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Chicken Cutlets with Avocado-Poblano Sauce

Chicken Cutlets with Avocado-Poblano Sauce

Avocados make this green sauce—a take on mojo verde—extra creamy and perfect for simple chicken cutlets.

By Courtney HillFebruary 5, 2021

  • Makes
    4 servings
  • Cook Time
    50 minutes
  • Rating

Classic mojo verde from the Canary Islands is a sauce made by blending cilantro and/or parsley, garlic, green peppers, cumin and oil. But on Tenerife, the largest of the islands, we learned a different version of mojo verde, one that included avocado and almonds that gave the sauce a creamy, velvety richness. We adapted that sauce for pairing with simple sautéed cumin-seasoned chicken cutlets.

Tip

Don’t use chicken cutlets that are thicker than ½ inch thick or they won’t cook as quickly and evenly. If yours are too thick, place them between two sheets of plastic wrap and gently pound them with a meat pounder to an even ½-inch thickness.

Ingredients
  • 2

    medium (6 ounces total) poblano chilies

  • 3

    teaspoons ground cumin, divided

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

  • 4

    5- to 6-ounce chicken breast cutlets, each ¼ to ½ inch thick

  • 2

    tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1

    ripe avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and chopped

  • 1½

    cups lightly packed fresh cilantro, divided

  • ¼

    cup slivered almonds, toasted

  • 3

    tablespoons lemon juice

  • 2

    tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil

Step 1

In a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high, char the poblanos, turning them occasionally, until blackened all over, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl, cover and let steam for 10 minutes; reserve the skillet.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix 2 teaspoons of cumin, ¾ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Season the chicken on both sides with this mixture; set aside.

Step 2

Peel, stem and seed the chilies, then add to a blender along with the remaining 1 teaspoon cumin, the olive oil, half the avocado, 1 cup of cilantro, the almonds, lemon juice and ¼ teaspoon salt.

With the machine running, stream in ⅓ cup water and puree until smooth. Taste and season with salt, then set aside.

Step 3

In the same skillet over medium-high, heat the neutral oil until barely smoking. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook until well browned on both sides, 4 to 6 minutes total, flipping once halfway through.

Transfer to a platter. Spoon about one-third of the sauce over the chicken, then top with the remaining avocado and the remaining cilantro. Serve with the remaining sauce on the side.

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