Chicken with Pumpkin Seed Sauce

Name: Chicken with Pumpkin Seed Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: ½ cup Raw hulled pumpkin seeds; 1 tbsp Sesame seeds; 2 whole Bone-in, skinless chicken breasts, halved; Salt; 5 cups Chicken stock; 1 small Small white onion, peeled and quartered; 2 cloves Garlic cloves, peeled; 1 Green habanero chile, halved and seeded; ¼ lb Tomatillos, husked; ¾ cup Shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped

Recipe GLPR4423ab12ec1cb8

Mexican

Main Course

50 min

482 cal

Servings: 4

Stovetop

SNAP eligible

Succulent bone-in chicken breasts poached in herb-infused broth, served with a vibrant pumpkin seed and pistachio sauce enriched with tomatillo and habanero for a subtle heat. A South American-inspired dish that highlights the earthy richness of seeds and nuts.

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Ingredients

½ cup Raw hulled pumpkin seeds

1 tbsp Sesame seeds

2 whole Bone-in, skinless chicken breasts, halved

Salt

5 cups Chicken stock

1 small Small white onion, peeled and quartered

2 cloves Garlic cloves, peeled

1 Green habanero chile, halved and seeded

¼ lb Tomatillos, husked

¾ cup Shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped

Directions

In a large pot, bring the chicken stock to a simmer over medium heat. Add the halved chicken breasts, quartered onion, garlic cloves, habanero chile halves, and a pinch of salt. Maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (approximately 20–25 minutes). Remove from heat and allow the chicken to cool slightly in the broth, then transfer to a warm serving platter, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
While the chicken cooks, toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant and lightly golden. Transfer to a food processor and allow to cool briefly.
In the same skillet, lightly toast the sesame seeds over medium heat for 1–2 minutes until fragrant, then transfer to the food processor with the pumpkin seeds.
Add the husked tomatillos to the food processor along with the toasted pumpkin and sesame seeds. Process until you achieve a coarse paste.
Transfer the seed-tomatillo mixture to the skillet and warm over medium heat, stirring gently. Slowly add the reserved cooking liquid while stirring to achieve a smooth, pourable sauce consistency. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
Stir in the coarsely chopped pistachios and cook for 1–2 minutes to warm through. Pour the sauce over the cooked chicken breasts and serve immediately.

Comments

Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff3.75

Habanero chile and tomatillo will send you to Publix or a specialty grocer—neither Harris Teeter, Food Lion, ALDI, or Kroger banners reliably stock them in Charlotte, and that's a real errand for a weeknight. Pistachios compound the cost; expect $4–5 per serving once you factor in the specialty ingredients and chicken breast. The 50-minute timer understates reality if you're roasting pumpkin seeds from scratch or making stock; more like 70 minutes hands-on for a home cook. That said, the flavour is genuinely worth the trip if you plan ahead and can source the chiles, and the sauce reheats beautifully.