Roasted Tomatillo Chicken and Rice Bowls – shredded chicken with homemade Roasted Tomatillo sauce on rice with cilantro, sour cream, and tortilla strips.
SCALE
INGREDIENTS
for the roasted tomatillo sauce:
- 20 tomatillos
- 3 poblanos
- 2 jalapeños
- 2 shallots
- olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 1/2 cup water
for the chicken and rice bowls
- 1 1/4 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup white rice
- 10 corn tortillas
- oil for frying
- salt to taste
- additional cilantro, sour cream, and limes for topping
INSTRUCTIONS
- For the sauce: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Peel the paper off of the tomatillos, shallots, and garlic cloves. Place the tomatillos, poblanos, jalapeños, and shallots on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Place the garlic on a piece of foil, drizzle with oil, and wrap into a little packet. Place on the baking sheet. Roast everything for 40 minutes, stirring halfway through to prevent burning. Pulse all the roasted ingredients in a food processor with the broth, salt, and cilantro.
- For the chicken and rice: Cook the rice according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat a little bit of oil in a large skillet and add the chicken. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; flip once when chicken is lightly browned on the outside. Add the tomatillo sauce to the chicken and let it gently simmer over very low heat for 15-20 minutes to finish cooking. Remove the chicken, shred with two forks, and return to pan. Stir in the half and half and extra water if necessary. (I’ve also added sour cream which is delicious!)
- For the Tortilla Strips: In a heavy skillet, heat oil over medium low heat (oil should be about one inch deep). Cut the tortillas into small strips. Test the oil with by letting a drop of water fall in the pan – if it sizzles, the oil is ready. Add the tortilla strips in batches, flipping or stirring occasionally to prevent burning. When the tortilla strips are crispy and golden, remove and set on a paper towel lined plate. Sprinkle with salt. Repeat until all tortillas are done.
- Assemble the bowls with rice, chicken, tortilla strips, cilantro, sour cream, and lime juice. Yum!
NOTES
I’ve also made this by cooking the chicken separately while the sauce ingredients are roasting – I just simmer in a pot of water on low heat for about 15 minutes until cooked through, and then shred and toss the cooked chicken in the sauce at the end.
