Are you ready for chili season? If so, I have just the recipe for you, my Green Chicken Chili. It’s completely different from your regular chili, but still just as delicious and satisfying.
I always try to cook at least a few different batches of chili each fall and winter, from basic varieties to my epic Three Meat Chili.
Now here’s one with a twist. Instead of the typical tomato-based sauce, this green version uses tomatillos and chili peppers to give it its distinctive color. It’s a lot like Pozole Verde, except it swaps out the hominy for beans and gets a dose of chili powder for those classic flavors.
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Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
You can find exact measurements in the recipe card at the end of this post. Here are the main things you will need to make my version of green chicken chili:
- Tomatillos – The base of the green sauce, giving it a tangy, slightly citrusy flavor. If you can’t find them in the produce section of your local supermarket, check Hispanic grocery stores.
- Onion – Yellow or white onions both work fine.
- Garlic – Roasting it softens the sharpness and adds flavor.
- Poblano peppers – Provide mild heat and a slightly smoky flavor. If you can’t find them, Anaheim peppers are a good replacement.
- Serrano peppers – Add the spice factor. Use fewer for mild heat or substitute jalapeños for a gentler option.
- Fresh spinach – Used mainly to boost the green color. Kale or arugula can be swapped in.
- Cilantro – Brings freshness and a bit of zest to the sauce. Parsley can be used if you’re not a fan of cilantro.
- Chicken thighs – Stay tender and juicy during simmering. Chicken breast can be used, but may cook faster and be less moist.
- Dried oregano – Mexican oregano is best (available in international aisles or online), but regular oregano works too.
- Chili powder – To add that classic chili flavor. Ancho chili powder can be used for a sweeter flavor.
- Cumin – It gives the dish that signature Mexican backbone. Just a little goes a long way in rounding out the flavor.
- Chicken broth or stock – Provides moisture and depth to the stew. I use Better than Bouillon, but you can use regular bouillon cubes or pre-made stock or broth.
- Cannellini beans – Make the dish hearty and creamy. Great Northern or navy beans are good alternatives.
- Limes – A squeeze at the end brightens the dish and balances the flavors. Use fresh limes for best results.
How to Make Green Chicken Chili
1. Make the green sauce: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add tomatillos, onion and whole garlic cloves. Roast, stirring occasionally, until lightly charred, about 6-8 minutes. In the same skillet, add the poblano and serrano peppers. Roast for 8-10 minutes.
Transfer tomatillos, onion, garlic and chili peppers to a blender, add spinach and cilantro. Blend until smooth.
2. Sear chicken and bloom spices: Add some olive oil to a large pot or Dutch over over medium-high heat. Season chicken generously with salt and pepper, then sear (in two batches to avoid crowding) until no longer pink. Once the second batch is seared, add the first back to the pot. Stir in dried oregano, chili powder and cumin. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add remaining ingredients and simmer: Stir in prepared green sauce. Simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes. Add chicken broth and drained beans. Bring back up to a simmer, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Finish and serve: Taste and adjust for salt and pepper. Serve with extra cilantro for garnish, and squeeze on some fresh lime juice.
Serving Suggestions
As with any chili, this goes great with cornbread. My zesty Jalapeno Cornbread is always a hit, and Corn Casserole goes equally well. Or, serve it with warm corn tortillas.
Another must for chili is toppings. Freshly squeezed lime is a must here. I also like to keep wit the Mexican theme and add some diced avocado. One of my favorite toppings for this chili is Fritos. That corny crunch is irresistible here. I also enjoy a dab of sour cream, a crumble of cotija cheese, or some freshly grated pepper jack.
Alpana says diced onions go, but I don’t eat those.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- This same recipe is also very good with pork shoulder instead of chicken, however the cooking time is considerably longer. Do not add the beans in with the chicken broth, but cover and simmer until the pork is tender, about 1.5-2 hours. Then add the beans and cook and additional 10 minutes.
- Shortcut #1: Use diced rotisserie chicken. Just add it in during the last 10-15 minutes of cooking.
- Shortcut #2: Use 2 cups of prepared salsa verde. It won’t be quite as green, without the spinach, and you might need to spice it up with some diced chili peppers or crushed red pepper, but it can be a time saver.
- Leftovers keep well for 3–4 days in an airtight container. Reheat over low heat and add a splash of broth to loosen the sauce.
- You can also cook it in the slow cooker. After making the salsa verde and searing the chicken, dump everything in your crockpot, mix well, cover and cook for 3-4 hours on high, or 6-8 hours on low.
Keep the fall chill away with a big pot of my green chicken chili. Once you make it, I bet it will become a regular in your rotation all season long.
If you try it, please leave a star rating and comment, we love to hear from you. And be sure to stay in the loop by subscribing to our newsletter or following us on Pinterest.
Green Chicken Chili, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!
More Great Chili Recipes:
Cincinnati Chili
White Turkey Chili
Smoky Chipotle Chili
Pork Chile Verde
Crockpot Turkey Chili
Black Bean Chili
Chile Colorado
Green Chicken Chili
This vibrant Green Chicken Chili with roasted tomatillos, poblano peppers, and cilantro is zesty, hearty, and full of bright Mexican-inspired flavor.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 10 medium tomatillos (about 1.5 pounds), halved
- 1 medium onions, quartered
- 6 cloves garlic
- 3 poblano peppers
- 4 serrano peppers
- 2oz fresh spinach
- ½ cup cilantro + more for garnish
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized chunks
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1.5 cups chicken broth
- 2 (15oz) cans cannellini beans, drained
- limes, for serving
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add tomatillos, onion and whole garlic cloves. Roast, stirring occasionally, until lightly charred, about 6-8 minutes. Remove from skillet and place in a blender.
- In the same skillet, add the poblano and serrano peppers. Roast for 8-10 minutes, and remove them to the blender.
- To the blender, add spinach and cilantro, along with the tomatillos, onion, garlic and chili peppers. Blend until smooth.
- Add remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large pot or Dutch over over medium-high heat. Season chicken generously with salt and pepper, then sear (in two batches to avoid crowding) until no longer pink. Once the second batch is seared, add the first back to the pot.
- Stir in dried oregano, chili powder and cumin. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in prepared green sauce. Simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes.
- Add chicken broth and drained beans. Bring back up to a simmer, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Taste and adjust for salt and pepper.
- Serve with extra cilantro for garnish, and squeeze on some fresh lime juice.
Notes
- This same recipe is also very good with pork shoulder instead of chicken, however the cooking time is considerably longer. Do not add the beans in with the chicken broth, but cover and simmer until the pork is tender, about 1.5-2 hours. Then add the beans and cook and additional 10 minutes.
- Shortcut #1: Use diced rotisserie chicken. Just add it in during the last 10-15 minutes of cooking.
- Shortcut #2: Use 2 cups of prepared salsa verde. It won’t be quite as green, without the spinach, and you might need to spice it up with some diced chili peppers or crushed red pepper, but it can be a time saver.
- Leftovers keep well for 3–4 days in an airtight container. Reheat over low heat and add a splash of broth to loosen the sauce.
- You can also cook it in the slow cooker. After making the salsa verde and searing the chicken, dump everything in your crockpot, mix well, cover and cook for 3-4 hours on high, or 6-8 hours on low.
Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 374Total Fat 17gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 12gCholesterol 139mgSodium 469mgCarbohydrates 24gFiber 6gSugar 4gProtein 35g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former worldwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.
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