Green Chili Chicken Stew Recipe

Few dishes are as comforting as a good bowl of chicken stew. The world of chicken soups and stews comes in many forms, from your standard chicken and noodle soup, to chicken and barley stew, to chicken and potato stew, to even spinach and gorgonzola chicken soup. If you're in the mood for something spicy, you need nothing more than this green chili chicken stew recipe from Angela Latimer, chef and recipe developer behind the blog Bake it with Love.

This recipe starts with a whole raw chicken, some veggies, a handful of spices, fire-roasted green chilis, and a jar of salsa verde. The end result is something truly delicious. It's a great recipe for people who like to do everything from scratch, but it's also easy enough to make some parts ahead or swap in pre-cooked ingredients if you're short on time. It can also be tailored to how spicy you like your food. No matter which way you enjoy this recipe, it's bound to become a favorite among those who eat it.

You've likely already caught on to this by the name, but the base of this green chili chicken stew is made up of green chilis and spices. Latimer uses both diced fire-roasted green chilis (two 4-ounce cans) and a 16-ounce jar of salsa verde. Though both pack a lot of flavor, this recipe boosts it all with diced yellow onion, minced garlic, chicken bouillon (which is just dehydrated stock), ground coriander, ground cumin, paprika (smoked if you can find it), salt, pepper, cilantro, and lime juice. There are also a few add-on ingredients that you can stir into the stew after it's finished cooking and before you serve, including corn, black beans, lime wedges, cilantro, avocado, sour cream, and tortilla chips. For something even more filling, you can serve the stew over rice.

And, of course, this recipe isn't complete without the main protein: chicken. Your best bet is to get an uncooked whole chicken that's between 5 and 6 pounds, but you can opt for an already cooked rotisserie chicken if you're in a rush. Simply skip the next step if that's the case.

If you choose to start with a raw chicken rather than a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken, the first thing you're going to have to do is boil it. Put the chicken in a stockpot or Dutch oven, and add enough water to cover the bird. Cook it for about 40 minutes in a low boil — fully cooked chicken has an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

The rotisserie option is a lot faster, but there are benefits to cooking the chicken yourself. Plus, this is one step that you can do ahead of time so that all that's left to do is cook the stew portion when you're ready to eat.

"The ease of using rotisserie chicken is great, but the homemade broth is a big plus if you have a whole chicken and the extra time," Latimer says. "I like the whole chicken option as I simply prefer homemade."

An added bonus? "Boiling your chicken allows you to control the sodium content," Latimer says.

This is one step that you'll have to do whether you decide to boil your own chicken or go out and buy a pre-cooked one. First, allow the chicken to cool on a platter or tray — no one wants burnt fingers here. Note that this will add some time into the process, but you can speed up the wait by removing the skin and pulling away the wings and legs, which opens it up to more airflow.

Using a fork or simply your own two hands with no tools, pull pieces of meat off of the bone. You don't necessarily need to shred it into small pieces or strands. Large shredded chunks work just as well. However, keep in mind that too big of pieces will be harder to eat when it's put in the stew. Bite-sized pieces that you can easily spoon out are optimal.

Don't discard the water you used to make the chicken. This broth will be put straight back into the stew to add nutrients and flavor.

First, skim any foam that's on the top with a strain or fine-mesh sieve. Measure 6 cups of the broth, and put it straight back into the stockpot or Dutch oven that you used to boil the chicken. If you're looking for a thicker final stew, only add 5 cups back in.

If you chose to use a rotisserie chicken, a low- or no-sodium packaged chicken broth can be swapped in instead (and can fill the gap if you don't quite have enough broth from the boil). Just be sure to keep the same measurements of 6 cups, or 5 cups for a thicker consistency.

As important as the meat is to a hearty dish, a good stew is nothing without the perfect blend of vegetables and seasonings. This green chili chicken stew recipe is no exception. To start, if you haven't already, dice one yellow onion and mince about 2 tablespoons worth of garlic. The best way to dice your onion is to cut it in half and then slice it vertically and then horizontally while keeping the root on to hold it all together. A garlic chopper comes in handy and makes the process easier, but it's not too difficult to mince the garlic into small pieces yourself with a trusty knife.

Once that's done, add the onion, garlic, and seasonings — two cubes of chicken bouillon, ½ tablespoon of ground coriander, 2 teaspoons of cumin, ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika, and ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper — to the pot. Stir this all until it's combined before putting your pulled chicken back into the broth.

Lastly, add in the two 4-ounce cans of diced fire-roasted green chilis, the 16-ounce jar of salsa verde, lime juice, and the tablespoon of chopped cilantro.

The base of the stew is customizable to your tastes once you reach this point. You can stir in corn or black beans, for example, and serve it with extra lime, cilantro, avocado, and sour cream. Tortilla chips make a great accompaniment, though serving with or over rice is delicious as well.

"I like this [stew] straight out of the pot," Latimer says. "Nothing extra is needed, although some sour cream adds a cooling effect for contrast, and chopped avocado is always nice and creamy bits in this spicy [stew]."

And all the better if you have some leftovers. Simply store them in an airtight container in the fridge, where it will stay good for about five days, or you can put it in an airtight container or freezer bag and pop it in the freezer for a longer storage time.

"The leftovers are divine," Latimer says. "A day or two later, the chicken has had a chance to really take on all of the wonderful flavors of the chiles."