Never miss another recipe... Sign up for our free monthly newsletter today!

Subscribing will not result in more spam!
I guarantee it!


NEWSLETTER
Current Issue
Newsletter Archive
Sign Up Now

Cook'n with Betty Crocker

Cook'n with Betty Crocker





Cook'n with Pillsbury

Cook'n with Pillsbury





Cook'n with a Taste of Home

Cook'n with a Taste of Home






Cook'n in Italy

Cook'n in Italy






Cook'n in Mexico

Cook'n in Mexico






See over 50 more titles...

Grilled Chicken with Cactus

Serves: 4

Print this Recipe

(Pechugas de Pollo con Nopalitos)
Category: Other Fried, Grilled, and Baked Chicken Dishes
Traditional ingredients presented in new ways makes dining in upscale Mexican restaurants quite an adventure these days. This dish is a striking plate of pan-grilled chicken in a classic cooked tomato sauce, presented on a bed of diced cactus. The idea for the dish came from Adobe Restaurant in Tlaquepaque, a suburb of Guadalajara, where I have spent many pleasurable days wandering through the craft shops housed in restored colonial buildings, and enjoying the local cuisine.


   Basic Cooked Tomato Sauce
   2 cups water-packed jarred cactus strips (nopalitos), drained
   2 tablespoons olive oil
   1/2 medium white onion, finely chopped
   1 clove garlic (medium), finely chopped
   1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
   4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
   Freshly ground pepper, to taste
   Crumbled queso fresco (fresh Mexican cheese), or mild feta cheese


1. Prepare the tomato sauce. Reserve in the pan off heat. Cut the cactus strips into 1/2-inch pieces. Rinse well.

2. In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and cook the onion, stirring, until it starts to brown, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, reserved cactus and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Reserve off heat.

3. Brush the chicken with the remaining olive oil and season with the remaining salt and pepper. Heat a stove top grill pan over medium-high heat and cook the chicken about 4 to 5 minutes per side or until well marked from the grill, firm to the touch, and no longer pink inside at the thickest part.

4. To serve, reheat the tomato sauce and cactus. Divide the cactus evenly among 4 serving plates and place 1 chicken breast on top of each serving. Spoon some of the heated tomato sauce over each chicken breast. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve hot. Pass remaining sauce at the table.

From "1,000 Mexican Recipes." Copyright 2001 by Marge Poore. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

This recipe comes from the Cook'n collection. Try Cook'n for FREE!

Download Cook'n for Free







Shredded Chicken
Shredded Spiced Chicken
Shredded Chicken in Green Sauce
Minced Spicy Chicken
Grilled Chicken Skewers
Sautéed Chicken Livers with Green Onions
Grilled Chicken Breasts with Ancho Chile Sauce
Grilled Chicken in Red Chili Sauce with Zucchini and Corn
Baked Chicken with Mushrooms and Ancho Chile
Chicken with Chipotle Chiles and Tequila
Sautéed Chicken with Chipotle Chile Sauce
Grilled Chicken with Red Chile and Orange Sauce
Sautéed Chicken with Pasilla Chile Sauce
Chicken with Poblano Cream Sauce
Baked Chicken with Serrano Chile Cream Sauce
Sautéed Chicken with Almond Sauce
Baked Chicken with Pecans
Chicken with White Nut Sauce
Chicken with Black Bean and Avocado Salsa
Chicken and Corn with Fiery Cilantro-Mint Sauce
Chicken with Poblano Chiles, Sour Cream, and Cheese
Chicken in Roasted Tomato Sauce
Chicken with Portobello Mushrooms
Grilled Chicken with Cactus
Chicken Thighs with Onions and Nutmeg
Chicken Mazatlán
Chicken Tampico with Mayonnaise and Olives
Chicken, Ticul Style
Fried Chicken, Sonora Style
Plaza Chicken from Morelia
Lime Chicken
Chicken in Tangerine Sauce
Chicken with Tamarind
Braised Chicken with Prunes
Chicken for a King
Chicken in Its Own Juice
Drunken Chicken
Chicken Breasts with Yucatán Green Seasoning Paste
Chicken Breasts with Pumpkin Seed Crust
Rolled Chicken Breasts with Spinach
Rolled Chicken Breasts with Poblano Chiles and Goat Cheese
Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Black Bean Sauce
Chicken with Red Chile Steamed in Foil
Chicken, Pibil Style
Chicken in Mole Sauce from Puebla
Chicken in Oaxacan Red Mole
Chicken in Oaxacan Green Mole with White Beans
Chicken Breasts with Yellow Mole
Bride’s Mole with Chicken
Papantla-Style Mole Sauce with Chicken
Chicken and Green Chile Stew
Chicken, Mushrooms, and Red Pepper Stew
Chicken Stew, Chiapas Style
Chicken Stew with Chiles and Spices
Chicken Tinga
Oaxacan Toasted Corn Stew with Chicken and Pork
Chicken, Aguascalientes Style
Basic Cooked Turkey Breast
Turkey Cutlets with Almond Crust
Yucatán Spiced Turkey Cutlets
Turkey with Mushrooms and Tomatillos
Turkey with Creamy Green Pumpkin Seed Sauce
Turkey in Spiced Vinegar Sauce
Turkey Stew
Turkey and Hominy Stew
Turkey Meat Loaf
Yucatán Cold Spiced Turkey
Yucatán Stuffed Turkey Breast with White Sauce
Braised Duck for Tacos
Duck Breasts with Blackberry Sauce
Duck Breasts with Poblano Chile
Duck in Green Pumpkin Seed Sauce
Cornish Hens Roasted with Chili Rub
Cornish Hens with Fiery Cilantro-Mint Sauce
Quail with Corn and Cucumber and Jalapeño Salsa
Quail with White Beans
* Poultry
Roasted Whole Turkey with White Sauce















































































Cook'n Organize your recipes with the Cook'n
Recipe Software





Affiliate Program | Privacy Policy | Other Resources | Contact Us


© 2008 DVO Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved.
Sales: 1-888-462-6656