Chicken Chile Verde

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3.60 from 10 votes

Prep Time40

Cook Time1 30

Resting Time1

Total Time3 10

Course: Mom's Best 100 Easy Chicken Recipes, Over 500 Family Dinner Recipes Ideas

Keyword: chicken, dinner recipe, healthy, healthy chicken, mexican, mexican chicken

Servings:

Author: Sweet Basil

Ingredients

For the Verde

12 Tomatillos husks and stems removed
4 Poblano Chiles stemmed, halved, and seeded *see note
1 Large Red Onion cut into 8 wedges
7 Garlic Cloves unpeeled
1 Jalapeño stemmed and seeded **see note
1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
1/2 Cup Cilantro minced, plus extra for serving

For the Chicken

4 Pounds Chicken Thighs boneless, skinless, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-2 inch pieces
6 teaspoons Kosher Salt divided
6 Pieces Bacon
1 Cup Chicken Broth
1 1/2 teaspoons Dried Oregano
1/4 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoons Ground Cumin
1 Pinch Ground Cloves
3/4 Cup Orange Juice
1/4 Cup Lime Juice
2 Bay Leaves
2 teaspoons Sugar
1 teaspoon Pepper
Lime Wedges for serving
Rice and Beans for eating over the top of

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the Verde

Adjust 1 oven rack to lower-middle position and second rack 6 inches from broiler element. Heat to broil. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
Place tomatillos, poblanos, onion, garlic, and jalapeño on prepared sheet and drizzle with vegetable oil. Arrange chiles skin side up and broil until chile skins are blackened and vegetables begin to soften, about 10 to 13 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through broiling.
12 Tomatillos, 4 Poblano Chiles, 1 Large Red Onion, 7 Garlic Cloves, 1 Jalapeño, 1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
Transfer poblanos, jalapeño, and garlic to cutting board to cool a little. Turn off broiler.
Transfer tomatillos, onion, and any accumulated juices to a blender. When poblanos, jalapeño, and garlic are cool enough to handle, remove and discard skins and add poblanos, jalapeño, garlic and cilantro to the blender. Pulse until mixture is roughly pureed.
1/2 Cup Cilantro

For the Chicken

Toss the chicken pieces with 5 teaspoons salt in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
4 Pounds Chicken Thighs, 6 teaspoons Kosher Salt
Meanwhile, chop the bacon coarse. Add 1/2 the bacon to a dutch oven and add the chicken broth. Bring to simmer over high heat. Cook, adjusting heat to maintain vigorous simmer and stirring occasionally, until all liquid evaporates and trimmings begin to sizzle, about 12 minutes.
6 Pieces Bacon, 1 Cup Chicken Broth
Add the remaining bacon. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until dark fond forms on bottom of pot and trimmings have browned and crisped, about 6 minutes longer.
Using slotted spoon place bacon on a plate. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat; set aside pot. Heat the oven to 325.
Heat reserved fat in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the oregano, cinnamon, cumin and cloves and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chicken and brown in batches then pile it all back in the pot along with any juices and the bacon.
1 1/2 teaspoons Dried Oregano, 1/4 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon , 1 1/4 teaspoons Ground Cumin, 1 Pinch Ground Cloves
Stir in orange juice, lime juice, tomatillo mixture, bay leaves, sugar, pepper, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in chicken and bring to simmer.
2 teaspoons Sugar, 2 Bay Leaves, 3/4 Cup Orange Juice, 1/4 Cup Lime Juice, 1 teaspoon Pepper
Cover, transfer to oven, and cook until chicken is tender, about 1½ hours, stirring halfway through cooking to release anything stuck to the bottom.
Remove pot from oven and discard bay leaves.
Using heatproof rubber spatula, scrape browned bits from sides of pot. Stir in cilantro; season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve, over rice and beans with lime wedges.
Lime Wedges, Rice and Beans

Notes

* If you like a little more heat, use half anaheim and half poblano peppers.

** Leave the jalapeño half seeded for a little more spice. Yum!

Nutrition