December 20, 2020

Instant Pot Green Chile Chicken

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Instant Pot Green Chile Chicken is so easy to make and tastes just like it came from a Mexican restaurant. You can make this recipe in just over an hour and have a delicious and warming meal any night of the week.

green chile chicken verde made in the instant pot with cheese melted on top
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This Instant Pot Green Chile Chicken is so amazing and perfect for a cold winter night or really, any night of the week whatever the weather. No matter how many Instant Pot recipes I make, it never ceases to amaze me that a delicious meal that tastes like it took hours to make comes together in no time.

We get a big box of meat from our local butcher which is awesome for two reasons. One, we get to support a local business. And two, we get really good meat and since we are buying it in bulk, it’s cost-efficient. I used the chicken pieces from our box which consisted of bone-in thighs and wings. I also cooked them partially frozen which is another amazing feature of the Instant Pot!

green chicken chile verde with fried tortilla strips, avocado, cilantro and cheese on the side

How to Make Green Salsa Chicken Verde in the Instant Pot

First, Cook the Chicken

  • Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Turn the Instant Pot on SAUTE and allow it to heat up for 2 minutes. Add the olive oil, butter, and garlic, and cook the chicken for 3 minutes on each side. Press CANCEL/DONE and remove the chicken and place it on a cutting board.
  • Pour water into the Instant Pot and stir it with the wooden spoon to get any pieces that cooked onto the bottom. Put the trivet in the Instant Pot.
  • Place the chicken pieces on the trivet and PRESSURE COOK on HIGH for 12 minutes. Allow the steam to release naturally, this should take about 15 minutes. Once the pin has dropped, carefully open the lid and remove the chicken and the trivet.
  • Place the chicken on a cutting board and use a fork and a knife to remove the meat from the bones. Cut the chicken into pieces and place it back into the Instant Pot.

Make the Green Chile Chicken

  • Add the salsa verde, green chiles, garlic, jalapeño, garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin to the Instant Pot with the Chicken and leftover water. PRESSURE COOK on HIGH again for 20 minutes. Once done, allow the steam to naturally release for 10 minutes and then carefully quick-release the rest. Add the chopped green onion, cilantro, and lime juice and stir them in.

Fry Up Some Fresh Fried Tortilla Strips

  • In a cast-iron pan or large skillet, heat the oil over med-high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add half of the tortilla strips to the pan and allow to fry on one side. Use your metal tongs to flip and move the strips around for a few minutes. Once the tortillas start to brown, remove them from the oil and place them on a plate with a paper towel to catch the excess oil. Sprinkle with salt and allow to cool before serving.
bowl of green chile chicken with homemade tortilla strips

Can I Use Chicken Breasts Or Other Meat For This Recipe?

This recipe would be delicious with other meats like pork or turkey. If you decide to use chicken breast or other meats for this recipe, you will just have to adjust the cooking time for whatever you choose. This recipe is also perfect for rotisserie chicken or for leftover meat you need to use in your fridge.

bowl of chicken chile verde made in the instant pot with melted queso fresco on top

Tips for Green Chile Chicken

  • I used bone-in chicken pieces. I really feel this makes the chicken more flavorful and juicier. You can also use chicken pieces without the bone, but I would recommend using thighs and legs/wings for the dark meat.
  • The green salsa verde I used was medium heat. You can decide how spicy you want your soup by using mild, medium, or hot salsa.
  • You probably won’t need to add any salt since there was salt on the chicken and jarred salsas tend to have a lot of sodium. Give the Chicken Verde a quick taste before serving just in case.
  • If you want a thicker Chile Verde Soup, you can remove the water after cooking the chicken (hint: it would be great for homemade stock).
  • You can also serve this Chili Verde with tortillas and allow each person to mop up the goodness with the tortillas.
  • My chicken was still slightly frozen when I cooked it, that’s what’s great about the Instant Pot!

Other Quick and Easy Dinner Recipes to Check Out

Tools for Instant Pot Green Chili Chicken

bowl of green chile chicken with tortilla strips

Instant Pot Green Chili Chicken

Instant Pot Green Chile Chicken Verde with fried tortilla strips.
5 from 23 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Steam Release: 25 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Author: EmilyFabulous

Equipment

  • Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker
  • trivet for instant pot
  • wooden spoon
  • cast iron pan or deep skillet
  • metal tongs

Ingredients

Chicken

  • 4 chicken thighs or legs
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup water

Green Chile

  • 1½ cups jarred green salsa verde
  • 1 4 oz can chopped green chiles
  • 8 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 3 stalks green onions, chopped (green and white parts)
  • 1 handful fresh cilantro, finely chopped
  • ½ lime, juiced

Corn Tortilla Strips

  • 6 corn tortillas, cut into strips
  • ½ cup canola or vegetable oil
  • salt

Garnish Ideas

  • queso fresco
  • sour cream
  • sliced avocado
  • lime wedge (use the other half from earlier)

Instructions

Chicken

  • Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Turn the Instant Pot on SAUTE and allow it to heat up for 2 minutes. Add the olive oil, butter, and garlic and allow the butter to melt while stirring. Add the chicken pieces to the bottom of the pot and cook for 3 minutes on each side. This will add flavor to the chicken and start the cooking process. Press CANCEL/DONE and remove the chicken and place it on a cutting board.
    butter and oil in the Instant Pot
  • Pour the water into the Instant Pot and stir it with the wooden spoon. Get any pieces that cooked onto the bottom of the metal insert with the spoon (this will get even more flavor into the broth and you will thank me during cleaning time!). Put the trivet in the Instant Pot.
    chicken brown bits and water in instant pot
  • Place the chicken pieces on the trivet, secure the lid, and make sure your valve is on SEAL. Manual PRESSURE COOK on HIGH for 12 minutes. Allow the steam to release naturally, this should take about 15 minutes. Once the pin has dropped, carefully open the lid and remove the chicken and the trivet.
    chicken on a trivet in the Instant Pot
  • Place the chicken on a cutting board and use a fork and a knife to remove the meat from the bones. Cut the chicken into pieces and place it back into the Instant Pot.
    chopped cooked chicken in instant pot

Green Chili

  • Add the salsa verde, green chiles, garlic, jalapeño, garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin to the Instant Pot with the Chicken and leftover water. Stir everything to mix it together. Place the Instant Pot lid on again, secure and seal, and manual PRESSURE COOK on HIGH again for 20 minutes. Once done, allow the steam to naturally release for 10 minutes and then carefully quick-release the rest. Add the chopped green onion, cilantro, and lime juice and stir them in. Serve with tortilla strips, cheese, avocado, a lime wedge, and sour cream.
    cooked green chile verde in instant pot

Corn Tortilla Strips

  • In a cast-iron pan or large skillet, heat the oil over med-high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add half of the tortilla strips to the pan and allow to fry on one side. Use your metal tongs to flip and move the strips around for a few minutes. Once the tortillas start to brown, remove them from the oil and place them on a plate with a paper towel to catch the excess oil.
    tortilla strips frying in oil
  • Sprinkle the hot strips with salt right away so that it sticks. Fry the other half. Allow the strips to cool before serving.
    fried tortilla strips in a bowl

Notes

  • Always read the instruction manual that came with your Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker and follow all safety guidelines. 

Any nutrition calculations are only estimates using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.

green chile chicken made in a pressure cooker
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Did You Make This Instant Pot Green Chile Chicken Recipe?

If you get a chance to make this Instant Pot Green Chile Chicken, don’t forget to leave a comment and rating below. You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook and show me a photo of your meal!

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