Easy Green Chili Chicken Recipe (2024)

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This Green Chili Chicken recipe is an easy meal prep recipe that can use used for several types of meals. It uses just a few ingredients – canned or jarred green chilies, green salsa, and chicken breasts – and can be made in just a few minutes. It’s our favorite way to prep for the week and the whole family loves this low carb chicken recipe.

When you’re wanting to make a delicious meal, pull it out of the fridge or freezer and heat it up on top of a salad, inside corn tortillas or flour tortillas, or add black beans and rice to make a bowl out of it.

Easy Green Chili Chicken Recipe (1)

Where’s the recipe?

The recipes here at My Crazy Good Life are written two ways–in the post below, you’ll find detailed cooking instructions that anyone can follow, ingredient and substitution information, recipe tips, and healthy eating plan information for specific diets. Scroll through that information before heading to the printable recipe for the best cooking experience.

If you scroll all the way down to the printable recipe, you’ll find to-the-point instructions along with the information about measurements and ingredients. Whichever method you choose to use, I hope you love this Green Chile Chicken as much as we do!

Table of Contents

Ingredients in Green Chili Chicken

  • chicken breasts
  • green onions
  • fresh cilantro
  • diced green chiles: We like spicy, but you can also use mild green chiles for less spice. Hatch chiles are our favorite!
  • tomatillo salsa Found by the jarred salsa in the Mexican food section of the grocery store.
  • Shredded cheese (optional)
Easy Green Chili Chicken Recipe (2)

How to make Green Chili Chicken in the Instant Pot

This can be made in any electric pressure cooker.

  1. Heat oil using the sauté mode in the Instant Pot. When the oil is hot, slightly sauté the green onions and cilantro.
  2. Add the chicken to the Instant Pot and brown. Cover with the can of green chilies and tomatillo salsa. No additional liquid is needed for this recipe to come to pressure.
  3. Close the lid and turn the pressure valve to Sealing. Cook on high pressure using the manual button for 15 minutes.
  4. Let the pressure release naturally or do a quick release–whatever you have time for. Natural release is always good for chicken because it helps it stay tender.
  5. Remove the lid and shred the chicken right in the pot. You can use a hand mixer for this, two forks, or stick it in the stand mixer to shred. If you’re going to eat this as a dip, you might want to put it in the food processor instead so it breaks into smaller pieces.
  6. If you’ve chosen to add cheese to your chicken, add that now and mix it up.. The sauce will thicken a little as it cools.
  7. Serve this chicken over a bed of lettuce. Garnish with tomatoes, olives, salsa, and plain Greek yogurt.See more serving ideas below.
Easy Green Chili Chicken Recipe (3)

How to make this in the Oven

  1. Preheat oven to 350º.
  2. Lightly coat a small baking dish with olive oil cooking spray.
  3. Add chicken to the dish, and top with tomatillo salsa and green chilies.
  4. Top with cheese (optional), diced green onion and cilantro.
  5. Bake until chicken is heated through to 165º and cheese is melted, about 40 minutes.
  6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.
  7. Shred chicken with a stand mixer or two forks.

How to make this in the Crockpot

  1. Add the chicken to your slower cooker insert.
  2. Cover with green chilis, tomatillo salsa, cilantro, and green onions.
  3. Cover and let cook on high heat for 3-4 hour or low heat for 5-6 hours.
  4. Shred the chicken with two forks or move to a stand mixer to shred. Add the cheese (optional) and mix it until it melts.
  5. Serve over a bed of lettuce. Garnish with tomatoes, olives, and plain Greek yogurt.
Easy Green Chili Chicken Recipe (4)

Things you can make with this chicken recipe:

  • Serve on top of tortilla chips
  • Serve on top of a fresh salad
  • Serve with tortilla chips or raw vegetables as a dip
  • Serve baked inside of mini bell peppers
  • Make a taco salad with crispy tortilla strips and veggies

Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas:

  1. Roll the shredded chicken mixture into flour or corn tortillas and place in a baking dish.
  2. Top with shredded cheese and leftover green chilis or green salsa, if you have it!
  3. Bake at 350º for 15-20 minutes, until enchiladas are warm and cheese is melted.

