Chicken Chili Verde (Printable)

Tender chicken in tangy green tomatillo sauce with charred peppers and garlic, a bright Mexican classic.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Chicken

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

→ Green Sauce

04 - 1 1/2 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 cup fresh cilantro, loosely packed
10 - 1/2 cup chicken broth
11 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
12 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
13 - 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

→ For Cooking

14 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

→ Garnishes

15 - Fresh cilantro, chopped
16 - Avocado, diced
17 - Radishes, sliced
18 - Lime wedges

# How To Make:

01 - Preheat broiler to high. Arrange tomatillos, poblano peppers, jalapeños, onion, and unpeeled garlic cloves on a baking sheet. Broil for 8 to 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 heat. Add chicken and sear until lightly browned, about 3 to 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 from the bottom. Bring to a simmer.
05 - Return chicken to the pot, nestling it into the sauce. Cover and simmer gently for 45 to 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.

# Top Tips:

01 -
  • The sauce tastes bright and complex but comes together in about 10 minutes of actual work, which feels like cheating in the best way.
  • Chicken thighs stay impossibly tender because they're forgiving and actually absorb flavor instead of drying out like breasts sometimes do.
  • It's the kind of dish that tastes even better the next day, so weeknight dinner becomes tomorrow's lunch score.
02 -
  • Don't skip the charring step—raw tomatillos are acidic and sharp, but charred ones develop a smoky sweetness that changes everything about the dish.
  • If your sauce seems too thin after cooking, that's actually okay; you can always thicken it, but you can't thin it back out, so go slow and taste as you adjust.
03 -
  • If you can't find tomatillos, green tomatoes work in a pinch, but they're less acidic, so add an extra tablespoon of lime juice to compensate.
  • Make extra sauce and freeze it separately—you'll find yourself pulling it out months later to use on tacos, eggs, or anything that needs brightness and depth.
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