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 Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time6 hourshrs
Total Time6 hourshrs10 minutesmins
Course: Slow Cooker
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: chicken in green chile sauce, Crockpot chicken green chile, green chile chicken, green chile chicken in Crockpot, green chile Crockpot chicken
Servings: 10
Calories: 327kcal
Author: Averie Sunshine
Ingredients
1medium yellow onionpeeled and finely diced
1medium to large green bell pepperseeded and diced small
1medium to large jalapeñoseeded and diced very small
3 to 4clovesgarlicfinely minced
1 ½ to 2teaspoonsground cumin
2 to 3teaspoonschili powderor to taste*
1teaspoonsaltplus more to taste if desired
1teaspoonfreshly ground black pepperplus more to taste if desired
3poundboneless skinless chickenI used 2lb chicken breast, 1lb chicken thighs, but any combination is fine
1 ½cupsalsa verde**
Juice of 1 large limeor to taste
¼cupchopped cilantroplus more for garnishing
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!