Green Chili Chicken Tacos:

  1. Add green chili chicken to taco shells or tortillas
  2. Top with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sliced jalapeños, and shredded cheese.
Easy Green Chili Chicken Recipe (5)

Recipe tips

  • Tomatillo salsa is similar to salsa verde or green chili salsa, and what is available across the country can vary greatly. Don’t stress too much about what you get, your chicken will be delicious!
  • This recipe is a great freezer meal! If you make extra or want to freeze some, add it to an airtight container or freezer bags and freeze for up to 2 months.
  • If you have pre-cooked rotisserie chicken to use with this recipe, pull it off the bone and heat it on low with the tomatillo salsa and deiced green chilis for about 30 minutes. The chicken will be seasoned and falling apart with flavor.
  • Want to use chicken thighs? No problem! The cooking time will be the same for all three cooking methods. Make sure the internal temperature of the chicken is 165º before removing from heat.
  • You can use fresh green chilies if you’d like! I typically use about 1/2 cup.
  • If you struggle to find the green chiles or tomatillo salsa, go ahead and use green enchilada sauce.

Healthy Eating Plans

Portion Fix / 21 Day Fix:

  • Entire recipe:5 Red containers,5 Green containers, 3 Blue Containers. I give you the container counts for the entire recipe so that if you change the ingredients, it’s easier for you to recalculate the containers.
  • This recipe makes four servings (depending on how spot on your chicken measurements are), and each serving is about 3/4 cups. Each serving is 1 1/4 red container, 1 1/4 green container, and 3/4 blue container.

Weight Watchers: Each serving of this recipe counts as 0 Points on the 2023 Plan | 4 Blue Plan Points | 7 Green Plan Points | 4 Purple Plan Points when skipping the cheese.

I calculate my recipes based on the exact ingredients that I use, not the nutrition information. WW has said this is the most accurate way to count points.

Trim Healthy Mama:

This is a THM Crossover recipe.

Easy Green Chili Chicken Recipe (6)

4.84 from 6 ratings

click the stars to rate!

Healthy Green Chili Chicken

Created by: Becca Ludlum

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 22 minutes mins

Total Time 27 minutes mins

Approximate Serving Size: 3/4 cup

Servings 4

This healthy Green Chili Chicken is perfect for meal prep! Makes enchiladas, tacos, burritos, and salads with just one recipe. Directions for making this recipe in the Instant Pot, Slow Cooker, and right on the stove!

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 lb chicken breasts or thighs
  • 1 can diced green chiles or fresh
  • 2 cups green chili salsa or tomatillo salsa, or green chile salsa
  • 4 green onions diced
  • 2 tbsp cilantro chopped
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded

Instructions

Instant Pot Green Chile Chicken:

  • Heat oil using the sauté mode in the Instant Pot. When the oil is hot, slightly sauté the green onions and cilantro.

  • Add the chicken to the Instant Pot and brown. Cover with the can of green chilies and tomatillo salsa. 1 lb chicken breasts, 1 can diced green chiles, 2 cups green chili salsa

  • Cook on high pressure using the manual button for 15 minutes.

  • Let the pressure release naturally or do a quick release–whatever you have time for. Natural release is always good for chicken because it helps it stay tender.

  • Remove the lid and shred the chicken right in the pot. You can use a hand mixer for this, two forks, or stick it in the stand mixer to shred. If you're going to eat this as a dip, you might want to put it in the food processor instead so it breaks into smaller pieces.

  • If you've chosen to add cheese to your chicken, add that now and mix it up.. The sauce will thicken a little as it cools. 1 cup cheddar cheese, 4 green onions, 2 tbsp cilantro

  • Serve as is, or refer to the full blog post for several serving ideas.

