Salsa Verde Chicken with Beans

Zesty and absolutely mouthwatering, my salsa verde chicken with beans makes for a succulent and flavorful chicken dinner any day of the week. Prepared with juicy chicken thighs, warming spices, salsa verde, and hearty pinto beans, this saucy salsa verde chicken recipe is pure bliss spooned over rice!

Chicken with a deliciously zesty twist

During the cold months of winter, I really love to crank up my oven and let it do a lot of the cooking for me.

We love extra saucy, extra zesty and extra cozy dishes during this time of year, a lot of braise-style dishes, and this salsa verde chicken recipe checks all those boxes, deliciously.

Prepared with skin-on and bone-in chicken thighs seasoned with spices, this dish begins with a perfect sear. The chicken is then nestled into zesty salsa verde with a touch of chicken stock and pinto beans. This winner-winner of a chicken dinner has copious amounts of deliciously savory sauce to spoon over fresh, hot rice.

This recipe is not only hearty, but loaded with flavor and warming comfort, which is exactly what we crave for din-din this time of year!

My recipe for salsa verde chicken with beans

When time is of the essence, or I'm just too tuckered out to spend a lot of time preparing dinner for us, I appreciate a really good pantry staple or two to help make a dish super simple to prep.

Salsa verde, especially a really good quality one, is just that type of pantry staple. Using a jar or two of it to create a scrumptious chicken dish is definitely a way I like to roll. Ditto that for canned beans, like the hearty pinto.

These ingredients streamline the preparation, yet other fresh ingredients and warming spices are added in, to really get things vibrant and mouthwatering.

I love to use skin-on and bone-in chicken thighs here, and sprinkle them with a combination for zesty spices for added flavor. I also add in fresh onion, garlic, a touch of chicken stock and some fresh cilantro to create even more depth.

Basically a braise, this salsa verde chicken gently simmers in the flavorful sauce with the pinto beans, just until juicy, tender, and golden-brown.

And since this dish yields lots of tasty sauce, I like to prep some fresh rice to spoon the chicken and sauce over top of. Simply serving with warm tortillas or bread is easy and really delicious as well.

Here's a glance at my salsa verde chicken with beans recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I prep my seasoning mix to have ready. Then, I season my chicken thighs with a portion of that seasoning mix, and rub that in.
2. Next, I sear off my chicken thighs for a few moments, then remove from the braising pan.
3. I then add the aromatics to the pan, along with the rest of the spice mixture.
4. Next, I add in the salsa verde, chicken stock and pinto beans, stirring them to combine, and nestle the chicken thighs into the sauce.
5. Then, I place it all into the oven to braise for about 50 minutes, uncovered.
6. To serve, I spoon the salsa verde chicken, beans, and generous amounts of sauce over rice, finishing with a sprinkle of fresh cilantro. I also love serving this with warm tortillas or bread for dipping up every last bit of sauce.

Recipe

Salsa Verde Chicken with Beans

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

This zesty salsa verde chicken is braised until golden-brown with tender pinto beans in a rich, abundant sauce, perfect to spoon over rice!

Category: Entree
Cuisine: Mexican-American

Yield: Serves 8

Nutrition Info: 435 calories per serving (without tortillas or rice)

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 8 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Olive oil
• 1 large, white onion, diced chunky
• 8 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
• 2 cups salsa verde (mild, medium or hot)
• 1 ½ cups chicken stock
• 2 (15 ounce) cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped, plus extra for serving as garnish
• Lime wedges, optional garnish
• Warm flour tortillas, bread, or rice, optional accompaniments

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°.
3. Then, prepare your spice mixture by adding the cumin, chili powder, coriander, black pepper, dried oregano and paprika to a small ramekin, and toss together with a fork to combine.
4. Place the chicken thighs into a large bowl, and sprinkle about 1 teaspoon worth of the spice mixture over the chicken, along with a couple of good pinches of salt and black pepper, and rub the seasoning into the chicken.
5. Next, place a large braiser or Dutch oven (about 4 quart) over medium-high heat, and drizzle in about 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Once hot, add the chicken thighs into the pan, skin-side down (work in batches if necessary), and sear the chicken for about 4 minutes until the skin is golden brown. Flip the thighs and sear on the other side for about 3 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and hold on a plate, and repeat with remaining chicken.
6. Once the chicken has been seared, reduce the heat to medium low, and skim off some of the fat, leaving behind about 2 to 3 tablespoons. Add in the diced onion, sauteing it for about 2 to 3 minutes.
7. Next, add in the garlic, plus the rest of the spice mixture, and stir that together with the onions just until aromatic, about 30 seconds.
8. Then, add in the salsa verde, the chicken stock and the pinto beans, and stir to combine. Nestle the seared chicken thighs into the sauce skin-side up, and bring things to a simmer. Turn off the heat and place the salsa verde chicken into the oven, uncovered, for 50 minutes, until deeply browned and very saucy.
9. Once the chicken has braised, allow it to rest for about 15 minutes. Sprinkle over the chopped cilantro to finish, then serve the chicken on its own, or with flour or corn tortillas or warm rice, with extra cilantro plus lime wedges, if desired.

Tips & Tidbits for my salsa verde chicken with beans recipe:

• Skin-on and bone-in chicken thighs: Since we're looking for lots of flavor here, opt for skin-on and bone-in thighs for this recipe. The skin and bones lend lots of flavor and richness as the chicken braises, with the skin getting nice and crispy from the oven.
• Organic, canned pinto beans, for texture and flavor: I love to use pinto beans in this recipe, as they keep their texture really nicely, and take on the savory flavor of the sauce deliciously. You can substitute black beans or white beans, if desired.
• What to serve with salsa verde chicken: This saucy dish is terrific on its own in a bowl, or paired with warm flour or corn tortillas, or even a thick slice of rustic bread. I also really love to serve this recipe with fresh, hot rice (with some chopped cilantro or lime zest added in!) to sop up all the delicious, cozy and plentiful sauce!

Craving more warming and zesty recipe like this one? Check out my recipe for Braised Pork Shoulder, Braised Chicken with Andouille Sausage, Mexican Chicken Soup, Chili Verde, or even my recipe for Braised Chicken Thighs!