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Chicken with Green Chiles and Cheese uses the canned roasted whole chiles that I love to use to replace tortillas in Mexican dishes. And this delicious dish with chicken layered with green chiles and cheese has amazing flavor with only 3 net carbs.

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Low-Carb Twice-Cooked Chicken with Green Chiles and Cheese found on

This recipe for Chicken with Green Chiles and Cheese is my  Friday Favorites pick for this week, and this is an easy dish that I hope you’ll try if you like these ingredients. In some ways it’s an easier version of the Green Chile and Chicken Mock Enchilada Casserole that’s so popular, but minus the creamy sauce and this one is easier to put together.

I was hoping to make it even easier but for our first try with this recipe, the chicken released far too much water. When I worked on it again I came up with the idea of briefly cooking the whole chicken breasts and slicing them before they went into the casserole dish with the other ingredients. The trick here is to barely cook the chicken, just enough to evaporate some of the water.

Please pay attention to the short time I’m recommending or your chicken might be overdone by the time it’s cooked in the oven. But if you follow my tips (and if you like chicken, green chiles, and cheese), this Chicken with Green Chiles and Cheese just might become one of your favorites for a tasty quick dinner! 

What ingredients do you need?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

Where can You find big cans of whole green chiles?

Finding the big cans of whole roasted green chiles might be the hardest thing about making this Chicken with Green Chiles. But if you have a latin or Mexican market near you, that’s the best place to get a good price on the big cans of whole chiles that I love to use in Mexican food recipes. If that’s not an option you can get whole green chiles in a can at Amazon.com. (affiliate link)

Can you use chicken thighs for this Chicken with Green Chiles?

I haven’t tried using boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe, but I think it will work find. I’d trim any extra fat from the thighs and be even more careful not to overcook them before you assemble the dish.

What Green Chile Sauce did I use for the Chicken with Green Chiles?

I used to use Ortega Mild Green Taco Sauce which is no longer available; now I’d use Herdez Salsa Verde (affiliate link) for this recipe. (Use any sauce you prefer, but sauces that are too watery won’t work well unless they are simmered to reduce the sauce.)

Want more Low-Carb Mexican Food?

If you really like Mexican food, this recipe was featured in Low-Carb Mexican Food Favorites!

Low-Carb Twice-Cooked Chicken with Green Chiles and Cheese process shots collage

How to Make Chicken with Green Chiles and Cheese:

>(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

  1. Trim chicken breasts to remove any undesirable parts.
  2. Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan; I used my favorite Green Pan 12 Inch Frying Pan (affiliate link).
  3. Season chicken with salt, pepper, and Kalyn’s Taco Seasoning and cook exactly three minutes on each side; then remove to a cutting board. (For thighs I would cook even less time.)
  4. While chicken browns, drain the Whole Roasted Green Chiles (affiliate link) in the sink, then split each pepper in half, remove seeds and spread out on paper towels to drain.
  5. Put another paper towel over the peppers and press down to remove water.
  6. This Ortega Mild Green Taco Sauce is no longer available so now I’d use Herdez Salsa Verde (affiliate link) for this recipe.
  7. Cut each chicken breast into three or four lengthwise pieces.
  8. Preheat oven and spray a 9″ x 13″ baking dish with olive oil or non-stick spray.
  9. Spread 1/4 cup of the Salsa Verde in the bottom.
  10. Lay chicken strips in the dish.
  11. Cover with the strips of roasted green chiles.
  12. Spread the rest of the taco sauce over the chicken/chile strips and cover with grated cheese.
  13. Bake just until cheese is completely melted. (Don’t bake long enough to brown the cheese or the chicken will be over-done.
  14. You can turn on the broiler and brown it for 1-2 minutes if you’d like.
  15. Serve hot, with things like sour cream, salsa, chopped avocado, or Green Tabasco Sauce (affiliate link) if desired.

Chicken with Green Chiles and Cheese in baking dish.

More Chicken with Green Chiles:

Low-Carb Twice-Cooked Chicken with Green Chiles and Cheese found on
Yield: 6

Chicken with Green Chiles and Cheese

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Chicken with Green Chiles and Cheese layered chicken, whole roasted green chiles, and cheese for a tasty idea for a low-carb dinner!

Ingredients

  • 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of any fat and undesirable parts
  • 1 T olive oil (or oil of your choice for browning chicken)
  • 1 tsp. Kalyn's Taco Seasoning (See notes)
  • salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste for seasoning chicken
  • 2 cans (7 oz. can) whole roasted green chiles
  • 1 cup Herdez Salsa Verde (or any green chile sauce that's thick and low in sugar. If the sauce is watery, start with more and reduce by simmering until it's thick.)
  • 1 cup grated Mexican cheese blend (or more)
  • sour cream, salsa, chopped avocado, or Green Tabasco Sauce to add at the table (optional, not included in nutritional info)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400F/200C. Spray a 9" x 13" glass or crockery casserole dish with olive oil or non-stick spray.
  2. Trim chicken breasts to remove any fat or undesirable parts.
  3. Heat olive oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. (I used my favorite Green Pan 12 Inch Frying Pan (affiliate link.)
  4. Season chicken breasts with taco seasoning, salt, and pepper; then cook chicken exactly three minutes per side. (Chicken will not be completely cooked. Don't cook too long or it will be overdone after you cook it in the oven.) Remove chicken to a cutting board.
  5. While chicken cooks, dump the whole roasted green chiles into a colander in the sink and let them drain for a few minutes.
  6. Split each chile in half with your fingers, remove any seeds, and spread chiles out on paper towels that you've placed on the counter. Cover the chiles with another layer of paper towels and push down with your hands to remove as much water as you can from the chiles.
  7. When chicken has cooled enough to handle, cut each chicken breast into 3 or 4 lengthwise strips.
  8. Spread 1/4 cup of the Herdez Salsa Verde or other green chile sauce in the bottom of the baking dish and lay the chicken strips crosswise going down the length of the baking dish.
  9. Cover the chicken strips with the strips of drained green chile. Top with the rest of the sauce and grated cheese.
  10. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is completely melted. (Don't wait for the cheese to brown or the chicken will probably get overdone, but you can switch to the broiler and brown for 1-2 minutes at the end if you'd like.)
  11. Serve hot with sour cream, salsa, chopped avocado, or Green Tabasco Sauce (affiliate link) to add at the table if desired.

Notes

I always use Kalyn's Taco Seasoning but use any taco seasoning mix that doesn't have sugar. I used to make this recipe with Ortega Mild Green Taco Sauce but now I can't find that and Herdez Salsa Verde is also very low in carbs.

This recipe was created by Kalyn. It was tested with Jake and Kara and then revised a few times by Kalyn to get the keeper version you see here.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 336Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 6gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 100mgSodium: 741mgCarbohydrates: 4.1gFiber: 1gSugar: 4gProtein: 34g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

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© Danica Thomas
Category: Oven Dinners
Chicken with Green Chiles and Cheese shown in baking dish with melted cheese

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This recipe for Chicken with Green Chiles and Cheese should be good for any low-carb, Keto, or low-glycemic diet plan if you choose a green chile sauce that’s low in sugar. If you’re making this for the original South Beach Diet you’ll need to also use low-fat cheese; other low-carb diets will prefer full-fat cheese.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Casserole Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Danica's Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
Chicken with Green Chiles and Cheese was first posted in 2018. The recipe was last updated with more information in 2023.

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