Award Winning Verde Chicken Chili – 2 Ways!

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This chili is so easy! And unbelievably yummy. If you like Salsa Verde – I’m confident you will love this recipe!

What makes this recipe a winner?

This Chili recipe won an Annual Chili Cook Off at my work a few years ago & I’ve been loving it ever since. It stands out during ‘Chili Season’ as a favorite because “traditional” chili recipes have a tomato based red sauce but this is the opposite of that: it’s totally green. It’s a tangy & vibrant tasting chili with a bit of spice that creeps on you the more you eat it.

Full transparency here so I’m not misleading anyone … the recipe below is slightly different than the original Award Winning recipe. Mainly because the original recipe was a ‘best guess’. The original author said “I don’t measure stuff. Measurements are a best guess.” So I took her ‘recipe’ & tweaked it slightly to make sure all of the ingredients are easy to find.

What changes did I make? Her original recipe called for canned tomatillos but I have a hard time finding them so I opted to add more green chilies instead. I also added Garlic Powder because the original recipe didn’t call for garlic in any form. Gotta have garlic!

Two Ways to Cook Verde Chicken Chili

This chili can be made in a Slow Cooker (like my favorite crock pot) or a Pressure Cooker (like the Instant Pot). The ingredients are the same no matter which appliance you use. The only difference is that with an Instant Pot, you can put the chicken in while it’s still frozen.

For the slow cooker, the chicken needs to fresh or thawed. You can cook the chili on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours. I love using a crock pot when I can for this recipe because the house ends up smelling delicious all day long.

The Instant Pot is a great option when you’re short on time or you forgot to thaw your chicken. I’ve also used this as a ‘back pocket’ recipe for when I don’t have anything else planned to cook. All of the ingredients are freezer friendly and shelf stable so it’s easy to keep what you need on hand.

Foodie Tip! I just mentioned that all ingredients for this recipe are freezer friendly or shelf table … but you may have noticed the recipe calls for 1 lime. Did you know you can freeze citrus fruits whole to juice & zest later?

Buy your lemons & limes in bulk, & even oranges too if you juice them often. Wash, dry, & freeze the fruits when you buy them (keep them whole). Then when you need to juice or zest a lemon or lime, hold under lukewarm running water or microwave in 30 second increments until thawed. Finally, roll the fruit between your hand and a counter or table top to loosen the fibers & make it easier to juice.

What To Serve with Verde Chicken Chili

  • Cornbread is a staple side dish with chili. For this Verde Chili, consider looking for a Jalapeno Cornbread.
  • A starchy vegetable like a baked potato would be great with this chili. Russet or Sweet Potatoes would work well.
  • A crunchy green salad or some fresh fruit would be a good counter balance to the chili for a light lunch.
  • Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice would be a good vegetable addition you could add right in your bowl with the chili.

Did you try this recipe yet? Please tell me all about it! I really appreciate all of your feedback & I love seeing your creations! Please leave a review & comment below. And don’t forget to take a quick pic of your creation, and tag This & That on Instagram or Facebook.

Verde Chicken Chili

Stephanie Ralya
An easy & delicious chicken chili made with salsa verde & white beans. Recipe includes directions for a crock pot or pressure cooker.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 6 -8 servings

Equipment

  • Pressure Cooker or Slow Cooker

Ingredients
  

  • 2 16 oz Jars of Salsa Verde I use Herdez
  • 1 7 oz Can Chopped Green Chilies undrained
  • 1 Lime halved
  • 2 c Chicken Stock low sodium
  • 1/2 T Cumin ground
  • 1/2 T Chjli Powder
  • 1 t Paprika
  • 1 t Garlic Powder
  • 1/2 t Oregano, dried
  • 1/2 t Salt
  • 1/4 t Black pepper
  • 3 15 oz Cans White Kidney Beans drained & rinsed
  • 1.5 lb Chicken Breast boneless/skinless
  • Pepper Jack Cheese optional, for serving
  • Sour Cream or Plain Greek Yogurt optional, for serving
  • Hint of Lime Tortilla Chips optional, for serving
  • Cilantro chopped, optional, for serving

Instructions
 

Slow Cooker or Crock Pot Instructions

  • Add all ingredients except the chicken & optional toppings to the crock pot. Stir to mix. Submerge chicken breasts into the mixture, completely covering. Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours. Remove chicken from crock pot & shred. Return to crock pot & stir to combine. Serve immediately with desired toppings.

Pressure Cooker or Instant Pot Instructions

  • Add all ingredients except the chicken & optional toppings to the pressure cooker pot. Stir to mix. Submerge chicken breasts into the mixture, completely covering. Set to manual mode & cook for 12 minutes if using frozen chicken or 5 minutes if using fresh or thawed. Immediately release pressure. Remove chicken & shred. Return to instant pot & stir to combine. Serve immediately with desired toppings.

Notes

Keyword autumn, easy, fall, green beans, kid-friendly, salsa, simple, winter

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