Table of Contents
- What is Chicken Verde?
- Why This Is One of the Easiest Recipes for Dinner
- Key Takeaways
- The Heart of the Dish: A Burst of Flavor
- Beyond Tacos: Flexible and Friendly
- Your Kitchen, Your Rules
- From My Kitchen to Yours
- Ingredients
- Instructions
- Notes & Tips
Key Takeaways
This Chicken Verde recipe is your secret weapon for a stress-free, incredibly flavorful easy dinner. It delivers restaurant-quality taste with simple techniques: broiling veggies for deep flavor, searing chicken for texture, and simmering everything into a comforting, tangy stew. It’s a versatile, healthy, and make-ahead wonder that works in a pot or a slow cooker, making it a perfect fit for any busy weeknight. Trust me, your search for the perfect easy recipes for dinner ends here.
What is Chicken Verde?
Hey there, it’s Betty from Betty Cooks! Let’s talk about one of my all-time favorite easy recipes for dinner: Chicken Verde, also known as Chile Verde. If you’re looking for a meal that’s packed with bright, tangy flavor but doesn’t require a laundry list of hard-to-find ingredients or hours of prep, you’ve come to the right place. This dish is the ultimate comfort food with a fresh, zesty twist. A good easy dinner should feel special without being complicated, and this recipe nails that balance perfectly.
Why This Is One of the Easiest Recipes for Dinner
What makes this such a fantastic option for a simple weeknight meal? First, the method is straightforward—broil, blend, simmer. There’s no fancy knife work required. Second, it’s incredibly forgiving. Don’t have poblanos? Use a bell pepper. Short on time? Use your slow cooker. It’s the kind of recipe that adapts to you, not the other way around. This flexibility is what makes it a staple in my own home and a recipe I confidently share as one of my top easy dinner recipes.
The Heart of the Dish: A Burst of Flavor
The magic starts with broiling the tomatillos, peppers, and onions. This isn’t just a step; it’s a transformation. The high heat caramelizes the natural sugars and adds a subtle smokiness that forms the deep, complex base of the sauce. When you blend those charred beauties with fresh cilantro and lime, you create a vibrant, herbaceous puree that’s the soul of the dish. Pouring that over tender, seared chicken and letting it all bubble together is where the real easy dinner alchemy happens. The result? Chicken so flavorful and tender it practically falls apart at the touch of a fork.
Beyond Tacos: Flexible and Friendly
While it’s phenomenal stuffed into warm tortillas (my personal favorite), this Chicken Verde is a culinary chameleon. Think beyond taco night! Serve it over a bed of cilantro-lime rice for a hearty bowl, spoon it onto baked potatoes or nachos, or use it as a filling for enchiladas or burritos. It’s also a fantastic, healthy option that’s naturally gluten-free and can be easily adjusted for various dietary needs. Looking for more quick and easy recipes that don’t sacrifice taste? This is a perfect example of how simple ingredients can create something extraordinary.
Your Kitchen, Your Rules
One of the best things about this recipe is how it welcomes your personal touch. Prefer it spicier? Leave the jalapeño seeds in. Want it milder? Use a bell pepper instead of a poblano. Don’t have fresh tomatillos? While fresh is best, you can use canned in a pinch—just drain and rinse them well. You can even turn this into one of those wonderfully easy crockpot recipes by dumping the seared chicken and blended sauce into your slow cooker in the morning. Come dinner time, you’ll have a hot, delicious meal waiting for you with almost no effort. It’s the ultimate set-it-and-forget-it easy recipe for dinner.
From My Kitchen to Yours
I developed this Chicken Verde recipe to be reliable, delicious, and, above all, easy. It’s the dish I make when I want something satisfying without a lot of fuss, and it’s always a hit with family and friends. I hope it becomes a trusted favorite in your home too, a go-to solution for those nights when you need a great meal without the stress. For more inspiration and tried-and-true easy recipes, be sure to explore Betty Cooks. Now, let’s get cooking!
Notes & Tips
For a Slow Cooker Method: Sear the chicken as directed, then add it and the blended sauce to your slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours. Shred and serve.
For Less Heat: Remove all seeds and membranes from the jalapeños. You can also substitute one poblano for an extra bell pepper.
Make Ahead: This chili tastes even better the next day! Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Easy Chicken Verde: A Simple Weeknight Dinner
Ingredients
For the Chile Verde Sauce
- 2 lbs tomatillos, husked and rinsed
- 2 poblano peppers
- 2 jalapeño peppers (adjust for heat)
- 1 large white onion, quartered
- 4-5 cloves garlic
- 1 large bunch fresh cilantro, stems and leaves
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano (preferably Mexican oregano)
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- Juice of 1 lime
- Salt to taste
For the Chicken & To Serve
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- For serving: warm tortillas, rice, beans, queso fresco, diced onion, lime wedges, avocado
Instructions
Prepare the Sauce
- Preheat your broiler to high. Line a baking sheet with foil.
- Place the tomatillos, poblano peppers, jalapeños, onion quarters, and garlic on the baking sheet.
- Broil for 5-10 minutes, turning occasionally, until the vegetables are charred and blistered. The tomatillos should be soft and leaking juice.
- Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Peel the skin off the poblano peppers (it’s okay if some bits remain). Remove stems and seeds from the peppers if you prefer less heat.
- Transfer the charred vegetables to a blender. Add the cilantro, cumin, oregano, chicken broth, and lime juice. Blend until smooth. Season with salt.
Cook the Chicken
- Pat the chicken dry and season generously with salt and pepper.
- In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken in batches, searing for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
- Pour the blended sauce into the same pot. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Add the seared chicken back to the pot, nestling it into the sauce.
- Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until the chicken is very tender and shreds easily with a fork.
Finish and Serve
- Remove the chicken to a cutting board and shred with two forks.
- Return the shredded chicken to the pot and stir to coat in the sauce. Simmer for another 5-10 minutes to let the flavors meld. Adjust seasoning if needed.
- Serve immediately over rice, in tacos, burrito bowls, or with warm tortillas on the side. Garnish with your favorite toppings like queso fresco, diced onion, avocado, and a squeeze of fresh lime.
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