Homemade Chicken Chile Verde Recipe
How To Make Homemade Chicken Chile Verde Recipe:
As you have probably figured out by now, I live by seasonal ingredients. When Mother Nature provides unique and limited ingredients that are only available in a very short window, you do all you can to cook with them and enjoy the bounty. Hatch chilies fall into this basket. When August hits, all the way through September, it’s game on to get as many of these Hatch chili peppers and cook your heart out. This recipe is a variation of my Hatch Chili Verde Mother Sauce, with some thoughtful modifications to this base recipe. This recipe variation makes a Homemade Chicken Chile Verde Recipe, which highlights the poultries flavor and nuance to this regional dish.
What are Hatch Green Chilies?
True Hatch Chilies are unique to the state of New Mexico in the town of Hatch. For this special pepper to have the label Hatch Chilies, they must be grown in a fertile valley of the Rio Grande. One of the main reasons why these chilies are so sot after is the soil in which they are grown is rich in vitamins and minerals from ocean beds formed long ago. The climate also plays a critical role in upping the flavor of the peppers, as the South Western region creates spring and summer days that are hot followed by dark cold nights, due to its high elevation. All these unique growing conditions combine to make the perfect terroir for chili pepper plants. These environmental advantages make the Hatch Chili so special and sot after. The amazing flavors from these growing conditions result in the chili peppers flesh being thick, fruity, earthy with just the perfect amount of heat or Scoville (SHU). This is why I wanted to find these Hatch Green Chilies and make a Homemade Chicken Chili Verde Recipe.
Where to get Hatch Green Chilies?
Mollie Stone’s Market, a grocery store chain in the Bay Area, brought in Melissa’s Produce. They came with 4 different types of fresh Hatch Green Chili Peppers, two chili roasters, and lots of other Hatch chili pepper products for sale. The Hatch chili pepper starts green and will turn red if left on the plant longer, giving them more heat and flavor, as they fully ripen. The Scoville heat units or SHU for the 6 varieties of Hatch chilies range from 1,000 – 12,000 SHU. For reference, a jalapeño chili pepper has a 5,000 SHU rating. This year, Mollie Stone’s is offering a pre-order for Hatch Chile, already roasted and ready for pickup. Check out their site for dates and store locations!
For the arrays of Hatch chili peppers, the most available variety is the Anaheim pepper. While only true Hatch chilies peppers can be called Hatch if they are grown in the Rio Grande, the seeds and origins are very similar. Pueblo chile, Rio Grande chile, Big Jim, and other varieties are available and look very similar in size and shape. Usually, these chili peppers are between 6 – 9 inches long and come green when fresh. Dried red Hatch chilies are available the rest of the year and sometimes can be found in a wreath or decorative braid.
How To Make This Homemade Chicken Chile Verde Recipe:
To adapt the Hatch Chili Verde Mother Sauce into this Homemade Chicken Chili Verde Recipe, I wanted to still make the recipe a one-pot dish. To start, toasting the spices, in this case, coriander and cumin seeds. This step helps release their essential oils, that will permeate through the dish as it cooks. Once toasted, the seeds are removed, allowed to cool, then ground fresh, to bring as much of their flavor to the recipe as possible. As the Dutch oven is now hot, oil or rendered fat is added, followed by bone-in, skin-on, chicken thighs. Placing the thighs skin side down, sears the skin, helping to render out some of the fat. This not only cooks the chicken skin, but it also improved the chicken flavor by using food science, or the Maillard Reaction. Instead of just adding the chicken thighs to a Chile Verde sauce, the cooking of the thighs in the hot oil evaporates any moisture left on the skin, consecrating the flavor, while the sugars and amino acids react with the hot oil to create hundreds of new complex flavor molecules. Once the chicken thighs are cooked on both sides, creating a golden brown color, the poultry is removed from the pan, leaving the rendered chicken fat to be integrated into the rest of the Chile Verde sauce ingredients.
