Slow Cooker Chicken Chile Verde

If you’ve got 5 minutes + a slow cooker, you’re on your way to the easiest Chicken Chile Verde you’ll ever make (and love)!

This dish literally takes 5 minutes to prep.

I love slow cooked chile verde. Love, love, love it. But I don’t always have an entire day to chop, saute, simmer and wait (shocker, I know). So I created this ridiculously easy Slow Cooker Chile Verde recipe with the ‘set it and forget it’ mentality of the slow cooker. It’s not as saucy as a big bowl of chile verde – and it uses chicken in place of the pork – but it’s super versatile and just mildly spicy so it’s kid-friendly too.

Just toss the chicken into your slow cooker or Instant Pot set to ‘slow cook’, mix the salsa, green chiles, cumin and oregano together then pour over the chicken. Set that slow cooker to LOW and come back in 4-6 hours. To save time (because you’re probably really hungry just smelling this deliciousness) shred the chicken right in the slow cooker. You don’t HAVE to shred the chicken, you can serve it up as is with lots of sauce poured over the top. It’s totally our chicken chile verde awesomeness to create here.

Some like it hot!

If you don’t have little beings who dictate the spice level in your cooking then feel free to make this spicier. It’s so good when it’s spicy!  Just make sure it’s ingredients are clean, clean, clean if you’re doing a Whole30!

For this milder version, I used the 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 they grown in the arid dessert of New Mexico. But I digress, this one is super clean too – just Hatch chile peppers, tomatillos, citric acid, lime juice, garlic and sea salt. So good!

Need even more heat? If you live the West or Southwest you’re lucky enough to get fresh roasted Hatch chiles at roadside stands or local farmers markets during late summer and early fall.  These can range from “mild” (which I’d have to say is more medium) to hot, hot, hot! Toss a few of those in 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 I’ve listed in the recipe below.

Wasn’t that easy?

With all the time you saved prepping this magical slow cooker meal you can make some cauliflower rice to serve it over and sop up all that tasty sauce (Trader Joe’s has it both frozen and fresh – can you say life saver when you just. want. to. get. dinner. on. the. freaking. table!?) Or you can rice and cook your own too. Here’s a recipe for that.

Or just get on it without any fuss whatsoever and scoop it into lettuce leaves. I like mine topped with lots of fresh lime (because let’s be honest, that zingy lime taste gets lost in the slow cooking process), fresh cilantro, radishes for crunch and of course, some diced avocado because there really isn’t much fat in this recipe. And you need fat to feel satisfied and satiated and happy and to make your food taste even better. 

Add this easy and family-pleasing Slow Cooker Chicken Chile Verde to your meal plan this week!

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Let's Get Cookin'

Slow Cooker Chicken Chile Verde

It hardly gets any easier than this recipe with just 5 ingredients! Look for a salsa verde without preservatives or added sugars – we like the Trader Joe’s Salsa Verde because it’s just tomatillos, green chiles, water, onions, jalapenos, salt and spices. Serve over cauliflower rice or tucked into lettuce wraps.

• Author: The Real Food Dietitians
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 5-6 hours
• Total Time: 6 hours 5 mins
• Yield: 6-8
• Category: Slow Cooker, Main Dish

Print Recipe

★★★★★ 4.8 from 10 reviews

Ingredients

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 12-ounce jar Salsa Verde (such as Trader Joe’s)
• 1 4-ounce can fire roasted green chiles
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh cilantro, lime wedges and/or diced avocado for serving, optional
• Cauliflower rice or lettuce leaves for serving

Instructions

1. Place chicken in slow cooker.
2. In a small bowl, combine salsa, green chiles, cumin and oregano. Pour over chicken.
3. Place lid on slow cooker and cook on LOW heat for 4 – 6 hours.
4. Remove lid and allow chicken to cool slightly before shredding it with 2 forks right in the slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Transfer to serving dish, top with chopped fresh cilantro and serve with lime wedges, if desired.
6. Serve over cauliflower rice or in lettuce wraps.

Notes

Instant Pot Instructions: Place ingredients in the Instant pot. Put lid on and make sure vent is sealed. Set Instant Pot to poultry setting for 15 minutes. Once cooking is completed, allow natural releasing of pressure for 5 minutes then switch valve to vent. When all of the pressure releases and lid unlocks, remove it and shred chicken with two forks. Toss chicken to coat with sauce.

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 4 oz.
• Calories: 195
• Sugar: 1g
• Sodium: 495mg
• Fat: 7g
• Carbohydrates: 5g
• Fiber: 3g
• Protein: 27g

What’s your favorite ultra-easy slow cooker recipe? Share in the comments below!

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About Jessica Beacom

Jessica is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist living in Boulder, CO with her hubby and two daughters. She's been described as a 'real food evangelist' and loves sharing her knowledge with others to help them break free of the diet mentality and find their own food freedom. In her spare time she enjoys CrossFit, telemark skiing, mountain biking, teaching herself how to play the banjo and camping out under the stars.