Oven Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 350º.

  • Lightly coat a small baking dish with olive oil cooking spray.

  • Add chicken to the dish, and top with tomatillo salsa and green chilies. 1 lb chicken breasts, 2 cups green chili salsa, 1 can diced green chiles,

  • Top with cheese (optional), diced green onion and cilantro. 1 cup cheddar cheese, 4 green onions, 2 tbsp cilantro

  • Bake until chicken is heated through to 165º and cheese is melted, about 40 minutes.

  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.

  • Shred chicken with a stand mixer or two forks.

Slow Cooker Directions:

  • Add the chicken to your slower cooker insert. 1 lb chicken breasts

  • Cover with green chilis, tomatillo salsa, cilantro, and green onions. 1 can diced green chiles, 2 cups green chili salsa, 2 tbsp cilantro, 4 green onions

  • Cover and let cook on high heat for 3-4 hour or low heat for 5-6 hours.

  • Shred the chicken with two forks or move to a stand mixer to shred. Add the cheese (optional) and mix it until it melts. 1 cup cheddar cheese

  • Serve as is, or refer to the blog post for serving ideas.

Video

Notes

Recipe tips:

  • Tomatillo salsa is similar to salsa verde or green chili salsa, and what is available across the country can vary greatly. Don’t stress too much about what you get, your chicken will be delicious!
  • This recipe is a great freezer meal! If you make extra or want to freeze some, add it to an airtight container or freezer bags and freeze for up to 2 months.
  • If you have pre-cooked rotisserie chicken to use with this recipe, pull it off the bone and heat it on low with the tomatillo salsa and deiced green chilis for about 30 minutes. The chicken will be seasoned and falling apart with flavor.
  • Want to use chicken thighs? No problem! The cooking time will be the same for all three cooking methods. Make sure the internal temperature of the chicken is 165º before removing from heat.
  • You can use fresh green chilies if you’d like! I typically use about 1/2 cup.
  • If you struggle to find the green chiles or tomatillo salsa, go ahead and use green enchilada sauce.

Healthy Eating Plans

Portion Fix/21 Day Fix:

  • Entire recipe:5 Red containers,5 Green containers, 3 Blue Containers. I give you the container counts for the entire recipe so that if you change the ingredients, it’s easier for you to recalculate the containers.
  • This recipe makes four servings (depending on how spot on your chicken measurements are), and each serving is about 3/4 cups. Each serving is 1 1/4 red container, 1 1/4 green container, and 3/4 blue container.

Weight Watchers: Each serving of this recipe counts as 0 Points on the 2023 Plan | 4 Blue Plan Points | 7 Green Plan Points | 4 Purple Plan Points when skipping the cheese.

I calculate my recipes based on the exact ingredients that I use, not the nutrition information. WW has said this is the most accurate way to count points.

Trim Healthy Mama:

This is a THM Crossover recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 253kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 79mg | Sodium: 1129mg | Potassium: 895mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1052IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 164mg | Iron: 2mg

Make This Recipe?

Make sure to follow on Pinterest @bludlum and on Instagram @beccaludlum

Easy Green Chili Chicken Recipe (7)

Becca Ludlum

Healthy recipe creator, self-confessed food snob, and certified Level 1 Precision Nutrition Coach. I create healthy recipes with minimally processed ingredients, but have never turned down a homemade brownie. ;)

Easy Green Chili Chicken Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What spice can I substitute for green chilies? ›

Jalapeños are a classic alternative to green chilies. They offer a moderate level of heat with a slightly fruity flavor, making them a versatile choice in various dishes, from salsas to stir-fries.

How do you tone down green chili? ›

Here are our suggestions: Add tomatoes (or tomato sauce or puree), for they soak up heat and spiciness. Serve with guacamole and/or sour cream; they're soothing and oily.

