This green chile chicken stew is so comforting, loaded with tender chicken, black beans, Hatch green chiles and Southwest spices, thickened with a rich roux.
Green Chile Chicken Stew Recipe
We're cooking up a big pot of rich and comforting Green Chile Chicken Stew tonight, my friends! This particular dish is different from any chicken stew you may be used to.
My recipe is made using more traditional ingredients from the U.S. Southwest, like Hatch chiles, black beans and spices. It's also a lot like a big pot of gumbo, as we're starting with rich dark roux, which thickens up the whole pot and adds loads of flavor.
I gotta say - IT IS FREAKING DELICIOUS!
Seriously, take a look. Let's talk about how to make Mike's Green Chile Chicken Stew.
Green Chile Chicken Stew Ingredients
The full list of ingredients with measurements are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Olive Oil. Or use peanut oil.
- Boneless Chicken. I'm using chicken breast, though chicken thigh is great here.
- Peanut Oil. Or us a neutral vegetable oil. For making the roux.
- All-Purpose Flour.
- Hatch Chile Peppers. You can sub in poblano peppers, Anaheim peppers, or jalapenos.
- Other Vegetables. Onion, celery, garlic, tomatoes.
- Black Beans.
- Seasonings. Chili powder (I'm using a New Mexican blend), cumin, paprika, coriander, cayenne, crushed red pepper, oregano, and salt and pepper.
- Chicken Stock.
- For Serving. White rice, if desired.
How to Make Green Chile Chicken Stew - the Recipe Method
Brown the Chicken. Heat a pan to medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil and heat.
Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pan. Cook a couple minutes per side until browned. Set aside until ready to use.
Make the Roux. Add ½ cup peanut oil to a large pot and heat to medium heat. Add flour and stir. Cook for 10-15 minutes, constantly stirring, until the roux turns a light brown the color of peanut butter. You can definitely go darker if you'd prefer.
See my video on how to make a roux for a good demonstration.
Add the Vegetables. Add peppers, onion, celery and garlic. Stir and cook about 8 minutes.
Add the Remaining Ingredients. Add chicken. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
Add diced tomatoes, black beans, seasonings and chicken stock. Scrape up the brown bits from the bottom. Give it all a good stir.
Simmer the Stew. Reduce the heat and cook at medium-low for 1 hour to thicken. You can let it just sit at this point to simmer.
Serve the Stew. Serve over white rice and garnish with extra fresh herbs, or just eat it on its own.
Boom! Done! This makes about 3 quarts of chicken stew, or one huge pot!
Recipe Tips & Notes
About the Hatch Peppers. As you know, I greatly enjoy the cuisine of the Southwestern U.S., and that includes a lot of Hatch chiles, of which there are many varieties. You can learn more about Hatch peppers here.
The Roux is Key. Making the roux adds so much flavor to this dish, which makes it quite a bit like a gumbo. It can take up to 30 minutes or longer to make a proper dark roux, but the time it worth it. See my post on How to Make a Roux, which includes a video demonstration.
You can easily add in other vegetables to your preference, like carrots, potatoes, or other root vegetables. Corn is a great addition as well.
Patty’s Perspective
This is “holy WOW” good. I want to bury my face in this. From this day forward, I want every meal made with roux!
Check Out Some Other Popular Recipes
If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you'll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don't forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I'll be sure to share! Thanks! -- Mike H.
Green Chile Chicken Stew Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 pound chicken breast chopped
- ½ cup peanut oil or vegetable oil
- ½ cup flour
- 6 ounces Hatch chile peppers chopped (Substitution: poblano peppers or jalapenos)
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 medium celery stalk chopped
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 pound heirloom tomatoes diced
- 2 15- ounce cans black beans
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 cups chicken stock
- For Serving: Cooked white rice if desired
Instructions
- Heat a pan to medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil and heat.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pan. Cook a couple minutes per side until browned. Set aside until ready to use.
- Add ½ cup peanut oil to a large pot and heat to medium heat. Add flour and stir. Cook for 10-15 minutes, constantly stirring, until the roux turns a light brown the color of peanut butter.
- Add peppers, onion, celery and garlic. Stir and cook about 8 minutes.
- Add chicken. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
- Add diced tomatoes, black beans, seasonings and chicken stock. Scrape up the brown bits from the bottom. Give it all a good stir.
- Reduce the heat and cook at medium-low for 1 hour to thicken. You can let it just sit at this point to simmer.
- Serve over white rice and garnish with extra fresh herbs, or just eat it on its own.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Ronda says
This was amazing!! The Hatch chiles I had were of the medium heat variety - I'll use something spicier next time. I didn't have any fresh tomatoes so I used canned fire roasted tomatoes which seemed to work well. And I forgot to add crushed red pepper so just added to individual bowls. Other than that I followed the recipe exactly. I'll definitely make this again! Thanks for sharing.
Mike Hultquist says
Boom! Thanks, Ronda! Very happy you enjoyed it!
Banks says
Yeah, this one nails it. Love the gumbo vibe (thinking we may even add andouille next time). Added some Mexican crema and hot sauce that gave it some additional creaminess and a touch more acidity and heat.
Mike H. says
Love it! Enjoy!
Luke says
I often substitute chuckar and quail for chicken will this simmer long enough that I could shred and debone? I will often cook breasts down in a instapot, but am concerned lack of pressure/temp may result in tough game bird breasts. The added flavor from the gamebirds pares so well with hatch enchilada sauce this recipe with fresh peppers and roux sounds incredible.
Mike Hultquist says
Sounds like something I need to try! I believe you can simmer it long enough, yes. Let me know how it goes if you do it. I'd love to hear.
Luke says
5 stars plus. Fresh peppers ,early girls tomatoes from the garden,and 3 ears of fresh corn shaved. I used 4 chuckar breasts that got lost in the bottom of the freezer and cooked for 90 min in a pressure cooker with chicken paste and 2 quarts of water. Deboned chuckar and added broth and chuckar to the roux. Wish I could get garden fresh tomato’s and peppers during chuckar season. Best chili have made. Once again your recipes are spot on!
Mike Hultquist says
Excellent! Happy to hear great results, Luke. Thanks for sharing this.
Kat M. says
Absolutely delicious! What a fun twist on a classic dish! And a great way to use up our 25 pounds of hatch chilies. We doubled the recipe and used two pounds of chilies. Another great recipe we will be making again and again!
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it, Kat! I love it.
Jeff Palmer says
Up here in cheeseland - I really appreciate any recipe that shows off great dishes and cuisines from the south. This one is golden and boolmarked for sure. Thanks for the nawlins fix:)
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Jeff!
Flavor Quotient says
Wonderful recipe.Great photos. Looks very tempting! Your recipes are really good. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks so much!
Georgia Ingersoll says
I have been growing my own habaneros for several years, & always get magnificent harvests...do you think I could substitute these for Hatch peppers without spoiling the taste & texture of the gumbo? (I think I'm going to switch growing jalapenos to growing Hatch peppers, but this will take too long...wanna try your recipe...like, PRONTO!!
REPLY: Georgia, yes, you can use habanero pepper for this recipe. You'll obviously get more heat and maybe a bit of fruitiness. Let me know how it turns out for you. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Karly says
Not want, NEED. This looks so good and jam packed full of flavor! Yum!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Karly! Yes! Loved this one.
Chili Bob says
Can dried Hatch peppers be used instead of fresh ones? If so, how much
REPLY: Yes, Chili Bob, though you won't get the same texture. It would be best to use fresh. However, if using dried pods, it would be best to rehydrate them first. I would use 3-4 pods, depending on size. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.