Green Chile Chicken Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

Classic creamy stovetop mac and cheese gets a spicy upgrade with tender poached chicken, green chiles, pepper Jack, salsa verde, and fresh cilantro.

J. Kenji López-Alt

Updated May 01, 2024

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Green chile chicken mac and cheese, served in a white bowl and garnished with scallions and cilantro. — Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt

Why It Works

A combination of multiple thickeners and emulsifying agents—cornstarch, evaporated milk, eggs, and American cheese—ensures an extra-gooey texture with real cheese flavor.
Cooking the macaroni in the same water used to poach the chicken saves time while keeping this recipe confined to one pot.

Another week, another variation on macaroni and cheese. This time we head south of the border. Or at the very least, into the canned Mexican goods section of our supermarket for a few staple. First, we add a can of chopped green chilies to our basic creamy stovetop mac and cheese (if you want to get extra fancy, you can roast your own fresh chilies to stir in), followed by a cup of our salsa verde (you do keep some with you at all times, right?).

You can use store-bought rotisserie chicken if you'd like, shredding the meat up before adding it to the pot, but it's better and only slightly more difficult to poach your own chicken. Heck, you can just do it in the very same pot you're about to cook your pasta in. Finally, swapping out some of the American or cheddar cheese with spicy pepper Jack brings the flavors full circle. Gooey, tangy, a little bit hot, this is perfect comfort food for getting over the remnants of that fiesta borrachada last night.

March 2013

Recipe Details

Green Chile Chicken Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

Prep 5 mins

Cook 25 mins

Active 30 mins

Total 30 mins

Serves 4 servings

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Ingredients

2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
2 large eggs
2 bone-in, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound total)
Kosher salt
Half pound dry elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 ounces grated American cheese
8 ounces grated Pepper Jack cheese
1 (3.5 ounce) can chopped green chiles
1 cup salsa verde, store-bought or homemade
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
6 scallions, thinly sliced

Directions

Combine cornstarch, evaporated milk, and eggs in a small bowl and whisk until homogenous. Set aside.
Place chicken breasts in a large Dutch oven or stockpot and cover with water by 4 inches. Season with salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes after a boil is achieved. Using tongs, transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
Return water to high heat until boiling and add pasta. Cook, stirring occasionally, until barely al dente. Drain pasta and return to pot. While pasta is cooking, pull chicken meat into bite-sized shreds and set aside, discarding bones.
When pasta is cooked, return to low heat. Add butter and stir until melted. Add evaporated milk/egg mixture and cheese. Stir until smooth and creamy. Stir in chopped chiles, salsa verde shredded chicken, cilantro, and scallions. Serve immediately.

Special Equipment

Dutch oven or stockpot, whisk

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
822	Calories
46g	Fat
47g	Carbs
55g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	822
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 46g	58%
Saturated Fat 26g	129%
Cholesterol 270mg	90%
Sodium 1595mg	69%
Total Carbohydrate 47g	17%
Dietary Fiber 4g	13%
Total Sugars 15g
Protein 55g
Vitamin C 22mg	112%
Calcium 1119mg	86%
Iron 4mg	23%
Potassium 907mg	19%
*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.