Grilled Cumin Chicken with Fresh Tomatillo Sauce

36 Reviews
ADD YOUR REVIEW
Prep Time:
40 Mins
Yield:
4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half and about 5 tablespoons sauce)
By Jackie Mills, MS, RD
May 2009
RECIPE BY Cooking Light

Bring the heat of the Southwest to the dinner table with a delicious take on the weeknight meal of grilled chicken. Serve with chipotle rice.

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
  • 1/2 pound tomatillos
  • 1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
  • 1/4 cup chopped green onions
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 garlic clove, chopped
  • 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Cooking spray

Nutritional Information

  • Calories 237
  • Fat 5.1g
  • Satfat 1g
  • Monofat 2.3g
  • Polyfat 1g
  • Protein 40.4g
  • Carbohydrate 6g
  • Fiber 1.5g
  • Cholesterol 99mg
  • Iron 1.9mg
  • Sodium 465mg
  • Calcium 35mg

How to Make It

Step 1

Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

Step 2

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken to bag; seal and let stand for 15 minutes.

Step 3

Discard husks and stems from tomatillos. Combine tomatillos and broth in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; cover and cook 8 minutes. Drain and cool slightly. Combine tomatillos, cilantro, and next 6 ingredients (through jalapeño) in a food processor; process until smooth.

Step 4

Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade. Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Place on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 6 minutes on each side or until chicken is done. Serve with tomatillo sauce.

Step 5

Chipotle rice: Combine 1 cup long-grain rice and 2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions and 1/2 teaspoon minced chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce. If you're drinking, pour a Mexican beer.

Chef's Notes

MyRecipes is working with Let's Move!, the Partnership for a Healthier America, and USDA's MyPlate to give anyone looking for healthier options access to a trove of recipes that will help them create healthy, tasty plates. For more information about creating a healthy plate, visit www.choosemyplate.gov.

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Ratings & Reviews

ysanchez30's Review

Saecca
September 24, 2014
Very simple and delicious recipe. My husband and my kids loved it, including the rice. It had the perfect kick.

Learmanswife's Review

kriken111
August 05, 2014
This was very good.

pmcalabrese's Review

ysanchez30
June 24, 2014
My family loved the chicken. The tomatillo sauce was great - right amount of heat. Before I used the blender to puree this, I gave both the Tomatillos and Jalapenos a slight char on the grill and then ran through the blender. I made the rice and it was spicy enough for everyone. I also added toasted almonds to it to give it a little crunch.

eewilson's Review

Cynthia530
May 22, 2014
Excellent summer recipe. Love the grilled chicken with the freshness of the tomatillo sauce. Very family friendly although we kept spice level low for little guy. Served with tortillas and beans. Can't wait for leftovers.

Cynthia530's Review

IamLisa
September 28, 2013
Very easy recipe. Never cooked with tomatillos either, but it was very easy. The salsa verde recipe is truly delicious! I could just scoop the leftover salsa up with tortilla chips. Did not have the adobes to make the rice, next time :-)

daneanp's Review

sohacomom
July 21, 2013
Really, really good. I marinated the chicken for about an hour. I didn't have a jalapeno so I used a few pickled jalapenos I had in the fridge and it was just the right amount of heat. Served with saffron rice, sauted zucchini and onion, and a simple salad of sliced tomatoes and avocado. The whole family loved it.

karamullis's Review

kateford
May 31, 2013
We LOVED this recipe! The chicken on it's own was fantastic (although I let it marinate for 6 hours). The tomatillo sauce was perfect! It's one of my favorite flavors but I've never been successful making a good one until now. I used canned tomatillos b/c I've had bad luck with the fresh ones in our local market and it was still amazing. Will make this many more times!

SMoncz's Review

noelle71
May 03, 2013
I normally don't like spicy foods, but this sauce had the perfect amount of spicy to satisfy my husband as well (he likes spicy food). Also gave me an excuse to finally get a nice food processor. :)))) I made this dinner with steamed carrots (garlic salt and a touch of cinnamon for seasoning) and sauteed zucchini as my carb (flavored with garlic salt, a pinch of cayenne pepper, and a bit of cinnamon). Both my husband and I really enjoyed this meal and will definitely be making it again.

Kilyena's Review

Kilyena
April 23, 2013
This was kinda bland even though I upped the cumin and garlic for the marinade and I marinaded for two hours even though it says only 15 minutes. The tomatillo sauce was so so. I don't like to give less than great reviews but I just couldn't give this more than 3 stars. The rice dish listed on the recipe at the bottom was edible but it left a wierd after taste. I'm a fan of tomatillo's so this recipe got my attention but I won't be making it again. My husband is of the same opinion.

kriken111's Review

skidwell
April 22, 2013
I made this for my family and we LOVED it!! The chicken alone is delicious...add to that the tomatillo sauce...Absolutely fantastic!!! Very easy to make too. As we ate it, we were discussing what else the sauce would be good on or used as a marinade for. Next up...steak kabobs!!! HIGHLY recommend this dish!!!