This Easy Green Chicken Chili uses mild, roasted hatch peppers and rotisserie chicken for a quick, delicious, kid-friendly soup. Use freshly roasted, frozen or hatch chilies from the jar. We love it with crunchy tortilla chips and sliced avocado!
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It’s green chili season in Hatch here in Colorado, and because my kids love soup (and because I’ve found it to be a great way to introduce them to new flavors!), I decided to make a big pot of green chicken chillies make to give them a taste of Hatch Chilis!
Why is it called green chili?
Nothing too complicated here: it’s called the “green” chili because (surprise!) it calls for green chilies, as opposed to your standard “red” chili, which is made with beef and tomatoes.
I also added a green bell pepper and a few large handfuls of herbs to really bring out the “green” factor!
What Kind of Chicken Should I Use?
You can of course poach your own chicken for this if you like. When you do this, use the poacher’s liquid to make a broth and then use it the in the chili. In the end you get a really rich and delicious soup.
But perfect is the enemy of good in the kitchen, so I used fried chicken for this quick weeknight chili recipe. A small to medium sized roast chicken makes about 2 1/2 to 3 cups of shredded chicken, which is the perfect amount for this recipe.
The best green chillies for this soup
There are a lot of options for hatch chilies, especially this time of year. Here is the hierarchy of chili choices:
- Freshly Roasted Hatch Chilies: If you live in an area where you can find freshly roasted green chilies, these are by far the best and should always be your first choice whenever possible. You can also roast your own chillies at home!
- Frozen Roasted Hatch Chilies: If you can’t find fresh roasted chiles, opt for frozen roasted chiles, which still have great flavor. Look for them with the other frozen vegetables, especially at Mexican grocery stores or stores that have a good selection of Mexican ingredients.
- Canned or jarred green chillies: If you can’t find either of those two options, a jar of green chilies is the way to go. You’ll need lots of green chilies for this recipe, so grab a large 16-ounce jar if you can find it! If you’re using canned green chiles, look for Hatch green chiles, but Old El Paso also makes a great mild canned green chilli. I also like the diced mild green chillies from La Preferida.
How to make green chili in a slow cooker
This recipe is meant to be a quick weekday recipe, but it can work in a slow cooker too.
If you’re making it this way, place a whole raw chicken (3 pounds) in the slow cooker. Add the water, onion, garlic, and 1/2 cup each chopped carrot and celery. (The carrot and celery are only needed if you’re making this in the slow cooker as I find it helps the flavor of the broth. It’s not needed if you’re making the chili on the stovetop.)
Cook on high for four hours, then strain the broth and use in your soup. Throw away the vegetables. Shred the chicken and return to the slow cooker. Add all remaining soup ingredients except the cilantro and cannellini beans.
Simmer the soup for two hours over low heat. Meanwhile, in a food processor, puree the cannellini beans with 1/2 cup cilantro and 1/4 cup water. After two hours, stir the mixed beans into the soup to thicken it slightly. Did!
How to store leftovers
If you like this recipe, I recommend doubling it so you have something for dinner and plenty to freeze for later! This chili keeps well in the fridge for up to five days and freezes perfectly for up to three months when stored in a freezer safe bag or airtight container. Gently heat the soup on the stovetop.
Dad adds: crispy corn chips
These are basically upgraded tortilla chips, but they add some delicious crunch to the chili! I like to season the fries with a pinch of sugar; The sweetness goes very well with the subtle spiciness of the chili. Make sure you stack them high in your bowl!
The children’s certificate
My kids love soup so I was hoping this would be a winner. My only concern was that it might be too spicy, even with mild green chillies. My two kids chose the chicken first and loved it. Then they slurped the soup for a bit but when they saw my dad adding chips they stole ALL for dipping and eating. A father’s sacrifice is real.
So, yes, kids love this soup! If you want more kick, spice up your own bowl with some hot sauce, which I definitely did.
More Great Green Chile Recipes:
- Roasted green chillies in a light vinaigrette
- Green chile enchiladas
- Green Chile Mac and Cheese
- Green chile cornbread
- Summer Squash Green Chile Stir Fry
Easy Green Chicken Chili
Use poached chicken for this recipe, or take a break tonight and grab a roast chicken on the way home.
ingredients
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2 tablespoon olive oil
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1 yellow Onion, rolled
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1 green bell pepper, rolled
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1 Cup Corn
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3 cloves Garlic, chopped
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2 cups mildly roasted hatch green chilies, chopped or diced
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2 teaspoon ground cumin
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1 teaspoon paprika
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1/2 teaspoon Salt
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1/2 teaspoon black pepper
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1 quart chicken broth
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3 cups cooked shredded chicken
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1 fifteen-ounce can of cannellini beans, dehydrated
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1/2 Cup coriander
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1/4 Cup water
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1 lime, only juice
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corianderPer garnish
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avocado discs, e.g garnish
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Hot sauceoptional, e.g garnish
For the Crunchy Corn Chips (Dad Add)
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10 small Corn Tortillascut into 1/4 inch strips
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2 tablespoon olive oil
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1 teaspoon kosher salt
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1 teaspoon sugar
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1 teaspoon chilli powder
method
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Make the corn chips (optional Dad Add):
Preheat oven to 400°F. Place the corn tortilla slices on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, sugar and chilli powder. Toss well to combine the spices.
Bake for 15 minutes, stirring once or twice to ensure the strips cook evenly. Take out and let cool. The strips will crisp up as they cool.
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Prepare soup:
In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions, peppers, corn and garlic. Fry for 5-6 minutes until the vegetables are soft.
Add the roasted green chiles to the pot along with the cumin, paprika, salt and pepper. Stir together and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Add shredded chicken and chicken broth and bring the chilli to a simmer.
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Cook a soup:
Reduce heat to low and simmer for five minutes.
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Puree beans:
In a blender or food processor, add drained and rinsed cannellini beans, water, and cilantro. Mix until the mixture has turned into a green paste. Add to the chilli and stir until the soup has thickened slightly.
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Adjust condiments and serve:
Serve with toppings: Add the lime juice to the chili, taste and season. Serve garnished with avocado, cilantro, hot sauce (optional) and crunchy corn chips.
Leftover green chili can be stored in the refrigerator for five days or frozen for up to three months. Heat gently on the stove.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 467 | calories |
| 22g | Fat |
| 42g | carbohydrates |
| 30g | protein |
