Easy Chicken Verde
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This easy Chicken Verde recipe is easy to make in a crockpot, Instant Pot, or on the stove. The shredded salsa chicken verde is tender and juicy, with just the right amount of spicy heat. It’s a delicious healthy dinner everyone will love!
We love easy healthy crockpot recipes and this salsa verde chicken recipe is becoming a favorite for us!
Why This Recipe is a Favorite
This recipe is so versatile! You can use the shredded chicken verde in a variety of ways, making it perfect for weekly meal prep. It reheats very well!
We use it in chicken and rice bowls for lunch, and we make healthy dinners with it, too. Everything from tacos and chicken enchiladas to soup and chicken taco pasta!
You only need 6 ingredients and 5 minutes of prep time for a dinner your whole family will love!
Plus it’s so simple! Just like most crockpot recipes, you basically just dump the ingredients in and let the slow cooker do the work.
Liz’s Tips for the Best Chicken verde
This chicken recipe is pretty foolproof, but here’s how to make it next-level delicious!
- Pound your chicken breasts to an even thickness. 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.
- If you want to use frozen chicken, let it thaw overnight in the fridge before slow cooking it.
P.S. – If you love slow cooker meals with chicken, check out our collection of Healthy Crockpot Chicken Recipes!
Ingredients
This is a budget friendly meal, too! All you need are the chicken, some green salsa, and a few spices.
We make this recipe with boneless skinless chicken breasts, but if you prefer dark meat, boneless skinless chicken thighs are a great substitute.
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 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.
If you prefer red salsa, try these Crockpot Chicken Tacos!
How to Make Salsa Chicken Verde
You can make this chicken verde recipe in your crockpot, an Instant Pot, or on the stove. This is how to make it in a slow cooker:
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- Combine the salsa verde and seasonings in a bowl. Stir or whisk everything so it’s combined well.
- Place raw chicken breasts in the crockpot. Pour the green salsa mixture over it.
- Cover with a lid and slow cook on low for 5 – 6 hours or on high for 2 – 3 hours.
- 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.
- Return the shredded chicken back to the crockpot and stir well to combine it with the salsa verde. Serve hot.
Other Cooking Options
If you don’t have time to slow cook your dinner, making the shredded chicken in an Instant Pot or on a stove top are faster options.
Instant Pot
- Place the boneless skinless chicken in the inner pot of the Instant Pot.
- In a medium bowl, stir together salsa verde, minced garlic, dried oregano, ground cumin and salt.
- Pour salsa mixture over raw chicken.
- Cover the instant pot and manually set to Poultry OR Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 14 minutes. Make sure the vent is set to sealing, not venting.
- Remove chicken (leave the extra sauce in the instant pot) and shred chicken.
- Put shredded chicken back in the instant pot and stir well to mix.
Stove Top
Note: If you choose this cooking option, you will need to add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the recipe shown below.
- Heat a large pot or dutch oven on the stove to medium high heat. Add olive oil.
- Lightly sear chicken breasts for 4-5 minutes on each side.
- While the chicken cooks, stir together salsa verde, minced garlic, dried oregano, ground cumin and salt.
- Pour salsa verde mixture over raw chicken. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low.
- Cook the chicken on low-medium heat for 1 hour. You can flip the chicken half way through.
- Once the chicken is finished cooking, remove chicken (leave the extra sauce in the pot) and shred chicken either on a cutting board using two forks or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer.
- Put shredded chicken back in the pot and stir well to combine with the sauce.
Serving Ideas
This chicken goes with almost anything! Here are some of our favorite things to serve it with:
- Any type of Mexican-style meal like rice bowls (including black beans, corn, and rice), tacos, enchiladas, or burritos
- with additional salsa (green or red), corn salsa and/or creamy salsa dressing
- top with sour cream or shredded cheese
- over tortilla chips for chicken verde nachos
- as the meat for Taco Casserole
- with a side of cilantro lime rice, corn tomato salad or Mexican potatoes
don’t forget a drink! Our skinny margarita is a favorite.
Storing Leftovers
Refrigerating: This will last for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Freezing: The cooked salsa chicken verde will keep for up to 2 months. Store it in a freezer-safe container, and let it thaw in the fridge before reheating. We like these containers for freezing.
Reheating: You can reheat the meal in the microwave, toaster oven, oven, or on the stove. We recommend lightly sauteing it in a pan on the stove with olive oil.
Salsa Chicken Verde Recipe FAQs
No, frozen chicken breasts are not recommended for slow cooking as the chicken will be sitting at a low temperature for too long, which can cause harmful bacteria like salmonella to grow.
No, they are different. While they are sometimes used interchangeably in recipes, salsa verde is a green salsa made from tomatillos or avocados, while traditional salsa has a base of diced red tomatoes.
Easy Chicken Verde
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts about 4 breasts
- 2 cups salsa verde
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- optional garnish: cilantro, sliced jalapeños
Instructions
- Spray a 4 or 5-quart slow cooker insert with non-stick cooking spray.
- Place raw chicken breasts in the crock pot.
- In a medium bowl, stir together salsa verde, minced garlic, dried oregano, ground cumin and salt.
- Pour salsa verde mixture over raw chicken.
- Cover the crock pot with its lid and cook on low for 5 – 6 hours or on high for 2 – 3 hours. Chicken is done when internal temperature reaches a minimum of 165 degrees F.
- Once chicken is fully cooked, remove chicken (leave the extra sauce in the slow cooker) and shred chicken either on a cutting board using two forks or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer..
- Put shredded chicken back in the slow cooker and stir well to combine with the sauce.
- Optional: top with chopped fresh cilantro or sliced jalapeños before serving
Video
Notes
- Refrigerate cooled leftovers in an airtight food-safe container for up to 3 days.
Nutrition Facts
Other healthy chicken recipes
Looking for other super easy dinners? Check out these 40+ Healthy Chicken Recipes for Weight Loss. Click here to grab our free healthy 30 minute dinners cookbook.
This was SO good!!! My husband and 10 month old loved it too! I mixed a decent amount of fresh guac and whole fat Greek yogurt into the chicken for the baby. Will absolutely be making this again!!!
So easy to make and so yummy!!! This will be a weekly dinner in our household!
I made this for the first time today and it was soooo easy and good. I prepped it in between calls while working and the prep was literally 5 minutes max. Served it with rice, beans, and tortillas. Will make this again for sure.
This recipe is good and very easy.
Made this last weekend to use for tacos …Was a crowd pleaser! Will definitely be making again!
This was so easy and so good! I’m trying some whole30 recipes in prep for starting so I had the chicken on a salad with some sautéed peppers and onions and my husband had it as tacos with corn tortillas. I used Herdez salsa since it’s all our store had and I’d like some more heat to it, but the flavor was great. Definitely will make again!