Best Chicken Green Salsa And Nopales Recipes

POLLO CON NOPALES (CHICKEN AND CACTUS)

Pollo con Nopales (Chicken and Cactus) image

Don't let the cactus part fool you! They already sell it canned or peeled whichever you prefer. One of my bff's mom taught me this recipe and it goes great with just about anything. Not for the faint of heart if you're not into spicy things.

Provided by Chef Kiki

Categories World Cuisine Recipes Latin American Mexican

Time 30m

Yield 2

Number Of Ingredients 4

Ingredients

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
3 fresh tomatillos, husks removed
3 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded
1 (16 ounce) jar canned nopales (cactus), drained

Steps:

Fill a pot with water and bring to a boil. Cook the chicken breasts in the boiling water until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 10 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Drain and set aside to cool. Once cool, shred the chicken into small strands.
Fill the pot again with water and bring to a boil. Cook the tomatillos, jalapeno peppers, and nopales in the boiling water until the vegetables are all tender, about 5 minutes. Drain.
Blend the tomatillos and jalapeno peppers in a blender until smooth; pour into the pot with the shredded chicken and place over medium heat. Cut the nopales into small dice and add to the mixture. Allow the mixture to simmer until completely reheated, about 5 minutes.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 173.7 calories, Carbohydrate 11.9 g, Cholesterol 58.5 mg, Fat 3.2 g, Fiber 6.7 g, Protein 25.7 g, SaturatedFat 0.8 g, Sodium 98.5 mg, Sugar 2.7 g

CHICKEN IN GREEN SALSA TAMALES

Chicken in green salsa tamales image

Tamales are traditionally made of a corn-based dough, it's Nahuatl name is: tamale. Meaning wrapped corn. It is steamed in a leaf wrapper. The most common wrapping is a corn husk, a banana leave, avocado leaves, hoja santa, and other non-toxic leaves used in some regions of Mexico.

Provided by Mely Martínez

Categories Chicken

Time 1h40m

Number Of Ingredients 17

Ingredients

5 cups of dry masa harina for tamales
13 ounces of lard (1 and 3/4 cups)
You can use shortening and even vegetable oil
About 6 cups of chicken broth of more in case dough is too dry
1 teaspoon baking powder
Salt to taste
1 ½ pound of chicken breast (to make about 4 cups of shredded chicken)
2 cloves of garlic
2 thick slices of onion
water to cover
1 ½ pound of tomatillos (green tomatoes husk removed)
6 serrano peppers or 4 jalapenos
2 cloves of garlic peeled
Salt to taste
About 45 Corn husk for wrapping
Place the chicken
Mix with the chicken with the sauce in a bowl and set aside.

Steps:

Cook the tomatoes, peppers, and garlic in a pot with water. Until they are cooked and tender.
Place the tomatoes, peppers,
and garlic in the blender and puree until smooth.
Season with salt.
In a large bowl beat the lard until it changes to lighter color. This can be done with the help of your mixer or by hand. Add slowly the corn masa harina, baking powder, and chicken broth. Mix well and taste to season with salt. Beat until all ingredients are well combined and the dough is light and spongy.
Remove the husks from their package and place the husks to soak in a warm bath of water for 40 minutes. This could be done in a large pot or in your kitchen sink. This step will help to soften the husks and easily be pliable while wrapping the corn dough.
Remove the husks from their warm bath, dry with the cloth or paper towels.
Place the corn husk on your work surface with the wide end facing towards you. Place about 2-3 tablespoons of dough in the center but closer to the bottom of the corn husk spreading evenly. Top with 2 tablespoons of the chicken-green sauce filling in the center of the husk. Fold one side of the husk to the center and fold the other side to the center, too. Fold the bottom towards the center. Repeat process with remaining husks and filling.
Line the tamales on a tray while you are finishing up with the rest of the assembly process. Getting your pot ready for steaming. Add 3 cups of hot water to the pot and place the steamer rack. Place a layer of corn husk on the steamer rack. (Note: you do not need to buy a tamal steamer pot if you don't have it already. Just improvise with what you already have).
Place the tamales in a standing position.
Cover with a layer of the corn husks and a dish towel and the pot lid. Steam for about 60 minutes in a medium heat or after taking one tamal and checking if the husk easily separates from the dough. Check during the steaming time in case the steamer need more water. Be careful while removing the lid. Serve while still hot. When done wait for 10 minutes the dough will firm up after that.
To reheat a tamal I use the convenience of the microwave. It just needs 1 minute in high per tamal. You can also steam it again to warm it up and the other option is to place it on a hot griddle turning 2 or 3 times until warm.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 209 kcal, Carbohydrate 16 g, Protein 7 g, Fat 14 g, SaturatedFat 10 g, Cholesterol 15 mg, Sodium 260 mg, Fiber 2 g, Sugar 1 g, ServingSize 1 serving

NOPALES-STUFFED CHICKEN

Nopales-Stuffed Chicken image

Cactus pads, or nopales, have been consumed for generations. Studies suggest that nopales may control blood sugar levels in some people. I think they have a flavor similar to green beans. They are available at most Latin markets and come cleaned to make it much easier to prepare at home.

Provided by Food Network

Categories main-dish

Time 1h

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 21

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 nopal (prickly pear cactus pad), dethorned and thinly sliced (see Cook's Note)
1/4 cup finely diced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Chicken:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied and pounded
1 large egg, beaten
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Olive oil, as needed
1 lime, zested and juiced
2 ounces tequila
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
For the stuffing: In a medium saute pan over medium heat, add the olive oil, cactus, onions, garlic and salt and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables sweat, about 5 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring often, until the onions are fully cooked, 5 to 7 minutes longer; set aside.
For the chicken: Place about 2 tablespoons of the cactus stuffing on one side of each chicken breast. If you have remaining stuffing, reserve it for garnish. Top with the cheese. Using a brush, coat the edges of the chicken breasts with the egg and fold over the chicken to close.
Heat a saute pan over medium-high heat and add the canola oil. Season the chicken breasts with the salt and pepper. Carefully place each stuffed breast in the hot pan. Cook each side until seared and a nice crust forms, about 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a sheet pan and bake until the internal temperature is 165 degrees F, about 25 minutes.
For the sauce: Reduce the heat to low under the saute pan that was used for the chicken. Add the cumin, coriander and paprika and cook, stirring, until toasted, for a minute or two, taking care not to burn the spices-add a little oil to the pan if it looks dry. Add the lime zest and juice and cook, stirring, until the juice has reduced. Very carefully add the tequila; it may ignite, but not for too long. Stir in the chicken stock, salt and pepper; lower the heat and cook until reduced, about 10 minutes.
Place the chicken in a serving dish, cover with the sauce and garnish with any reserved cactus stuffing and chopped fresh parsley.