Pollo de Chile Verde (Green Chile Chicken) is a very simple and tasty dish that can be used in several different ways. The basic dish is pieces of chicken braised in a simple green chile sauce then served over rice, polenta, grits, or any other grain of your choice. One could also remove the chicken from the bones, shred it, and return it to the chile sauce for enchiladas, burritos, and other dishes. This particular recipe usually provides two to three meals for Bobby and me.
Following is my recipe for chicken braised in a green chile sauce. Toward the end of the post are suggestions on how to create additional meals with the leftovers.
Chicken Braised in Green Chile
First you start with a big pot of green chile braised chicken. Then you serve it however your want – over rice or polenta or just eaten with fresh tortillas. Shred the leftovers and use for enchiladas, burritos or chimichangas.
*See Kitchen Notes for further cooking instructions, ideas and related links.
- 6 – 8 pieces of chicken*
- salt and pepper
- 2 Tbsp oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ vodka, tequila or vermouth*
- ¾ – 1 cup roasted, chopped green chile* (mild to medium)
- 1 ½ cup water
- 1 tsp crushed Mexican oregano
- 1 Tbsp. sour cream or plain yogurt
- 1-2 tsp cornstarch* (optional)
- juice from 1 lime
- Chopped cilantro for topping (optional)
- 2 cups cooked rice or other grain
- Trim the chicken pieces of skin and fat. Sprinkle each side of the chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
Heat oil in large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. When hot, add some of the chicken pieces and brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and brown the remaining pieces Transfer to the plate.
After browning all pieces of chicken, add the onion and garlic to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium low and saute’ until onion is translucent.
Pour in the vodka and deglaze the skillet by scraping the bottom of the skillet to loosen any brown pieces stuck to the bottom.
Add the green chile, water and oregano. Bring to a simmer then add the chicken pieces and any liquid that has accumulated on the plate. Cover and braise for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, turn the pieces of chicken over, cover and braised another 10 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165F. Remove from heat.
Transfer the chicken pieces to a plate or bowl.
Whisk the sour cream and lime juice into the green chile sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. If you want the sauce a little thicker, sift in 1 – 2 tsp. cornstarch and stir for desired thickness.
Return the chicken to the skillet and reheat.
Serve the chicken over cooked rice, polenta, or your favorite grain, then smother with the green chile sauce. OR, just serve with warm homemade tortillas.
Chicken – A mix of white and dark meat is best. Use a mix of legs, thighs and breasts, or just cut up a whole chicken into 8 pieces. Cut each of the breasts in half for even cooking.
De-glazing liquid – If you don’t want to use alcohol, substitute with water or chicken stock.
Cornstarch – Depending on how you plan to serve this dish, you might want the sauce a little thicker. If so, then in Step 8 sift in the cornstarch or mix 2 tsp flour with 1/4 cup water and pour into skillet. Stir until the sauce thickens, then put the chicken back into the sauce.
How to cook brown rice in 30 minutes
See below for ideas on how to use the leftovers.
Suggested Dishes for Leftovers
Meals and serving suggestions:
- Serve Pollo de Chile Verde over rice or polenta using the whole pieces of chicken (recipe above) then smother with the green chile sauce.
- With any leftover chicken, remove it from the bones, shred it and add it back into the green chile. Use the shredded chicken and chile sauce for restaurant-style chicken enchiladas. You might have to add more chile and a little liquid to have enough sauce for dipping the tortillas and to pour over the enchiladas.
- Use the shredded chicken and drained green chile sauce as the filling for chimichangas. If you need a little more filler, you add some of the leftover rice/grains. Serve with sour cream, some fresh tomato or avocado.
- Other ideas for leftovers include include using in burritos and tacos, and to top tostadas or huevos rancheros.
- Leftovers freeze quite well.
For more recipes, be sure to check my Pinterest Green Chile Obsession board. Below are a few recipes with chicken and green chile served here in MJ’s Kitchen.
I was reminded how much I loved green chile on our trip to Santa Fe! Your chicken sounds fabulous plus the tips for leftovers are SO helpful—I am the leftover queen but need to be more creative!!!
Thanks Liz! My hubby calls me the leftover queen as well. Not a bad title to have. 🙂
Oh my, doesn’t this sound delicious. I’m going to buy the ingredients today! Haven’t decided whether I will use chicken or maybe chickpea as my base but it’s about that heavenly sounding sauce – can’t wait!
Thanks Kelly! I hope you and your family enjoy it. If you do go the chickpea route, let me know how that turns out. Green chile and chickpea would be a new one for me. 🙂
A keeper MJ! So delicious…! I made it with poblano, tequila and a very generous dollop of cream 😉 (used tapioca – heaping tsp to thicken at the end, worked out great) my only regret — no leftovers — too good! We’ll try with chickpea next round. Thanks Mj!
YAY!! So glad you enjoyed it Kelly and thanks for letting me know. No leftovers? Oh yea..you have two sons. 🙂
Anytime I’m craving southwestern food, I know where to look…this sounds great.
Thanks so much Karen!
