Chicken Chili Verde (Printable)

Tender chicken in tangy green sauce with charred peppers and tomatillos

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
02 - 1 tsp kosher salt
03 - 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

→ Green Sauce

04 - 1.5 lbs tomatillos, husked and rinsed
05 - 2 poblano peppers
06 - 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded for less heat
07 - 1 large onion, peeled and quartered
08 - 6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
09 - 1 bunch fresh cilantro, about 1 cup loosely packed
10 - 1/2 cup chicken broth
11 - 1 tsp ground cumin
12 - 1 tsp dried oregano
13 - 1 tbsp fresh lime juice

→ For Cooking

14 - 2 tbsp vegetable oil

→ Garnishes

15 - Chopped fresh cilantro
16 - Diced avocado
17 - Sliced radishes
18 - Lime wedges

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat broiler to high. Arrange tomatillos, poblano peppers, jalapeños, onion, and unpeeled garlic cloves on a baking sheet. Broil for 8-10 minutes, turning as needed, until vegetables are charred and softened. Let cool slightly, then peel garlic and remove stems and seeds from peppers as desired.
02 - Transfer broiled vegetables, peeled garlic, cilantro, chicken broth, cumin, oregano, and lime juice to a blender. Blend until smooth.
03 - Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add chicken and sear until lightly browned, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove chicken and set aside.
04 - Reduce heat to medium. Add the blended green sauce to the pot, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to a simmer.
05 - Return chicken to the pot, nestling it into the sauce. Cover and simmer gently for 45-50 minutes, until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
06 - Remove chicken and shred with two forks. Return shredded chicken to the sauce and stir to combine. Simmer uncovered for another 5 minutes to thicken if desired.
07 - Serve hot, garnished with fresh cilantro, avocado, radishes, and lime wedges.

# Helpful Tips:

01 -
  • The sauce tastes impossibly vibrant and tangy without any heavy cream, letting the charred peppers and tomatillos shine through completely.
  • Chicken thighs stay juicy and tender through the long simmer, absorbing all that green goodness without falling apart.
  • It's naturally gluten-free and comes together in less than ninety minutes, making it perfect for weeknight dinners that feel special.
02 -
  • Don't skip the charring step—broiling those vegetables creates caramelized depth that blending them raw simply cannot achieve no matter how long you blend.
  • If your chicken pieces are very thick, pound them to even thickness before searing so they cook at the same rate and nothing comes out dry while something else is still raw.
  • Taste the sauce before the chicken goes back in and adjust lime juice, salt, or spice then—it's much harder to fix seasoning once everything is combined.
03 -
  • Use chicken thighs instead of breasts whenever possible—they're more forgiving, stay juicier, and actually taste like chicken rather than something neutral.
  • If your blender isn't powerful enough to get the sauce completely smooth, strain it through a fine sieve and blend the solids again until silky, then combine back with the liquid.
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