Slow Cooker Green Chile Chicken

Slow Cooker Green Chile Chicken — Tender, juicy, chicken that’s simmered with green chiles, jalapeno, salsa verde, onions, garlic, and spices for the most FLAVORFUL and versatile green chile chicken! Use it in tacos, burritos, casseroles, sandwiches, or as a meal prep recipe. Best of all, it’s SO EASY because your slow cooker does ALL the work!

Easiest Crockpot Green Chile Chicken

This slow cooker chicken recipe produces incredibly tender and juicy chicken that effortlessly falls apart. And the addition of salsa verde, green chiles, green bell pepper, onions, lime juice, and cilantro truly give it an explosion of Mexican-inspired flavors the whole family will love.

Best of all, this is an easy chicken dinner recipe that is made entirely in your slow cooker. No need to first sear the chicken separately on the stove or make a marinade or sauce in your blender. Nope!

This comfort food recipe is as easy as dumping all the ingredients into your Crock-Pot at once and letting it do all the work.

This chicken shreds at the mere touch of a fork. And the juiciness? Prepare for a burst of succulence with every bite! No dry chicken here. Between the cumin, chili powder, and all those green chiles and salsa verde, it’s a 10 on the flavor scale!

Whether you want to use this chicken as the filling for tacos in either corn or flour tortillas, as the filling for sliders, wraps, or burritos, inside sandwiches, over rice, or just eat it with a fork. Any way you serve it, it’s a family favorite recipe that is a cinch to make.

This is a perfect back-to-school dinner recipe, or a summer recipe when you don’t want to turn your oven on and heat up the house, or make it for tailgating season or game day parties.

What is Green Chile Chicken?

Green chile chicken typically refers to shredded chicken, which is usually boneless skinless chicken breasts, but skinless chicken thighs can also be used.

Is It Spicy?

Sometimes referred to as green chile chicken or chicken chile verde, this Crockpot green chile chicken strikes a perfect balance with just a hint of spice, making it enjoyable for all taste preferences. As written, the recipe is flavorful but it’s not spicy.

However, if you’re a heat lover like I am, don’t worry I’ve got you covered. You can easily kick up the heat by adding an extra jalapeño and a generous sprinkle of chili powder. 

A pinch of cayenne is also a quick way to crank up the heat level quickly!

Ingredients in Green Chile Crockpot Chicken

You need just these easy to find and common ingredients to make this recipe and you might already have a few of them at home. Slow cooker recipes often call for things we already have on hand which is nice!

• Yellow onion
• Green bell pepper
• Garlic cloves
• Jalapeño pepper
• Ground cumin
• Chili powder
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Canned green chiles
• Olive oil (or avocado oil)
• Boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Salsa verde
• Lime juice, for garnishing
• Cilantro, for garnishing

Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.

How to Make Green Chile Chicken in a Crockpot

With so little prep time, this is the ultimate set-it-and-forget-it recipe!

Literally toss all of the ingredients into your Crockpot and let it slowly cook your chicken to melt-in-your-mouth perfection.

Here’s what you need to do:

Step 1: Add all the ingredients (minus the salsa, lime juice, and cilantro) to your slow cooker and stir well.

Step 2: Pour in the salsa verde, cover, and cook on low for 6 – 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.

Step 3: Once the chicken is cooked, use two forks to shred the chicken on a cutting board, add it back into the slow cooker, and add the lime juice and cilantro.

Step 4: Now you’re ready to serve the chicken over rice, in tortillas with taco toppings, make for meal prep, or any other way you’d like to eat it!

What Kind of Salsa Verde Should I Use for Green Chile Chicken?

Using a prepared store bought salsa is a great way to save time and energy. Very convenient and full of flavor!

I used Herdez Salsa Verde (mild) for the recipe. Some grocery stores sell a medium heat but it’s hit or miss. If you want the dish spicier, employ any of the tricks I mentioned above.

Trader Joe’s Salsa Verde is also a great choice if you have one in your area.

If you want to make homemade salsa verde, take a peek at the blender portion of my Vegan Pozole Verde. It includes tomatillos, poblanos, jalapenos, and white onion. All you have to do is add a splash of vegetable or chicken broth or stock to thin it out to salsa consistency. 

Another option for homemade salsa verde is this Chunky Tomatillo Avocado Salsa, minus the avocado. Super easy and so good!

Serving Suggestions for Crockpot Green Chile Chicken

This easy chicken dish with chili seasoning is so versatile when it comes to serving.

My favorite way is to pile it into corn tortillas (or flour tortillas) and top it with Americanized taco toppings like sour cream, chopped cilantro, and maybe shredded cheese.

