Green Chile Stew Recipe
For those cold days when you need something to warm the soul! I’ve been cooking this for years. It’s probably the most favored dish in our family and my wife and kids keep asking for the recipe. I made it today, so thought I go ahead and write it all down.
Prep time: 15-20 minutes
Cook time: About two hours
Ingredient List
- 1 Medium Red (Purple) Onion
- 5 Garlic Cloves
- 3 Lbs. Boneless Chicken Thighs
- 1 Fresh Carrot
- 2 Cups of chopped Green Chile (mild)
- 1/2 – 1 Cup of chopped Green Chile (hot)
- 1/2 Large Fresh Jalapeno Pepper
- 2 Large Tomatoes
- 3 Tomatillos
- 4 Tbsp Sea Salt
- 2 Tbsp Course Ground Pepper
- 2 Tbsp Ground Cumin
- 2 Cups Posole or Potatoes
- 1 Can low sodium chicken broth (Swans, of course!)
- 1-2 Packets of Goya Sazon Goya Cilantro and Annatto
- Olive Oil
Preparation
- Chop onion and garlic, fine, and set aside. Wash chicken and cut into 1×1 inch chunks (doesn’t have to be precise). I find cutting easier when it’s half thawed. Be sure to drain the chicken thoroughly before cooking.
- Cook chicken in two batches, as it’s generally too much chicken to cook all at once. Place stove burner on high with skillet or pot. Add a few tbsp of olive oil. Olive oil has a lower burn temperature than most oils, so don’t leave it on long. Add half of onions and garlic for about two minutes and let brown slightly.
- Add 1.5 lbs (half) of the chicken to the skillet and cook thoroughly. Add 2 tbsp of sea salt (per batch). When done, place cooked chicken into a separate bowl. Return skillet or pot to the stove and repeat until all chicken is cooked.
- In a large cooking pot, add all cooked chicken. Then add:
- Peel carrot and cut in four sections, diced.
- Cut large tomatoes in quarters and remove the seed/slime in the middle.
- Cut tomatillos in quarters (do not deseed/slime these).
- Cut large jalapeno pepper in two, remove stem, seeds, and veins. Dice.
- Green Chile. This is going to depend on your location. In Texas, I use Albuquerque Tortilla Chopped Green Chile, Mild, and can pick this up in the freezer section at Walmart. The brand isn’t what’s important, but you do need mild green chile. I also use the same brand for Hot green chile. Worst case, you might find some canned green chile, but be sure to get more mild than hot. The mild gives the flavor and we use the hot green chile to control the heat.
- Drain mild green Chile in a strainer to get rid of most of the liquid and measure out two cups.
- Drain mild green chile in a strainer to get rid of most of the liquid and measure out 1/2 cup. You can add more later to increase the heat if desired.
- Add two cups of Posole (Hominy). Albuquerque Tortilla Company has frozen Posole available at Walmart. If unavailable, canned would be the last resort, but drain well. If you do not like posole, you can substitute 4-6 small red potatoes or 1 large russet potato. However, do not add the potatoes until the last thirty minutes of cooking. Potatoes will soften very easy and this takes about two hours to simmer. Add potatoes the last thirty minutes of cooking time.
- Add one can of chicken broth (16 oz. can).
- Add cumin, ground pepper, and Sazon (1-2 packets). The Sazon is not a must, but it really gives a rich flavor that I prefer.
Cooking
- With all ingredients in the pot, cover and let cook on low for about two hours. Stir occasionally (every 15-20 minutes), for about two hours. If you used potatoes, be sure to add those the last thirty minutes of cooking time so they will be cooked, but not dissolved.
- If more heat is desired, add 1/4 cup of HOT green chile at a time to get the right heat intensity.
- Taste as you cook. You may find you want more cumin, or need more heat, or would like to add some cilantro, or a little more salt.
- You can also substitute chicken for pork if desired. I prefer chicken. This is not something off the web. I’ve perfected this recipe through years of trial/error and it’s probably the most favored dish I cook for the family.
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