For the first time in my life, I’m fully ready for fall: cooler temps, cozy vibes, and that comforting, bold flavor of this Chicken Chili Verde (yes, one of my all-time favorite soup-meets-chili recipes). And since we’re nearing the end of our epic soup round-up on WGC, I couldn’t be more excited to land on this one. If you’ve been following along, you know we’ve already shared gems like my Chicken Tortilla Soup, the creamy-dreamy Fully Loaded Baked Potato Soup, and the veggie-heavy Roasted Tomato Soup and this Chicken Chili Verde is the perfect stop on our journey.
Trust me: you’re going to want this one on rotation for lunches and dinners for the next few months.
Chicken Chili Verde at a Glance
- 🕒 Total Time: 55 minutes (10 min prep + 45 min cook)
- 👪 Servings: 4
- 🍝 Cuisine Type: Mexican / Tex-Mex
- 🧂 Flavor Profile: Bright and tangy tomatillo base, roasted poblano & Anaheim peppers, mild jalapeño heat (optional), shredded chicken — comforting, bold and flavorful
- 📖 Dietary Info: Contains poultry (chicken), contains alliums, not vegetarian — spice level adjustable for kids or less heat
- 📦 Storage Notes: Refrigerate in an airtight container for 3-4 days; freezes well in portions (thaw overnight then reheat)
- ⭐ Why You’ll Love It: A delicious soup-meets-chili that uses roasted tomatillos and peppers for depth, seared chicken thighs for texture, and easily becomes a go-to for lunches or cozy weeknight dinners.
Why I Love This Recipe
Chicken Chili Verde was a total hit when I was growing up in Tucson. I’d head to my best friend’s house anytime this was on the menu. It’s one of the easiest and most flavorful recipes to make, and I can never get enough. It’s especially perfect right now because it getting chilly across the rest of the country. This one is cozy, satisfying, and 100% wholesome if you skip the chips and enjoy it as a soup, chili, or stew. Trust me, you’ll want this Chicken Chili Verde on repeat all season long.
The cooking method is similar to how we make my Mexican Shredded Chicken. It has that same incredible peppery base with poblanos and other easy-to-find peppers that give it so much depth. If you’re in a rush and want to use a store-bought rotisserie chicken, check out my White Chicken Chili. Or swap in ground chicken like in my Chipotle Chicken Chili or ground turkey for an Easy Turkey Chili.
A Word About the Peppers in This Chicken Chili Verde
Let’s talk peppers because they make all the difference in this Chicken Chili Verde recipe.
Poblano peppers are often mislabeled as Pasilla peppers at the grocery store. They’re dark green, shiny, and slightly smoky once roasted, but not spicy. I love using poblanos and add them to tons of recipes like my Poblano Chicken Fajitas.
Anaheim peppers are lighter green and very mild. If you can’t find fresh ones, check the canned section since they work beautifully here too. If you’re using canned, there’s no need to roast them first.
And finally, jalapeño peppers. We all know these guys. If you’re sensitive to spice or cooking for little ones, just use half or skip it altogether. The Chicken Chili Verde isn’t overly spicy as written, but leaving out the jalapeño keeps it totally family friendly.
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Ingredients & Substitutions
How to Make Chicken Chili Verde
Step 1: Place tomatillos cut side down, poblano peppers, anaheim peppers, jalapeños and unpeeled garlic cloves on a foil-lined large baking sheet. Place in the oven on broil for 10 minutes or until the tomatillos and peppers char.
Step 2: Transfer the poblano and jalapeno peppers to a glass bowl and seal with plastic wrap to steam (leave the tomatillos and garlic on the baking sheet for now). After steaming for 10 minutes, remove skin and discard.
Step 3: In a blender, combine the tomatillos and all their juices, peeled garlic cloves, assorted roasted and peeled peppers, cilantro, lime juice, cumin, salt, pepper and chicken stock. Blend the ingredients until they are well combined.
Step 4: Season chicken thighs with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper.
Step 5: In a large heavy bottom skillet or dutch oven, add 2 tablespoon olive oil and heat over medium high heat. Add the chicken and sear both sides until golden brown.
