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Sweet Skillet Salsa Verde Chicken Tortilla Rice Bake. food shot
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Skillet Salsa Verde Chicken Tortilla Rice Bake.

A hands-off skillet bake featuring shredded chicken, rice, tortillas and a bright homemade salsa verde.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 yellow onion peeled and quartered
  • 6 cloves garlic skin on
  • 6 tomatillos peeled
  • 3 poblano peppers
  • 1 jalapeño
  • kosher salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 3/4 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut in half
  • 3/4 cup white rice
  • 6 taco-size soft or corn tortillas torn into 4 pieces each
  • 1 cup yellow corn fresh or frozen
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
  • 1 1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese shredded
  • 1 avocado sliced, for serving

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C).
  • Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the quartered onion, whole garlic cloves (skins on), and peeled tomatillos and cook, turning often, until charred on all sides, about 5 minutes; remove any garlic cloves earlier if they char faster.
  • Remove the charred onion, garlic and tomatillos from the skillet and let cool. When the garlic is cool enough to handle, peel the skins off the cloves.
  • Return the skillet to medium-high heat and char the poblano peppers and jalapeño, turning often, until blistered on all sides, about 5 minutes.
  • Remove the peppers to a bowl, cover with a plate to steam for 10 minutes, then peel off the charred skins and remove the seeds from the poblanos and jalapeño.
  • Add the peeled peppers, peeled garlic, charred onion and tomatillos to a blender; puree until smooth and season the salsa verde with kosher salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
  • Wipe the skillet if needed and return it to high heat. Pour in the 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth and bring to a boil.
  • Add the halved chicken breasts and 3/4 cup white rice to the boiling broth, cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender, about 25 minutes.
  • Remove the skillet from heat and shred the chicken with two forks directly in the pan.
  • Stir the pureed salsa verde, 4 of the torn tortillas, the corn and the chopped cilantro into the skillet, mixing gently to combine. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired.
  • Top the mixture with the remaining 2 torn tortillas, then evenly sprinkle the cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses over the top.
  • Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake 15–20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
  • Serve warm topped with sliced avocado and additional cilantro if desired.

Equipment

  • Large oven-safe skillet
  • Blender
  • Cutting Board
  • Knife
  • Spatula or tongs
  • plate (for steaming peppers)
  • Oven

Notes

  • To make this in a casserole dish, transfer the prepared mixture to a baking dish before adding the top cheese and bake as directed.
  • For a lighter option, swap quinoa for the rice.