If you’ve got 5 minutes, you’ll be on your way to the easiest Salsa Verde Chicken you’ll ever make (and love)! With just 5 ingredients and 5 minutes of prep time, it’s one of the easiest meals to put together and can be made in either the Instant Pot or Crockpot. And did we mention how versatile it is? It’s delicious over cauliflower rice as a Whole30 or Paleo meal or wrapped in a tortilla a taco with all of your favorite toppings.
Updated on February 12, 2021. Originally posted on September 19, 2016.
Salsa Verde Chicken makes for a quick and easy dinner for the weeknight
We love slow-cooked chicken chile verde! But we don’t always have an entire day to chop, sauté, simmer, and wait. So we created this ridiculously easy Salsa Verde Chicken recipe with the ‘set it and forget it’ mentality of the slow cooker. Need something even quicker? We’ve got you — there’s Instant Pot directions for this recipe here too!
This recipe uses chicken in place of the pork, making this a ‘cousin-to’ the pork chile verde. It’s super versatile and just mildly spicy so it’s kid-friendly too.
This post may contain affiliate links that won’t change your price but will share some commission.
Ingredients for Salsa Verde Chicken
- Chicken – our favorite is to use a combination of boneless chicken thighs and chicken breasts, providing a nice balance of dark and white meat.
- Salsa Verde – a jar of salsa verde. We like the Trader Joe’s brand as it’s nice and mild, but any brand will work and they range from mild to medium such as Herdez, Pace and Frontera. If you want to make your own, here is a recipe from Cookie and Kate.
- Green chilis – a can of fire-roasted green chilis.
- Cumin
- Oregano
- Sea salt and pepper – to taste
Shop Thrive Market to get the best prices on natural, organic, and specialty foods. PLUS get a free gift valued at $24 when you sign-up! Shop Thrive Market for all of your baking and cooking essentials!
How to make our Salsa Verde Chicken recipe.
This dish literally takes 5 minutes to prep. Talk about a weeknight dinner staple!
To make Salsa Verde Chicken in a Crockpot:
- Place the chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker.
- In a small bowl, combine salsa, green chiles, cumin, and oregano. Pour over chicken.
- Place lid on the slow cooker and cook on LOW heat for 4 – 6 hours.
- Remove lid and allow the chicken to cool slightly before shredding it with 2 forks right in the slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve over cauliflower rice, cooked rice or in a lettuce leaf wrap or tortilla of choice with optional toppings, if desired.
To make Salsa Verde Chicken in an Instant Pot:
Don’t worry, we have the Instant Pot directions right here to help you get dinner on the table even faster.
- Place ingredients in the Instant Pot. Put the lid on and make sure the vent is sealed.
- Set Instant Pot to ‘High Pressure’ setting then set the cooking time for 15 minutes.
- Once cooking is completed, allow natural releasing of pressure for 5 minutes then switch the valve to ‘vent’.
- When all of the pressure releases and the lid unlocks, remove the chicken and shred the chicken with two forks. Toss chicken back into the pot to coat with sauce (or carefully shred the chicken right in the pot, if you’d like).
Some Like It Hot – How To Add More Spice!
For this milder version of Salsa Verde Chicken (Crockpot or Instant Pot), we used Trader Joe’s Salsa Verde (Fresh tomatillos, green chile, water, onions, fresh jalapenos, salt, and spices). The Hatch Valley Salsa, also from Trader Joe’s, is a bit spicer thanks to those amazing Hatch chiles that are grown in the arid desert of New Mexico.
No Trader Joe’s near by? No worries. Any brand will work and they range from mild to medium so you can choose one based on your preference. Brands include Herdez, Pace and Frontera for example. If you want to make your own salsa verde, here is a recipe from Cookie and Kate.
Need even more heat? Grab some hatch chilis or jalapeno peppers and toss a few into the pot and revel in their spicy glory. Alternatively, you can grab a can of hot roasted green or Hatch chiles to stand in for the milder ones.
Curious about how to choose the best quality chicken? Check out this post where we help you decode poultry labels
How to serve Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Chicken
There are so many ways you can serve this protein — get creative with it! Here are some of our favorite ideas:
- Serve over cauliflower rice and top with sliced jalapeno, sliced radish, fresh cilantro, and fresh lime juice. For the cauliflower rice, easily grab a bag of frozen from the grocery store or make your own cauliflower rice.