The rest of the Chile Verde sauce is cooked, caramelizing, and concentrating the flavors of the different ingredients, that later, the partially cooked chicken is added back into, to finish cooking in the sauce. Once the chicken thighs are cooked this recipe can be used in many different ways. It can simply be served over a bed of steamed long-grain rice, with some stewed white navy beans and some sour cream | Mexican crème | crème fraîche. Or, remove the skin and thigh bones, chopping | shredding | pulling the meat apart and adding it back into the Hatch Green Chile Sauce, to make a Chicken Chile Verde Stew. This can be further used, by adding it to all the ingredients to make a Chicken Chile Verde Burrito or Chicken Chile Verde Tacos or rolled in corn tortillas to make Chicken Chile Verde Enchiladas.
If you are a fan of Hatch Green Chilies, try my Hatch Green Chili Mayonnaise, Green Pimento Cheese Spread, or other Hatch Chile Recipes.
Note: If you aren’t a fan of cilantro, it can be left out completely, substituting with baby spinach, kale, or Swish chard to bring the green hue to the finished sauce.
Makes: 1 gallon of Homemade Chicken Chile Verde,
Serving: about 8 people
More chicken thighs can be used, to feed a larger crowd, or the recipe can be scaled | adjusted to yield as much or as little as you need.
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 8 people | 25 minute |
| Cook Time |
| 30 minute |
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This Homemade Chicken Chile Verde Recipe is adapted from my Hatch Chili Verde Mother Sauce, using rich and flavorful chicken thighs to craft a South Western-inspired dish, that can be used as-is, over rice & beans or other Tex Mex applications.
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- 8 each chicken thighs, bone-in, skin on, preferably organic, free range
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds preferably organic
- 1 tablespoon cumin, seeds preferably organic
- 2 tablespoon oil, avocado or olive oil
- 1 each onion, yellow, large, peeled and chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt, kosher
- 10 each garlic, cloves roasted and peeled
- 1 pound tomatillos, cleaned, peeled
- 1 pound chilies, Hatch Green, roasted, peeled and de-seeded
- 2 tablespoon miso, white
- 2 tablespoon oregano, fresh no stems
- 2 each bay leaves optional
- 4 cup stock | broth, chicken
- 1 bunch cilantro, fresh stems removed
- 1 each lime, juiced
- Take the chicken thighs and arrange them onto a few sheets of paper towels, skin side down. Cover with another layer of paper towels and press down to remove as much moisture as possible. This will help the chicken skin sear, creating a wonderful golden brown skin, and help reduce any splattering, as they cook.
- In a dry Dutch oven or medium size thick-bottomed pot, add the coriander and cumin seeds. Place the pot over medium heat and toast the spices to help release all their essential oils. Stir them with a wooden spatula until they are fragrant and just start to pop. Transfer the seeds to a spice grinder or clean coffee grinder and let cool. Grind into a fine powder and set aside.
- In the now-empty pot, that has been preheated, add the avocado (or other) oil, tilting the pot to evenly coat the entire bottom. Remove the paper towels from the chicken and evenly season the skin side with kosher salt. Place the thighs, skin side down into the hot oil, laying them down away from you to prevent any splattering. Place as many of the thighs as you can, across the bottom of the pan, while still having a slight bit of room between each; so they are not touching. Don't be tempted to overcrowd your pan, instead, repeat this process, as if the pieces are overcrowded, they will steam and not brown properly. Using tongs, press down firmly on each thigh, to ensure maximum contact with the pan.
- Cook over medium heat for about 6 minutes, without moving or touching the chicken pieces. This will give the skin time to brown, render out some of the chicken fat, and create all these wonderful Maillard Reaction flavors. Flip each thigh over, starting with the first one added to the pan. Cook for another 6 minutes, to brown the opposite side. Then remove the thighs to a plate or bowl.
