This green chile chicken stew is a family favorite that combines diced green chiles, veggies, and chicken for a hearty stew! Use a whole fryer or leftover deli rotisserie chicken for an out-of-this-world stew that is sure to be a new personal favorite for you too! Aside from being absolutely delicious, it is a relatively healthy and hearty meal!
Easy Salsa Verde & Green Chile Chicken Stew
There’s nothing quite like a homemade stew to activate all the senses. My Green Chile Chicken Stew is aromatic, appetizing, and all-around amazing.
As the stew cooks and all of the flavors mingle, your kitchen will smell glorious - just like a gourmet’s! Allowing the ingredients to simmer together gives every morsel of this mouthwatering dish depth.
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From the first bite to the last scrape of the bowl, you will never tire of the taste, thanks to the array of exciting ingredients and select seasonings.
I make this green chile chicken stew on weekends for a late lunch or early Sunday dinner. This also makes it a go-to when I want to make a one-pot meal for a serve-yourself supper.
Everyone always enjoys this easy chicken stew, especially when it is served piping hot! When there is any left, you better believe it's a first-round pick to reheat it the next day and do it all over again!
🥘 Green Chile Chicken Stew Ingredients
The ingredients list is a combination of classic chicken soup components plus some Mexican-inspired flavors, making this stew simple to prepare. The zesty spices add so much to the chicken!
- Chicken – 1 whole raw chicken that is thawed. To make this even easier, you could use some leftover rotisserie chicken!
- Water – Enough to cover your chicken in the pot.
- Bay Leaves – 2 bay leaves to add a fantastic flavor.
- Coriander – 1 tablespoon of ground coriander.
- Cumin – 2 teaspoons of ground cumin. This is one of my favorite spices for any recipe based on Mexican food!
- Paprika – ½ teaspoon of paprika.
- Salt & Pepper – Add as much of each as you’d like to taste.
- Chicken Bouillon – 2 cubes of chicken bouillon. I like the Knorr brand cubes the best. But any sort of bouillon will do.
- Onion – 1 small yellow onion that has been diced.
- Garlic – 4 garlic cloves that have been minced. This is about 2 tablespoons.
- Potatoes – 2 medium-sized russet potatoes that have been diced.
- Carrots – 2 large carrots.
- Celery – 2 celery ribs to add some crunch and extra nutrition.
- Green Chiles – 8 ounces of diced green chiles. I recommend fire roasted!
- Salsa Verde – 16 ounces (or 2 cups) of salsa verde.
- Lime – The zest and juice from one lime.
- Cilantro – 1 cup of cilantro that has been divided into two equal portions.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How to Make Green Chile Chicken Stew
This incredibly easy-to-make chicken and green chile stew is even easier if you want to use leftover chicken or pull apart any remaining deli rotisserie chicken. To use leftovers, skip through the boiled chicken directions and use chicken broth with your pre-cooked chicken.
Make sure you grab a stockpot and a large platter to get started! This recipe will make 6 servings.
Prepare Chicken
- Boil. Place your full chicken into a large stockpot or Dutch oven with enough water to cover the chicken completely. Add the 2 bay leaves and bring the chicken to a low boil for 40 minutes.
- Break down the chicken. Remove the chicken from the boiling broth and transfer it to a large tray or platter to pull it apart. Allow the chicken to cool slightly before removing all the skin and pulling off the wings and legs to help speed along the cooling process. Once cooled enough to handle, pull off all the chicken meat from the carcass. Break the meat into bite-sized pieces and shreds. *Discard the bay leaves.
Make The Stew
- Strain. Strain the broth in your stockpot if desired and return 6 cups of the broth to the stockpot with the pulled chicken.
- Add the seasonings. Add in 1 tablespoon of coriander, 2 teaspoons of cumin, ½ paprika, and salt and pepper to taste, as well as the 2 chicken bouillon cubes. Stir everything into the broth, then add the vegetables - 1 onion, 4 cloves of garlic, 2 potatoes, 2 carrots, and 2 celery ribs. Next, add the 8 ounces of canned green chiles and the 16 ounces of salsa verde. Bring the stew to a boil.
