Chicken Chile Verde
TIME/SERVINGS
Total: 2 hrs 20 mins
Active: 50 mins
Makes: 8 servings (12 for Burrito Bar)
By Aida Mollenkamp
This dish is always a big hit. It’s great rolled into a burrito, but you can also serve it on its own topped with scallions, sour cream, and tortilla chips.
What to buy: You can find Aleppo pepper at most gourmet grocery stores or online at the Spice House. If you are having a hard time locating it, use ancho chile powder.
Game plan: Chile verde was destined to be a party dish because you can make it way ahead of the festivities and just warm it (over medium-low heat) when you are ready to eat.
This recipe was featured in our Build Your Own Burrito Bar story.
- 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 5 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
- 1 large red onion, coarsely chopped
- 6 medium cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
- 5 medium Anaheim chiles, coarsely chopped
- 5 medium poblanos, coarsely chopped
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups medium-dice russet potatoes
- 15 medium tomatillos, husked and quartered
- 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried Aleppo pepper
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 (3-inch) piece cinnamon
- 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
- Pat chicken dry with paper towels, toss with flour, shake off excess, and season generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add 1/3 of the chicken to the pan and sauté, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a Dutch oven or a large, heavy-bottomed pot with a tightfitting lid. Repeat with remaining chicken.
- In the same frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add mixture to the pot containing the chicken. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the same frying pan over medium-high heat. Add Anaheim chiles and poblanos, and sauté until tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer to the pot containing the chicken.
- Add chicken broth, potatoes, tomatillos, oregano, Aleppo pepper, cumin, paprika, and cinnamon stick to the pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens and potatoes are tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
- Stir cilantro into mixture. Transfer to a large serving bowl.
Beverage pairing: With its combination of earthy vegetables and assertive spices, this dish calls for something a little exotic like the 2005 The FMC, an off-dry Chenin Blanc from South African master of the grape Ken Forrester. Complex with herbs, earth, fruit, and toast, the lightly oaked wine is a touch sweet, which will soothe any spiciness in the chile verde.
COMMENTS | ADD YOUR OWN
Potatoes do not belong in "Chile verde"-chicken or pork The starch is provided by tortillas, preferably hand-made corn.
According to whom? I've seen chili verde this way in the SWest...
I made this last night, and it was sooooo tasty. My roommate, who is more of a gourmand than I am, said it tasted just like good restaurant chicken chile verde. I made it over the course of two evenings--sauteeing the chicken, onions, and peppers one night, then putting it all together the next. Perfect dinner for a chilly night.
Glad you enjoyed it, nsolis!
I made it (w/o potatoes...we had sopes). I took out the cinnamon stick early. It was a bit too powerful for me. Otherwise, this was great.
I made this last night and it was awesome. I just fried up the different steps in a big skillet then dumped them in a crock pot. It slow cooked all afternoon while I did other stuff. The chicken came out so tender and the spices gave it a nice kinda mole taste. Also, I used regular paprika mixed with a little cayenne pepper instead of smoked paprika and no aleppo because I couldn't find them - but it was still good. Thx Aida!
has anyone tried this with pork?
Yes, berbere, I've made this with pork shoulder and it was great. I didn't make any other changes, except it takes the pork longer to braise, about 2 1/2 - 3 hours. Yummmyy!
I don't have easy access to anaheim chiles, poblanos or tomatillos without having to drive across town and/or break the bank. My question... what about if I used a jar of salsa verde? I know, not authentic but hey, I live in Toronto.
thenurse: I think the point of this recipe is comfort food, not 'authentic' or 'tradicional'. Go ahead and use good bottled salsa verde, preferably with as few stretchers as possible. You might look for the small cans of diced 'green chiles' - these are almost always Anaheim/New Mexico types.
Aleppo peppers, red onion and cinnamon in a chile verde? I think someone's been to avant garde cooking school recently.
I'm going to try this dish this week (probably subbing pork for chicken because I prefer it), and likely I'll sear the meat before braising for the carmelization. I'm also going to get some of the Persian spices CHOW's currently highlighting on its homepage, and see what kind of synthesis I can create.
IMNSVHO, "authenticity" is overblown; good cooking should be first about what tastes good, always.
Made this for a MYO taco party last weekend and it rocked. Didn't add the potatoes, used ground cinnamon and sub'ed a nicer chili powder mix for the aleppo pepper (and backed up a little on the cumin because of it). This would make a great enchilada filling.
Anyone tried to freeze this? I'd love to make a big batch and divide for later.
I made a version of this with pulled pork ribs (country style) and froze it in 2 freezer bags. It came out great..just thawed it out and warmed up a bowl at a time as a side dish at dinner and with homeade fried tortilla chips. It was real tasty for about 3 days. (there's only 2 of us) I hated to see it go and I will definately make it often now that I know how.. It was like a restaurant dish...so good.
Re from 2:14
Oh yeah, I left out the potatoes too...it reminds me too much of a stew with the potatoes. and no cinnamon in the version I made,although I'll have to try that.
I just made this. I think it was pretty good! The only thing I have to say about it is that I thought it was a bit too sweet and it ended up too watery. I had substituted some things, though: regular chile powder for aleppo (couldn't find aleppo OR ancho) and I food processor'd the tomatillos and the peppers.
I'd suggest a slight change in the order of the recipe:
Cook the savory veggies first, remove, add a bit more oil, brown chicken then DEGLAZE the pan for the wonderful flavorings contained in the sticky bits from the pan.
That will up the flavor ante considerably.
This recipe was very good, but I can't help but think it would have been much, much better if I hadn't cut the tip of my index finger off prepping the veggies. (Hey, it'll grow back. Right?). The chicken in this recipe was incredibly tender, almost paste-like in consistency. I think the only change I'd make in the future is to increase the amount of chicken. Well that and watch where I'm cutting.
You can substitute an equal amount of peeled, cubed chayote squash for the potatoes.