🥑 15-Minute Salsa Verde Chicken with Avocado is a Fast, EASY, one-skillet recipe! Juicy chicken with salsa verde, lime juice, cilantro, and creamy avocado provides so much Mexican-inspired FLAVOR for a filling meal the whole family will LOVE! This high protein, 5-ingredient recipe is perfect for busy weeknights and meal prepping!
Salsa Verde Chicken with Avocado in a Skillet
- There’s nothing better than an authentic-tasting Mexican recipe made in one skillet that’s ready in 15 minutes with just 5 key ingredients. Hello busy weeknights, here’s looking at you. It’s also a healthy recipe you can feel good about enjoying and serving.
- The salsa verde is so fresh tasting, along with fresh lime juice and cilantro, to really give this chicken and avocado recipe the finishing pop of bold flavor that will keep you going back for more.
- The creaminess of the avocado just melts in your mouth and is the ultimate finishing touch.
- We were literally dunking tortilla chips into the skillet, scooping up all the flavors in every bite onto the chips – salsa verde, chicken, cilantro, and avocado. Delish.
- You can meal prep this high protein recipe so that dinner or lunch is as easy as reheating in the microwave. The avocado keeps quite well for a few days from all the lime juice in the recipe.
Looking for More Salsa Action?
Try my sheet pan salsa chicken and potatoes, salsa verde chicken chilaquiles, or salsa verde enchiladas next!
Salsa Verde Chicken Skillet Ingredients
For this healthy chicken skillet recipe, all you need is 5 main ingredients! Chicken, salsa, cilantro, avocado and lime.
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts – Feel free to substitute boneless skinless chicken thighs if preferred. Be sure to dice the chicken into even-sized pieces so that it cooks at the same rate in the skillet.
- Salt and pepper
- Salsa verde – In this recipe, we’re using jarred salsa verde thanks to Trader Joe’s and Herdez is also a winner — in order to save lots of time. No shame in saving time, especially when you just want to get dinner on the table. If you want to make homemade salsa verde from scratch, I would use the blender portion of my Vegan Pozole Verde. It includes tomatillos, poblanos, jalapenos, and white onion. Add a splash of vegetable or chicken stock to thin it out to salsa consistency
- Cilantro, Avocado, and Lime Juice for flavor galore.
- Crushed red pepper flakes, optional but kick up the heat if you’d like!
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Salsa Verde Chicken
- Sauté the chicken in oil over medium-high heat, seasoning with salt and pepper. Flip the chicken pieces frequently so they cook evenly. Or, speed up the cooking time, and use leftover slow cooker chicken, Instant Pot chicken, or even rotisserie chicken. Shred the chicken by hand or in a stand mixer, and add it to the skillet to heat up.
- Add the salsa verde, and cook until it warms through.
- Garnish the chicken mixture with cilantro, lime juice, avocado, and red pepper flakes, if using.
- Enjoy! It really is that easy.
What Else Can I Add to the Salsa Verde Chicken?
This is a very flexible recipe and in keeping with the Mexican-themed flavor profile, I suggest using:
- Adding green onions to the skillet or garnishing with them.
- Sautéing a white onion or green bell peppers with the chicken.
- To sneak in extra veggies, add jicama or zucchini.
- If they’re available in your area, sauteed chayote (squash) or nopales (cactus leaves) add wonderful texture and crunch.
- Stir in cilantro lime rice or cooked white rice.
- Add black beans or shredded cheese.
- For a spicier salsa verde chicken skillet, add a diced jalapeño or crushed red pepper flakes.
- Top the dish with sour cream, diced tomatoes, red onion, a sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese, guacamole, or homemade salsa.
15-Minute Salsa Verde Chicken with Avocado
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, diced into bite-sized pieces
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 1 cup salsa verde*, or as desired
- ¼ to ⅓ cup fresh cilantro finely minced, or to taste
- 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste
- 1 medium ripe Hass avocado, diced in chunks or sliced as desired
- crushed red pepper flakes, optional and to taste
Instructions
- To a large skillet, add the olive oil, chicken, evenly season with salt and pepper, and sauté over medium high heat for 7 to 8 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through; stir and flip frequently to ensure even cooking
- Add the salsa verde, stir to combine, and cook for about 1 minute, or until warmed through.
- Evenly garnish with the cilantro, lime juice, avocado, and optional red pepper flakes if you want to add some heat.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Mexican Chicken Recipes:
Check out my favorite Mexican Recipes. And here are more Salsa Verde Recipes.
15-Minute Salsa Verde Chicken, Rice, and Beans – Fast, EASY, one skillet recipe! Between the salsa verde, lime juice, and cilantro mixed with juicy chicken, rice, and beans, you’ll be hooked! Perfect for busy weeknights and meal prepping!
Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas – EASY juicy enchiladas with so much flavor from the salsa verde and TONS of melted CHEESE! Ready in 30 minutes, are made with just a handful of ingredients, and will be an instant family favorite!
Grilled Salsa Verde Pepper Jack Chicken – The EASIEST salsa verde marinade keeps this chicken so juicy and tender! Melted pepper Jack cheese on top takes an already awesome piece of chicken and makes it that much BETTER!
Salsa Verde Chicken Chilaquiles – An EASY comfort food recipe with just FOUR main ingredients and ready in 30 minutes! Layers of corn tostadas and juicy chicken smothered in salsa verde and melted pepper Jack cheese! Great for breakfast, dinner, snacks, a party appetizer or anything in between!
20-Minute Baked Lime Cilantro Chicken Breasts – Super juicy, EASY, tender chicken that’s ready in 20 minutes and made on ONE sheet pan!! Bursting with robust Mexican-inspired lime cilantro flavors that will make this an automatic family FAVORITE!!
25-Minute Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas — EASY, ready in no time, tastes AUTHENTIC, and made on ONE sheet pan to keep things simple – especially on busy nights!!
Skinny Mexican Chicken Skillet — EASY, ready in 20 minutes, and is a skinny recipe that keeps you full and satisfied!! A great Mexican-inspired meal that’s naturally gluten-free and is a flavor FIESTA in your mouth!!
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Hi! Love all the recipes of yours I’ve tried So far! Thank you! I was just curious for this recipe if I could marinate the chicken in the salsa verde for a few hours before cooking it? I made the one you suggested from your pozole.
I think you could marinate in the salsa since I’ve done that before in other recipes and it’s been fine. Glad you made my pozole recipe for the salsa for this recipe!
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Looks delicious! I think I mentioned we finally got a Trader Joe’s here so this recipe gives me a good reason to try the salsa.
Yes I remember you saying that and their salsa works like a charm for this recipe! Happy New Year and all the best to you and Jon in 2021!
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