The burritos I make with Chicken Chile Verde have gotten simpler over time. And better. Lately it's rice, cheese, and plenty of the Chicken Chile Verde on the inside. Then they get crisped up in some bacon drippings and doused with Salsa de Aguacate -- sound good?! Here's how to make them...
I still default to the brine-and-bake method for shredded chicken. The quick swim in some saltwater will give you a noticeable bump in flavor. I plopped 3 boneless chicken breasts in 2 quarts of saltwater (1/2 cup salt). Even a half hour swim will improve the flavor of your chicken, but when I have time I try to give it an hour or so.
The core flavor of the Chile Verde sauce is built from tomatillos, poblanos, and jalapenos. You'll need a single large poblano for this recipe, or two smaller ones. And of course, if you roast this green beauty it will really enhance its flavor.
When the chicken is done brining you can pat it dry and add it to a baking sheet along with the tomatillos and poblano. The chicken will need about 20 minutes in the oven (400F) to fully cook. The tomatillos and poblano prefer a bit longer, so I usually remove the chicken and put the rest back in the oven until I need it.
When it's time to build the Chile Verde sauce you can add the following ingredients to a blender: the roasted poblano(s) the roasted tomatillos 1/2 onion 4 garlic cloves 1-4 jalapenos 15-20 sprigs cilantro
Combine well and cook this beautiful green sauce in a glug of oil (or lard) over medium heat for a couple minutes. We'll also add: 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano 1/2 teaspoon cumin freshly cracked black pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
Bring the Chile Verde sauce up to temp and add the shredded, cooked chicken. But don't eat it all yet! Now's a good time to make the Salsa de Aguacate if you're dousing your burritos with it.
To make this light, creamy green sauce simply add the following ingredients to a blender and combine well: the flesh of a single avocado 4-5 sprigs cilantro the juice of a single lime 1/2 garlic clove 1/4 cup water 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the burritos I added plenty of cheese and rice to the Chicken Chile Verde. And then I rolled these up and cooked them in a thin layer of bacon drippings over medium heat.
And they were off the charts delicious!! It's a real treat to coat each bite with the cool, creamy Salsa de Aguacate. I hope these Chicken Chile Verde Burritos find their way into your kitchen! Enjoy!!