Best Cilantro Pesto Chicken Legs Recipes

FABULOUS CILANTRO PESTO

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, and return water to a boil. Cook pasta for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain well.
• In an electric food processor or blender, blend cilantro, garlic, vinegar, Parmesan cheese, cayenne pepper, nuts, and salt. Add 1/4 cup of the olive oil, and blend the pesto. Add more olive oil until the pesto reaches your desired consistency.
• Pour pesto in a small saucepan and warm over low heat, stirring constantly, until pesto begins to simmer. Pour over cooked pasta and toss.

CHICKEN WITH GINGER-CILANTRO PESTO

Steps:

• Combine first 5 ingredients in processor. Blend until nuts are finely chopped. Add 6 tablespoons oil and process until well blended. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Bring to room temperature before using.)
• Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; sauté until brown and cooked through, about 6 minutes per side.
• Transfer chicken breasts to plates. Top each with some pesto and serve.

CHICKEN BREASTS WITH PISTACHIO-CILANTRO PESTO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Toast pistachios on baking sheet until golden, about 7 minutes. Transfer to processor. Maintain oven temperature. Add cilantro leaves, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, garlic, cardamom, and 3/4 teaspoon salt to processor. Using on/off turns, process until coarse paste forms. With machine running, gradually add 1/2 cup olive oil. Season with pepper.
• Using fingers, gently loosen skin from 1 side of each chicken breast, forming pocket. Spread 1 tablespoon pesto evenly under skin of each. Sprinkle chicken generously with salt and pepper.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, skin side down. Cook until skin is dark golden, about 5 minutes. Turn chicken over and transfer skillet to oven. Roast chicken until cooked through, about 25 minutes.
• Place 1/2 cup remaining pesto into small bowl. Whisk in remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and remaining 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Drizzle pesto sauce over chicken breasts and serve.

ROAST CHICKEN LEGS WITH CILANTRO GREMOLATA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
• Season the chicken aggressively with salt and pepper, then place, skin-side up, in a shallow baking pan and toss with a drizzle or two of the olive oil. Dust with ground cumin and place in the oven.
• Roast the chicken until its skin is crisp and a knife inserted and removed from the flesh of the thigh results in clear juices, about 30 minutes, then remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
• As the chicken cooks, combine the cilantro, lime juice, garlic and the remaining olive oil to make the gremolata. Sprinkle the gremolata over the chicken and serve, ideally with rice and beans.

CILANTRO PESTO

Steps:

• Combine the cilantro, cheese, sunflower seeds, lime juice, and jalapeño in a food processor and pulse to combine. With the machine running, gradually add the olive oil. Season the pesto to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours. Bring to room temperature and stir before using.

CILANTRO PESTO CHICKEN TENDERS

Steps:

• In a food processor, finely chop the walnuts and garlic.
• Add cilantro, parsley, salt and pepper and process until finely chopped.
• With processor running, slowly add the oil to create a smoothe puree.
• Place chicken in large, resealable bag plastic bag, add the marinade and seal tightly.
• Make sure marinade is evenly distributed on all the chicken tenders.
• Refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Remove chicken from bag and thread on skewers.
• Grill over direct high heat for about 6 to 8 mins, turning over once.
• Serve warm with lime wedges.

CILANTRO PESTO CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

Steps:

• Put it all filling ingredients in a skillet
• heat it till the cream cheese melts,
• fill the corn tortillas (you can use flour shells, but they tend to get a bit mushy.)
• If you want to stretch the recipe, add cooked rice to the chicken, and if you do, then use 2 pkg of cream cheese and 2 cans of chilies.
• Cilantro Pesto sauce.
• Puree the first three ingredients (it easiest in the food processor)
• slowly drizzle in oil with (if u pour it all in, it separates).
• In a bowl, mix cilantro pesto with broth and cream.
• pour sauce over enchiladas, I usually just pour it down the center of each row of shells -- if you put too much on, it becomes a bit soggy --
• add more when serving.
• Recipe makes more pesto sauce than what you will need so you can either use it for dressing or something else or freeze the extra.
• Top with grated parm cheese and bake for 30 minute at 350.