How to Make Instant Pot Chile Verde with Frozen Chicken | Video
It's Tuesday night and you've totally forgotten to thaw anything out for dinner! No problem, you can have this Instant Pot Chile Verde with Frozen Chicken along with Cilantro Cauliflower Rice on the table in 30 minutes.
What is Chile Verde Chicken?
Chile Verde is a typical dish in the cuisine of New Mexico where green chiles are prevalent. It’s a great way to use up Hatch chiles bought during their short summer season. It's typically made with pork, but I have used chicken in this recipe. The other ingredients are fairly simple - onions, garlic, spices, green chiles and chicken broth.
What should I serve with 30 Minute Chile Verde Chicken?
Rice and/or tortillas are the traditional accompaniments, but to make this Whole30 compliant and add in lots of extra veggies, I made a cilantro cauliflower rice and then topped it with lots of colorful veggies and almond milk yogurt. You can also top with Homemade Ranch Dressing if you are doing a round of Whole30. (See the recipe on this post.)
Can I Make the Chile Verde Chicken with Cilantro Cauliflower Rice in a Crock Pot?
Yes for the Chile Verde Chicken and no for the Cilantro Cauliflower Rice. You can make the chile verde in a slow cooker (AKA Crock Pot) but then it will definitely not be 30 minutes and you can't use frozen chicken safely. Instead, place thawed chicken thighs into your slow cooker then add the remaining ingredients for the Chile Verde. Stir all the sauce ingredients together carefully then cover and turn the slow cooker to high and cook for 3-4 hours or low and cook for 6-8 hours. The cilantro rice will need to be cooked as directed not added to the slow cooker.
How to Make 30 Minute Chile Verde Chicken with Cauliflower Rice in the Instant Pot
While the Cauliflower Rice still has to be cooked separately, the Chile Verde Chicken can be cooked completely in the Instant Pot. It's pretty much a dump and go recipe. First, place chicken in Instant Pot bowl. Add broth, chiles, onions, garlic and spices. Stir everything together on top of the chicken then place the lid of the Instant Pot in place and make sure the pressure knob is turned all the way to the right. Hit the "Meat/Stew" button and turn the time to 15 minutes. (If your chicken is thawed you can lower cooking time to 10 minutes.) Walk away and let the Instant Pot do it's thing. Let it release pressure naturally then carefully shred the chicken with two forks. While the chicken is cooking, prepare the toppings and the cilantro cauliflower rice.
30 Minute Chile Verde Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken thighs, thawed if using slow cooker
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 cups green chile (I used 505 brand)
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tbsp ghee or avocado oil
- 2 lb frozen cauliflower rice
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
- Thinly sliced green onions, chopped cilantro, thinly sliced cabbages, thinly sliced radishes, sliced or chopped jalapenos, dairy-free sour cream or yogurt.
Instructions
- Place the chicken in the instant pot and top with remaining ingredients for Chile Verde. Stir together then cover and set to "Meat/Stew" and 15 minutes.
- For slow cooker, set to high for 3-4 hours or low for 6 or more hours.
- Melt ghee in a very large skillet. Add cauliflower rice in a single layer and let cook for a few minutes without moving around. This allows the moisture to evaporate quickly. After 4-5 minutes, stir the cauliflower and continue stirring every few minutes until it is golden brown.
- Add the cilantro, garlic, sea salt and lime juice and stir well.
- Divide cauliflower between four bowls, Layer chicken on top and arrange the toppings around the chicken. Drizzle with sour cream or yogurt.