Can I use jalapenos instead of green chilies? ›

If you want something more mild, use a green bell pepper. If you want more spice, use a jalapeño. This is up to you. Also, since making my own roasted green chilies and realizing everything I can add them to – I started making them in big batches.

Why is my green chili bland? ›

It might need salt. If there's not enough salt it will taste flat. Or maybe more chili powder. I little Cayenne is always good unless you are feeding children or very sensitive people.

How do I thicken my green chili? ›

How to Thicken Chili
  1. Simmer down. ...
  2. Stir in some finely ground cornmeal or masa harina. ...
  3. Mix in a scoop of cornstarch, all-purpose flour, or oats. ...
  4. Pile on the vegetables. ...
  5. Try more tomato paste. ...
  6. Mash some beans. ...
  7. Crumble up some corn chips.
Oct 28, 2023

Which green chili is not spicy? ›

Poblano Chile (1,000-1,500)

These medium-sized dark green peppers are about as mild as chiles get. Once dried, they become a dark reddish-brown color and are known as Ancho Chiles.

What is the best pepper for green chili? ›

Anaheim peppers are another suitable green chili you could swap for poblanos. You can also, of course, use fresh Pueblo or Hatch Green chiles if you have access to them too. Jalapeño Peppers. Since poblanos are the milder cousin to classic hatch, I reached for a few jalapeños to kick up the heat.

How do you make green chile stew less spicy? ›

Peanut, almond, or cashew butter are all rich in fat and can help dissolve capsaicin and mitigate some of the heat from chiles. If you're hesitant to add fat, you can also dilute the heat of a curry or stew by adding more water.

How do you make green chili less sour? ›

You can either add sweetener to it (I like using molasses in chili), as sweetness neutralizes sour (to a degree), or continue to cook it down — with tomato product, the longer you cook it, the more you'll turn the tangy acidity into sweetness.

Are Anaheim peppers the same as green chilies? ›

Hatch green chiles are a type of chili pepper that is grown in the Hatch Valley of New Mexico. Anaheim peppers, on the other hand, are a type of chili pepper that is grown in California. The two peppers are similar in that they are both long and thin, but the main difference is in their flavor.

Which is hotter jalapeño or green chili? ›

The Jalapenos have more heat to them. They are not pickled and not tender like the chilis. It really depends on what you are looking for.

What is the taste of green chilli? ›

The spiciness of green chillies comes from a chemical called capsaicin. Apart from providing a hot and spicy taste, capsaicin is responsible for numerous other health effects on the heart, stomach, and pain relief. Green chilli is one of the most widely used spices worldwide.

How do you neutralize chilli burn? ›

  1. Oil. Oil helps dissolve the hot chili oils. ...
  2. Dish Soap. Many dish soaps can dissolve oils and are more effective than regular hand soap. ...
  3. Alcohol. ...
  4. Whole Milk or Yogurt. ...
  5. Weak Bleach Solution. ...
  6. Baking Soda Paste.
May 1, 2019

How do you neutralize chilli heat? ›

Remember how we said capsaicin is an alkaline molecule? Balancing it with an acid can help neutralize the molecule's activity. This means drinking or eating something acidic — such as lemonade, limeade, orange juice or a tomato-based food item or drink — may also help cool your mouth down.

How do you neutralize hot peppers in chili? ›

You can also stir in dairy like yogurt, sour cream, milk (only if the dish isn't sour, or it will curdle), buttermilk, or kefir into a dish; the capsaicin will bind with the milk proteins instead of the nerve receptors in your mouth.

How do you neutralize the effects of chili? ›

In general, liquid palate cleansers are more effective than solid ones, and palate cleansers at colder temperatures are more effective at neutralizing pain receptors. This is because TRPV1 is also activated by high temperatures; hence, lowering the temperature with cold milk is effective at neutralizing spiciness [10].

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