Salsa Verde was by far, Greg’’s favorite salsa of the week! I roasted the tomatillos and peppers on the grill before adding them to the salsa. This was the one salsa that I put in the food processor to create a puree, instead of a mixture of diced veggies. Even with taking the time to grill the vegetables, this was a super easy salsa to make. Click here to link to the salsa verde recipe.
I decided to make a type of pulled chicken sandwich and use the salsa verde as a topping instead or mayo, mustard or some other sauce.
Carnitas is a type of braised pork that is simmered or slow cooked and then pulled apart or shredded and then broiled or roasted to produce a caramelized, crispy texture. The meat is used commonly in Mexican dishes, such as, enchiladas, tacos, tamales, etc. Typically, a very marbled pork is used in Carnitas and the meat is simmered in the fatty renderings.
I use my slow cooker often and have made many pulled chicken dishes, but I really like the idea of broiling or roasting the meat after it has simmered to give a different texture.
Healthy alternative to pulled pork carnitas
So here is my healthier version of a carnitas sandwich, using chicken and my slow cooker.
Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon salt – ok to omit if you prefer
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ancho powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 bay leaves
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 4 TBS reduced fat Monterrey Jack cheese
- 4 whole wheat sandwich buns
Directions:
- Mix together salt, garlic, cumin, ancho powder, Mexican oregano, coriander, and cinnamon in a bowl.
- Coat chicken with the spice mixture.
- Place the bay leaf in the bottom of a slow cooker and place the chicken on top.
- Pour the chicken broth around the sides of the meat, being careful not to rinse off the spice mixture.
- Cover and cook on Low until the chicken shreds easily with a fork, about 6 hours.
- When the chicken is tender, remove from slow cooker, and shred with two forks.
- Coat a baking sheet or piece of aluminum foil with pan spray
- Spread shredded chicken on baking sheet or aluminum foil
- Place under oven broiler or on a hot grill turning meat once until it starts to crisp
- Serve on whole wheat buns with 1 TBS reduced fat Monterrey Jack cheese and salsa verde
Serves 4
How do you change recipes to create healthier versions of your favorite meals?
Salsa Verde
