Green Chile Chicken Stew
This Green Chile Chicken Stew is packed with flavor and easy to make! Green chile, chicken, and potatoes are a delicious combo for a cozy and hearty stew. Plus, it’s ready in about an hour but tastes like it simmered all day.
Green Chile Stew Recipe
Whenever I crave a taste of New Mexico, I make this green chile chicken stew. It’s a recipe I’ve tinkered with over the last five years, and I think I’ve landed on my favorite version yet.
It’s an easy recipe that’s ready in about an hour, but it packs a lot of flavor. The green chile really shines and pairs deliciously with the juicy chicken and red potatoes. The previous version I shared for this recipe was a bit complicated, but this new-fangled one, I’m happy to report, is a whole lot easier. Yet, it still tastes like it cooked all day.
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Bone-in skin-on split chicken breast
- Kosher salt
- Unsalted butter
- Diced onion
- Minced garlic
- Diced green chiles
- All-purpose flour
- Red potatoes
- Chicken stock
- Fresh lime juice
- Fresh cilantro
Chicken: What makes this stew taste like it was cooked longer than it was, is the bone-in skin-on chicken breasts. The chicken skin is browned first, and then the whole thing is cooked in the chicken broth. This method is an easy way to add more flavor to basic store-bought chicken stock. It’s not hard to do, and the results are worth it. You can also use the same amount of bone-in skin-on chicken thighs.
Onion: Yellow, white, or red onion will work well in this stew, so use what you have on hand. To make it easy, I often use frozen chopped white onions.
Green chiles: I use canned Hatch green chiles, but you can use freshly roasted green chiles or frozen green chiles. Just be sure to chop them up. When I lived in New Mexico, there were green chile roasters on practically every corner during August and September, and I always stocked up. These days, I stick with the canned ones – they work great, and you can choose between hot and mild (or do a mix of both).
Potatoes: I love red potatoes – they have a nice waxy texture, so they hold their shape. They also add a nice pop of color. You can use Yukon gold potatoes, too. Just cut them into bite-sized pieces.
Chicken stock: Depending on the brand you use, you may need to adjust the amount of added salt in the recipe. If you’re not sure, it’s always better to wait to season at the end.
How to Make It
Brown the chicken: Place the chicken skin-side-down in a hot pot with oil. Brown the skin until it has a golden crust, and then take the chicken out of the pan and set it aside. It will finish cooking in the stock.
Make the stew base: Melt the butter in the same pan and add the green chiles, onions, and garlic. Stir the vegetables and, as they release moisture, scrape up all the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Stir the flour into the mixture. It will form a paste.
Add the potatoes and chicken: Add the stock to the pot and stir. Add the potatoes and then place the chicken skin-side down in the broth. It should be almost completely covered. If needed, add a little more stock or water.
Simmer: Bring the stew to a boil and then adjust the heat to medium to medium-low (high enough to maintain a simmer). Simmer the stew for 20 to 30 minutes or until the chicken is 165°F in the thickest part.
Shred: Take the chicken out of the pot and place it on a cutting board. Remove the skin and pull the meat off the bone. Discard the skin and bones and shred or chop the meat. Add the chicken back to the pot and stir.
Ready to serve: Add the lime juice and cilantro and stir. Ladle the stew into bowls and serve!
Recipe Tips
- Make-Ahead: This is a great recipe to make ahead – the flavor gets even better. Green chile chicken stew will keep well in the refrigerator for several days, or you can freeze it for several months.
- Toppings: The stew is great on its own, or you can add toppings like crushed tortilla chips, diced avocado, or a dollop of sour cream.
- Side Idea: A bowl of this stew goes great with some crusty bread on the side to soak up all the delicious broth.
This green chile chicken stew is warming and comforting – I hope you give it a try!
Happy stew-making,
More Recipes with Green Chiles
- Green Chile Mac and Cheese
- Green Chile Pork Quesadillas
- Green Chile Cheese Dip
- Salsa Verde Taco Soup
📣 Do you love this recipe? I would love to know! Leave a comment below the recipe, along with your recipe star rating.
PrintGreen Chile Chicken Stew Recipe
This Green Chile Chicken Stew is packed with flavor and easy to make! Green chile, chicken, and potatoes make a delicious and hearty stew. Plus, it’s ready in about an hour but tastes like it simmered all day.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Simmer
- Cuisine: Mexican-American
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 pound bone-in skin-on chicken breast (see note)
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (see note)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup diced onion (about ½ a large onion)
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic (about two large garlic cloves)
- 2 (4-oz) cans diced green chile (see note)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 pound baby red potatoes, small ones halved and large ones quartered (see note)
- 1 (32-oz) box chicken stock
- Juice of 1 lime
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and season it all over with salt.
- Once the oil is heated, place the chicken skin-side down in the pot. Brown the chicken for five minutes or until the skin has turned golden brown. Take the chicken out of the pot and set it aside on a cutting board.
- Add the butter to the pot, and once it’s melted, add the onion, garlic, and green chiles (with the juices from the cans). Cook and stir the veggies for a minute or so.
- Add the flour and stir to coat the veggies. Add the potatoes and stock to the pot and stir.
- Place the chicken breasts skin-side down in the broth. They should be almost covered by the liquid. If needed, add water to ensure they are mostly covered (the amount will depend on the size of your pot).
- Bring the broth to a boil and then adjust the heat to medium to medium-low. Simmer the stew uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes or until the chicken is 165°F in the thickest part.
- Take the chicken out of the pot, remove the meat, and discard the skin and bones. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and add the chicken back to the stew.
- Stir in the lime juice and cilantro. Give the stew a taste and add more salt to taste, if needed.
Notes
Salt: Different chicken stock brands have different amounts of salt, so I only lightly season the chicken and then add salt at the end if I think it needs it.
Bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts: Look for a whole chicken breast or one that is split chicken breast. Either will work. You can usually find them around two pounds for one breast, but a little bigger or smaller will not make a difference in the recipe.
Green chile: You can use canned, frozen, or freshly roasted green chiles for this recipe. Just make sure they are finely chopped so you don’t end up with big pieces in your stew. If you use frozen, you might want to thaw them out a bit before using them.
Potatoes: Any waxy potato will work, like Yukon gold potatoes or new potatoes. Just cut them into bite-sized pieces.
Chopping the chicken: I use a fork to hold the chicken in place and tongs to pull the skin off. Once the skin is removed, use the tongs to pull the meat from the bones. Be sure to check for any small pieces of bones before you chop the meat.
Make-ahead: You can make this stew ahead and keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for three to four days. Or, you can freeze it for several months in a freezer-safe container.
Optional toppings: The stew is great on its own, or you can add some toppings like crushed tortilla chips, diced avocado, shredded cheese, or sour cream.
Nutrition
- Calories: 574
- Sugar: 9.1g
- Sodium: 735.8mg
- Fat: 18.3g
- Saturated Fat: 6.2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9.3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 39.4g
- Fiber: 4.7g
- Protein: 60.4g
- Cholesterol: 187.9mg
The nutrition is an estimate only. It was calculated using Nutrifox, an online nutrition calculator.
Recipe, photos, and post updated from the archives. First published in December 2014.
Everyone in New Mexico has the best green chile recipes and this is no exception. I love how you switched a traditional recipe over to something equally outstanding. It’s the height of summer down under but I’d still want to have this tonight.
Will this freeze well?
It does!
I used to live in New Mexico and just fell in love with green chiles. There is nothing like the fragrant smell of roasting chiles. This recipe is so good and I can’t wait to Mike it again.