This easy and flavorful Green Chicken Chili is the perfect cozy and comforting weeknight dish. Juicy shredded chicken and white beans come together with green chiles for a warm and tangy bowl of chili. Ready on the stovetop in under 1 hour, or can be made in the Crockpot or Instant Pot for an even easier meal!
I’ve always been a big green chicken chili fan, and I’ve been making this particular recipe for years.
My family loves it, and I love making it because it’s so easy to throw together.
It’s a great soup to make during Hatch green chile season to use up some of those delicious roasted green chiles, and it can easily be made kid-friendly by using only mild peppers.
More reasons why I love it:
- It’s a one-pot meal! Nothing is better than only having one pot to clean up after dinner. Everything comes together in one pot and makes the best weeknight meal.
- It’s super hearty and filling. Shredded chicken, two cans of white beans, and a can of corn add plenty of protein and make this recipe extra filling. Serve it with some crushed-up tortilla chips or tortilla strips, and you’re all set!
Ingredients
- Peppers: I used a mix of poblano, jalapeño, and roasted and diced hatch green chiles for a variety of flavors. To keep things on the milder side, omit the jalapeño peppers. And make sure to check the label on the can of diced green chiles – you want it to say mild instead of medium or hot!
- Chicken: To make this a true easy weeknight meal, I used some cooked shredded chicken I had in the fridge, but you could also grab a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store and shred it at home.
- Broth: Chicken broth adds a great base flavor for the chili, but you can use vegetable broth if you prefer.
- Salsa verde: This adds even more green chile flavor to the broth. I used my salsa verde, but you can use 2 cups of your favorite store-bought brand to keep things easy!
- Seasonings: Cumin, oregano, salt, and a bay leaf all add great Mexican-inspired flavors.
- Canned beans: I used two cans of cannellini beans, but you can use any white beans or even pinto beans.
- Canned corn: I used one can of whole-kernel corn for a hint of sweetness, texture, and color. You could also use about 1 1/2 cups of frozen corn if you prefer.
- Onion and garlic: I also used a whole white onion and freshly minced garlic for the best flavor.
- Toppings: Finishing off the green chicken chili with chopped cilantro and lime juice adds just the right amount of citrus and fresh herb flavor. I also like to top my bowls with avocado, sour cream, green onions, and tortilla chips.
How to Make Green Chicken Chili
Cook the vegetables. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Once heated, add the poblanos, jalapeño, hatch green chiles, and onion. Cook until the peppers are softened and the onions are translucent, stirring occasionally. This should take about 10 minutes.
Once the peppers and onions are ready, add garlic and stir. Cook until fragrant.
Add the remaining ingredients. In the same pot, add the broth, shredded chicken, salsa verde, beans, corn, salt, cumin, oregano, and bay leaf. Stir to combine and turn up the heat to high, bringing the chili to a boil.
Cover and cook. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer the chili for 20 minutes. Uncover and cook uncovered for an additional 10 minutes to reduce the broth and thicken the consistency.
Garnish and serve. Stir in the chopped cilantro and lime juice. Taste for salt and add if needed. Take off the heat and serve in bowls topped with sour cream, cilantro, green onions, and avocados.
Tips and Variations
- Adjust the spice level. To make this chili very mild and kid-friendly, make sure to use mild diced green chiles and omit the jalapeños. You could also use Anaheim or green bell peppers instead of the poblanos.
- Keep things quick and easy. Use a store-bought shredded rotisserie chicken and your favorite jar of salsa verde to make this a quick weeknight chili.
- Make it creamy. Stir in 4 ounces of cream cheese before serving to make this chili creamy and irresistible.
- Make this in the Crockpot or Instant Pot. Instead of using cooked shredded chicken, you’ll need 2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs. Full instructions for how to use these methods are in the Notes section of the recipe card below.
Serving Suggestions
The best thing about chili is all the toppings! I love topping it with a dollop of sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt), avocado (for more of that green factor), sliced green onions, chopped fresh cilantro, and some crushed tortilla chips or crunchy tortilla strips.
While chili is certainly a full meal by itself, it’s also great served with a side of jalapeño cornbread, some bolillo bread, or just a freshly made warm flour tortilla. YUM!
Storing and Reheating
To store, place in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat, place the chili in a large pot on the stove over medium-high heat and heat until it starts to simmer and is warmed through. You can also microwave it on high for 5 minutes, stirring halfway through, until fully heated.
Green Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 2 poblano peppers, stemmed, seeded, and diced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced
- 4 ounces diced green chiles
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 4 cups cooked shredded chicken
- 2 cups salsa verde
- 2 (15.5-ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- 4 tablespoons lime juice (about 2 limes)
- Toppings: sour cream, diced avocados, sliced green onions, tortilla chips
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, poblanos, jalapeño, and diced green chiles and cook for 10 minutes, until the peppers are softened and the onions are translucent.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the chicken broth, shredded chicken, salsa verde, beans, corn, salt, cumin, oregano, and bay leaf. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Uncover and cook for an additional 10 minutes while the broth reduces.
- Discard the bay leaf and stir in the chopped cilantro and lime juice. Taste and season with more salt if needed.
- Serve in bowls topped with sour cream, cilantro, green onions, and avocados.
Notes
- Adjust the spice level. To make this chili very mild and kid-friendly, make sure to use mild diced green chiles and omit the jalapeños. You could also use Anaheim or green bell peppers instead of the poblanos.
- Corn: If you don’t have canned corn, you can use 1 1/2 cups of frozen corn.
- Chicken: You can use a rotisserie chicken or you can make some homemade shredded chicken.
- Salsa Verde: You can use store bought or make your own salsa verde at home.
- To make this in the slow cooker: Cook the peppers, onions, and garlic in a large skillet over medium-high for 8-10 minutes until the onions are translucent and the peppers have softened slightly. Add them into the slow cooker along with 2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, broth, salsa verde, corn, salt, cumin, oregano, and a bay leaf. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6 hours. 30 minutes before the cooking time is finished, remove the chicken breasts with a slotted spoon and shred them with two forks. Add the shredded chicken back into the slow cooker along with white beans and cook for the remaining 30 minutes. Garnish and serve.
- To make this in the Instant Pot: Cook the peppers, onions, and garlic in the Instant Pot using the saute function for 8-10 minutes until the onions are translucent and the peppers have softened slightly. Turn the saute function off, then add in 2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, broth, salsa verde, corn, salt, cumin, oregano, and a bay leaf. Cover and pressure cook on high for 15 minutes. Remove the chicken breasts with a slotted spoon and shred them with two forks. Add the shredded chicken back into the Instant Pot along with white beans. Turn the saute function on for 5 minutes, then garnish and serve.
Nutrition Information
Photography by Ashley McLaughlin.
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