A gorgeous meal, MJ! Time to buy chile and roast it! I even have Mexican oregano. I love such a versatile dish which can be served in different ways! I also see your delicious chicken on top of a thick bean stew bowl….
Thanks so much Darlin! Yes, it is time to roast! A couple of weeks ago, I bought a big sack of chile and had the farmer roast it for me. Once I peel and destemed I ended up with 16 pounds of roasted green chile. This week, I’ll be doing red chile roasting and possibly some picking. Love this time of year as I know you do. 🙂
16 pound of green chile (after roasting!) sounds amazing! I would probably do the same if I lived where you do.
Reminds me of some crazy amounts of food and wine I buy sometimes when I know I won’t be able to buy it soon.
Wow, I have never considered cooking chicken with vodka or tequila, the most I’ve used was wine… Sounds very interesting! I am so craving chicken today, although I’ve planned making a simple pasta dish… My mouth is watering seeing your chicken.
Thanks Adina! The vodka is just a deglazer. Most of it does evaporate before you add the water so you really don’t get much flavor from it, but I still like to use it. You know, I bet the shredded version of this dish would be great over pasta. 🙂
Yes, please! Your green chile chicken sounds terrific and your ideas for the leftovers have my mouth watering, too!!
Thanks Liz! Sometimes the leftover are even better than the original. I have to admit that the chimichanga were just that. They were SO GOOD. 🙂
This looks so delicious! I love all your recipes with green chilies. I saw some Hatch chilies in the market here in Virginia and wasn’t sure what to do with them. Now I know where to go for chile inspiration! I would definitely make enough of this to serve with rice and then in chimichangas! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much Kelly! As you how now discovered, there is A LOT one can do with green chile. Hope you enjoy searching my green chile recipes. I made the calabacitas cornbread the other night. Still one of my favorites. 🙂
Oh gorgeous chicken dish. Over polenta sounds nice. And I saw a nice touch of vodka in there 🙂
Thanks Evelyn! Deglazing a pan with alcohol is the only way to go. 🙂
THIS IS DELICIOUS!!!!!!! I stewed a chicken last weekend, and had quite a lot left over. I shredded the chicken and added it directly into the finished sauce. I let it simmer for about 20 minutes and served it over rice. It was so good that I even caught Jim picking up his plate and sipping the rest of the sauce off the plate. That’s the best complement you can get.
WOW! Thanks!!!! So glad y’all enjoyed it! Don’t you just love meals that provide another whole meal? 🙂 YES, licking the plates is quite and compliment! Looks like you guys might need more chile for Christmas. 🙂
I love chile but I don’t use it as much as you do. I think I have plenty to last me quite a while. I just opened the second pouch yesterday. Provided we don’t have any more hurricanes, that is.
Got it! 🙂 Last week I put up 16 pounds of roasted chile and I’m headed to more this afternoon. So yes, you’re right – I use a bit more than you. 🙂 XOXOX
I’m always on the prowl for easy and flavorful weekend night meals. Green Chile Chicken with Rice is a fabulous recipe, leftover never looked better!
Thanks Deb! Yes, this is actually quite easy and the leftover meals are even easier. How could you ask for more. 🙂
This dish looks so amazingly flavorful and really delicious!
Thanks Amy!
wow….this looks amazing & yummy, I am a big fan of chicken as well…so i will definitely make this green chile chicken..thanks for sharing…..!
Thanks Madison! Hope you enjoy it and thanks for dropping by!
Yum! Braised chicken is always good, but add in some Hatch green chile, and it’s perfection! I love your ideas for a 2nd and 3rd meal… When you’re cooking for 2, it is so great to have delicious, healthy options ready to pull from the freezer!
Thanks Tamara! When one makes large, versatile meals like this, it’s so easy to cook for two and have great leftovers. 🙂
We adore braised chicken dishes – and add some green chile and I’m all over this one. Thanks for a great recipe MJ.
thank you so much Lea Ann! Gotta love chile season. 🙂
Oh dear, I’m packing for work over here (it’s raining like crazy ). What I would very much like to do is to pack this Green Chile Chicken for my office lunch. What makes it even more attractive is that we (my son and me) could have frugal tasty meals for two more week dinners, also. Thank you so much for this beautiful idea MJ.
Thanks Darlin! You gotta love those dishes that stretch out all week and that you can change up. We finished off this particular dish last night with chimichangos. YUM! Have a wonderful week my dear!
This looks so very yummy and packed full of flavours! I love it!
Thanks so much Angie!
MJ, with just a few essential ingredients you have packed in a lot of flavor. Loving how easy this dish sounds to throw together, need to get this on our meal plan this week. The chili heads in the family are going to love this one.
Thanks Bobbi! It is amazing how much flavor one can get from just a few ingredients. And of course when the chiles are fresh, the flavor is at its best.
Green chilies are so wonderful. Love ’em! This is a terrific looking dish — so full of flavor. There’s a reason you’re the Hatch chile queen. 🙂
Thank you John! Bobby is always teasing me saying “Do you really have to put chile in everything?” Of course he still eats it. 🙂
Yes, please! Pinning another winning green chile recipe from you!
Thanks so much Debra!!!