Ingredients
Vegetables & Herbs
- 1 1/4 pounds tomatillos, husks removed and washed
- 1 jalapeño, halved, seeded and deveined
- 2 poblano chiles, seeded and deveined
- 1/2 yellow onion, quartered with root intact
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 cup cilantro
- 1 lime, juiced
Spices
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Other Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 4 ounce can diced green chiles
- 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth or water
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
Instructions
- Roast the Vegetables: Preheat your oven to broil and position a rack at the top. Line a sheet pan with foil and arrange poblanos, jalapeño, onion, tomatillos, and garlic cloves on it. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and rub to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Broil for 6 minutes, rotate pan, then broil another 6 minutes until chile skins are blackened and tomatillos are softened.
- Prepare the Sauce Base: Remove tray from oven and roughly chop the poblanos, jalapeño, and onion. Place all the roasted vegetables and juices into a food processor or blender. Add dried cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, diced green chiles, cilantro, lime juice, and chicken broth or water. Puree until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or lime juice if needed.
- Brown the Chicken: Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, swirling to coat. Add chicken pieces in a single layer. Season with salt and pepper. Let cook undisturbed for about 3 minutes to brown.
- Continue Cooking Chicken: Stir the chicken and cook for another 1 minute. The chicken will not be fully cooked yet.
- Simmer in Sauce: Pour the prepared chile verde sauce over the chicken. Stir to combine, cover with a lid, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes until chicken is cooked through and flavors meld.
- Serve: Serve chicken chile verde hot over rice or with warm tortillas. Optionally top with crumbled queso fresco and chopped cilantro for extra freshness and flavor.
Notes
- To remove the tacky film from tomatillos, rinse them thoroughly under hot water after removing husks.
- For less heat, remove seeds from jalapeño and poblano peppers completely.
- Make sure to use low sodium chicken broth to control the saltiness of the dish.
- If you don’t have a food processor, a high-speed blender works well for pureeing the sauce.
- Leftover chile verde can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated gently on the stovetop.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Broiling, Simmering (Stovetop)
- Cuisine: Mexican
