One of my family’s favorite meals is Green Chicken Chili. I love it for many reasons but mostly because it takes me little to no time to throw together and involves very little hands-on time. I often use my pressure cooker to lessen the cook time, but this Green Chicken Chili recipe can also be made in a slow cooker or on the stovetop–whatever works best for your lifestyle!
Now that the seasons are beginning to change and there is a slight chill in the air, nothing makes me feel as cozy and happy as a big bowl of homemade soup.
This green chicken chili comes together fairly quickly in a pressure cooker and if you have leftovers–they freeze wonderfully! I’ve written the recipe below using chicken thighs but if you want to use a whole chicken, that works too!
Cooking a Whole Chicken in the Pressure Cooker:
Add the whole chicken, veggies and spices to the pot [see recipe below] and increase the cook time. A whole thawed chicken will require around 40 minutes in the pressure cooker (high). A frozen chicken will take around 50 minutes in the pressure cooker (high).
When the chicken is done cooking, release the pressure [manually or natural release]. Remove all the chicken and bones from the pot. Continue with the recipe as written.
I love to cook a whole chicken instead of using thighs for many reasons. It’s really economical and I feel like I get “more bang for my buck”. I can get many meals out of one whole chicken. I shred it up and use it for salads, pastas, quesidillas…the options are endless!
Get Your Kids Involved:
If they show any interest in the kitchen/cooking, this is a great recipe to let your kids “help” prepare. You could have them help you rough chop the vegetables (no need to be precise!). Have them help toss them into the cooking pot. They can even help measure spices and the chicken stock. Helping to prepare a meal is a really fun activity for them and BONUS: if they help make it, they’re usually more willing to eat it!
Another bonus: Your kids will learn some basic knife skills (or at least get comfortable holding a knife). Learning to use a knife increases both safety and confidence in the kitchen. Teach them young!
I throw a bunch of different chilies in this soup. I know that can be a bit worrisome for some people. But, trust me. I promise the end soup isn’t spicy (hot) at all! If you worry about your spice tolerance, remove the seeds and membranes from the chiles. This will still allow the flavor of the chilies to shine but reduce the amount of capsaicin. Capsaicin is the chemical that makes chilies taste “spicy”).
I use the Ninja Foodi to make my recipes. You can find more information about the Ninja Foodi here. This post is NOT sponsored by Ninja. But if you do purchase from the link I attached I will earn a small commission. This small amount of money helps to maintain this blog. It also goes towards recipe development both here and on/for my instagram.
If you are looking for some other delicious chicken recipes, I recommend trying my Coconut and Cardamom Chicken Curry! It’s super easy, mild [a great introduction to “curry!”] and made with minimal ingredients/spices.
Green Chicken Chili
This simple and flavorful Green Chicken Chili is inspired by ingredients found in Mexican cuisine. It's quick and easy to make using a pressure cooker, slow cooker and can also be made on the stovetop. Served with some fresh made (or store bought –no judgement!) tortillas this will surely become one of your family's favorite meals!
- 1 tbsp oil (I like grapeseed but any mild flavored oil would work.)
- 1-2 pounds skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
- 4 large tomatillos (husk removed, rinsed and quartered)
- 2 poblano peppers (seeds and membrane removed/discarded, roughly chopped)
- 1-2 jalapeno peppers (seeds and membrane removed/discarded, roughly chopped [if you’d like a spicier version, leave the seeds/membranes intact or use serrano peppers])
- 1 medium white onion (sliced)
- 8 large cloves of garlic (minced [around ½-1 tbsp garlic paste])
- 1 tbsp Ground cumin powder
- 1 tsp Dried oregano (optional–if you can find Mexican oregano, use that.)
- 1 tsp Smoked paprika (optional [available at most grocery stores, Trader Joes and Amazon])
- 8-16 oz Chicken stock OR water mixed with bouillon ([I like the knorr brand bouillon, specifically the pollo flavor–available at most markets near the Mexican foods/ingredients]. You can also just use water.)
- Salt (to taste. I like to use kosher salt.)
- Ground Black Pepper (to taste)
- 1 bunch cilantro leaves and stems (washed {around ½ cup loosely packed–a bit more is fine], rough chop.)
