Description
Hearty smoked chicken chile verde brings bold Mexican flavors to your table with tender chicken and roasted green chiles. Green sauce and smoky meat combine for a satisfying meal that delivers authentic southwestern comfort.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 lbs (907 g) chicken thighs, boneless, skinless (or bone-in for extra flavor)
- 1 cup (240 ml) chicken broth
- 1 lb (454 g) tomatillos, husked and rinsed
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
- ½ cup (120 ml) cilantro, chopped
- ⅔ poblano peppers
- 1 small white onion, quartered
- 2 tsps cumin
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- ½ jalapenos (adjust for heat)
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp onion powder
- Juice of 1 lime
Instructions
- Smoker Preparation: Configure smoker to 225F, selecting hickory or mesquite wood chips to impart a deep, smoky character to the dish.
- Chicken Seasoning: Thoroughly coat chicken thighs with olive oil and spice mixture, allowing flavors to meld for 10 minutes before smoking.
- Protein Smoking: Position seasoned chicken on smoker grates, letting smoke envelop the meat until internal temperature reaches 165F, typically requiring 1.5-2 hours of gentle cooking.
- Vegetable Roasting: Introduce tomatillos, poblano peppers, jalapeños, onion, and garlic to the smoker 30 minutes before chicken completion, developing a subtle charred complexity.
- Sauce Creation: Remove pepper stems and seeds, then blend roasted vegetables with cilantro, cumin, oregano, lime juice, and salt, creating a vibrant chile verde sauce.
- Sauce Refinement: Incorporate chicken broth to achieve a silky consistency, blending until smooth and well-integrated.
- Final Assembly: Shred or chop smoked chicken, gently immersing the meat into prepared sauce and simmering for 15-20 minutes to meld flavors completely.
- Serving: Plate chile verde over rice or in warm tortillas, garnishing with fresh cilantro and lime wedges for a zesty finishing touch.
Notes
- Optimize Smoker Temperature: Maintain a consistent 225F for even, gentle smoking that prevents drying out chicken while developing deep, rich flavors without burning.
- Control Wood Intensity: Choose mild woods like hickory for balanced smokiness; avoid overpowering woods that can make chicken taste bitter or acrid.
- Moisture Preservation Technique: Let chicken rest after smoking to redistribute juices, ensuring tender, succulent meat that doesn’t become stringy or tough during sauce incorporation.
- Sauce Balancing Trick: Adjust chile verde sauce consistency by gradually adding chicken broth, tasting as you blend to achieve perfect texture and flavor harmony without diluting the robust smoky notes.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Smoking
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 100 mg