This green chili recipe is a wholesome, easy twist on classic chile verde. It keeps the bright, fresh flavors you expect from a green chile but swaps pork for lean chicken breast and uses salsa verde for convenience. The result is a comforting, protein-packed chili that tastes like it simmered all day but comes together in about an hour.
Chile verde — also called green chili — is traditionally a pork-based Mexican stew made from tomatillos and green chiles. This version keeps the green profile and bright tang of tomatillo-style salsa verde while offering a lighter, quicker approach using chicken breasts and pantry-friendly beans.
Featured Comment
“AMAZING!!! Definitely going to be adding this to my soup rotation. Very easy to make and great flavor without being too spicy.” — Amanda
What You Need for Easy Green Chili
This recipe has three main components: green vegetables, lean protein, and beans for texture and fiber. Using a jar of salsa verde speeds things up while retaining the characteristic tang and color.
Green Veggies
We use a mix of spicy and mild green peppers to build depth and balance:
- Poblano peppers — mild and slightly smoky
- Jalapeño — adds a touch of heat (seeded to mellow the spice)
- Canned green chiles — convenient and flavorful
How to prepare hot peppers (seeds vs no seeds)
Because the peppers are ultimately blended, there’s flexibility in how you chop them. Removing cores and seeds will reduce heat. Slice off the tops, halve the peppers lengthwise, and scrape out the inner membranes and seeds if you prefer a milder chili.
Meat
Instead of the traditional pork shoulder, this recipe uses boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Chicken cooks quickly and keeps the chili lean while delivering satisfying protein.
Beans
Though not typical in every chile verde, beans add fiber, protein, and a pleasant texture. This recipe uses a combination of:
- Pinto beans — mild and comforting
- White cannellini beans — creamy and hearty
- Hominy — adds chew and a slightly sweet corn character
Substitutions and Variations
Make the recipe your own with these simple swaps:
- Veggies: Increase or decrease the number and types of peppers to suit your heat preference. Any salsa verde (mild, medium, or hot) works.
- Protein: Swap chicken breasts for boneless, skinless thighs, turkey breast, beef roast, or pork shoulder. Note: pork shoulder requires a much longer cooking time until tender.
- Beans: Use any canned beans you prefer or have on hand — black beans, kidney beans, or navy beans are fine.
FAQ
No — this particular version is not overly spicy. It’s designed to be family-friendly and flavorful more than fiery. To reduce heat even further, omit the jalapeño or use an extra poblano and a mild salsa verde.
How can you make it spicier?
Add 1–2 more jalapeños, leave some seeds in, or use a hotter salsa verde.
Do you need to blend the peppers?
Blending the roasted peppers, shallot, and salsa verde with an immersion blender helps thicken the base and deepen the flavor so no additional thickening agent is needed. Blend until you still have some small chunks for texture.
Storage
Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freezing Green Chili
After cooling completely, transfer the chili to freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating on the stovetop.
More Chicken Chili Ideas
- White bean chicken chili
- Crockpot chicken chili
- Buffalo-style chicken chili
- White chicken quinoa chili
Serving Suggestions
Toppings make this chili shine. Try sour cream or Greek yogurt, diced red onion, chopped cilantro, fresh lime juice, shredded cheese, or sliced avocado. Serve with tortilla chips or over baked potatoes. Leftovers also make an excellent filling for enchiladas, burritos, or as a base topped with a fried egg for breakfast.
Green Chili
This easy Midwestern-style chile verde is perfectly spiced, high in protein, and packed with green flavor.
Prep: 15 minutes • Cook: 1 hour • Total: 1 hour 15 minutes • Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 medium white onion, chopped
- 2 poblano peppers, diced
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
- 1 shallot, minced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 4 oz. canned green chiles
- 16 oz. salsa verde (any heat)
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 15 oz. pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 15 oz. white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 15 oz. white hominy, drained
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- In an oven-safe stockpot, combine the chopped onion, diced poblano and jalapeño, minced shallot, and garlic. Drizzle with olive oil, add salt, and toss to coat. Bake for 25 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until vegetables are softened and lightly roasted.
- Remove the pot from the oven. Add the canned green chiles, salsa verde, chicken broth, and whole chicken breasts. Stir to combine.
- Place the pot on the stovetop over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 25–30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Remove the chicken and shred it with two forks. Set aside.
- Use an immersion blender to pulse-blend the pot contents until the mixture has small, chunky consistency — this thickens and unifies the base.
- Return the shredded chicken to the pot and add the pinto beans, cannellini beans, and hominy. Stir and simmer an additional 10 minutes to heat through and allow flavors to meld.
- Adjust seasoning to taste and serve hot with your favorite toppings.
Tips & Notes
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Freeze cooled chili in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months.
- Slow cooker option: Add everything except the beans and hominy to the slow cooker. Cook on high 3–4 hours or low 6–8 hours. Remove and shred the chicken, blend the base with an immersion blender, return the chicken, add beans and hominy, and cook 15–30 minutes more.
Nutrition (per serving, approximate)
Calories: 446 kcal • Carbohydrates: 78 g • Protein: 38 g • Fat: 6 g • Fiber: 9 g • Sugar: 8 g
Nutrition information is an estimate and should be used as a general guideline.