- Chicken Verde lettuce wraps – using leaf lettuce (we like romaine or butter) fill the center with shredded chicken verde, jalapeno slices, diced avocado, and a dollop of coconut cream.
- Salsa Verde chicken tacos – grab your favorite taco shell (flour, gluten-free, or corn shell), fill with shredded chicken, and top with shredded lettuce, cilantro, green chilis, avocado slices, and fresh lime juice and a sprinkle of sea salt.
How to Meal Prep and Freeze Salsa Verde Chicken
If you’re prepping ahead, this Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Chicken (also known as Chicken Chile Verde) is the ultimate freezer-friendly meal. After the chicken has cooked, shred the meat, then let it cool completely, transfer to a freezer-friendly, airtight container/bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
When it comes to thawing the meat, pull the container out the night before and let thaw in the fridge. To reheat in the microwave, start with 2 minutes and add 30 seconds at a time until hot. To reheat on the stovetop, place the chicken in a saucepan with a splash of water over medium heat and cook for 3-5 minutes or until hot, stirring occasionally.
Add this easy and family-pleasing Slow Cooker Chicken Chile Verde to your meal plan this week!
More Crockpot and Instant Pot recipes to add to your menu
- White Chicken Chili (Slow Cooker)
- Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken
- Instant Pot Taco Soup (with Slow Cooker instructions)
- Slow Cooker Chicken Chili Verde Stew
Hungry for More? Subscribe to get our newsletter delivered straight to your inbox! And be sure to stay in touch on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Salsa Verde Chicken (Crockpot or Instant Pot)
If you’ve got 5 minutes + a slow cooker, you’re on your way to the easiest Salsa Verde Chicken (Crockpot or Instant Pot) you’ll ever make (and love)! With just 5 ingredients and 5 minutes of prep time, it’s the easiest salsa verde chicken you’ll ever put together thanks to the crockpot (or Instant Pot).
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 4-5 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 5 mins
- Yield: Serves 8 1x
- Cuisine: Whole30, Paleo, Nut-Free

Ingredients
- 2 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs and/or breast (we like to use a pound of each)
- 1 12-ounce jar Salsa Verde (such as Trader Joe’s)
- 1 4-ounce can fire-roasted green chiles
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and pepper to taste
For serving options: Cauliflower rice (or cooked rice – not Whole30), lettuce leaves or your favorite tortillas (not Whole30).
For optional toppings: Fresh cilantro, lime wedges, sliced jalapeño, diced avocado and/or thinly sliced radishes for serving.
Instructions
Slow Cooker Directions:
- Place the chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker.
- In a small bowl, combine salsa, green chiles, cumin, and oregano. Pour over chicken.
- Place lid on the slow cooker and cook on LOW heat for 4 – 6 hours.
- Remove lid and allow the chicken to cool slightly before shredding it with 2 forks right in the slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve over cauliflower rice, cooked rice or in a lettuce leaf wrap or tortilla of choice with optional toppings, if desired.
Instant Pot Directions:
- Place ingredients in the Instant Pot. Put the lid on and make sure the vent is sealed.
- Set Instant Pot to ‘High Pressure’ setting then set the cooking time for 15 minutes.
- Once cooking is completed, allow natural releasing of pressure for 5 minutes then switch the valve to ‘vent’.
- When all of the pressure releases and the lid unlocks, remove the chicken and shred the chicken with two forks. Toss chicken back into the pot to coat with sauce (or carefully shred the chicken right in the pot, if you’d like).
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 oz. chicken without toppings
- Calories: 195
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 495mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Carbohydrates: 5g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 27g
Pin it Now, Make it Later!
All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish this recipe, please rewrite the recipe in your own unique words and link back to the source recipe here on The Real Food Dietitians. Thank you!
Photo Credit: The photos in this blog post were taken by Jess of Plays Well with Butter.
Maura says
This was SO delicious and couldn’t be simpler. I served in corn tortillas (recommend doubling up b/c there is a lot of liquid) but I also think it would be amazing with some home fries and a poached egg on top. Took me less than 5 mins to throw together and the crock pot did all the work. Thank you for this easy, healthy win!
