This simple Smoked Green Chile Chicken recipe is cooked on our Traeger Grill, uses simple ingredients, and makes for some of the best chicken tacos, taquitos, tostadas, burritos, enchiladas, or whatever else you want to throw into the mix!
Smoked Green Chile Chicken
When you need an easy dinner, it is hard NOT to turn to tacos. Or taquitos. Or tostadas. Whatever it is, if you can top it with all the taco fixings and copious amounts of salsa, I’m in. For weeknight meals, I need pretty mindless things. The kids are home and talking a million miles an hour, and I’m distracted by the day, the mess, the general chaos that is living in a house with children, and I need a dinner that’s going to be done fast, doesn’t dirty 1000 dishes, and that most everyone will eat and enjoy.
Enter green chile chicken!
Not too spicy, but LOTS of flavor. No crazy ingredients. Easy to sub in other items if you don’t have one of the particulars. It cooks in about an hour and requires little-to-no prep. Then everyone gets to build their OWN meals, and hopefully, you have someone else in your house that can tackle any dishes. Or embrace paper plates like we do. Sorry, not sorry.
Why you’ll love it
- This is SO easy to make, but it is packed with flavor!
- Easily feeds a crowd and scales up (or down).
- Customizable end result! Make tacos, nachos, burritos, enchiladas, or whatever else you can think up!
Get 75+ of my favorite Traeger Recipes here!
Traeger Smoked Green Chile Chicken shopping list
Wondering if you have to hit the store? Here’s the list of items you’ll need to make this recipe. For specific amounts, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Chicken breasts
- Verde rub
- Green chile salsa
Try our Smoked Salsa Verde
How to make Smoked Chicken Verde
This is just the overview so you can see what you’re actually getting into here. When you are cooking, you’ll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.
1
Preheat
Fire up the grill and heat to 220°.
2
Smoke
Put the chicken in a grill-safe baking dish. Sprinkle with the verde rub and smoke for 30 minutes.
3
Turn it up
Turn the heat up to 350°F. Pour the salsa over the chicken breasts and let it grill for another 20-30 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken breast reaches 165°F.
4
Shred
Remove from the grill and shred with some meat claws or a couple of forks. Or an electric mixer. Choose your own adventure.
5
Decisions, decisions!
Now is the “hard” part! Decide how you want to eat it!
How about some Traeger Smoked Salsa with this?
Smoked Green Chile Chicken FAQ
Can you use another cut of chicken for this recipe?
Yes! With this basic recipe and process, you can use chicken thighs, chicken legs, leg quarters, or even a whole spatchcock chicken. It’ll be delicious! You can also sub in those bagged frozen chicken breasts if you want, and you don’t even have to thaw them out. Cooking times must be adjusted, but that is true with all recipes. Cook to temp, not to time.
What’s the best way to store and reheat leftovers?
Store in a freezer baggie or a plastic or glass storage container, covered, in the fridge for 3-4 days. Freeze anything you won’t eat in that amount of time. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven or grill. Whatever is easiest for you.
Can you use another type of rub and salsa?
If you can’t find the rub and salsa I use, you 100% can sub in whatever you have on hand that’s close. You can also make homemade versions if you are ambitious! But – I recommend at least trying the ones I linked to below. We use them all the time and LOVE them!
Get all of my Traeger Recipes here!
Serve Green Chile Chicken with…
Smoked Green Chile Chicken
Tender chicken breast smoked on the pellet grill with flavorful green chile sauce and my favorite verde rub!
Ingredients
- 3 chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon verde rub
- 1 - 16-ounce jar verde salsa
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to 220°F.
- Put the chicken in a grill-safe baking dish and sprinkle with the verde rub.
- Place the dish on the grill and smoke for 30 minutes.
- Turn the heat up to 350°F and pour over the Verde salsa. Let it cook for another 30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Shred the chicken and mix in the salsa from the baking dish. Serve in tacos, taquitos, tostadas, enchiladas, or burritos!
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 121Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 51mgSodium: 582mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 20g
Nutrition data provided here is only an estimate.
Mary Kemp
Sunday 31st of March 2024
My chicken took significantly longer. It also did not shred easily. I’ll try it again and keep it longer at both temperatures. I ended up finishing it in the oven.
Nicole Johnson
Monday 1st of April 2024
The amount of time it will take depends on a lot of factors. How big the chicken breasts are. What the outside temp is. How many times you open your grill to check them, how crowded they are in the pan, if your verde sauce is cold when you put it on the chicken, etc. That's why I provide a temperature to hit and the times are really only a ballpark. How easily it'll shred depends on the chicken. That being said, it doesn't typically shred easily like a pork butt will. I throw my chicken breasts in the mixer or in a bowl and shred with a hand mixer. So easy.