Here are some other ideas for what to serve with your green chile chicken:

• Homemade Baked Tortilla Chips
• Grilled Mexican Corn
• Loaded Mashed Potatoes
• Avocado Black Bean Mexican Salad
• Skillet Zucchini, Corn, and Peppers

Recipe Variations

Here are a few variations you can experiment with when making green chile chicken in a slow cooker:

• Spicier Version: If you prefer a bolder kick of spice, feel free to add an extra jalapeño or increase the amount of chili powder. A dash of cayenne pepper at the end works too. Just be careful to add the tiniest bit, stir well, taste, and don’t accidentally add too much!
• Milder Version: If heat is just not your thing or your serving this to kids or those who are anti-spicy, no worries. Hatch green chiles or poblano peppers are great substitutes for the jalpeno chile pepper. And take the chili powder down to 1/2 to 1 teaspoon and you’re set.
• Creamy Variation: If you enjoy a creamier texture, mix in a dollop of cream cheese or sour cream towards the end of the cooking process. 
• Citrus Twist: While lime juice is already included in the recipe try adding a splash of orange juice or a hint of lemon or lime zest to infuse a citrusy tang into the dish.

What Kind of Slow Cooker is Best?

Because the recipe calls for 3 pounds of chicken, you want a decent sized slow cooker. A 6 to 7-quart Crock-Pot is perfect.

I do not recommend going smaller unless you were to halve the recipe.

Storing Leftover Chicken in Green Chile Sauce

Because I always make this recipe with 3 pounds of chicken, it does make a fair amount and I love having planned leftovers meal prep style in individual containers in my fridge. Makes weeknight dinners so much easier and less stressful!

Store any leftover Crock-Pot green chile chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 

It also freezes well in airtight containers for up to 4 months.

To reheat your leftovers, place them into a microwave-safe dish and heat until warmed through.

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4.50 from 22 votes

Slow Cooker Green Chile Chicken

By Averie Sunshine

Tender, juicy, chicken that's simmered with green chiles, jalapeno, salsa verde, onions, garlic, and spices for the most FLAVORFUL and versatile green chile chicken! Use it in tacos, burritos, casseroles, sandwiches, or as a meal prep recipe. Best of all, it's SO EASY because your slow cooker does ALL the work!

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 6 hours hours

Total Time: 6 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 10

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Ingredients  

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• ▢ 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and finely diced
• ▢ 1 medium to large green bell pepper, seeded and diced small
• ▢ 1 medium to large jalapeño, seeded and diced very small
• ▢ 3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
• ▢ 1 ½ to 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• ▢ 2 to 3 teaspoons chili powder, or to taste*
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste if desired
• ▢ 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste if desired
• ▢ one 4-ounce can green chiles, do not drain
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil, or avocado oil
• ▢ 3 pound boneless skinless chicken, I used 2lb chicken breast, 1lb chicken thighs, but any combination is fine
• ▢ 1 ½ cup salsa verde**
• ▢ Juice of 1 large lime, or to taste
• ▢ ¼ cup chopped cilantro, plus more for garnishing

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions 

• To a large 6 to 7-quart slow cooker, add the onion, green bell pepper, jalapeno, garlic, cumin, chili powder, canned green chiles, evenly drizzle with oil, and stir to coat evenly and combine.
• Place the chicken on top, evenly spaced.
• Evenly drizzle the salsa over the top, cover with the lid, and cook on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, or on LOW for 6 to 8 hours, or until the chicken is done. Tip – When it's done, it will shred extremely easily with two forks.
• Remove the chicken from the slow cooker, place it on a cutting board, and shred with two forks. Tips – If for some reason there looks like a ton of cooking liquid and juices in your slow cooker and you don't want your final dish as juicy, remove the juices, 1/2 cup at a time, or as desired. This isn't likely necessary and we love the juiciness of the final dish and I keep all the juices in the bottom of the slow cooker, but it's up to you. On the contrary, if it doesn't look like there's enough juices or liquid, add additional salsa verde 1/2 cup at a time, as desired.
• Add the shredded chicken back into the slow cooker, drizzle with lime juice, sprinkle with cilantro, and stir to combine.
• Taste the chicken for seasoning balance, and if desired, add additional salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, or a pinch of cayenne for those who want it spicy.
• Serve immediately as desired. As shown, I served it as tacos in corn tortillas, sour cream, a tiny bit of hot sauce, and additional cilantro. Flour tortillas are also fine. You can also use the filling in burritos, sandwiches, sliders, wraps, or as desired. Extra chicken will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months. Reheat gently in the microwave as needed.

Notes

*Chili Powder – This is highly dependent on personal preference. If you don't want the flavor quite as bold, use 1 teaspoon. If you're trying to increase the heat level, use at least 3 teaspoons and after cooking, you can always add a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper, to taste. Make sure to start with the tiniest bit, stir well, taste, and then be very careful if you think it needs more.

**Salsa Verde – I used Herdez Salsa Verde (mild) for the recipe. Some grocery stores sell a medium heat version but it's hit or miss. Trader Joe’s Salsa Verde is also a great choice if you have one in your area.

If you want to make homemade salsa verde, take a peek at the blender portion of my Vegan Pozole Verde. It includes tomatillos, poblanos, jalapenos, and white onion. All you have to do is add a splash of vegetable or chicken broth or stock to thin it out to salsa consistency. 

Another option for homemade salsa verde is this Chunky Tomatillo Avocado Salsa, minus the avocado. Super easy and so good!

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 327kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 40g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 121mg, Sodium: 629mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 5g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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