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
Thanks for weighing in on this one, Maura! We couldn’t agree more about the poached egg + homefries idea. Glad you loved the recipe and the 5 minute prep time!!
kyle says
Great recipe. I added 2 jalapenos with seeds diced, 1 green bell pepper and half a sweet onion. Spice mostly cooks off. Left in crock on low for 7 hours.
Served on plated with white rice and kidney beans. Tortilla chips on the side for scoping.
★★★★★
Stacie Hassing says
Thanks you! Happy to hear your enjoyed the recipe. And love the sounds of those additions!
Danielle says
I have made this once before and my husband and I both LOVED it! I made it with fresh chicken then, but do you know whether I can make it with frozen chicken without having to thaw it first? Thanks in advance for your help!
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
Thanks, Danielle!
You technically could use frozen chicken (people do it all the time for those once-a-month freezer meal deals) BUT know that by using a frozen chicken it will take longer for the temperature of the chicken to get to a safe temperature of 165 degrees. The longer the chicken is at a temperature between 40 – 140 degrees, the greater the likelihood of pathogenic (illness-causing) bacteria will multiply to an unsafe level. My suggestion would be to at least partially thaw the chicken under cool running water in the sink (or a microwave if you use one) before tossing it into the slow cooker to be safe.
Hope that helps!
Crosby Cromwell says
I made this last night and it turned out perfectly! I added one whole sweet potato chopped into small pieces, a n onion, and then an hour before serving I added a bag of frozen corn. It was great! Will make again.
Stacie Hassing says
So great to hear! Love the additions you made too. Thanks for sharing your feedback – we appreciate it!
Lisa says
I have homemade tomatillo sauce to use in place of the salsa verde. Curious what ‘one jar’ means measurement wise. Thanks!
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Lisa,
Great question – 1 jar, in this case, is 12 ounces. I’ve updated the recipe to reflect this!
Margaret says
Why thighs and breasts? To keep it moist? What adjustments would I make if I just wanted to use all breasts?
Stacie Hassing says
Yes, we have found that thighs work best as breast have more of a chance of drying out. However, feel free to use an equal amount of chicken breasts in place of the thighs – I’ve actually made this recipe with just chicken breast and it turned out great. Enjoy!
Katie says
Have you tried to make this recipe in an Instant Pot on either the “slow cook” or pressure cooking mode? Just wondering if it might change the cook time. I’m trying today on slow cook mode. Hope it ties out well.
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Katie,
I use the Slow Cooker feature on my Instant Pot regularly but find that even on it’s lowest setting (“Keep warm”) it runs much hotter than my regular slow cooker – and the cooking time is nearly halved. I’m not sure if it’s just my Instant Pot since it’s a few years old – or if they all run hot when using the slow cooker function. Perhaps someone else can weigh in on this issue?
If you want to you can use the “Poultry” mode (preset for 15 minutes at high pressure). I live at high altitude and sometimes have to add a few extra minutes to my cooking time (about 10%) when the atmospheric pressure is low (aka it’s really cloudy and overcast) – not sure why but that seems to be the case. Start with 15 minutes then release the pressure and see if it’s cooked through. If it’s almost done, I say turn it to ‘saute’ or ‘slow cook’ to cook a little longer if you have the time or lock the lid back in place and give it another 2-3 minutes. Once you do it the first time you’ll have a good idea of how long it takes to cook that amount of protein.
Hope that helps!
Dave says
Welp I’m going to make this tomorrow in the slow cooker, I am going all boneless, skinless thighs and I did find the verde in the local Trader Joe’s can’t wait! I am going to serve it with corn tortillas and rice and beans though.. little more fattening but I think it’ll be great! Thanks for the recipe!
Stacie Hassing says
Awesome Dave. Those changes and additions sound great! Enjoy!
Dave says
Hi Stacie!
I made this dish yesterday and it’s true! It couldn’t be more simple and delicious!
So easy, everyone should run out and get the ingredients for this a grand slam for sure!
I froze the rest and will make a nacho variation of this for the next meal. Thanks again for the great recipe Stacie!
Jessica Beacom says
Hey Dave!
Glad you loved this dish and thank you for your very kind words! It’s truly one of the easiest things you can make in a slow cooker.
Susanne says
Can I make this a day ahead and leave in the frig then warm up the next day without the chicken drying out?
