San Antonio Chile Verde

This San Antonio-style chile verde takes a shortcut that works. Instead of slow-roasting tomatillos, it builds a quick braising liquid from canned tomatoes, chicken broth, and a heavy hand of cumin, then simmers bone-in chicken breasts right in the pot until they’re tender enough to shred with two forks.

The green chiles go in after the chicken is shredded and returned to the pot, so they keep some texture instead of dissolving into the sauce. And here’s the curveball: a hit of light soy sauce stirred in at the end. It sounds odd for a Tex-Mex dish, but it adds a salty, umami backbone that rounds out the cumin and cilantro without tasting remotely Asian.

Serve this ladled over rice, spooned into warm tortillas, or alongside a bowl of pinto beans. It’s a weeknight-friendly stew that comes together in about an hour start to finish.

Chef Tips

• Simmer with the lid on to keep the chicken submerged. The liquid level is modest, and uncovered cooking will evaporate it too fast.
• Rinse the canned green chiles well before chopping. This removes the tinny, briny taste from the packing liquid.
• Shred the chicken while it’s still warm but cool enough to handle. Cold chicken shreds unevenly and fights you.

Variations

• Use bone-in chicken thighs instead of breasts for richer, more forgiving meat that won’t dry out.
• Stir in a diced avocado right before serving for creamy contrast against the tangy sauce.
• Add a squeeze of fresh lime juice at the end to brighten the whole pot.