Chicken Green Chile Tacos Recipe

By
J. Kenji López-Alt
Kenji Lopez Alt
Culinary Consultant
Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
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Updated August 09, 2018
20130818-chicken-green-chili-tacos-4.jpg
Chicken thighs braised in a tangy and spicy green salsa made with tomatillos and chilies, served in warm tortillas. . J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

Note: If Hatch chiles from New Mexico or Anaheim peppers are not available, substitute 1 poblano peppers and 1 wax pepper.

Recipe Details

Chicken Green Chile Tacos Recipe

Active 30 mins
Total 0 mins
Serves 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 green chiles, preferably Hatch or Anaheim (see note)

  • 2 medium tomatillos, husks removed, split in half

  • 1 small yellow onion, peeled and split in half

  • 3 cloves garlic

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

  • 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 4 limes

  • 2 pounds chicken thighs (bone in and skin on)

  • 1 small white onion, minced

  • 16 to 24 warm corn tortillas

  • 1 batch pickled red onions

  • 1/2 cup grated queso cotija or Jack cheese

  • 1 avocado, sliced

Directions

  1. Preheat broiler to high and adjust broiler rack to 5 to 6 inches below heating element. Toss peppers, tomatillos, yellow onion, and garlic in a medium bowl with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Place on a foil lined rimmed baking sheet and broil until vegetables are completely tender and charred on all sides, turning occasionally, about 20 minutes total. Peel peppers and remove stems and seeds when cool enough to handle. Transfer vegetables to a food processor or blender with half of the cilantro and process on high speed until smooth. Add 2 tablespoons lime juice from about 2 of the limes, season to taste with salt, and set aside.

  2. While vegetables broil, heat remaining oil in a Dutch oven over high heat until shimmering. Add chicken pieces skin side-down and cook without moving until well browned, about 6 minutes. Flip and brown second side, about 3 minutes longer. Remove to a plate and set aside. Pour off excess fat and deglaze dutch oven with 1 cup water, scraping up browned bits from bottom.

  3. When vegetable puree has been made, transfer to the Dutch oven and stir with the water to combine. Nestle the chicken pieces into it. Bring to a boil, reduce to a bare simmer, cover, and cook until chicken is completely tender, about 30 minutes. Remove chicken from sauce and place on a plate to cool.

  4. When chicken is cool enough to handle, discard skin and bones and shred meat into bite-sized pieces. Return meat to sauce and bring to a simmer. Cook until thick and saucy, then season to taste with salt and pepper if desired.

  5. Combine white onion and remaining cilantro in a bowl. Serve chicken with warm tortillas, onion and cilantro mixture, pickled onions, cheese, and avocado.

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
519Calories
20gFat
59gCarbs
30gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories519
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g26%
Saturated Fat 5g26%
Cholesterol 112mg37%
Sodium 1277mg56%
Total Carbohydrate 59g21%
Dietary Fiber 10g35%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 30g
Vitamin C 48mg238%
Calcium 189mg15%
Iron 3mg15%
Potassium 827mg18%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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