Why Pouring Salsa Over Chicken Is A Game Changer

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Chicken is a dinnertime hero. It's tasty, satisfying, and a good source of protein and vitamins. It's also versatile, the perfect companion to nearly any combination of sauces, spices, seasonings, herbs, and vegetables. Maybe that's why it's a staple in so many cuisines — did you know there are 13 different fried chicken styles around the world? We're always on the hunt for new ways to upgrade chicken, especially any ideas that are essentially effortless. So, we turned to an expert for inspiration. Rick Martinez is a chef and the author of the new cookbook, "Salsa Daddy: A Cookbook: Dip Your Way into Mexican Cooking." Based on his book and area of expertise, it may not shock you that he recommends pouring salsa over chicken. But when you hear how he does it, you'll be ready to refresh your weekday dinner routine.

"To me, it's a really great way to change things up," Martinez says. "One thing that I often do ... [I'll buy] a chicken ... sear the chicken on both sides, and then pour two cups of salsa over the top, and then just let it cook for 40 minutes until the chicken's falling apart. And then you'll get this really delicious, shreddy chicken. You can make tacos with it, you can eat it with rice, make rice bowls, burritos, whatever you want. And you literally didn't do anything." Between how easy this upgrade is and how many varying meals it can instantly create, salsa plus chicken equals the hack we all need.

There are endless possibilities for what you can create with just salsa and chicken. A meal can be as easy as you want — you could upgrade your store-bought rotisserie chicken with the jar of salsa already in your fridge, and you can even utilize salsa to get a second meal out of chicken leftover from the previous night — or as involved as you want. There are many different ways to cook chicken, from roasting to braising to Martinez's searing method. There are also more than 14 types of salsa, from verde to roja to ranchera. You can roast chicken with salsa verde or complement smoked chicken with smoky salsa guajillo chile. 

Changing up the texture of the chicken only further widens the options — per Martinez's advice, you can take advantage of the incredibly tender, salsa-smothered seared chicken to shred it and use it to make chicken tacos. You could combine it with rice, beans, and vegetables to make a burrito bowl, or, use pineapple salsa to create a Hawaiian shredded chicken rice bowl. There are all kinds of different soups you can make, like slow cooker enchilada soup or tortilla soup. You can also make a chili with shredded chicken or make it the star of a Tex-Mex casserole like King Ranch chicken. Any leftovers you have would also be delicious served cooler over crisp greens and veggies in a taco salad.