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Chicken Chile Verde

I've been keeping batches of this Chicken Chile Verde on hand for the past couple weeks -- it's super easy to make and it will lead to all sorts of quick meals!

Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
mins
Total Time
1 hr
Servings: 6
Calories: 361 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs. chicken (I used 3 boneless chicken breasts)
  • 8-10 tomatillos
  • 1 large poblano (or 2 smaller ones)
  • 1-4 jalapeños
  • 1/2 onion
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 15-20 sprigs cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
  • freshly cracked black pepper
Optional serving style:
  • tostada shells
  • refried beans
  • cheese
  • Freshly chopped cilantro
  • lime

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. You can cook the chicken any way you want, but for this batch I brined and baked it. To brine the chicken, add 1/2 cup Kosher or sea salt to 2 quarts of water in a mixing bowl. Stir to dissolve the salt and add the chicken breasts, letting them brine in the fridge for 30-60 minutes. If the chicken isn't fully submerged then add a bit more water. Once brined, pat dry the chicken and add it to a baking sheet.
  2. Pull off the husks of the tomatillos and give them a good rinse. I usually de-stem them too. Add the tomatillos to the baking sheet along with the rinsed poblanos (and the chicken) and roast everything in the oven at 400F.  Cook the chicken until it registers 160F or until the insides are no longer pink -- this usually takes 20 minutes but sometimes it will take a couple extra minutes if there was an extensive brine.   Remove the chicken once cooked and let the poblanos and tomatillos roast for an additional 10 minutes or so.  I usually cover the cooked chicken breasts with foil until I need them.  
  3. De-stem and de-seed the roasted poblanos.   Add the roasted poblanos and tomatillos to a blender along with 1/2 onion, 4 peeled garlic cloves, 15-20 cilantro sprigs, and 1-4 rinsed, de-stemmed jalapenos.   If you want a milder batch start with 1 jalapeno, combine, and take a taste for heat level, adding more jalapeno to increase the heat.   I used 2 1/2 jalapenos for this batch and it had some zip!  
  4. Simmer the green sauce in a dollop of oil (or lard) over mediumish heat.  Add 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano, 1/2 teaspoon cumin (optional), 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional), and some freshly cracked black pepper.  Taste for seasoning.  Note:  if you brine the chicken you probably won't need to add much additional salt. 
  5. Use two forks to shred the chicken breasts and then add the shredded chicken to the green sauce.  Bring everything up to a uniform temp and serve immediately. 
  6. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge where they will keep for a few days. 
  7. If you want to serve it Tostada style, see Chicken Chile Verde Tostadas. Basically you are just starting with a warm tostada shell and adding a thin layer of refried beans, Chicken Chile Verde, cheese, cilantro and a final squeeze of lime. Yum :) 

Notes

  • Kosher or sea salt are typically recommended for brining as they don’t have any additives.   It's also usually recommended to brine meats in the fridge. 
  • I usually twist off and discard the bottom, thicker portion of the cilantro stems, but use the upper portion that holds the leaves together. 
  • See Chicken Chile Verde Burritos for a simple, crispy burrito you can make with this chicken.
  • You could also make Chicken Chile Verde Tortas or Chicken Chile Verde Tostadas. 

Nutrition Information

Calories 361kcal (18%) Carbohydrates 7g (2%) Protein 29g (58%) Fat 23g (35%) Saturated Fat 6g (30%) Cholesterol 113mg (38%) Sodium 304mg (13%) Potassium 546mg (16%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 3g (6%) Vitamin A 765IU (15%) Vitamin C 31.3mg (35%) Calcium 47mg (5%) Iron 2.3mg (13%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 361

% Daily Value*

Calories 361kcal 18%
Carbohydrates 7g 2%
Protein 29g 58%
Fat 23g 35%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Cholesterol 113mg 38%
Sodium 304mg 13%
Potassium 546mg 12%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 3g 6%
Vitamin A 765IU 15%
Vitamin C 31.3mg 35%
Calcium 47mg 5%
Iron 2.3mg 13%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.