Equipment
Ingredients
Crunch & Base
- 30 ml avocado oil
- 150 g corn tortillas, cut into thin strips
Tomatillo Poaching Base
- 400 g tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and halved
- 100 g white onion, roughly chopped
- 15 g jalapeno, halved and seeded
- 2 garlic
- 250 ml chicken broth, low sodium preferred
- 400 g chicken breast, boneless, skinless
Finishers
- 20 g fresh cilantro, roughly chopped, stems included
- 5 g kosher salt
- 250 g zucchini, diced into 1.5cm cubes
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 382 kcal
- Protein
- 26 g
- Carbohydrates
- 29 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fiber
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 7 g
- Sodium
- 807 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 4 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 9 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Cholesterol
- 65 mg
- Potassium
- 814 mg
- Calcium
- 75 mg
- Iron
- 2.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 89 mg
- Phosphorus
- 371 mg
- Zinc
- 1.8 mg
- Vitamin A
- 55 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 31 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.4 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.0 mg
- Vitamin K
- 29 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.3 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.16 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.24 mg
- Niacin
- 12.3 mg
- Folate
- 35 mcg
- Water
- 313 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Heat the avocado oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the corn tortilla strips and fry them, stirring frequently, until they are golden and crisp. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Leave the remaining oil in the pot.
To the same pot, add the halved tomatillos, chopped onion, jalapeno, garlic, whole chicken breasts, and chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and gently poach until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 74C/165F.
Carefully remove the cooked chicken breasts from the simmering broth and transfer them to a clean cutting board. Allow the chicken to rest for a few minutes, then use two forks to pull the meat apart into bite-sized shreds.
While the chicken rests, add the fresh cilantro and kosher salt directly into the simmering broth and soft vegetables remaining in the pot. Using an immersion blender, puree the mixture until it transforms into a smooth, vibrant green sauce.
Return the shredded chicken to the pureed tomatillo sauce in the pot. Stir in the diced zucchini. Bring the sauce back to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered until the zucchini is tender but still retains a slight bite.
Ladle the hot chicken, zucchini, and sauce mixture into deep serving bowls. Generously garnish the top of each bowl with the reserved crispy tortilla strips immediately before eating to ensure they stay crunchy.
Chef's Notes
- To build a deeper, smokier flavor profile, try charring your tomatillos, onions, and jalapenos under a broiler for 5-10 minutes before adding them to the pot to simmer.
- This recipe utilizes a technique where the protein poaches in its own future sauce base. This ensures the chicken remains incredibly tender and infuses the broth with savory depth before pureeing.
- Zucchini can turn to mush if overcooked. Be sure to dice the zucchini uniformly to 1.5cm so it cooks evenly, and remove the pot from the heat as soon as it reaches the tender-crisp stage.
- The residual heat from the blended sauce will continue to cook the shredded chicken once it is returned to the pot. Shredding the chicken slightly thick to begin with prevents it from drying out during this final simmer.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store the crispy tortilla strips separately at room temperature in an airtight container to maintain their crunch.
Freezer: 2 months — Freeze the chicken and sauce mixture only. Zucchini may become slightly softer upon thawing.
Reheating: Reheat the chicken and squash mixture gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat until warmed through, adding a splash of water if the sauce has thickened too much.
Troubleshooting
The tomatillo sauce tastes too tart or acidic.
Cause: The tomatillos were underripe or naturally possessed a higher acidity level.
Fix: Stir in a tiny pinch of baking soda or half a teaspoon of granulated sugar to neutralize and balance the acidity.
Prevention: Select tomatillos that are slightly yellow-green and fully fill out their papery husks.
The tortilla strips became soggy very quickly.
Cause: The strips were mixed directly into the pot before serving, or they were not fried long enough to dehydrate completely.
Fix: Cannot be fixed once fully saturated, though the dish will still be delicious, resembling a traditional soft chilaquiles texture.
Prevention: Fry tortillas until rigid and golden, and only add them to the top of individual portions right at the moment of serving.
Cultural Context
This comforting one-pot meal draws direct inspiration from Mexican home cooking, specifically the tradition of guisados (stews) and chilaquiles verdes. Guisados form the nourishing backbone of everyday family meals, typically featuring a protein and vegetable simmered together in a vibrant, freshly blended salsa.
