 minutes on each side.
• 5. Transfer the thighs to a platter and let rest for 10 minutes. Serve at once with the tomatillo salsa.

BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH TOMATILLOS

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot.
• Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add to pot, skin side down and cook, without disturbing, until skin has rendered most of the fat and is a nice golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. (You want it to be very deeply golden brown so that it stays nice and brown as it braises.)
• Using tongs, flip the chicken and continue to cook until nicely browned on the other side, another 5 or so minutes.
• Transfer chicken to a plate or cutting board, leaving all the fat and golden bits behind. Add smashed garlic and half of the sliced onion. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add tomatillos and half of the jalapeño and season with salt and pepper. Add chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium and add chicken back in, skin side up (they will not submerge all the way; that's fine). Simmer, uncovered, until tomatillos have completely broken down and the sauce has thickened, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Add hominy and continue to cook until flavors have melded and the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon (it should be looser than tomato sauce, thicker than soup), another 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine radish, remaining onion, remaining jalapeño and 2 tablespoons lime juice. Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine.
• Serve each piece of chicken with sauce spooned around. Top with radish mixture, some cilantro and tortillas alongside for sopping up all the goods.