It seems as if everyone has their favorite version of chili. Our family recipe is tomato based and includes a can of beer. Yum! A classic chili recipe is a given, but I’m always looking to do something different, just to keep my family on their toes. Salsa verde is a favorite of ours, which lead me to create this Green Chicken Chili. Living in the Southwest for many years has pushed me to make salsas and stews using green chilis which grow very well here. Besides, like so many of you, our family loves any dish with a kick. I swear we could open up a market with all of the hot sauce bottles in our house.
After so many requests, I finally wrote down the ingredients for this recipe to share with you. Usually, when I’m making a stew or a chili, I just add a little bit of this and a little bit of that, making it up as I go along.
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That’s the beauty of these one pot dishes, you really can never go wrong
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Tomatillos are the signature ingredient here, and I created this recipe around them because I love their lemony tang, mild spiciness and mouthwatering flavor. Not only that, but their papery husk makes them so beautiful to look at, like little gifts wrapped in gorgeous wrapping. Best of all….they are readily available year round. These beauties are just too hard to resist! Although tomatillos can be eaten raw, I prefer to roast them in the oven which brings out a smoky flavor that adds so much depth to this dish. The heat in this dish comes from the Jalapeños and Hatch chilis, which you can use from a can, or fresh. I throw this all together in a blender with a handful of cilantro and a squeeze of lime. Which , by the way, would make an excellent Salsa Verde for chip dipping. Hello Super Bowl.
With the addition of white beans, this hearty dish can easily become vegan using vegetarian stock and omitting the chicken. In that case, I’d double the beans. Either way it’s gluten-free.
Cornbread is always optional, but a welcome side dish in our house.
INGREDIENTS
Serves 6-8
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1 1lb tomatillos
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2 jalapeños
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2 garlic cloves
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2 anaheim chili peppers or 1 can chopped roasted hatch chilis
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3 -6 T olive oil
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1 yellow onion, chopped
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6 pieces of chicken breasts
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1 cup dried white beans (soaked overnight) or 1 can of whitebeans
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4 cups chicken stock
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1/2 cup cilantro leaves, plus more for the garnish
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3 limes
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6 radishes sliced
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2 avocados
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sour cream (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS:
- If using dried beans that have been soaked, drain them and rinse in a colander. Place in a pot with fresh water, bring to a boil and simmer until cooked though. About 1 hour.
- Turn the oven on at 425 degrees and place a rack on the upper third of the oven. Peel the husk off the tomatillos and wash gently. Cut the large ones in half and place them all on a baking sheet along with the garlic cloves. Cut the jalapeños and Anaheim peppers (if using) in half, take the seeds out and place on the same sheet. Sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss and place in oven for about 20 minutes, turning them halfway through, until they are toasty on top and cooked through. If using the Anaheim peppers, place in a sandwich bag to steam for a few minutes and peel the skin off and discard.
- Place all of the ingredients (including Hatch chilis from the can if you are using instead of the Anaheim) in a blender, along with the cilantro and the juice of two limes. blend on high speed. Set aside.
- In a dutch oven, heat approx. 3 T olive oil over medium heat and add the chicken. Sauté until browned on both sides. Remove from the pot and set aside. Add the onion to the pot and sauté until soft. Add the chicken stock, chicken pieces, and tomatillo sauce. Cook at a simmer for about an 1 1/2 hours, covered half-way. Remove and shred chicken. Return chicken to the pot along with the beans and cook for another 30 minutes.
- Serve in bowls topped with sliced radishes, avocado and cilantro as a garnish. Sour cream is optional as well.
I have been looking forward to this! I can’t wait to try it. Also, just a thought, I don’t know how you input your recipes to your blog post, but it would be nice to have a PRINT button (unless I’m missing it?).
Hi Mary. Thank you so much for the suggestion. I am working on it! Hopefully by the next post.