Slow Cooker Chicken in Chile Verde

Back in my early cooking days, Trader Joe's Chicken Chile Verde was my go-to—quick, healthy, and easy to microwave at work. Now, craving that nostalgic dish, I've created my own version at home.

Unlike traditional salsa verde chicken, I prefer chunkier textures with tender veggies and bold heat. For an extra kick, I add extra jalapeños or serranos, but you can tone it down for a milder taste.

If you're looking for a flavorful set-it-and-forget-it meal that tastes even better than your local Mexican joint, you have to make this Slow Cooker Chicken in Chile Verde. It only takes 10 minutes to prep, and then the slow cooker does the rest!

Want more slow cooker chicken recipes? Check out this Slow Cooker Barbacoa Chicken and Chicken Carnitas (Slow Cooker, Instant Pot, or Oven)!

Before You Get Started

Keep these things in mind before you start!

• Adjust the heat: If you're not a fan of spicy, you can swap the poblano peppers for bell peppers and leave out the seeds from the jalapeno.
• Salsa Verde: This recipe makes its own salsa verde as the sauce ingredients slowly cook for hours. However, you can use store-bought salsa verde if that's what you have on hand!
• Versatile: This dish produces perfectly tender chicken in fresh, spicy juices, perfect for adding to tacos, bowls, salads, or anything your heart desires!

What You Need to Make Slow Cooker Chicken Chile Verde

This recipe requires a few basic ingredients:

• Chicken: I use a combination of boneless, skinless chicken breasts and boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe. If you'd rather only use chicken breasts, that's okay, too. Use two pounds of breasts instead of one pound each of breasts and thighs.
• Chili verde: This is a blend of tomatillos, poblano peppers (or bell peppers for less heat), jalapeño peppers (optional seeds for more heat), onion, chopped fresh cilantro, minced garlic, and soy sauce (or coconut aminos for Whole30®), and cumin.

How to Make Chicken in Chile Verde in the Crock Pot

This is the ultimate dump-and-go recipe! Here's a quick breakdown of what you'll need to do:

Step One: Prep the Slow Cooker

Pop the chicken into the slow cooker and get ready to pile on the rest of the goodness.

Step Two: Add the Veggies and Spices

Toss in your tomatillos, peppers, onion, garlic, cilantro, and all those flavorful seasonings. Give it a quick mix.

Step Three: Let It Cook

Set it and forget it! Let everything simmer until the chicken is tender and shreddable.

Step Four: Shred and Serve

Shred the chicken with forks, stir it all together, and serve.

Chicken in Chile Verde in the Instant Pot

Yes, you can use your Instant Pot instead of the slow cooker. What I recommend doing is adding all the same ingredients to the Instant Pot as you would the slow cooker.

Also, add a cup of chicken broth so that the Instant Pot has some more liquid to pressure cook this spicy chicken dish. Put the lid on and turn the valve to the sealed position. Use the "manual" setting and set the timer for 10 minutes. Let it naturally release for 5 minutes, and then vent the rest of the pressure. Serve as you normally would.

How to Serve Chicken in Chile Verde

Back when this was a lunch staple in my early working days, I ate it as-is right out of the package. But now that I have more than 4 minutes, I have learned to embrace a few different ways to serve this spicy chicken dish.

• Tacos: When you think of chicken cooked in any kind of spicy sauce, I think of tacos. Add the shredded chicken to corn or flour tortillas, and top with your favorite taco toppers. I like cilantro, lime juice, sliced green onions, a little cheese, and hot sauce, of course.
• Rice bowls: You can also eat this dish over rice. Any style will do. White, brown, Cilantro Lime Quinoa, or even Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice will taste just wonderfully. It's delicious in a slow cooker chicken burrito bowl, using chile verde instead of tomatoes.
• Salads: Add a big spoonful over the top of some salad greens and top like you would a taco. No need for dressing — I think you'll find this dish to have enough of its own natural "dressing" when you add it on top.
• Stuffed peppers: Chicken in Chile Verde also makes a great stuffing. You could stuff bell peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, or squash boats with this yummy chicken recipe.

Can I add toppings?

Here's a list of toppings you can add to dress up this chicken!

• Guacamole or sliced avocado
• Sour cream
• Pickled Red Onions
• Pico de Gallo
• Lime juice
• Hot sauce

Recipe Tips and Ideas

Here are a few ways to make this recipe your own!

• Less spicy: If you want a less spicy option, leave out the jalapeno pepper and replace one of the poblano peppers with green bell pepper.
• Tomatillos: If you can't find fresh tomatillos, you have a few options. First, you could use green tomatoes. The flavor is slightly different since green tomatoes are simply unripe tomatoes, and tomatillos are a different fruit altogether. You could also look for canned tomatillos, which are sometimes easier to find, usually in the Mexican section of the grocery store or online. For a last resort, use mild green salsa, which is made with tomatillos. You could use red tomatoes, but then it won't be chile verde.
• Soy sauce: The soy sauce in the recipe adds a slight umami flavor and saltiness. If you prefer to leave it out, just season it with salt and pepper to taste.
• Protein: This recipe will work with all chicken thighs, all chicken breasts, and even pork tenderloin or lean pork shoulder.
• Beans: Although not traditional, you can add a can of white beans or pinto beans if you like.
• Make it saucy: For a more saucy, soup-like version, add 1-2 cups of chicken broth.