- Fresh squeezed lime juice (as needed)
To Serve (optional):
- Corn Tortillas
- chopped cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Coquita cheese
- avocado
- crumbled chips
- Crema or Sour Cream
If Cooking in a Pressure Cooker (electric or stovetop):
Turn your pressure cooker to the saute function and add 1 tbsp oil. Combine chicken, tomatillos, poblano peppers, jalapenos, onion, garlic, cumin, and a big pinch of salt in a pressure cooker. Add oregano and smoked paprika [if using]. Heat over high heat [saute function] until gently sizzling, then seal pressure cooker. Bring to high pressure, and cook for 15 minutes. When the timer goes off and your food is done cooking, quick release pressure [if you have time, a natural release is fine].
If using a slow-cooker/crockpot:
Add 1 tbsp. of oil into your slow cooker/crockpot. Add the chicken thighs. Toss in the tomatillos, chilies, onions, garlic and spices. Add 1 cup of liquid (broth or water mixed with a bit of chicken bouillon}. Cook the chicken and veggie mixture on LOW for 6 hours or HIGH for 3 hours–or until chicken is cooked through and veggies are tender.
If Cooking On The Stovetop:
Choose a large, heavy bottomed pot with a lid. Add 1 tbsp of oil to the pot and sear the chicken. Once the chicken has began to brown, and you notice bits getting "stuck" to the bottom of the pan [this is flavor!], add the tomatillos, chopped chilies, onions, garlic, salt and spices [if using]. Add enough liquid [broth or water mixed with a bit of chicken bouillon] to submerge the veggies and chicken. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to a simmer, cover and cook 40-45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and veggies are tender.
To Finish the Soup (after cooking using any method listed above):
Using tongs, chopsticks or a large spoon,, transfer chicken pieces to a plate and set aside.
Add cilantro to the remaining ingredients in the pressure cooker. Blend with a hand blender–alternatively, remove the contents to a traditional blender and blend until smooth. Add chicken stock/broth until you reach the desired consistency of your chili [it shouldn’t be TOO liquid–it should be a bit thick, like a stew].
Return the blended liquid to the cooking vessel/pot. And season to taste with salt and black pepper. You may also need to add a bit of freshly squeezed lime juice until you feel that you have the right balance.
Shred the chicken and discard the skin and bones. Add the chicken to the pot with the soup.
Serve in bowls topped with chopped cilantro, crema/sour cream, avocado, coquita and alongside fresh tortillas and lime wedges [all optional, but all delicious!]
Spices/Special Ingredient List [and where to buy]
Shopping for spices and special ingredients can feel a bit intimidating and can also get expensive-especially if you don’t use them often.
I recommend buying spices in bulk from an Indian/Asian/Mexican market as these will be fresher than what’s offered at the grocery store and also significantly less expensive.
If you are not ready to commit to a large quantity, shopping the bulk bins at the co-op or specialty grocers is an excellent choice. You can buy exactly what you need for the recipe. No wastage, and nothing to store!
Spices and Specialty Ingredients for these recipes:
- Cumin Powder– A staple spice in many different cuisines, including: Mexican, Indian, African and Asian cuisines, this spice is great to have on hand. It is available at nearly every grocery store/market. I believe I’ve even seen it available at the dollar store and Aldi.
- Smoked Paprika-available in sweet, mild, medium and hot. This gives a bit of heat and color to a dish but most importantly adds a nice hint of smoky flavor.
- Dried Oregano [optional]- available at every grocery store, including the dollar store and Aldi. If you can find Mexican oregano, choose that. Mexican oregano is not related to the commonly found Mediterranean oregano but does have some similar flavor profiles although Mexican oregano is a bit more earthy/woodsy in flavor.
- Knorr Chicken [Pollo] Bouillon: Available at nearly all grocery stores [look near the Mexican ingredients] including Aldi. This is a great thing to have on hand. You can add it to some water to make a broth, but it’s also great to add a little straight to a dish to give it an extra pop of flavor. The Mexican variety will say POLLO on the container and is a bit different than Knorr’s “American” version. Buy the Mexican, if you can find it.
- Tomatillos/Poblano Peppers: Both of these ingredients can be found at most major grocery stores. Tomatillos look a bit like green tomatoes with a papery skin covering them. They’re quite sour and are a key ingredient in many Mexican dishes. Poblano peppers are usually quite big and are a shade of dark green. They’re a very mild chili.
