Easy Chicken Verde
This simple Chicken Verde recipe can be made effortlessly in a crockpot, Instant Pot, or on the stove. The shredded salsa chicken verde is incredibly tender and juicy, offering the perfect balance of spicy heat. It’s a mouthwatering, healthy meal that everyone will enjoy!
Why This Recipe is a Family Favorite
This recipe is incredibly adaptable! You can enjoy the shredded chicken verde in countless ways, making it a great choice for weekly meal prep. It also reheats perfectly!
We love using it in chicken and rice bowls for lunch, and it also makes a healthy, satisfying dinner. Whether it’s tacos, chicken enchiladas, soup, or chicken taco pasta, this recipe has you covered!
With just 6 ingredients and only 5 minutes of prep time, you’ll have a dinner that everyone in your family will enjoy!
And the best part? It’s super easy! Like most crockpot recipes, you simply toss the ingredients in, and let the slow cooker handle the rest.
Liz’s Tips for the Best Chicken Verde
This chicken recipe is pretty foolproof, but here’s how to make it next-level delicious!
Tip 1: Pound Your Chicken Breasts
This might seem like extra work, but it really makes a difference. Pounding the chicken with a meat mallet tenderizes and evens the thickness of the breasts, ensuring that the meat is juicy and cooks evenly.
Tip 2: Thaw Frozen Chicken
If you want to use frozen chicken, let it thaw overnight in the fridge before slow cooking it. This will help ensure even cooking and the best results!
Ingredients
This is a budget friendly meal, too! All you need are the chicken, some green salsa, and a few spices.
We use boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe, but if you prefer dark meat, boneless, skinless chicken thighs work wonderfully as an alternative.
Recipe Substitutions
- Chicken Breasts: You can substitute with boneless chicken thighs or chicken tenders. If you have pork tenderloin, try slow cooker pulled pork tacos.
- Salsa Verde: You can use fresh salsa verde or jarred salsa verde. This is our favorite jarred Salsa Verde.
- Olive Oil: You can substitute avocado oil, butter, or ghee.
- Garlic: If you don’t have fresh garlic, you can use 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder.
- To Make it Lower Salt: Look for low sodium salsa, and omit the salt from our recipe.
- Add Ins: Feel free to add more spices like onion powder, or add corn and/or beans to the crockpot to cook with the chicken verde!
- Fresh Cilantro: Is a delicious but optional garnish for serving. It’s also great with lime juice, sour cream, and shredded cheese on top.
Note: These substitutions are perfect for customizing the recipe to your preferences or available ingredients. Enjoy experimenting!
How to Make Salsa Chicken Verde
You can prepare this chicken verde recipe using a crockpot, Instant Pot, or on the stove. Here’s the method for cooking it in a slow cooker:
- Combine the salsa verde and seasonings in a bowl. Stir or whisk everything so it’s combined well.
2. Place raw chicken breasts in the crockpot. Pour the green salsa mixture over it.
3. Cover with a lid and slow cook on low for 5 – 6 hours or on high for 2 – 3 hours.
4. Remove and shred the cooked chicken (leave the extra sauce in the crockpot). You can use two forks and shred the breast meat on a cutting board or transfer it to a large bowl and use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer.
5. Place the shredded chicken back into the crockpot and mix thoroughly with the salsa verde. Serve while hot.
Alternative Cooking Methods
If you’re short on time and can’t slow cook your meal, you can quickly prepare the shredded chicken using an Instant Pot or by cooking it on the stove.
Instant Pot Chicken Recipe
Place boneless, skinless chicken in the inner pot of the Instant Pot.
In a medium bowl, mix together salsa verde, minced garlic, dried oregano, ground cumin, and salt.
Pour the salsa mixture over the raw chicken.
Cover the Instant Pot and manually set to Poultry or Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 14 minutes. Ensure the vent is set to sealing, not venting.
After cooking, remove the chicken (leave the extra sauce in the Instant Pot) and shred the chicken.
Return the shredded chicken to the Instant Pot and stir well to mix everything.
Stove Top Cooking Method
If you opt for the stove-top method, start by adding 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the recipe below.
Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and let it warm up.
Sear the chicken breasts lightly for 4-5 minutes on each side.
While the chicken is cooking, mix together salsa verde, minced garlic, dried oregano, ground cumin, and salt.
Pour the salsa verde mixture over the raw chicken, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to low.
Let the chicken cook on low-medium heat for 1 hour. You can flip the chicken halfway through for even cooking.
Once the chicken is done, remove it from the pot and shred it using two forks or an electric mixer.
Return the shredded chicken to the pot and stir well with the sauce.
Serving Ideas:
- Serve with Mexican-style dishes like rice bowls, tacos, enchiladas, or burritos.
- Add extra salsa (green or red), corn salsa, or creamy salsa dressing.
- Top with sour cream or shredded cheese.
- Serve over tortilla chips for chicken verde nachos.
- Use as the meat for Taco Casserole.
- Pair with cilantro lime rice, corn tomato salad, or Mexican potatoes.
Storing Leftovers
- Refrigerating: Keep the salsa chicken verde in an airtight container, and it will stay fresh for up to 4 days in the fridge.
- Freezing: For longer storage, freeze the cooked salsa chicken verde for up to 2 months. Make sure to use a freezer-safe container and thaw it in the fridge before reheating. We recommend using these containers for freezing.
- Reheating: To enjoy the leftovers, simply reheat them in the microwave, toaster oven, oven, or on the stove. For best results, we suggest gently sautéing it in a pan with a bit of olive oil.
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