This delicious Instant Pot Chicken Chili Verde is made with wholesome, gluten-free ingredients for an easy, high-protein, flavorful meal you’ll love! With stovetop and slow cooker options, it’s perfect for meal prep. Kid-friendly and no-beans required. You’ll be making it again and again!
Salsa Verde vs. Chicken Chili Verde
Salsa Verde: With origins dating back to the Aztec empire, salsa verde is a spicy green sauce (or salsa) made from tomatillos and green chili peppers and is typically used as a dip for chips or on tacos.
Chicken Chili Verde: Made with the inclusion of salsa verde, chicken chili verde is a Mexican-American stew recipe that also contains shredded chicken and warm spices.
How to Make Chicken Chili Verde
Instant Pot Option
Note: The instant pot method is the fastest way to create this recipe for those times when you need dinner in a pinch!
- Season. To start, season the chicken on both sides, and add oil to the Instant Pot.
- Sauté. Statue the chicken for 6 minutes, flipping it halfway through to evenly cook, and remove it from the Instant Pot.
- Add the Veggies. Mix the onion, garlic, and bell pepper with more cumin, and saute them for 2-3 minutes or until they are fragrant. Turn off the saute mode.
- Shred the Chicken. Using two forks, shred the chicken, and place it back in the Instant Pot.
- Add Ingredients. Place the shredded chicken in the instant pot with the sautéed vegetables and the remaining ingredients including the salsa verde, green chiles, broth, diced gluten-free tortillas (or corn tortillas), and stir to combine. Then, set the Instant Pot to manual pressure cook for 8 minutes before letting it slow release for 10 minutes.
Slow Cooker Option
The slow cooker chicken chili verde method yields the most tender and juicy chicken but takes the longest to cook.
For the best results, lightly sauté the onion/garlic before adding it to the pot. Then, sear the chicken in a skillet, but make sure not to shred it, yet! Then, add all of the ingredients to your crockpot/slow cooker, and let them cook on low for 4 hours. With 30 minutes of cook time remaining, remove the chicken from the pot, shred it using either your hands or 2 forks, and add it back to the slow cooker to finish cooking.
Pro-Tips for Extra Flavor: Lightly saute the onion and garlic before adding it to the slow cooker. Sear the chicken, but don’t shred it into pieces until the last 30 minutes of cooking. Then, return it to the slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients.
Stove Top Option
Somewhere between the Instant Pot and slow cooker methods, stove top chicken chili verde is an easy one-pot option that can be made in about 30 minutes!
Follow the same directions as the Instant Pot option, heating the ingredients in a large pot over medium-high heat. Then, once all of the ingredients have been added to the pot, bring them to a light boil, and reduce the heat to a low simmer for 20 minutes.
Tortilla Chicken Chili Option
If you like, feel free to add tortilla chips (or corn tortillas) to give this chicken chili recipe adaptation a more traditional cornmeal flavor that is almost like eating a chicken enchilada! You can add them to the Instant Pot with the rest of the ingredients. Or, serve them on the side for an extra crunchy texture.
Pro Tip: Make your own tortilla chips using corn tortillas, oil, and seasonings! Find a full recipe here!
Tips & Tricks
This recipe is super easy. However, to help you create the best flavor and texture, I’ve gathered a few tips to help you out! Check them out below.
For thicker chili: Use 1 cup of salsa verde instead of 1 ¼ cup.
For thinner chili: Add more broth until the desired consistency is reached.
Use pre-cooked chicken: If you want to speed up the cooking process, use pre-cooked skinless rotisserie chicken, and skip the searing process.
For large chicken: If using large chicken pieces, adjust the pressure cooking time to 9-10 minutes to allow it to cook through.
Serving Suggestions
This chicken chili verde is delicious on its own as a soup, but the serving options are endless! For example, try pairing it with rice, quinoa, or a side of cornbread.
Additional Toppings
Add even more flavor and spice up your chili with extra toppings such as:
- Cilantro
- Jalapeno
- Shredded Cheese
- Tortilla Chips or Corn Chips
- Sour Cream
- Hot Sauce
More of Our Favorite
Gluten-Free Chili Recipes
Common Questions
Yes, however, if using frozen chicken, I highly recommend letting it thaw first. Otherwise, your chili recipe will be extra soupy. Also, you’ll want to cook the chicken a bit longer.
