Green Chili Chicken Pressure Cooker Recipe (2024)

Why It Works

  • Adding all the ingredients to the pressure cooker with no added liquid makes for an intensely flavored stew that cooks in its own juices.
  • Fish sauce adds umami depth to the dish once it's cooked.

It's a tough call, but I'm almost inclined to say that, with its tangy tomatillos and mix of fresh green peppers, I like chile verde even more than I like a bowl of Texas red. This version is packed with moist, tender chunks of braised chicken thighs in a balanced sauce that is rich with umami depth and green chile flavor, but still plenty bright and fresh. And the best part: You can make it in under half an hour. All it takes is a pressure cooker and some dumping skills.

Green Chili Chicken Pressure Cooker Recipe (1)

To say I'm on a bit of a pressure cooker kick would be an understatement. I'm like a guy who just got a new power saw and can't think of enough things to cut with it. In fact, I just added a new power saw to my online shopping cart in the hopes that it'll help wean me off the pressure cooker for at least a few days.

Why the excitement? It mostly has to do with a series of recipes I've been working on that are inspired by my wife's30-minute, five-ingredient chicken and potato stew. It's a brilliant recipe. All you do is add chicken, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, and a few aromatics to a pressure cooker—without any liquid—then cook it over high pressure for about 20 minutes.

As the chicken and vegetables heat, they release a ton of liquid and end up braising in their own juices. The result is ultra-tender chicken with an intensely flavorful sauce and vegetables to go with it. In terms of flavor-to-effort ratio, I can't think of a better technique, and the best thing about it is it works with a wide variety of ingredients and vegetables. Recently, I used tomatoes, dried chiles, and cumin to make theworld's fastest, easiest chicken enchiladas.

Green Chili Chicken Pressure Cooker Recipe (2)

Now, we're making chili. Chile verde, to be exact. Just like my more traditionalpork-based chile verde, the main flavorings here are poblano, Serrano, and Anaheim peppers (if you can get Hatch chiles, use 'em), along with tomatillos, garlic, onion, and cumin.

The process, on the other hand, is way, way simpler. Here's the first step: Dump everything into your pressure cooker.

Here's the second step: Turn the pressure cooker on. Don't worry, the hard part is over.

When you open up that pressure cooker, you should see a bubbling pot of richly flavored broth with a nice slick of chicken fat floating on the top and very, very soft vegetables. All that's left to do is remove that chicken and set it aside until it's easy to shred. (If you want to make this even easier, go ahead and use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. You'll lose a bit of flavor, but the dish becomes nearly effortless.)

Green Chili Chicken Pressure Cooker Recipe (3)

Once the chicken is out, purée the broth and vegetables with an immersion blender or a countertop blender until smooth, adding a handful of cilantro leaves and a big dash of fish sauce in the process. The former adds freshness to what has become a very richly flavored sauce in the pressure cooker while the latter adds more umami depth. Don't worry, your sauce will not taste like fish. I promise you.

Green Chili Chicken Pressure Cooker Recipe (4)

Just like with those enchiladas and the Colombian chicken stew, I wondered if flavor could be improved with a few minor extra steps like sautéing the aromatics before adding the pressure, but surprisingly, the difference is extremely minimal. The high heat of a pressure cooker does a pretty great job of creating complex flavors while the vapor-tight seal means that everything that comes out of those vegetables and chicken stays in the pot, exactly where you want it.

I serve up the chile verde with some warm corn tortillas, limes, and whole cilantro sprigs artfully and meticulously arranged on my table to look like they accidentally just fell there. I do this because it makes the photos look better and when I have better looking photos, I get more folks to share and read my stories. This in turn leads to more people cooking great recipes at home, which in turn makes the world a better place.

Green Chili Chicken Pressure Cooker Recipe (5)

That's right, you stray garnish police! We're making the world a better place, one haphazardly strewn cilantro sprig at a time.

April 2015

Recipe Details

Chicken Chile Verde Pressure Cooker Recipe

Prep15 mins

Cook25 mins

Active10 mins

Total40 mins

Serves4to 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks

  • 1 pound poblano peppers, roughly chopped, seeds and stems discarded (about 3 peppers)

  • 12 ounces tomatillos, husks discarded, quartered (about 4 tomatillos)

  • 10 ounces white onion, roughly chopped (about 1 medium)

  • 6 ounces Anaheim or Cubanelle peppers, roughly chopped, seeds and stems discarded (about 2 peppers)

  • 2 Serrano or jalapeño peppers, roughly chopped, stems discarded

  • 6 medium cloves garlic, peeled

  • 1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds, toasted and ground

  • Kosher salt

  • 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves and fine stems, plus more for garnish

  • 1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce, such as Red Boat

  • Fresh corn tortillas and lime wedges, for serving

Directions

  1. Combine chicken, poblano peppers, tomatillos, onion, Anaheim peppers, Serrano peppers, garlic, cumin, and a big pinch of salt in a pressure cooker. Heat over high heat until gently sizzling, then seal pressure cooker, bring to high pressure, and cook for 15 minutes. Release pressure.