- Add the chopped onion and salt to the remaining oil | fat in the pan. Keep the heat at medium, cooking the onion for a good 10 - 15 minutes. The onions will start to caramelize, increasing the Maillard Reaction and adding more flavor to the final recipe. Stir the onions somewhat frequently.
- Preheat the oven, to the broiler setting, set to high. Set the oven rack to the highest position. Place a large bowl with water in your sink. Add the tomatillos and let soak for about 5 minutes as the onions caramelize. this will help loosen the papery skin. Remove the skins, and lightly rub the surface of the tomatillos to remove any stickiness. Pat them dry.
- Place the tomatillos into a dry cast iron pan, arranging them in a single layer, placed over high heat. Once the green tomatoes start to sizzle, move the pan to the top rack in the oven and let the tomatillos roast for 10 - 15 minutes.
- The tomatillos will be topped with a light char, some will split open and some liquid will be present in the pan. Remove them from the oven and set aside.
- Once the onions are caramelized, about 20 minutes of cooking, add the roasted tomatillos, roasted garlic cloves, the reserved ground coriander and cumin. Stir the mixture well, squeezing the tomatillos with a spatula. helping them release any moisture. continue to cook for another 5 - 10 minutes.
- Have the roasted, peeled, and seeded Hatch Green Chilies chopped up. Add them to the onion | tomatillos mixture and add the white miso, oregano and bay leaves. Stir well, to combine and once the mixture is boiling, add the stock | broth. Bring the pan | pot back to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and let cook for 30 minutes. Stir semi-frequently.
- To add more green color and flavor, mix in the chopped cilantro, leaving a few stems.
- To prepare the final Hatch Chile Verde Mother Sauce, purée with either a stick | immersion blender or pulse in a blender. It's best not to over-process the sauce, but to keep some texture | chunks left in the final sauce.
- Add the browned and partially cooked chicken thighs back into the pot, nestling them into the Hatch Chile Verde sauce. Turn the heat to low, and allow the poultry to finish cooking, about 10 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 175°F | 79°C.
- Taste the sauce and add the freshly squeezed lime juice. It should add a nice brightness to the sauce. Adjust the seasoning with more salt or lime juice if needed. If more heat is desired, one can add cayenne pepper or chili pepper flakes to add that extra kick.
- The Homemade Chicken Chile Verde Recipe is ready to serve. For the best results, remove the Dutch oven from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Then transfer to a sealable container and place it into the refrigerator for 24 - 48 hours. Just like a bowl of great chili or stew, giving the ingredients time to fully infuse, makes a better dish.
- The recipe can be frozen, into individual portion sizes or used as-is. Below are some serving ideas on how to use this recipe.
Ideas on How To Use This Homemade Chicken Chile Verde Recipe | Hatch Chile Verde Mother Sauce Recipe:
- Pour this Chicken Chile Verde sauce over steamed rice, cooked white beans, and some roasted onions and pepper, serving alongside some hot flour | corn tortillas.
- To use as a meat sauce, remove the skin and the thigh bone, chopping or pulling the chicken meat apart and re-tossing it into the Hatch Chile Sauce.
- Add the shredded chicken to make burritos with refried white beans, rice, avocado, and grated Monterey Jack cheese
- Tacos, with some finely chopped white onion, more cilantro, and some steamed rice
- Roll slightly toasted corn tortillas with the cooled and shredded Chicken Chile Verde mixture, to make enchiladas, topping with some of the sauce and grated Monterey Jack cheese, baking for 40 minutes to re-heat.
- Add some of this chicken to flour tortillas, cheeses and make a Chicken Chile Verde Quesadillas
- Pour over corn tortilla chips, coating with grated cheeses to make Chicken Chile Verde Nachos, baking for 10 - 15 minutes in a 400°F | 204°C.
- Remove the skin and bones, chopping the chicken and adding back into the Hatch Chile Verde sauce, making a Chicken Chile Verde Stew. Serve with hot flour tortillas and sour cream | Mexican crème | crème fraîche
More Hatch Green Chili Recipes:
