Name: Pollo En Salsa Verde
Ingredients: ½ cup (125 ml) shelled pumpkin seeds (pepitas); 1 cup (250 ml) chopped cilantro (coriander leaves); 1 cup (250 ml) chopped scallions (spring onions); 1 cup (250 ml) chopped canned or fresh tomatillos; 1 jalapeño or other hot green chile, seeded and chopped, or to taste; about ½ cup (125 ml) chicken stock or water; 3 tbs (45 ml) vegetable oil; 2 – 3 lbs (900 – 1350 g) chicken parts; salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Why it works: Coriander and pepper match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 5,949 recipes. Both carry myristicin, which smells spice, warm. The science ↓

Pollo En Salsa Verde

Time20 to 30 minutes

Ingredients

½ cup (125 ml) shelled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1 cup (250 ml) chopped cilantro (coriander leaves)
1 cup (250 ml) chopped scallions (spring onions)
1 cup (250 ml) chopped canned or fresh tomatillos
1 jalapeño or other hot green chile, seeded and chopped, or to taste
about ½ cup (125 ml) chicken stock or water
3 tbs (45 ml) vegetable oil
2 – 3 lbs (900 – 1350 g) chicken parts
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

Prepare the sauce

Toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet over moderate heat until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes.
Combine in a blender with the cilantro, scallions, tomatillos, jalapeño, and enough chicken stock to make a smooth, thin paste.

Brown the chicken

Heat the vegetable oil in a large heavy skillet, preferably non-stick, over moderate heat.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper and brown on all sides in the hot oil.

Simmer in the sauce

Add the green sauce and enough additional chicken stock to make a thin, soupy sauce.
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered until the chicken is tender, 20 to 30 minutes.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

335Calories

32 gProtein

17 gFat

12 gCarbs

Counts 6 of 11 ingredients. The other 5 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 6 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Chicken	100g cooked	165
Olive Oil	1 tbsp (14g)	119
Onion	1 medium (110g)	44
Black Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
Cilantro	1 tbsp chopped fresh (1g)	1
Salt	1 tsp (6g)	0
Pumpkin	not in our table	0
Seed	not in our table	0
Pepita	not in our table	0
Coriander	not in our table	0
Water	not in our table	0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Coriander + peppertop 6% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together5,949 recipes

Shared aroma: myristicin (spice, warm).
Onion + chickentop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together17,814 recipes

Shared aroma: gamma-nonanolactone (coconut, sweet).
Onion + peppertop 11% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together68,474 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Coriander + oniontop 11% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together8,219 recipes

Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
Pumpkin + coriandertop 12% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together427 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol (clove, smoky).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Pumpkin seeds: Toasting adds nutty aroma and body, and they thicken the green sauce into a paste.
Tomatillos: Their tart acidity brightens the sauce and balances the richness of the chicken.
Chicken parts: Browning gives savory flavor and a golden surface, and simmering makes the meat tender.
Cilantro: Fresh herbal aroma and bright green flavor that define the sauce.
Jalapeño: Adds heat and fresh pepper flavor to the sauce.

The step that matters

Browning the chicken on all sides. Browning in hot oil creates flavorful Maillard browning on the surface. Searing too gently or crowding the pan makes the chicken steam, leaving it pale and less flavorful before it simmers.

Swap the pumpkin

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (coriander, onion, chicken, pepper):

Limefits better
Avocadofits better
Lemonfits better
Pumpkinthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against coriander, onion, chicken, pepper. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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Pollo En Salsa Verde