Go Back
+ servings
Chicken chile verde in a rustic bowl with tender shredded chicken in tangy green salsa, served with warm tortillas and fresh lime wedges on a marble countertop

The Best Chicken Chile Verde You Will Ever Make

A rich, smoky green chile stew made with broiled Hatch chiles, tomatillos, tender chicken thighs, and creamy white beans. Ready in about 90 minutes.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 370

Ingredients
  

  • Main Ingredients
  • 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1.5-inch chunks
  • 6-8 Hatch green chiles fresh or frozen; Anaheim or poblano work as substitutes
  • 1 lb tomatillos husked, rinsed, and halved
  • 15 oz cannellini or Great Northern beans one can, drained and rinsed
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 tsp ground cumin divided
  • 1 tsp dried oregano Mexican oregano preferred
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • salt and black pepper to taste
  • For Serving
  • fresh cilantro roughly chopped
  • lime wedges
  • warm flour tortillas

Method
 

  1. Set oven to broil on high. Place Hatch green chiles and halved tomatillos cut-side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil for 8 to 10 minutes until tomatillos are soft with deep char and chiles are blistered all over.
  2. Transfer chiles to a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let steam for 10 minutes, then peel, seed, and roughly chop them.
  3. Add tomatillos and their juices to a blender and pulse into a rough, chunky salsa. Set aside.
  4. Season chicken thigh chunks generously with salt, pepper, and half the cumin.
  5. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown chicken in a single layer for 3 to 4 minutes per side without moving. Work in batches. Remove and set aside.
  6. In the same pot, cook diced onion over medium heat for 5 minutes, scraping up browned bits. Add garlic, remaining cumin, and oregano. Cook 2 more minutes until fragrant.
  7. Pour in the blended tomatillo mixture. Add chopped roasted chiles, chicken broth, and browned chicken with any resting juices. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle boil.
  8. Reduce heat to low, cover partially, and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes until chicken is tender and pulls apart easily.
  9. Add drained white beans in the last 15 minutes. To thicken, mash a handful of beans against the side of the pot with the back of a spoon.
  10. Taste for salt. Squeeze in juice of half a lime just before serving. Serve with fresh cilantro, lime wedges, and warm flour tortillas.

Nutrition

Calories: 370kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 38gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 520mgFiber: 6gSugar: 5g

Notes

Hatch green chiles can be replaced with Anaheim or poblano chiles. For a thicker stew, mash more beans against the pot wall. Add lime juice at the end only — adding it earlier cooks out the brightness. Leftovers keep refrigerated for 4 days and frozen for up to 3 months. When reheating, add a splash of broth to loosen.

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!