green chicken chili

Green Chicken Chili

Chicken is simmered with green chiles, onions, garlic, and spices in a broth-based sauce until tender, creating a savory, slightly spicy chili. Tomatillos or green chili peppers add brightness and a mild heat, while seasonings like cumin and cilantro enhance the depth of flavor. The slow simmer allows the ingredients to meld into a cohesive, flavorful mixture.

As the chili cooks, the chicken absorbs the spices and chiles while the sauce thickens slightly. Additional beans or vegetables can be incorporated for texture. The preparation emphasizes gentle simmering and layered seasoning, producing a hearty, aromatic chili with tender chicken and a vibrant, zesty sauce.

Print Recipe
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Chicken
Mexican
Servings: 8

Equipment

  • Instant Pot
  • blender or food processor

Ingredients

  • 2-3 chicken breasts (2-2 ½ lb.)
  • 1 28 oz. can tomatillos
  • 1 15.5 oz. can white beans
  • 1 cup frozen roasted corn
  • 1 4 oz. can sliced black olives
  • 1 serrano pepper or a 4 oz. can of green hatch chilis
  • ¼ cup pineapple or orange juice
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1 tsp. lime zest
  • 2 Tbsp. lime juice
  • green Cholula hot sauce, (jalepeño and poblano)
  • 2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro or 1 Tbsp. dried cilantro
  • 2 Tbsp. oregano
  • garlic powder
  • ½ tsp. ground cumin, plus ½ tsp. to sprinkle
  • ½ tsp. smoked paprika to sprinkle
  • 1 tsp. Kosher salt, plus ½ tsp. to sprinkle
  • ½ tsp. coarse black pepper to sprinkle

Instructions 

Prep

  • Dry the chicken breasts and lay them out on a cutting board.
  • Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, and smoked paprika.
  • Set chicken aside to rest.
  • Add garlic cloves with skins and serrano chili to a dry frying pan on medium-low heat.
  • Turn the garlic and serrano regularly until they are soft and the skins are browned.
  • Take them off the heat, then peel the garlic and the serrano chili.
  • Slice the peeled serrano down the middle and scrape out the seeds.

Sauce

  • In the blender or food processor, add drained tomatillos, lime juice and zest, roasted garlic, chilis, pineapple or orange juice, and a 5-6 dashes of green Cholula hot sauce.
  • Add salt, cumin, oregano, and cilantro.
  • Blend the sauce ingredients until everything is liquified.

Cook

  • Add the sauce, drained white beans, corn, and black olives to the Instant Pot and stir.
  • Add the seasoned chicken breasts to the pot and cover with the liquid.
  • Add chicken stock or water if additional liquid is needed to cover the chicken breasts.
  • Secure the lid on the Instant Pot and select the Poultry setting, which should be high pressure for 25 minutes.
  • When the timer is up, allow the steam to bleed off on its own. If the pot isn’t that full, you may need to bleed the pressure after 15-20 minutes.
  • Remove the chicken breasts to a cutting board and pull them apart with the backs of two forks until all the chicken meat is shredded.
  • Return the pulled chicken to the pot and stir completely in the sauce.
  • Put the lid back on and allow it to sit for 10-15 minutes.
  • Serve over rice or garnish with shredded cheese, scallions, diced tomatoes, and fresh lime.