- Simmer. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Stir in the lime juice, lime zest, and a half cup of cilantro. Remove from heat and serve immediately. Garnish with more cilantro if desired.
You can serve it with bread, cornbread, flour tortillas, hand-torn sourdough, or crackers. Sometimes I top each bowl with a dollop of sour cream for a wonderful creamy green chile chicken stew version. Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Tips & Recipe Notes
- To thicken your chicken stew, make a slurry of 1 to 2 tablespoons of flour with an equal amount of cold water. Mix until smooth, then add a ¼ cup of broth and mix until smooth again. Whisk the slurry into your stew.
- If you like your soup extra spicy, add in a few dashes of hot sauce!
- You can always save some time by using grocery store rotisserie chicken!
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Place any leftovers into an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Make sure that your stew is fully cooled before refrigerating or freezing.
To freeze your stew, place it into an airtight container and leave about a half inch of space for expansion during freezing. Your frozen chicken stew will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer but is best used within the first 2 months.
Reheating Green Chile Chicken Stew
Thaw frozen chicken stew by refrigerating it overnight before serving, or by using the thaw function of your microwave. Reheat your green chile chicken stew in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stovetop at medium heat.
❓ FAQ
Yes! This recipe is extra delicious if you use fresh hatch chile peppers! You can buy the peppers already roasted or roast them yourself!
You can adjust the heat in this stew by opting for a milder salsa verde and green chiles. Additionally, adding a dollop of sour cream will help to cool it down!
This stew is a great freezer meal! Once cooled, pour it into freezer-safe storage bags and keep it frozen for up to 3 months. Allow it to defrost and then reheat it on the stove!
🍲 Hearty Stew Recipes
- Rabbit Stew - For a more unique protein option, try out this flavorful rabbit stew!
- Crockpot Beef Stew - This delicious stew is a set-it-and-forget-it dish that can cook while you are at work!
- Irish Lamb Stew - This hearty lamb stew is loaded with flavor!
- Instant Pot Beef Stew - For a last-minute stew option, this one is made in your pressure cooker!
- Hawaiian Beef Stew - This yummy soup features soy sauce for an island touch!
- Brown Stew Chicken - My brown stew chicken is packed with wonderful Jamaican flavors!
📋 Recipe
Green Chile Chicken Stew
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken (raw, thawed)
- water (enough to cover the chicken)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- each, salt & pepper (to taste)
- 2 cubes chicken bouillon (Knorr brand recommended)
- 1 small yellow onion (diced)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced, about 2 tablespoons)
- 2 medium russet potatoes (diced)
- 2 large carrot
- 2 ribs celery
- 8 oz diced green chiles (Hatch fire-roasted are best)
- 16 oz salsa verde (2 cups)
- 1 lime (juice and zest)
- 1 cup cilantro (divided - two ½ cup portions)
Instructions
- Place your chicken into a large stockpot or Dutch oven with enough water to cover the chicken. Add the bay leaves and bring the chicken to a low boil for 40 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the broth and transfer it to a tray or platter to pull apart. Allow the boiled chicken to cool slightly before removing the skin and pulling the wings and legs off to help speed along the cooling process. Pull the chicken meat from the carcass. *Discard the bay leaves.
- Strain the broth in your stockpot if desired and return 6 cups of broth to the stockpot with the pulled chicken.
- Add the seasoning including coriander, cumin, paprika, black pepper, and chicken bouillon cubes. Stir into the broth, then add the vegetables including onion, garlic, potatoes, carrot, and celery. Also, add the canned green chiles and the salsa verde then bring the stew to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Stir in the lime juice, lime zest, and a half cup of cilantro. Serve immediately.
Equipment You May Need
Notes
Place any leftovers into an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Make sure that your stew is fully cooled before refrigerating or freezing. To freeze the green chile chicken stew, place it into an airtight container and leave about a half-inch of space for expansion during freezing. Your frozen chicken stew will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer but is best used within the first 2 months. Thaw frozen chicken stew by refrigerating it overnight before serving, or by using the thaw function of your microwave. Reheat your green chile chicken stew in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stovetop at medium heat.
Nutrition
Angela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma's kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love!
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