Chef John's Green Chicken Chili
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Description
Make this easier version of chili verde using chicken and a tomatillo-based green salsa instead of roasting and pureeing fresh tomatillos. Note that this is a green chili made with chicken and not a chili made with green chicken. Sorry if this disappoints anyone. You can serve it with sour cream, avocado, cilantro, and corn tortillas or corn bread.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- kosher salt to taste
- 1 (24 fluid ounce) bottle tomatillo-based salsa verde
- ½ (4 ounce) can chopped roasted green chiles
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced
- ½ cup lightly packed cilantro leaves and stems
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground dried chipotle pepper
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
- 2 (15 ounce) cans white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Directions
- 1. Season chicken thighs with salt on both sides.
- 2. Transfer 1/2 the chicken to a dry, nonstick skillet over high heat. Cook until browned, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a bowl. Brown the rest of the chicken. Let cool to room temperature before cutting.
- 3. Combine salsa verde, green chilies, garlic, jalapeno, and cilantro in a blender. Blend, starting on low and finishing on high, until sauce is very smooth and bright green.
- 4. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and transfer back into the bowl. Combine chicken pieces, accumulated juices, and the green sauce into a pot. Season with cumin, chipotle pepper, black pepper, oregano, and salt.
- 5. Rinse out blender with a splash of water and pour into the pot. Mix together and set heat to medium-high. Bring to a simmer; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until chicken is tender, depending on size of chicken pieces, about 1 hour. Stir in kidney beans and simmer until thickened, about 15 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
serving: 6 servings
calories: 520.8 kcal
carbohydrates: 31.3 g
protein: 43.4 g
saturated fat: 6.3 g
cholesterol: 127.7 mg
sodium: 1281.2 mg
fiber: 9.2 g
sugar: 4.4 g