Salsa Verde Chicken and Wild Rice Skillet with Kale

Salsa verde chicken combined with wild rice, kale, cilantro, and baked with bubbly cheese on top is sure to please any Mexican food lover. It’s a healthier variation of traditional enchiladas, and comes together quickly in one pan!

This dish came together while I was shopping at Trader Joe’s the other day. I’m going to be real honest with you guys, and let you know that kale is not my favorite. I eat it on occasion because I know how healthy and beneficial it is, but normally I throw it in a pot of soup to hide the taste, or stick it in a smoothie. When I discovered the organic bagged kale at Trader Joe’s, I was going to find a way to use it without it having the overpowering taste I don’t like. That’s where the salsa verde came in. But here’s the thing, I discovered a way to make it absolutely delicious!

I am so excited about the way this dish came out for many reasons. 1. I can now add kale to other dishes and enjoy it. 2. The whole family really loved it, even the kids liked the kale. 3. I mean, do I really need to tell you how much I love Mexican food? I think that’s pretty obvious by now. So just another way to add a healthier Mexican to our regular repertoire.

So here is your cast of ingredients:

As you can see here, I used some leftover chicken (I totally recommend using up some chicken from a previous dish or buying pre-made chicken to make it easier). I also forgot the cheese in this picture— whoops!! I used the TJ’s Salsa Verde, but any brand is fine.

While your rice is cooking, chop up your ingredients into small pieces:

Heat up your broiler while the rice is also cooking. Once it’s finished, add in the salsa verde, chicken, and lime juice. Stir and mix well. Place the kale and cilantro on top:

This part is important. The reason I loved the kale so much was because it was roasted in the broiler. So make sure it stays afloat on top of the rice. Sprinkle with some cheese, and throw in the oven for about 5 minutes. That’s it! Serve hot, and add any additional toppings. I added green onion, tomatoes, and avocado to mine.

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Salsa Verde Chicken and Wild Rice Skillet with Kale

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Author Amy Rains

5 from 1 vote

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Ingredients

• 2 cups wild rice
• 3.5 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 2 cups cooked shredded or diced chicken
• 12 oz salsa verde
• Juice of 2 limes
• 1 cup fresh kale leaves diced
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 cup shredded cheese
• Sliced tomatoes optional
• Sliced avocado optional

Instructions

1. Begin by placing rice and broth into an oven proof cast iron skillet. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until rice has absorbed the water.
2. Turn your oven to broil.
3. Once rice is done, add salsa verde, chicken, and lime juice. Stir to combine.
4. Place kale and cilantro on top of the rice and chicken mixture. Don't mix, let it sit on top.
5. Top the kale and cilantro with shredded cheese.
6. Place under broiler in the oven for 3-5 minutes. You want the cheese to be bubbly, slightly browned, and the kale and cilantro to be browned.
7. Remove from oven. Serve immediately with any additional toppings: tomatoes, avocados, onion, sour cream, etc.