Step 6: Add the onions and saute for a few minutes before adding the mixture from the blender.
Step 7: Add the verde mixture. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and shreds easily with a fork.
Step 8: Taste the Chicken Chili Verde and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Serve in a bowl with tortilla chips on the side and tons cilantro on top.
How to Store Chicken Chili Verde
You can store this in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container. Make sure you reheat it properly so it is warmed through to safe temperature.
How to Freeze Chicken Chili Verde
You can freeze these in portions for quick meals or just if you have leftovers. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat properly when its time to eat. Do no re-freeze once you have thawed.
Tips & Tricks
Tomatillos might be new to some of you. They need their papery husks removed and then give them a quick rinse as they are often somewhat sticky. If you prefer a white chicken chili - I have that too!
FAQs
What do you eat Chicken Chili Verde with?
This can be had as a soup/stew on its own, topped with tortilla chips. But if you want to have it as a filling in your taco or enchiladas, you can also do that by all means and it'll be delicious.
Is Chicken Chili Verde spicy? Can I make it milder?
See my guide about the peppers in this recipe. I do not think this is a very spicy recipe, however, you can totally adjust how much jalapeño pepper you add to control how spicy you want it.
If you tried this recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today
Chicken Chili Verde
Ingredients
- 2 pounds tomatillos husked and halved
- 3 poblano peppers halved
- 2 anaheim peppers halved
- 1 jalapeño pepper halved
- 1 yellow onion thinly sliced
- 6 garlic cloves
- 1 bunch cilantro stems removed
- 1 lime juiced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 ½ lbs chicken thighs boneless, skinless
Instructions
- Place tomatillos cut side down, poblano peppers, anaheim peppers, jalapeños and unpeeled garlic cloves on a foil-lined large baking sheet. Place in the oven on broil for 10 minutes or until the tomatillos and peppers char.
- Transfer the poblano and jalapeno peppers to a glass bowl and seal with plastic wrap to steam (leave the tomatillos and garlic on the baking sheet for now). After steaming for 10 minutes, remove skin and discard.
- In a blender, combine the tomatillos and all their juices, peeled garlic cloves, assorted roasted and peeled peppers, cilantro, lime juice, cumin, salt, pepper and chicken stock. Blend the ingredients until they are well combined.
- Season chicken thighs with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper.
- In a large heavy bottom skillet or dutch oven, add 2 tablespoon olive oil and heat over medium high heat. Add the chicken and sear both sides until golden brown. Add the onions and saute for a few minutes before adding the mixture from the blender. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and shreds easily with a fork. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve in a bowl with tortilla chips on the side and tons cilantro on top.
Absolutely delicious! I followed your recipe as is and it’s perfect. I used leftover thanksgiving turkey - the only change. The hubs said to add it to the rotation. lol The flavor is phenomenal, bright, and not spicy. Thank you!
Amazing
Served over rice with a sprinkling of Monterey Jack and sliced avocado. Everyone was content! Yum! Thank you, Gaby, for the best recipes!
What about reconstituting dried peppers. Small town and I can’t find fresh
How many cups does the salsa verde yield? Thanks!
Recommend fresh ground cumin seed for richer, more savory flavor. Pre-ground loses flavor as it sits on a grocer's shelf. I use rotisserie chicken, then boil the bones and skin with several bay leaves for stock. I also enjoy Mexican Oregano in this dish.
My family loves this dish! We made a double batch for a gathering of people. Put a big pot of chili verde on the table with all of the toppings/ chips/ tortillas for everyone to create their own adventure. Huge hit! If you are going to make it, highly recommend doubling the recipe for leftovers!
Are you sure the nutrition facts that you provided are correct? I don’t see how there can be 32 g of fat per serving. There are 24 grams of fat in half a pound of uncooked thighs. Times 3= 72 grams. Divided by 4 servings is 19 grams per serving, and there is almost no other fat source except for the olive oil.
weird! my plugin that does the calculations had chicken thighs wrong!! fixed!
Is there really just ONE cup of stock?
yes because I like it thicker / not soupy. If you want it to be a bit more soupy, add 2 cups!