Chef John’s Green Chicken Chili

Description

Make this easier version of chili verde using chicken and a tomatillo-based green salsa instead of roasting and pureeing fresh tomatillos. Note that this is a green chili made with chicken and not a chili made with green chicken. Sorry if this disappoints anyone. You can serve it with sour cream, avocado, cilantro, and corn tortillas or corn bread.

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs
  • kosher salt to taste
  • 1 (24 fluid ounce) bottle tomatillo-based salsa verde
  • ½ (4 ounce) can chopped roasted green chiles
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced
  • ½ cup lightly packed cilantro leaves and stems
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground dried chipotle pepper
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ¾ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
  • 2 (15 ounce) cans white kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Instructions

  1. Season chicken thighs with salt on both sides.
  2. Transfer 1/2 the chicken to a dry
  3. nonstick skillet over high heat. Cook until browned
  4. about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a bowl. Brown the rest of the chicken. Let cool to room temperature before cutting.
  5. Combine salsa verde
  6. green chilies
  7. garlic
  8. jalapeno
  9. and cilantro in a blender. Blend
  10. starting on low and finishing on high
  11. until sauce is very smooth and bright green.
  12. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and transfer back into the bowl. Combine chicken pieces
  13. accumulated juices
  14. and the green sauce into a pot. Season with cumin
  15. chipotle pepper
  16. black pepper
  17. oregano
  18. and salt.
  19. Rinse out blender with a splash of water and pour into the pot. Mix together and set heat to medium-high. Bring to a simmer; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until chicken is tender
  20. depending on size of chicken pieces
  21. about 1 hour. Stir in kidney beans and simmer until thickened
  22. about 15 minutes.

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 1 hr 35 mins

Total Time: 1 hr 50 mins

Servings: 6

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