No, regular salsa made with a red tomato base will not work for green chicken chili as it has a different flavor profile and does not contain the same level of heat.
Both white and dark meat chicken work for this recipe! For the best results, I recommend using either chicken breasts or chicken thighs.
Yes! If stored in an airtight container, this chili will stay fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months. Then, all you have to do is thaw it in the fridge overnight!
To prevent your green chicken chili verde soup from burning, make sure you use enough liquid. Also, be sure to replace the silicone ring on your instant pot on a regular basis! If you don’t, there won’t be enough of a seal to lock in the steam, creating enough pressure to properly cook your meals!
Instant Pot Chicken Chili Verde Recipe
- Total Time: 33 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Made in the Instant Pot, slow cooker, or on the stove top, this Instant Pot Chicken Chili Verde is a wholesome, bean-less meal that is super kid-friendly and perfect for meal prep!
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
- 16 ounces chicken (boneless, skinless) thighs or breast*
- Pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin, divided
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic (2 cloves)
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 1 ¼ cups bell pepper, chopped
- 1 ¼ cups salsa verde (for thicker chili use 1 cup)
- 4 ounces canned green chiles
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- 3 medium gluten free tortillas (or corn tortillas), diced into small pieces
- Optional – 1 cup cooked corn
Optional Toppings:
- Cilantro, torn
- Jalapeño
- Non-GMO corn tortilla chips or corn chips
Instructions
Instant Pot Directions (Stove Top & Slow Directions to Follow)
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Season both sides of the chicken with salt and ½ teaspoon cumin. Add oil to the instant pot, and press the sauté button. Place the chicken in the pot, and sauté for 6 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through to evenly cook.
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When the chicken is lightly browned/seared, remove it from the pot, and place it on a plate to rest while the other ingredients sauté. (See notes)
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Add the onion, garlic, bell pepper, and ½ teaspoon more cumin to the pot. Mix the ingredients together, and sauté for 2-3 minutes, or until they are fragrant. Turn off sauté mode, and shred the chicken with a fork.
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Place the shredded chicken in the instant pot with the sautéed vegetables and remaining ingredients; salsa verde, green chiles, broth, diced gluten free tortillas (or corn tortillas). Stir to combine.
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Close the lid, and make sure the vent is sealed. Manual pressure cook for 8-10 minutes. Then, slow-release for 10 minutes. (See notes)
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Mix the ingredients, and keep warm. Spoon the chicken chili verde into bowls, and top them with crushed tortilla or corn chips, jalapeño, cilantro, and optional cheese.
Stove Top:
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Season both sides of the chicken with salt and cumin. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat with a small amount of oil. Add the chicken to the pot, and let the meat sear/brown for several minutes on one side before flipping.
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Once the chicken is almost cooked through and tender enough to shred, remove and place it in a bowl to rest.
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Scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pot/pan (from browning the meat). In the same pot, add the onion, garlic, peppers, and additional olive oil if needed. Sauté for 3-4 more minutes or until the onions are lightly browned and fragrant.
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Remove the veggies from the heat, and shred the chicken using hands or 2 forks.
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Place the shredded chicken in the pot with the sautéed vegetables.
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Add the remaining ingredients; salsa verde, green chilies, diced tortilla, and broth. Stir to combine. Bring the ingredients to a light boil. Then, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes.
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Add salt, pepper, and any other additional seasoning desired, adjust to taste.
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Spoon the chicken chili into bowls, and top them with crushed tortilla chips or corn chips, jalapeño, cilantro, and optional cheese.
Slow Cooker – 4 hours low.
- Optional Prep: For extra flavor, lightly sauté the onion/garlic before adding it to the pot.
- Sear the chicken in a skillet, but don’t shred it.
- Add all of the ingredients to the slow cooker, and cook on low for 4 hours.
- With 30 minutes of cook time remaining, remove the chicken from the pot, and shred it using hands or 2 forks.
- Return the shredded chicken to the pot, stir the ingredients, and let them cook in the slow cooker for the remaining time.
- After 4 hours, spoon the chicken chili verde into bowls, and top them with crushed tortilla chips or corn chips, jalapeño, cilantro, and optional cheese.
Notes
Skinless, pre-cooked rotisserie chicken may be substituted. Just be sure to skip the browning/searing step.
