This braised chicken with tomatillos features a bright, slightly tart green sauce made from tomatillos, onion, roasted peppers, garlic, lime, and cilantro. The sauce pairs beautifully with chicken braised until tender and falling apart — you can prepare it on the stovetop or in a slow cooker.
This easy-to-make recipe yields a generous amount of sauce, enough to refrigerate for leftovers or to serve with rice or tortillas the next day. It’s flexible, forgiving, and ideal for weeknight dinners or a relaxed weekend supper. —Renee Schettler Rossi
What Are Tomatillos?
Tomatillos are small, round, green fruits that resemble unripe tomatoes but are a distinct ingredient often called tomates verdes. They bring a tart, herbal flavor and are a cornerstone of salsa verde, as well as soups and stews. To prepare tomatillos, peel away the papery husk and rinse the fruit under warm running water to remove the sticky residue from the skin.
Braised Chicken with Tomatillos
David Leite
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 1/2 pounds assorted chicken pieces, skin-on and bone-in or boneless and skinless
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 cups homemade chicken stock or canned chicken broth
- 3 Anaheim or poblano chiles (fresh or canned), roasted, peeled, and finely chopped (or 1–2 jalapeños in a pinch)
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 pounds tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and quartered
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro, plus whole leaves for garnish
- 2 to 3 teaspoons ground cumin, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- Cooked white rice or warm tortillas, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Slow Cooker: See the Slow Cooker Variation in Notes below.
- Stovetop: Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and, working in batches, sear until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
- Reduce heat to medium, add the chopped onion, and cook until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the stock or broth, scraping up browned bits. Stir in the roasted chiles, garlic, tomatillos, chopped cilantro, and cumin. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan, cover, and simmer, turning once, until the chicken is opaque and cooked through — 20 to 30 minutes, depending on size and cut.
- Transfer the chicken to a platter and loosely cover with foil to keep warm.
- Stir the lime juice into the sauce and simmer over medium-high until slightly reduced and thickened, 10 to 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. For a smoother sauce, puree part or all of it in a food processor or blender to your preferred consistency.
- If you like, shred the chicken (discard skin and bones) and return it to the sauce. Spoon sauce over the pieces or shredded chicken and garnish with whole cilantro leaves. Serve with rice or warm tortillas.
- Tester tip: Boneless pieces and white meat cook faster; bone-in pieces and dark meat take longer — factor that in when estimating cooking time.
Notes
Slow Cooker Variation
For the slow cooker, skip the initial searing if you prefer. Sauté the onion and cumin in oil for 2 to 3 minutes, add the chiles, garlic, and tomatillos and cook until just softened. Use half the stock called for and pour half the mixture into the slow cooker, add the chicken, then top with the remaining mixture. Cook on low for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Remove the chicken, shred if desired, and reduce or purée the sauce if you like a thicker consistency. Return chicken to the sauce and add cilantro just before serving. Chicken thighs are especially well suited to the slow cooker.
Note that slow cookers vary, so adjust timing and techniques to your appliance and taste.
Adapted From
One Pot of the Day
Nutrition
Calories: 523 kcal
Carbohydrates: 16 g
Protein: 38 g
Fat: 34 g
Saturated Fat: 9 g
Cholesterol: 137 mg
Sodium: 246 mg
Fiber: 4 g
Sugar: 8 g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
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Recipe Testers’ Reviews
This recipe passed multiple home-cook tests and earned the Leite’s Culinaria stamp of approval. Here are selected tester impressions.
Jenna Helwig
Big hit at my house: juicy chicken and tangy sauce with smoky depth from roasted chiles. I used 3 teaspoons of cumin and froze the extra sauce for tacos later.
Natalie Reebel
Tomatillo-and-green-pepper sauce really sings here. I used three breast halves and three thighs; the chicken was fork-tender and the sauce reduced nicely in about 20 minutes.
Chiyo Ueyama
A delicious one-pot dinner. Twenty minutes of braising was enough for thighs; we served the chicken in warm corn tortillas and loved the smoky poblano and citrus notes.
Nancy A. Mosher
A great chicken dish to add to rotation. Tomatillos lend a unique herbal tang and cumin adds earthiness. I reduced the broth a bit since tomatillos release much liquid.
Kim Venglar
This becomes chicken in a homemade salsa verde. I used roasted Hatch chiles and deboned, shredded the chicken after reducing the sauce for a smoother finish.
Sita Krishnaswamy
Easy and flavorful. I used boneless thighs and jalapeños. After shredding the chicken, the reduced gravy made a terrific filling for pita pizzas the next day.
Sofia Reino
I used drumsticks and thighs and toned down the chiles for a toddler. Served over white rice which soaked up the wonderful juices — a comforting, family-friendly meal.
Pat Francis
Delicious flavors, though messy with sauced bone-in legs. Next time I’d use thighs or breasts and shred before saucing for easier eating. I found less cumin suited my taste.
Lori Widmeyer
Tastes like a favorite Mexican restaurant. I used skin-on breasts, half the cumin, and served on tortillas with sour cream and cheese. A keeper with small tweaks.
Kristen Kennedy
Deep flavors and balanced heat. I used 2 teaspoons of cumin and puréed the sauce slightly. Also included a simple method for oven-roasting peppers if you lack a gas flame.
Brooke Barbera
Prep the roasted peppers ahead and this is an easy, distinctive weeknight meal. Thighs gave a richer sauce; simmer the sauce until it reaches your preferred thickness.
Jo Ann Brown
Firing-roast the chiles adds worthwhile flavor. Leftover sauce is excellent over steamed rice and can be used as a vegetable stew base for a meatless meal.
Colleen Bloxham
A great slow-cooker adaptation: sauté aromatics and spices first, reduce stock, and use thighs for tender results. Purée or leave the sauce chunky as you prefer.
Dawn English
An easy stovetop version that came together beautifully — we didn’t even need extra salt. Roasted tomatillos and chiles, then blended for a smooth sauce before a short braise.
Joel Jenkins
Simple, reliable, and delicious. I made it twice to rave reviews and preferred a spicier pepper for the second batch. Avoid boneless skinless breasts if you want juicier results.