Here in New Mexico, folks are obsessed with Green Chile, a spicy chili pepper that is grown most famously in Hatch, New Mexico. We will put green chile in or on just about anything. Pizza, mashed potatoes, burgers, casseroles, you name it.
When you get sick, you eat traditional Green Chile Stew instead of chicken noodle soup. It’s got all the magical healing properties of chicken noodle but with the extra fiery kick of green chile so you can BURN that sickness out!
Of course, you don’t have to be sick to eat this amazing bowl of deliciousness! As soon as the weather turns cold, you can guarantee that any New Mexican is busy cooking up a batch of Green Chile Stew. This past week, we had an early cold snap so you know I had to whip up some Green Chile Stew!
Obviously, the best green chile to use if the freshly roasted Hatch variety that you can find roasting all over New Mexico each autumn. It’s getting easier to find Hatch green chiles at grocery stores around the country – check by the salsas and look for small 4 oz cans of Hatch green chiles. You might even find a jar of green chile if you’re lucky! If you don’t usually eat spicy food, definitely opt for the mild or medium spice. Green chiles have a delicious flavor even when they aren’t super spicy.
If you can’t find the cans, you can order from Chile Traditions, or you can substitute with Anaheim chiles which you can roast yourself (you’ll need 6-12 peppers) then add 1/2 to 1 whole roasted jalapeño if you want more kick.
Traditional Green Chile Stew is usually made with pork and potatoes, but I like to get some of the comfort of chicken noodle soup by using chicken and carrots and celery. I love the flavor you get from adding some Mexican beer but if you don’t drink alcohol or prefer not to use beer in cooking, feel free to omit.
Hope you enjoy this stew as much as we do! Let me know what you think in the comments below!
Jess's Green Chile Stew
My spin on the traditional New Mexico Green Chile Stew. Spicy comfort food at it's best!
Ingredients
- 1-2 tbsp Coconut Oil Or other high-heat oil
- 2 whole Chicken Breasts About 2 pounds
- 2-4 cloves Garlic Minced
- 1 whole Onion Diced
- 6-8 cups Broth or water *See Notes
- 6 oz Mexican Beer I used half a Pacifico then enjoyed the other half while I cooked!
- 1/2 tsp Dried Oregano
- 1/2 tsp Cumin
- 3 Bay Leaves
- 1/2 cup Hatch Green Chiles Chopped
- 1 1/2 cups Carrots Chopped
- 1 1/2 cups Celery Chopped
- 1 1/2 cups Potatoes Chopped
Instructions
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Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed stock over medium-high heat.
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Place chicken breasts, garlic and onions in pot.
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Cook 3-5 minutes, stirring garlic and onions occasionally, until chicken is browned on one side.
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Using tongs, flip the chicken and cook another 3-5 minutes until browned, stirring the garlic and onions occasionally.
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Add 6 cups broth, beer, oregano, cumin and bay leaves and bring to a boil.
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Reduce heat to low and simmer 1 hour, covered.
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Add the Hatch green chiles to the pot and simmer another 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend.
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Taste test your broth at this point and decide if you need to add any more chiles to make it more spicy.
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Add carrots, celery and potatoes to the pot and simmer another 20 minutes until veggies are tender.
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Remove chicken from the pot and place on a plate or cutting board. Using two forks, shred the chicken into chunks then add back to the pot.
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Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
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Serve hot with some delicious cornbread!
Recipe Notes
* I originally used Better Than Bouillon (which tastes amazing) but it does have added soy, so for a soy-free, less-processed seasoning blend use:
2 tsp ground oregano (2 Tbsp dried leaves)
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp Lawry's Seasoned Salt
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic and herb seasoning blend or homemade Spike copycat seasoning