Grilled Salsa Verde Pepper Jack Chicken (Printable Version)

Tender grilled chicken breasts in zesty salsa verde marinade, finished with creamy pepper Jack cheese for a quick Tex-Mex inspired meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken & Marinade

01 - 1 ½ pounds thin-sliced boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 12 ounces salsa verde
03 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
04 - 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
05 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
06 - 1 teaspoon salt
07 - 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Topping & Garnish

08 - 4 slices pepper Jack cheese
09 - Fresh cilantro, finely minced
10 - Lime wedges

# Steps:

01 - In a large bowl, whisk together the salsa verde, olive oil, lime juice, cumin, salt, and black pepper until fully combined.
02 - Add the chicken breasts to the bowl, turning to coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
03 - Preheat your grill to medium-high heat, approximately 375-400°F.
04 - Remove chicken from the marinade, allowing excess liquid to drip off. Discard any remaining marinade.
05 - Place chicken on the grill and cook for 4-5 minutes per side, or until internal temperature reaches 165°F.
06 - During the final minute of grilling, place a slice of pepper Jack cheese on each breast. Close the grill lid to melt the cheese completely.
07 - Transfer chicken to a serving plate and let rest for 3-5 minutes to allow juices to redistribute.
08 - Serve chicken topped with fresh minced cilantro and accompanied by lime wedges if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The marinade does double duty as a flavor booster and tenderizer
  • Melting pepper Jack on the grill creates that restaurant quality cheese pull
  • Leftovers (if you have any) make incredible taco filling the next day
02 -
  • Discard the leftover marinade instead of brushing it on the chicken to avoid cross contamination
  • Thin sliced chicken can go from perfect to dry in seconds, so watch that thermometer closely
  • Room temperature cheese melts faster and more evenly than cold cheese straight from the fridge
03 -
  • Pound the chicken to even thickness before marinating so everything cooks at the same rate
  • Double the marinade and use half as a dipping sauce (cook it separately first for food safety)
  • Make extra chicken intentionally because this reheats beautifully for lunch the next day
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