*Adjust the searing/browning time 1-2 minutes if using larger chicken breasts.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 28 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: Mexican-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 349
- Sugar: 7.7 g
- Sodium: 1228.6 mg
- Fat: 8.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 36.8 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 31 g
- Cholesterol: 84.6 mg
Thank you very much for sharing such a delightful recipe! For anyone who asked for Instant Pot accessories, check out this Amazon store – https://amzn.to/3rzTm7K
Thanks Susan!
This is one of our go-to recipes … taken just as it is it’s light and incredibly flavorful (don’t be fooled by the bland color when it finishes cooking!), and loaded up with cheese, sour cream, cilantro, and avocado it is an unbelievably filling meal that satisfies our whole family. I often double the recipe so we have leftovers as this is a true “4 servings” meal, never a drop left.
Thanks for the feedback! Glad you love it!
Could you use low carb tortillas if you wanted lower carbs?
Might depend on the tortillas. Which brand? Do they bake nicely on their own?
If I use a crock pot how long do you recommend I cook the tortillas? Do I just add them in at the end or cook with the rest of the ingredients for 4 hours?
I would add them in the last hour. Try that and keep me posted!
So so so good!!! The only things I added were avocado, cheese and sour cream, cilantro and chips as the topper. We had a family Chile cook off and we won with your recipe! EXCELLENT!!
WOOHOO! Congratulations? and those toppers sound divine, delicious!
just made this for dinner–very tasty!
wonderful! So glad you shared this with me Lindsay!
I may be the only person on the planet who does not like corn chips!
The recipe looks awesome though, do you think it would be just as good without the chips???
what about tortilla chips?
Looks delicious. Do you have the calorie information in addition to the macros you listed above?
oops, thanks for catching that! just updated the nutrition
Do you know that your recipe calls for “gluten tortillas” in two places? I assume you mean “gluten-free tortillas”. Though you might like to know that.
Oh gosh! thank you. Looks like my new recipe card didn’t convert everything. WIll update ASAP!
Wow! Great Recipe.
I would definitely try it and give you a feedback. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Thanks William!
The flavors were great . However, I just used a normal pot and let it simmer just like any chili. I believe beans should be in chili so I added cannelloni beans and the corn . I topped it with homemade tortilla strips . So, overall it was a good dinner.
Can you make this recipe In a crockpot??
I think so! Try it on low for 4 1/2 or 5 or high for 2 1/2 to 3
If you use tortillas, do you chop them up and put them in the pot uncooked? This sounds amazing. I’m going to make it tonight.
Yep! But used cooked gluten free tortillas or corn tortillas. Not raw. Hope that helps!
I just made a basic tortilla soup for dinner tonight, but this one sounds so much more fun!!
Oh you’d love it Aimee!
Oh my gosh – this looks so good! I love all of the flavors!
What a gorgeous instant pot meal!
My FAVORITE chips! Seriously! I need to make this chili to go with them 😉
You so do! Keep me posted Liren!
thank you for this recipe, all of my chili recipes are “red” based, not salsa verde based, and love salsa verde so kudos to you, love the chilaquiles treatment too!
I have finally started using my instant pot that I bought last year. This recipe is going to be a must make for us. The kids would love it for sure!
My kids LOVE these chips! I have to make this chili for them to go with them – YUM
I LOVE those chips! Pass me a HUGE bowl please!
I love that this is a verde chili paired with the chIcken. I have an Instant Pot now so I plan to try this. And of course, no soup is complete with out those delicious chips on top.
WOW…SO stunning!
I am seriously craving a big bowl of this!!
The Instant pot is amazing – and this chili is so hearty and comforting!
right?! such a good one for this cold weather!
That color!!
I adore chile verde and yours looks perfect!
Such an exceptional lunch recipe which seems very finger-licking, Lindsay! The combination of ingredients is outstanding and my family will love it! Can I use red onion for this dish?
I think this is an informative post and it is very useful and knowledgeable. I really enjoyed reading this post. big fan, thank you!
Some of my favorite flavors all in one meal!
So speedy, so delicious! It’s been ages since I’m made chicken chili and this recipe sounds perfect!
I don’t usually use chicken in my chili but what a great flavor profile here. Nice change from our normal tomato based recipes.
Thanks Jennifer! I hope you try it!
I didn’t know they made these chips! I love their blue corn tortilla chips. I’m more than a little excited to stock my pantry in the new place. Must add this. And the chili.
P.S. My mom is like in love with you. LOL!
Tell mom I love her already too! 😉