Summary:
Hearty and zesty, Chili Verde is a saucy green stew with juicy and tender chicken -- one of the most popular low carb, keto, and paleo Instant Pot dinners on the site. Peppers and onions add bulk and help thicken the stew, giving a refreshing aroma to the whole dish. The cumin, cilantro, and lime juice give the stew a decidedly Mexican flavor.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (Note 1)
- 7 medium tomatillos, stemmed, husked, quartered (Note 2)
- 2 medium poblano peppers, stemmed, seeded, chopped
- 2 medium jalapeño peppers, stemmed, seeded, chopped
- 1/2 yellow onion, peeled, chopped
- 1/4 cup water (Note 3)
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 teaspoons ground
cumin - 1.5 teaspoons table salt
For Finishing:
- 1/3 cup chopped cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
INSTRUCTIONS
- Pressure Cook: Add tomatillos, poblanos, jalapeños, onions, and water to the pressure cooker. Distribute garlic, cumin, and salt on top. Lastly, add chicken thighs. Secure and seal the lid. Cook at high pressure for 15 minutes, followed by a quick pressure release. (Note 4)
- Cut Chicken: Uncover. Transfer only chicken to a cutting board, and cut it into bite-sized pieces or shred. Set aside.
- Thicken Stew: Add cilantro and lime juice to the pressure cooker. Use an
immersion blender to puree the mixture in place, or transfer to a countertop blender. With the blended mixture in the pressure cooker, select the saute mode for medium heat. Return chicken to the mixture. Boil until stew is thickened, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. - Serve: Divide into bowls, and garnish with additional cilantro. Let stand until cool enough to eat, about 10 minutes. Serve hot (Note 5).
NUTRITION
| Makes 4 Servings |
| Amount Per Serving (1.5 cups): |
| Calories 310 (42% from fat) | |
| Total Fat 15g | 22% |
| Saturated Fat 0g | 0% |
| Cholesterol 182mg | 61% |
| Sodium 1200mg | 50% |
| Net Carb 6g | |
| Total Carb 10g | 3% |
| Dietary Fiber 4g | 15% |
| Sugars 4.5g | |
| Protein 37g |
PHOTOS
This is a regular in our rotation now, and even my picky processed-food obsessed kids request it weekly. I now add in 1-2 avocados at the immersion blending stage to get more fat, and this actually thickens and smoothes it out a bit, meaning no additional cook-down time. We usually double the recipe and sometimes grill the thighs prior to adding them. We’ll also tend to add additional hot peppers of assorted types based on what we find at the farmers market or local hispanic grocery after the base of poblanos and jalapeños, and the kids insist on splashing Cholula on this, which does add a nice tang.
Gary’s Anejo tequila idea sounds excellent; before going full keto I also like masa as a thickener for the same earthy quality. Now I might have to sacrifice some good tequila for this.
I do occasionally get the burn alarm on the Instant Pot due to not enough liquid to start. I usually use 1 cup of onion, garlic or cilantro bouillon.
It was a big hit with my boyfriend. I crumbled a little fresh Mexican cheese and diced avocado on ours and served with a low carb tortilla. Yummers!
Can you make this in a regular crockpot instead of an instant cooker?
Yes, that would work. You would need to transfer everything to a pot on the stovetop for the boiling step.
Love this recipe. Super easy to make and tastes great!
I made twice and the second time I modified slightly. I sautéd the poblano peppers and the chicken first in garlic and used broth instead of water. This gave it a bit more flavor but it tastes great either way.
Also, if on a low carb diet, sautéd rice cauliflower makes a great side / base to serve over.
Couldn’t love this dish more… it was easy, fast and cheap to prepare and BIG on flavor. I used a jar of Fronterra tomatillo salsa in place of the fresh tomatillos, added in a tsp of smoked paprika per another reviewer’s suggestion and served with sour cream, queso fresca, and avocado. Fresh sliced radish would have been a nice topping as well. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Can you blend the sauce before adding it to IP?
I don’t think that would work as well, since the ingredients will be raw and won’t blend as smoothly.
I’ve been looking for a recipe like this for months. This was a great base. I added a few drops of green Tabasco and it put it over the top. Simple and tasty.
OMG! So delicious, worth trying! I felt I was back in Mexico.
Can we freeze it?
This was RAVE worthy!!!! My hubs and I absolutely loved it and added it to our all star recipes list!!!
Stuck to the recipe, but used pork instead of chicken. This came out fantastic! Thanks for the recipe.
OMG! This recipe is incredible! I couldn’t find Tomatillos at our grocery store so I did a quick google on what to replace it with. It suggested either Verde green salsa or green peppers. I added three medium green peppers and a bottle of green salsa instead of water. Leftovers were even better! This is my next go to meal!
Hi Julia! I love your recipes! If we can’t find tomatillos, can we used something jarred?
Thanks Kim! I think a jarred substitute would also work for this recipe. Check the ingredients label on the jar. If it comes with its own seasonings, you may want to cut down on the cumin and salt in this recipe. Hope that helps, and please let me know how it turns out for you.
I’ve made it countless times since I came across it this fall. I switch back and forth from making it just as the recipe calls for and then sometimes adding in smoked paprika. All in all, I love this recipe.
Used leftovers for breakfast over chicharrones with diced avocado, crumbled Mexican white cheese, and a fried egg. Delish!
I added a bit of smoked sausage and sour cream on my bowl of the deliciousness! Otherwise, I stuck close to the recipe and it is fantastic.
Families new fav! Success! Million thank yous!
Just made this tonight for me and my dad. I added even more chili peppers. Served with rice and black beans. It’s so good!
I really love this recipe. Making it tonight for the 3rd time. AND I doubled the recipe because my husband and I scarfed it down so quickly last time! So simple and really really delicious! Thanks!
Absolutely delicious!!! Served over Cauliflower rice. Spicy!! I left some seeds but not too many. Will definitely make this again. We LOVED it.
I forgot to give stars.
can you make this without a pressure cooker? if so how would you modify? just curious if you need the pressure cooker for the tomatillos?
You don’t need a pressure cooker for the tomatillos. You should be able to make this using a pot on the stovetop — probably need to add some water in Step 1 and cook until the chicken is tender enough to shred and the other ingredients are soft enough to easily puree using a blender.
Excellent recipe! Did not include the jalapenos, and used a cilantro with lime mixture but everything tasted great and my guests loved it. I doubled the recipe to have some to freeze for later.
This looks amazing! It’s hard for me to get tomatillos where I live—is it possible to substitute a salsa verde? I want to make this!
Hi Sarah! I think using salsa verde would be a decent substitute for fresh tomatillos. You might want to cut down a bit on the cumin and salt in this recipe, since salsa verde usually comes with its own seasonings.
Thank you, Julia! I was able to hunt down some tomatillos, but I wound up adding some pre-made salsa verde in for a kick, anyway! It was great. Making it again today.
Held back on the jalapenos as one of the poblanos made my eyes water! Chopped one and placed on the side. Served over saffron Spanish rice. Very simple. Absolutely delicious with a fresh citrus-y and mildly spicy taste. A keeper!
My husband hates cumin. Is there a different spice I could substitute?
It’s possible that he may not detect it in this dish, since it’s a blended mixture of various ingredients, especially if you halve the cumin. As for substitutes, I would replace the cumin with a mix of ground coriander and chili powder.
Turned out awesome! I did add a little liquid smoke, paprika and chili powder to add more spice and body. But overall, very good basis, we served it over rice!