Stacie Hassing says
Hi Susanna, that should work just fine! It shouldn’t dry out the chicken especially if you use chicken thighs. This is a great meal prep recipe!
KirstenNB says
Delish!
We spiced it up a bit with jalapenos and added corn!
Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
Nice! I like mine spicy too 🙂
Brian in Az says
This is a savior in whole 30…so good, goes good with breakfast, lunch, dinner. Late night snack….wait no snacking. Lol. Super easy, super good.
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
Hahahaha!! I couldn’t agree more. Though I suppose if you had to snack, snacking on this wouldn’t be frowned upon 😉
Alexander Coss says
I made this with was extremely pleased with the results. Easy and so tasty! Will make again but thinking of doubling the amount of chicken so I have more left overs to freeze. Do I need to add a lot more cooking time if I use 4 lbs of chicken breast?
Kind regards,
Alex
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Alex,
I’m so happy to hear you loved this recipe. Like you, I love doubling recipes like these so I have more leftovers to freeze. You likely won’t need to add any extra cooking time if you use 4 lbs. of chicken especially if you stir it halfway through the cooking time. Hope that helps!
Leilani Valenzuela says
Hi guys!
If I double the amount of chicken, would you suggest doubling the entire recipe? I am trying to make this for 10-12 people! Also, would you say this is a less “soupier” version of chili verde? If so, would adding chicken broth/stock taste okay?
Thanks for all your help! Can’t wait to make it!
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Leilani,
Yes, if you double the chicken you’ll want to double the other ingredients as well. This is definitely less soupy and more like carnitas – shredded meat with a bit of liquid.
Janice Vranicar says
I don’t think the sodium level is correct. Can you fix that? I’m trying to watch my sodium. Thanks!!
Stacie Hassing says
Thanks for pointing that out. I updated the nutritionals.
Janice Vranicar says
Thanks! I’m actually making this again for my girls weekend in two weeks. So easy….and I make it like a taco bar (guac, raw onion, sour cream, torts, tomato) It really was fantastic! Thanks!
Jessica Beacom says
Awesome! Your taco bar is going to be such a hit. Enjoy your girls weekend!
Dave F. says
I’m making this for the second time tonight, I will use it as a topping to my famous nachos which will now be even more famous now that I got this secret weapon! Great stuff, and couldn’t be easier to make!
Jessica Beacom says
Awesome! Your famous nachos sound amazing – glad we could help you make them even more famous!
madea says
I’m new to cooking! I Made this and it was so easy. And it was good too! I had to add salt as it was bland, but I’m watching my salt so I didn’t put too much. Hubby and my toddler loved it with spanish rice.
Easy to meal-prep for lunch too! How long do you think this would last in the fridge?
★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Madea,
Thank you for your kind words! Often slow cooker recipes will lose their ‘salty’ taste after cooking low and slow so salting before serving as you did is always recommended.
I keep this in the fridge for up to 4 days and freeze any leftover in small portions for easy thaw, reheat and eat meals later on.
Summer says
I’d like to add some kind of beans to this recipe. What would you suggest? And would I add them at the beginning of cook time, or later? It sounds amazing, as is! Can’t wait to try it 🙂
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Summer,
Pinto beans are great in this recipe. If you’re using canned beans, I’d suggest draining/rinsing them and adding them when there’s about an hour left of cooking time to prevent them from getting too mushy.
Suzy says
Just made this tonight in my Instant Pot and it was amazing! I sautéed a diced onion with half a jalapeño, 3 minced garlic cloves, and a diced bell pepper in the Instant Pot. Once it started to brown I added the salsa verde, green chilies, spices, 1.5 cups of basmati rice, and 1.5 cups of bone broth. Added the chicken and cooked it on manual high pressure for 9 minutes. After it finished I let it sit for 5 min before I released the pressure manually. Such a quick meal and will serve this anytime I have company and need something fast. Thanks for sharing!
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Suzy,
I love how you added some extra peppers and the rice to make it a true one-pot meal in the Instant Pot. I’m definitely going to take a cue from you and try that out. Thanks for sharing!
Melissa says
Made this last night with cauliflower rice….delicious!!!! Thanks so much!
★★★★★
Stacie Hassing says
Fabulous!
Liz says
Do you think it would be ok to use the Diced and Fire Roasted Tomatoes with Green Chiles, rather than just the green chiles?
