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Slow-Cooker Green Chicken Chili

4.7

(94)

Read ReviewsTriangle
A grey bowl filled with slowcooker green chicken chili.
Photo by JP Bevins, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone

  • Active Time

    15 minutes

  • Total Time

    4 hours, 15 minutes

This easy, slow-cooked chili is not your average "bowl of red." With chicken, sweet potatoes, tomatillo salsa, and pinto beans, it's more of a cross between chile verde (usually made with pork) and white chicken chili. Just a few ingredients and effortless prep gives you a flavorful and satisfying "bowl of green."

Ingredients

6–8 servings

3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 large sweet potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1" cubes (about 2 pounds)
1 (16-ounce) jar tomatillo salsa (salsa verde) (about 2 cups)
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons (or more) kosher salt
1 teaspoon (or more) freshly ground black pepper
2 cans low-sodium pinto beans, drained, rinsed
Sliced avocado, cilantro leaves, sour cream, and/or finely chopped onion (for serving; optional)

Special Equipment

A 6-quart (or larger) slow cooker

  1. Step 1

    Mix chicken, potatoes, salsa, broth, cumin, salt, and pepper in slow cooker. Cover and cook until chicken shreds easily with a fork and sweet potatoes are tender, about 4 hours on high or 6 hours on low. Add beans during last 30 minutes of cooking. Shred chicken in slow cooker with 2 forks. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed. Serve topped with avocado, cilantro, sour cream, and/or onion, if using.

  2. Do Ahead

    Step 2

    Chili can be made 3 days ahead; cover and chill.

Cooks' Note

This chili can be prepared on the stovetop in a Dutch oven or large pot. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, over medium-low heat until chicken shreds easily with a fork and sweet potatoes are tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Add beans during the last 30 minutes of cooking.

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Reviews (94)

Back to TopTriangle

  • This is a great recipe Slow-Cooker Green Chicken Chili , had fun making it over the weekend. Recreated the meal that I get from <a href="https://www.flexpromeals.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer ugc">https://www.flexpromeals.com/</a> delivered. Good quality and fresh.

    • Vadim

    • 9/30/2023

  • I used Herdez Mild Avocado Salsa and put everything in the Instant Pot, including my homemade pinto beans, and cooked for 25 minutes, quick release. It came out perfect. Super yummy!

    • Denise

    • Colorado Springs, CO

    • 2/12/2023

  • Excellent! Left out the chicken broth which made it more stew-like. 22 minutes in the Insta Pot. Added a bit of chili powder. Only enough for 6 without the broth.

    • Anonymous

    • Salt Lake City, UT

    • 1/13/2023

  • Such a fabulous recipe and so, so easy. I followed the recipe exactly, and with the cilantro, red onion, sour cream and avocado toppings, this chili packs a lot of flavor with minimal effort. Will be making this again and again.

    • Jeannine B.

    • Purcellville, VA

    • 12/6/2022

  • This was very tasty for minimal effort! I subbed 1.5 lbs of potatoes for the sweet potatoes and 1 lb chicken breast for the chicken thigh and left out the beans and still somehow feel there wasn't enough broth ha. My slow cooker might have cooked off too much liquid. I'll definitely make it again just maybe add 2 more cups of broth!

    • Gabby

    • Chicago

    • 9/20/2022

  • Can this be made in a pressure cooker?

    • judith

    • Seattle

    • 9/16/2022

  • Great and easy recipe. I didn’t read the directions correctly and threw the beans in at the beginning. Turned out fine. Will make again.

    • Amie

    • Long Beach, CA

    • 2/2/2022

  • Love this recipe, I substituted 2 lb of butternut squash for the sweet potatoes since I had it on hand and they worked beautifully. I also in lieu of using canned beans I used a bag of Rancho Gordo dried cranberry beans that were soaked overnight and drained. Delicious and hearty!

    • DWS

    • Calif.

    • 12/17/2021

  • Fresh and tasty recipe that is a doddle to make. Being in Italy tomatillo 'tomatoes' don't exist but substituted with green skinned tomatoes, and for the salsa effect added lime juice, fresh chilli, onion and chopped coriander leaf. Serve it with couscous to absorb all the lovely juice

    • Scorbutico

    • Italy

    • 11/19/2021

  • Perfectly delicious. Effortlessly made this 3 times now and always without the beans. The picky teens actually asked that this green chili be added to our regular fall menu rotation. All 3 times I’ve made in my Staub Dutch oven cooking for about 1.5 hours. Easy and so satisfying on a cold fall evening.

    • Anonymous

    • Boston MA

    • 11/8/2021

  • Just made this for a chilly fall day. Loved it. Really delicious. Followed the recipe except that I used my instant pot & set it for 30 minutes. Everything was perfectly cooked including the sweet potatoes.

    • Anonymous

    • Krum, Tx

    • 11/4/2021

  • I didn't know what to expect the combination of sweet potato and green salsa. Made the recipe just as directed and it is delicious! Avocado, onion and cilantro were complimentary as well. Will make this again and again.

    • Leah

    • Minneapolis

    • 11/2/2021

  • Suggestions for substituting the sweet potatoes? My husband hates sweet potatoes. Thanks!

    • Minal

    • Chicago Il

    • 10/30/2021

  • Excellent recipe. I made my own tomatillo sauce by roasting tomatillos (about 2 lbs for the full recipe), 2 poblano peppers and a red onion for about 15 minutes total (flipping the half way), and the puréeing them to make the sauce.

    • Steve Burns

    • Washington DC

    • 10/20/2021

  • Someone made this for me and my family when I had an accident and was off my feet for several weeks. It was delicious and I have made it several times over this past year. It is delicious as is and I have found I can add different things according to my taste and what I have on hand. I have added a red pepper, a small can of chopped green chili, sliced jalpeño according to taste for heat. I have left the beans out and served with rice. Lots of ways to go here for a quick, easy, tasty meal. KR, Boston, MA

    • KR

    • 02124

    • 10/17/2021

TagsChiliStewSoup/StewChicken ThighChickenPoultrySweet PotatoPotatoRoot VegetableVegetablePinto BeanBean and LegumeMainDinnerDairy FreeGluten FreeNut FreeEasyMake AheadWeeknight MealsSimmerSlow CookerDutch OvenSuper BowlFallWinterEpicurious

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