Green Chicken Chili
This tangy green chicken chili is full of fiber-rich beans, carrots and onions and a nourishing broth thickened by poaching bone-in chicken in tomatillo salsa. This nourishing pot of goodness will fill you up and keep you satisfied without weighing you down. This version uses store-bought jarred tomatillo sauce.
The beginnings of this recipe came from whenever I would see a white chicken chili and I realized I couldnt eat it because of the dairy. I loved the flavor of this chili and wanted to create a version that was safe for everyone to eat. Once I cracked the code on this recipe, I started to prefer it over my red chili recipe.
The tomatillo flavor is refreshing and zingy. And poaching the chicken legs in the salsa and chicken broth means the chicken is super moist and tender and the health benefits from the bones end up in the dish. I always feel good when I eat this chili. I love the flavor and I know I am getting an extra collagen boost from the broth.
This recipe is meant for bone-in chicken legs. Substituting already cooked or rotisserie chicken will not come out the same.
Green vs White Chicken Chili
It took me awhile to learn the difference and realize that what I wanted was the green version of this recipe. Green chicken chili and white chicken chili are incredibly similar. The both omit tomatoes and are made of chicken and green chiles (like tomatillos and poblano), and have a light broth. The “white” comes from adding some sort of creamy dairy like sour cream at the end of cooking.
Chili Verde is another type of dish that is very similar. It usually doesn’t contain the beans.
Why You’ll Love This Green Chicken Chili
This recipe is versatile, comes together in one pot and you can make a lot of it and put it in the freezer for later.
Let it cook while you do other things. The chicken poaches in the salsa verde for 1 hour unattended. Then, once the chicken has cooled, shred the meat off the bones, add it back to the liquid and you’re done!
It’s healthy - lots of fiber-rich beans, and a broth that cooked with the bones.
Flavorful - very bite of this chili is packed with flavor - thanks to diced green chilies, salsa verde, and savory spices like cumin and chili powder.
Ingredients for Green Chicken Chili
chicken legs or thighs, bone-in
tomatillo salsa - here are my preferred brands
white carrots - I prefer to use white carrots to keep my chili green and white. Orange works too.
spices - cumin and chili powder
chicken stock - It helps to have extra stock on hand so that your chicken is fully submerged
white cannellini or navy beans
onion and garlic
How to Make Green Chicken Chili
Brown the chicken
Heat a large Dutch oven or 1-Quart stockpot over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil and 2 to 3 chicken legs, whatever fits without overcrowding the pan, and let brown, about 2 minutes, turn and brown the other side. Remove chicken to a plate, and continue until all chicken is browned.
Saute the vegetables
Drizzle a little more oil into the pan and add in carrots, and sauté until softened, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Add in onions, and continue to sauté until onions are softened and translucent, about 2 more minutes
Bloom your spices
Add in garlic, salt and pepper, cumin, chili powder and stir to incorporate . This “blooms” your spices. When dried spices are sauteed in oil, it triggers chemical reactions that open up their flavor.
Simmer
Pour in 1 cup of the stock and scrape up any remaining browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add chicken to the pan and pour in salsa verde, chopped canned chilis and enough stock to fully cover all the chicken. lncrease heat and heat until bubbling, then cover, lower heat and gently simmer for 1 hour.
Cool chicken and check for thickness
Remove chicken and place on a baking sheet to cool, about 20 minutes. White that cools, determine if your chili is about the right thickness or if it looks really thin. If you had to add more than 2 cups of chicken stock, your chili is probably pretty thin. Leave the lid off and simmer gently over very low heat. This will help evaporate some of that liquid. Remember you are still adding back all the chicken and the beans, so it doesn’t need to be too thick.
Add beans and chicken back to pot
Place about half a cup of beans in a small bowl, add some of the liquid from the pot. Mash, then stir back into the pot along with the rest of the beans. Pull meat off the bone and shred, discard the bones and add all the meat back into the pan. Give everything a stir and taste.
Enjoy!
Garnish with plenty of bright fresh herbs and lime juice for a nice contrast to the warming chili. Good options include fresh cilantro or parsley and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
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Green Chicken Chili
This zesty green chicken chili comes together on the stovetop in about 2 hours but tastes like it's been simmering all day. Cooking chicken on the bone in the tangy tomatillo salsa creates a satisfying and robust chili that is also good for you.
Makes 16 cups total, about 8 servings
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 pounds whole chicken legs, skin removed
- 3 white carrots, chopped (about 2 cups)
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- Satt and pepper
- 2 teaspoons cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
- 2 to 3 cups chicken stock
- 2 jars tomatillo salsa (about 25 to 30 oz total)
- 1 can chopped chilis, 3oz
- 3 cans cannellini beans (15.5 oz cans), drained
- Optional: 1 small poblano pepper, diced
Instructions
- Heat a large dutch oven or low sided pot over medium-high heat.
- Season chicken legs with salt and pepper. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the pot and 2 to 3 chicken legs, whatever fits without overcrowding the pan. Let chicken sit until browned, then turn and brown the other side. Remove chicken to a plate, and continue until all chicken is browned.
- Drizzle a little more oil into the pan and add in carrots, and sauté until softened, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add in onions (and poblano if using), and continue to sauté until onions are softened and translucent, about 2 more minutes
- Add in garlic, salt and pepper, cumin, chili powder and stir to incorporate the spices and garlic.
- Pour in 1 cup of the stock and scrape up any remaining browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add chicken to the pan and any juices that collected on the plate. Pour in salsa, chopped canned chilis and enough stock to fully cover all the chicken.
- lncrease heat and watch for the liquid to bubble, then cover, lower heat and gently simmer for 1 hour.
- Remove chicken pieces and place on a baking sheet to cool, about 20 minutes.
- Check thickness of your chili: If you added closer to 3 cups of chicken stock at the beginning, your chili might be very thin. Leave the lid off the pot and let your chili simmer lightly in order to evaporate some of that extra liquid. Set a timer for 20 minutes, checking back to stir occasionally.
- When your timer goes off, stir the chili. Place about half a cup of beans into a small bowl with some of the liquid from the pot. Mash, then add to pot. Add the rest of the beans to the pot as well.
- Pull the chicken off the bone and shred the meat. Discard the bones and add all the meat back into the pan. Give your chili a good stir and taste for seasoning. Add any additional salt or hot sauce if you want it to have more of a kick.
Notes
- Garnish with plenty of bright fresh herbs and lime juice for a nice contrast to the warming chili. Good options include fresh cilantro or parsley and a squeeze of lime juice.
- If you can't find whole chicken legs, use a mix of thighs and drumsticks
more delicious recipes:
Red Beef and Bean Chili
A traditional red chili recipe that big enough for a large crock pot
Pistachio Crusted Chicken
Moist and tender chicken covered in herbs and pistachios
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
A well balanced side dish or main course!
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