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A large blue Dutch oven filled with green chicken chili, topped with sliced jalapenos.
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5 / 2 votes

Green Chicken Chili

This green chicken chili is a one-pot meal that's loaded with chicken thighs, tomatillos, green chiles, cumin, oregano, and lime juice. It's a little spicy, a little tangy, and completely doable on a weeknight.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Mains
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 333

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 jalapeño chile pepper, seeded and diced
  • 2 8 oz poblano or green bell peppers, seeded and diced
  • 6 fresh husked tomatillos or one (11-ounce | 312-g) can tomatillos, drained, roughly chopped
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated or minced
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs
  • 2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth or homemade chicken stock
  • One can mild or hot chopped green chile peppers, preferably Hatch
  • Juice of 1 lime

To serve

  • 1/2 cup cilantro, fine stems and leaves roughly chopped
  • 1 jalapeño chile, thinly sliced
  • 1 Hass avocado, peeled and sliced (optional)
  • 1 lime, cut into wedges
US - Metric

Instructions

  • In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, warm the oil until shimmering. Add the onion, jalapeño, poblano or bell peppers, tomatillos, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 5 to 10 minutes.
  • Stir in the garlic, cumin, and oregano, and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  • Season the chicken with salt and pepper and then add to the Dutch oven. Pour in the stock and raise the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Don’t let it boil. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through, 10 to 20 minutes.

    ☞ TESTER TIP: If the chicken pieces aren’t completely submerged, turn them over halfway through cooking.

  • Remove the chicken and place it in a shallow bowl. Use a fork and knife to shred the chicken.
  • Add the chicken back to the Dutch oven along with any accumulated liquid and the green chile peppers.
  • Cook until the chicken is warmed through, about 2 minutes. Squeeze in as much (or little) lime as desired and adjust the seasoning as needed.

    ☞ TESTER TIP: Give your chili a quick taste before adding the lime juice. The acidity of the chiles can vary and you may not need to add anywhere near all of the lime juice.

  • Ladle the chili into bowls and top with cilantro, avocado, if using, and sliced jalapeño. Serve with lime wedges.

Notes

Quick Chile Verde

If you prefer your chili with beans or would like to make this a heartier meal, simply toss in a can of drained and rinsed cannellini beans when you remove the chicken. Use a wooden spoon to mash some of the beans against the side of the pot before adding the chicken back to the chili.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 333kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 542mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g