    Green Chili Chicken Pressure Cooker Recipe (6)

  2. Using tongs, transfer chicken pieces to a bowl and set aside. Add cilantro and fish sauce to remaining contents of pressure cooker. Blend with an immersion blender or in a countertop blender and season to taste with salt. Return chicken to sauce, discarding skin and bones and shredding if desired.

    Green Chili Chicken Pressure Cooker Recipe (7)

  3. Transfer to a serving platter, garnish with chopped cilantro, and serve immediately with tortillas and lime wedges.

    Green Chili Chicken Pressure Cooker Recipe (8)

Special Equipment

Electric or stovetop pressure cooker, immersion blender or countertop blender

  • Chicken Legs
  • Pressure Cooked Chicken
  • Chicken Thighs
  • Poblano Peppers
Green Chili Chicken Pressure Cooker Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Can you overcook chicken in a pressure cooker? ›

Because chicken breast is so lean, just a couple of extra minutes of cook time turns them from juicy to overcooked and dry. Thighs, on the other hand, are a fattier cut, and not prone to dry out as quickly even after an extra minute or two of cooking.

Why is my pressure cooker chicken tough? ›

Chicken can get a rubbery texture in the instant pot when over cooked. To avoid this, try not to over cook your chicken. Storing the chicken in chicken broth can help rehydrate the chicken and make it less rubbery.

Does pressure cooking chicken longer make it more tender? ›

This dinner staple cooks up perfectly every time in the Instant Pot. You can aim for firm but juicy chicken for cubing, or let it cook a little bit longer for tender shredded chicken.

Is it safe to pressure cook chicken? ›

Boneless chicken breasts and thighs cook in the same amount of time—just 10 minutes at high pressure will do it! Just be sure to arrange the meat in a single, even layer in the pot, as it cooks more evenly that way. It should reach about halfway up the chicken.

Does chicken need to be submerged in a pressure cooker? ›

Chicken breasts, thighs or drumsticks

By placing cooking liquid in the bottom of the pressure cooker and placing the chicken in the steamer basket above the liquid, you are guaranteed tender, moist chicken every time. However, you can also use the cooker to make a sauce and cook your chicken submerged in flavour.

How long do you can chicken in a pressure cooker? ›

Once you're getting 4 “jiggles” per minute, or your dial gauge has come up to pressure, start your timer and process the chicken. If you're canning pint jars, you will process them for 1 hour 15 minutes (75 minutes). If you're using quart jars, you will process for 1 hour 30 minutes (90 minutes).

Should I slow cook or pressure cook chicken? ›

Ultimately, slow cooking allowed our chicken to be perfectly seasoned without compromising the meat texture, a luxury pressure cooking can't afford.

Does a pressure cooker dry out chicken? ›

Oh also, when you make this, don't skip the part where I tell you to add some water or chicken broth to the Instant Pot (or crockpot). You'll want to do this so that the meat doesn't dry out. I also add the broth to the containers with cooked chicken to help keep it moist.

How do chefs get chicken so tender? ›

Brines and marinades help tenderize the meat by bringing more moisture in the protein. With that extra moisture, you lose less when you cook.

Why does KFC pressure cook their chicken? ›

Because it is fast and practical, it also saves labor. More tasty: When a piece of chicken is inserted in very hot oil in pressure fryer tank, it rapidly gets sealed making it difficult fort he juice inside the chicken to escape. Entrapping the chicken juice within while cooking adds to its taste.

Do you cover meat with liquid in a pressure cooker? ›

While you may cover meat almost completely for a conventional braise, use just enough liquid for the cooker to reach pressure – during pressure cooking the meat will release it's own juice and braise in that flavorful liquid, instead.

Does KFC pressure cook their chicken? ›

Cook. Then pressure cooked at a low temperature to preserve all the great taste we're known for around the world.

Can you cook too long in a pressure cooker? ›

Unfortunately, once you overcook a piece of meat in the pressure cooker, there's no going back. You'll be left with a pile of dry, crunchy, tasteless fibers and no amount of additional pressure cooking is going to put that moisture back into the meat.

What happens if you leave meat in pressure cooker too long? ›

It seems odd, since you're cooking it in liquid, but too much time spent in the pot can force moisture out of the muscle tissue into the surrounding liquid, leaving the meat dry and nasty.

Can you cook something too long in a pressure cooker? ›

Steam penetrates food easily under pressure. So connective tissues in cubes of beef for soups or stews soften in 15 minutes or less, and a pot roast will be medium-rare in 30 minutes. Be sure to follow instructions carefully; at this speed, it's easy to overcook things in mere minutes.

What happens if there is too much pressure in a pressure cooker? ›

The pressure inside the cooker builds up rapidly, exceeding the safety limit. The sudden release of this excessive pressure can result in an explosion, sending hot steam and food flying in all directions. Not only can this cause severe burns and injuries, but it can also damage your kitchen.

References

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