Salsa Verde Chicken Thighs
This year, we had a very nontraditional Thanksgiving. My mother-in-law was visiting and doesn’t care for turkey and many traditional Thanksgiving foods. Lord knows, we did years of those at her house, and this year she wanted to break free.
It was just the three of us for Thanksgiving, and she had never tried any type of Mexican food, so I built a taco bar for Thanksgiving Day.
She doesn’t like anything too spicy, so I opted for salt and pepper as seasoning with plenty of salsa and hot sauce as addons. I like it a little bit spicy.
Our taco bar consisted of:
GreenSalsa Chicken – jump to the recipe below
Beef taco meat – salt and pepper not my normal homemade spice mix
Cheese
Several salsas from as mild as you can get to medium/hot. None of us do the super- duper – melt-your-face-off spicy. See my favorite store-bought below. I frequently make my own, but didn’t this year. Mateo’s Medium salsas are currently some of my favorites. I like the Medium red and verde versions, and their Cantina version is very tasty. They seem to be available in most of the stores I frequent across Florida, including Publix and Winn Dixie.
Lettuce, tomato, black olives, sour cream, Cocojune (cultured coconut alternative to sour cream – it’s slight sourness sometimes makes it a preference for me over sour cream, plus it’s a probiotic, if you’re into that kind of thing). It doesn’t taste sweet like most coconut creams do.
Of course, homemade guacamole and pico de gallo.
I used both soft shells – BFree and Hard shells for variety.
Normally I make refried beans or black beans, but skipped them this time.
Queso – I purchased a store-bought very mild queso blanco from the refrigerated section at my local grocery store. If you like a spicier option, my family loves the Juanita’s Spicy Poblano Queso Blanco. In Florida, you can find it at some Publix stores. It’s got a kick but doesn’t blow my palette out like some spicy options do.
Salsa Chicken Enchiladas – Leftover Meal on Friday
These were a big hit.
For Friday, I took the leftover chicken from the Green Salsa Chicken. Wrapped it in the BFree soft shells (note you could use any soft shells) and covered it with La Preferida Green Enchilada Sauce, topped with cheese , then baked at 350 until the cheese was melted and bubbly.
Since my mother-in-law had never had enchiladas, I explained the dish as something similar to a Mexican-themed lasagna or stuffed shells. Whatever we called it, she loved it. This was her idea of Mexican food.
Salsa Verde Slow-Cooker Chicken
The recipe is super simple and very popular at our frequent taco night porch parties.
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs. I used 2.5 pounds. You can use what you want and what fits your slow cooker. You may need an extra jar of sauce.
Herdez Salsa Verde Mild (if you prefer it spicy, go for it). Herdez has a Salsa Verde Picante made with habaneros. I wasn’t able to find this in any of my nearby stores, but I did find a La Preferida Green Jalapeno Salsa that promises to be spicy. For our parties, I always make the mild and have plenty of spicy salsas including a Ghost Pepper version for people to spice things up to their liking.
Put the thighs into the slow cooker.
Add 1 TB cumin
Cover in sauce
Cook on low 4-5 hours until tender. Use forks to shred the chicken. Aside from serving as part of a taco bar, it’s good on taco salad and in enchiladas, as described above.
What are Your Favorite Taco Toppings?
Let me know if you try this chicken thigh recipe and send me your thoughts. I’d love to hear from someone who tries the spicy variety about how spicy it is and was it too much when adding other taco ingredients?
Share your favorite taco toppings, too. I’m always looking for new ideas of things to put out for taco night.
A Sad Goodbye to My Crock-Pot
After over 20 years of service, my crock-pot handle broke. Fortunately, she worked for our meal and has created many delicious meals over the years. I took advantage of the Black Friday deals and upgraded to a new GreenPan 14-in-1 Slow Cooker. I look forward to giving it a try.
Over the past few years, I have been upgrading my cooking and baking options, and I love GreenPan. Like my crock-pot, my stainless set that was 25 years old had served me well, but after burning the bottom of one and losing the handle on another, I started upgrading a few pans at a time usually during holiday sales.
