A hearty green chile chicken stew with red potatoes. The chicken stew, made with stock and Mexican-style beer, simmers in the oven until the chicken is falling-apart tender. Serve it with dollops of sour cream and sliced avocado.
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When I lived in New Mexico I was a little obsessed with green chile and for a period of time used it in everything – sauces, burgers, stuffed mushrooms, pizza, enchiladas, relish – you name it and I was probably putting green chile in it.
I especially loved roasting my own when they were in season each August. During chile season you can find someone roasting and selling them on every street corner in Albuquerque. The smell of roasted green chile is heavenly to me – smokey and spicy – and it always reminds me of New Mexico.
Green Chile Chicken Stew
I’m adding yet another green chile dish to the repertoire and this time it’s green chile chicken stew, inspired by the ones I had in New Mexico. I got to thinking about making this after I pulled off my beef bourguignon extravaganza back in October – I loved the long process of layering and building flavors, so I thought I would try making green chile stew with similar techniques.
Green chili stew is a simple, humble bowl of goodness so it’s so important to take the time to really build out the flavors. In my opinion, a 30-minute green chili stew just won’t do – it needs more time. This version starts on the stove, simmers in the oven, and takes just under two hours from start to finish.
So, thinking about beef bourguignon, you need fat, meat, aromatics, and red wine and multiple techniques to coax out all of the flavors. Switch out bacon for butter and olive oil, beef for chicken, and red wine for Mexican beer suddenly you’re on a similar path that leads to a whole new destination – a bowl full of chicken, tender potatoes, and green chile flavor.
Tips for Making Green Chile Chicken Stew
- Use bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts and sear the skin first, which develops flavor. As the chicken browns, it will leave browned bits on the bottom of the pan that you can scrape up when you add the stock.
- You will simmer the whole chicken breast – skin and bone – in the soup.
- For the beer, I recommend using a Mexican-style lager. Pick one you like to drink. Most Mexican beers have a bright acidic or sour flavor which gives the stew a wonderful flavor.
- I like to simmer the chicken stew in the oven for 30 minutes before adding the potatoes. This way, the potatoes cook through but don’t end up mushy. So, in total, the chicken stew needs about 40ish minutes to simmer in the oven.
- For garnishes, I love sliced avocado and a dollop of sour cream. You can also serve it with crushed tortilla chips, a scoop of guacamole or dice red onion or sliced green onions.
Can I substitute chicken thighs?
Yes, you can use the same amount of chicken thighs in place of the chicken breasts. Definitely use skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs and brown them first as instructed in the recipe.
What potatoes are best for chicken stew?
The best potatoes for this chicken stew are waxy ones like the red potatoes I used or you can also use Yukon gold potatoes. Fingerling potatoes would also work well.
I don’t recommend using russet potatoes or other high-starch potatoes in this chicken stew. Starchy potatoes tend to break down and have a mealy texture when they are simmered in the stew.
What can I serve with green chile chicken stew?
This stew is hearty and filling all on it’s own but it’s delicious with some crusty bread on the side or a fresh green salad. Or serve some chips and homemade salsa verde on the side.
This green chile chicken stew is warming and comforting – perfect for a cold and chilly night.
Happy stew-making!
More Cozy Soups
PrintGreen Chile Chicken Stew Recipe
A slow-cooked stew with chicken, tender red potatoes, and green chile.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Braising
- Cuisine: Mexican-American
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 bone-in skin-on chicken breasts, seasoned with salt
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 4 oz canned diced green chile
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 (12-ounce) bottle Corona or other Mexican-style beer
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 pound red potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
- Sour cream, for garnish
- Avocado slices, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large oven-proof pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Brown each chicken breast, skin side down, until nicely browned. You don’t need to worry about cooking it through – just let it the skin get nicely browned. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.
- In the same pot, melt the butter and cook the onions for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, green chile, and salt and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the top and stir to coat the veggies.
- Add some of the beer (about 1/2 a cup) and, as it simmers, scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen all the brown bits. Add the rest of the beer and the chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a strong simmer and place the chicken back in the pot.
- Cover the pot with a lid slightly askew to allow steam to escape and transfer the pot to the oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes add the potatoes and cook the stew for another 20 minutes in the oven.
- Remove the pot from the oven and place it on the stove. Be careful to use pot holder because the pot will be hot! Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer the stew while you prepare the chicken.
- Take the chicken out of the pot and separate the meat from the skin and bones. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Discard the skin and bones and add the chicken back to the pot. Add the lime juice and cilantro. Serve the stew with a dollop of sour cream and sliced avocado.
Notes
Green chiles are only in season during the August-September time frame, so I often use canned Hatch green chiles, which I can find at my local grocery store in the Mexican food aisle.
Nutritional information does not include the sour cream or avocado slices.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 464
- Sugar: 12.6
- Sodium: 733.4mg
- Fat: 22.1g
- Saturated Fat: 7.4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 0.1g
- Carbohydrates: 39.8g
- Fiber: 3.4g
- Protein: 25.9g
- Cholesterol: 76.3mg
Keywords: green chile chicken stew, chicken stew recipe, green chile stew
Jeanne says
Will this freeze well?
April Anderson says
It does!
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
Everyone in New Mexico has the best green chile recipes and this is no exception. I love how you switched a traditional recipe over to something equally outstanding. It’s the height of summer down under but I’d still want to have this tonight.
★★★★★