Jessica Beacom says
Absolutely! You’ll have a little more liquid since you’re using a 14-15 ounce can vs. a 4 ounce can but you could cut back on the salsa verde as well to compensate for that.
Nancy Ward says
I found this recipe to be extremely salty. Can you recommend something I could add to lower the salty taste? I served it over white rice, which helped, but not enough to make it a winner for me!
Stacie Hassing says
Shoot! Not sure why it came out so salty for you. It could have been the particular salsa verde that you used. I would suggest adding 1/2 of the 12 oz jar of salsa + about a 1/2 of a cup of water or low sodium broth. That should help balance it out for you!
Sara says
This is cooking as we speak in my crock I added a large can of black beans and some extra salsa and cayenne pepper to spice it up a bit I’ll make my brown rice later after I shred the chicken combine all of that and put it back in my crock to heat through (I use this for meal preps) and make my burritos to freeze 😊 thank you for this easy healthy recipe too help me stay on track!
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Sara,
You’re so welcome! I love your additions to make it meal prep- and burrito-friendly. Happy eating!
Matthew says
Rookie question, do I have to add water for the chicken to cook or is there enough liquid from the jar of chulrs and salsa?
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Matthew,
Great question! You do not need to add any additional water – there’s plenty of liquid from the salad and chiles.
Amy Brown says
ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! A little kick, but not a lot. Perfectly paired with the cauliflower rice. Will definitely make it again!
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
Thanks, Amy! I’m so glad you love it. It’s one of my favorites, too.
Marissa Adamic says
I loved this! It was so easy to make. I added a cup of quinoa to my pot and it cooked perfectly!
Jessica Beacom says
Thanks, Marissa, for sharing – that’s a great addition.
Ashley says
This was really really good! Children and husband loved it!
Janice Jordan says
Do you have a whole30 verde salsa recipe?
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Janice,
We do not but I like this one: https://pretenditsadonut.com/2018/06/12/homemade-salsa-verde/
Bridget says
Thank you for the recipe! Do your nutritional values include cauliflower rice?
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Bridget,
Unless specified, the nutrition info includes on the main recipe (not the suggestions for how to serve). For reference, 1 cup of cauliflower rice provides 30 calories, 5g carbs, 0.6g fat, 2.4g protein on average, without added fat.
JS says
Will this require more liquid at higher altitudes? Thanks!
Jessica Beacom says
I’ve made this recipe multiple times at 5600 ft without adding extra liquid. And there is extra liquid left over after cooking so I’d say that you would not need to add more water (unless you’re really up there around 10,000ft). Of course, you can keep an eye on it the first time you make it to be sure you don’t need to add more liquid. Hope that helps!
Sarah B says
What would the result be if I used skin on and bone in chicken thighs? That’s all Trader Joe’s had today!
Stacie Hassing says
That would work! It will just be a little greasy due to the skin on.
Brooke M. says
This recipe was so easy and SOOOOO tasty! Thanks for sharing! Will be making again to use in different variations like enchiladas, tostadas, etc.
Jessica Beacom says
Yes! So happy to hear this!!
Misses D! says
So simple, but so tasty! I used 2 lb chicken breast only (what I already had in the fridge) and only 4 oz (all I had) can of fire roasted chilis. I cooked on high for three hours (hoping it would be ready before soccer practice) and the chicken cooked and shredded beautifully! I served over riced cauliflower and topped with fresh cilantro, chopped Serrano peppers, and lime. This was a hit, and my whole family loved it! This will be a weekly recipe in my home!
Misses D! says
I forgot to all the five stars to my comment!
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
Thank you!
Heather says
Insanely delicious! So easy too. One question though…how many 4oz servings does this exact recipe make? It didn’t last long enough for me to measure it!
★★★★★
Stacie Hassing says
Hi Heather! Glad you enjoyed this recipe. It would be about 8 servings.
Carie says
I made this recipe and really enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing it!
I found that I love this for breakfast with coconut rice.
Stacie Hassing says
Oh good! And that sounds amazing!
KAYLA says
How much would I add if my chicken is frozen?
Jessica Beacom says
It will depend on how thick the chicken breasts/thighs are. If cooking them from frozen, we recommend cooking them on HIGH to reduce the risk of food-borne illness.