Description
This Grilled Salsa Verde Pepper Jack Chicken is a flavorful and easy-to-make dish featuring marinated chicken breasts grilled to perfection with a zesty salsa verde marinade, topped with melted pepper Jack cheese. Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or a weekend barbecue, it’s packed with bold Mexican-inspired flavors and garnished with fresh cilantro and lime wedges for a bright finish.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Marinade
- 1 ½ pounds thin-sliced boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 4 breasts)
- 12 ounces salsa verde (Trader Joe’s recommended)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt (or more, to taste)
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Topping and Garnish
- 4 slices pepper Jack cheese (or as desired)
- Fresh cilantro, finely minced (optional, for garnishing)
- Lime wedges (optional, for serving)
Instructions
- Prepare the marinade: In a large bowl, combine salsa verde, olive oil, lime juice, cumin, salt, and black pepper, stirring until well mixed to infuse all the flavors.
- Marinate the chicken: Add the thin-sliced chicken breasts to the bowl and toss thoroughly to coat them evenly with the marinade. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the chicken for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours to enhance flavor absorption.
- Preheat the grill: Heat your grill to medium-high, ensuring it’s hot enough to sear the chicken and lock in juices.
- Prepare chicken for grilling: Remove the chicken from the marinade, discarding any leftover marinade to avoid flare-ups on the grill.
- Grill the chicken: Place the chicken breasts on the grill and cook for 4-5 minutes per side, turning once, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F, ensuring they are fully cooked and juicy.
- Melt the cheese: In the last minute of grilling, top each chicken breast with a slice of pepper Jack cheese and close the grill lid to allow the cheese to melt beautifully over the chicken.
- Rest the chicken: Remove the grilled chicken from the grill and let it rest for a few minutes to retain its juices and make it more tender.
- Garnish and serve: Sprinkle the chicken with fresh minced cilantro and serve with lime wedges on the side for an extra burst of citrus flavor.
Notes
- Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to fully penetrate the meat.
- Use thin-sliced chicken breasts for quicker cooking and better marinade absorption.
- If you don’t have a grill, you can use a grill pan or broil the chicken in the oven.
- Adjust the salt according to your taste preference.
- Fresh cilantro and lime wedges are optional but add a bright and fresh finish to the dish.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken breast (approximately 6 oz)
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 6 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg
Keywords: Grilled chicken, salsa verde chicken, pepper jack cheese chicken, Mexican grilled chicken, quick grilled chicken recipe
