Tangy Chicken and Tomatillo Stew Recipe for Weeknight Dinners

This nourishing Chicken Tomatillo Steew with butternut squash, carrots, tomatillos, chicken, and chiles makes for a healthy and satisfying dinner. Make a big pot and heat up leftovers for lunch. Dairy and gluten-free!

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Our family is obsessed with tomatillos. You might have noticed from the many tomatillo recipes on this site—here’s another favorite. I’ve tried growing them in the garden several times without much luck, but I never stop trying. This year I finally found a tiny vine with a few purple-husked fruits, though they were past their best. For now I buy tomatillos at the market and use them in comforting dishes like this hearty stew.

This Chicken Tomatillo Stew is an ideal winter meal: warming, filling, and full of vegetables. It relies on a bright tomatillo sauce—salsa verde—added to a pot of chicken and root vegetables. The recipe is naturally dairy- and gluten-free and can easily be adapted to what you have on hand.

Why I Love This Chicken Tomatillo Stew

Warming, hearty, and healthy. This stew is the kind of stick-to-your-ribs food you want on a chilly night. It’s packed with vegetables and uses a modest amount of boneless, skinless chicken thighs for protein. The tomatillos give the stew a bright, slightly tart flavor that balances the sweetness of the squash and carrots.

Ingredients

The core idea is to make a simple tomatillo sauce and add it to a pot of browned chicken and vegetables. Swap vegetables as needed. You will need:

• Tomatillos
• Yellow onions
• Garlic
• Jalapeños, serranos, or other fresh chiles
• Cilantro
• Kosher salt
• Boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• Celery
• Carrots
• Black pepper
• Butternut squash
• Ground cumin
• Chicken stock or broth
• Olive oil
• Scallions

How To Make It

This stew improves with time, so leftovers are especially good. You can simmer the sauce as written or char the tomatillos and aromatics under a broiler for a deeper, smoky flavor if you prefer.

1. Make the tomatillo sauce. Quarter one onion and combine it with tomatillos, garlic, and chiles in a saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Simmer until the tomatillo skins begin to split, about 5 minutes. Drain, transfer to a blender or food processor, add cilantro and salt, and blend until smooth. Be cautious when blending hot ingredients.
2. Brown the chicken. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate.
3. Cook the vegetables. In the remaining oil, cook chopped onion until it starts to brown. Add celery and carrots, season with salt and pepper, and cook until they begin to soften. Add the butternut squash, ground cumin, the tomatillo sauce, and chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
4. Simmer. Return the chicken to the pot, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the chicken and squash are tender, about 25 minutes.
5. Finish and serve. Taste and adjust salt as needed. Chop the remaining cilantro and stir it into the stew. Serve topped with thinly sliced scallions.

More Healthy Winter Recipes To Try

• Crock Pot Borracho Beans (Frijoles Borrachos)
• Spicy Vegan Enchiladas
• Vegan Pozole Verde
• Roasted Mushroom and Goat Cheese Gorditas
• Caldo de Pollo (Slow Cooker)
• Rajas con Crema
• Sofrito Black Beans

Hands-on time for this Chicken Tomatillo Stew is about 20 minutes, with roughly 40 minutes of cooking. It yields about six servings and stores well—reheat leftovers for a quick, flavorful lunch. If you try the recipe, snap a photo and share it on Instagram or leave a comment with your rating. Enjoy!

Chicken Tomatillo Stew

Yield:
6 servings

Prep Time:
20 minutes

Cook Time:
40 minutes

Total Time:
1 hour

This nourishing Chicken Tomatillo Stew with butternut squash, carrots, tomatillos, chicken, and chiles makes for a healthy and satisfying dinner. Make a big pot and heat up leftovers for lunch. Dairy and gluten-free!

Ingredients

• 2 medium yellow onions, divided (1 quartered and 1 chopped)
• 1 pound tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2–3 jalapeños, stems removed (seeds optional for less heat)
• 1 bunch cilantro, divided
• Kosher salt, to taste
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cubed
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 5 stalks celery, chopped
• 1/2 pound carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 small butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled, seeded, and diced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 4 cups chicken broth
• Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish

Instructions

1. Boil the tomatillos. Peel and quarter one onion. Place it with tomatillos, garlic, and jalapeños in a saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until skins begin to crack, about 5 minutes.
2. Blend the sauce. Drain and transfer to a blender. Add half the cilantro (stems included) and a teaspoon of salt. Blend until smooth, taking care with hot ingredients.
3. Brown the chicken. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook until lightly browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
4. Sauté the vegetables. Add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery to the pot and season with salt and pepper. Cook until softened and beginning to color, about 8–10 minutes.
5. Add remaining ingredients. Return the chicken to the pot along with the tomatillo sauce, butternut squash, cumin, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the squash and chicken are cooked through, about 25 minutes.
6. Serve. Adjust salt if needed. Chop the remaining cilantro and stir into the stew. Garnish with sliced scallions and serve hot.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6
Serving Size: 1

Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 355Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 142mgSodium: 926mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 5gSugar: 8gProtein: 31g

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