Name: Chicken verde tacos
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 95 min
Total time: 105 min
Yield: 6, about 18 small tacos, with beans alongside
Ingredients: 3 lb Boneless, skinless chicken tenders; or the same weight of boneless, skinless breasts or thighs; 2 cups Prepared tomatillo salsa verde, or the homemade option below; 1 tsp Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base, plus more only if needed; 1 Tbsp Reserved seasoned Wagyu fat, or olive oil; ¼ to ½ cup Water, only if needed during cooking; 1 Tbsp Freshly squeezed lime juice, plus more to taste, for finishing after shredding; 1 tsp Apple cider vinegar, optional, to taste; To taste Salt, for finishing after shredding; 18 Small tortillas, corn or flour; For serving Chopped cilantro and lime wedges, optional; 1 lb Tomatillos, husked, rinsed and dried; ¼ medium White onion, cut into wedges; 1 Jalapeño, stemmed and halved; remove seeds and ribs for less heat; 2 Garlic cloves, skins left on; ¼ cup Cilantro leaves and tender stems; ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more to taste; As needed Water; 1 cup (200 g) Dried pinto beans, sorted and rinsed; 2 tsp Olive oil; 1 large Shallot, finely diced; 2 Garlic cloves, finely minced; ½ tsp Ground cumin; ¼ tsp Smoked paprika; ¼ tsp Dried Mexican oregano; ¼ tsp Black pepper; 1 Bay leaf; 1¾ cups Chicken broth; ¾ cup Water; 1 tsp Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base; 1 tsp to 1 Tbsp Reserved seasoned Wagyu fat, or butter, to finish

Chicken verde tacos

Chicken gently cooked in tomatillo salsa, shredded and tucked into warm tortillas. Start with a jar of salsa, or roast your own tomatillos for the from-scratch version.

Published Sep 17, 2026 · Updated Oct 7, 2026

Servings

6, about 18 small tacos, with beans alongside

Total time

About 1 hour with the canned-bean option; about 1 hour 45 minutes with dry beans. Allow 20 minutes more for homemade salsa

The cheater version works

I had prepared tomatillo salsa on hand, so that's what went into Tuesday's chicken. The cheater version. It worked great.

I built it up with a little Better Than Bouillon chicken base and a puck of the seasoned Wagyu fat I'd saved from making tacos. Those taco seasonings were already in the fat, and they played nicely with the tomatillo salsa.

This is a good place to have two options. Use ready-made salsa when you want an easy start. Roast some fresh tomatillos when you want to take it a little further. Both end up in the same covered pot with the chicken.

Let the chicken get tender

I ran the school batch in a Dutch oven at 300°F for about two and a half to three hours. The smaller home batch below uses a shorter cook for lean tenders. Check the chicken at 20 minutes and take it out when it reaches 165°F. Shred or chop it, then fold it back into the salsa.

I use two ground-meat choppers, also called meat mashers, to pull the chicken apart. Press and twist them through the tender meat and it breaks into shreds. Two forks work too.

Once the chicken is shredded, finish it with fresh lime juice and season to taste with salt. That lime at the end brightens the whole pot. If the chicken tastes flat, there's a good chance it needs another pinch of salt. Toss it, taste again and get it right before filling the tortillas.

I use Smart Chicken tenders in the lunchroom. They donate the chicken to our program. The recipe keeps that cut, with an optional thigh swap if that's what you have.

And save some of those seasoned Wagyu drippings next time you make ground beef tacos. Freeze small portions in a silicone muffin mold, then put the solid pucks into a freezer bag. I added some to this chicken and finished the beans with a little more. A full school-size puck is more than a home pot needs, so start with a tablespoon.

Instructions

Chicken and the cheater salsa

Heat the oven to 325°F. Start the dry beans first, if using. Stir the salsa, chicken base and fat together in a Dutch oven. Add the chicken and turn it through the sauce. Bring just to a gentle simmer on the stovetop, stirring so the salsa does not catch, then cover tightly.
Transfer to the oven and cook using your chosen chicken option above. Check the sauce and add a small splash of water only if it starts catching.
Lift the chicken into a wide, heatproof bowl. Let rest for 5 minutes, then shred along the grain with two forks. If it does not pull into fine strands, chop it into small pieces rather than cooking it longer. You can also pull it apart with two ground-meat choppers, pressing and twisting through the tender meat. If the sauce in the pot looks watery, simmer it uncovered on the stove for a few minutes until it coats a spoon.
Fold the shredded chicken back into enough sauce to coat it generously without leaving a puddle. Take it off the heat and stir in 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice. Season to taste with salt, toss well and taste again. If it tastes flat, add another small pinch of salt; add more fresh lime juice if it needs brightness. A little cider vinegar is optional, but keep the fresh lime finish. Taste the chicken itself before filling the tortillas.
Warm the tortillas in a dry skillet, turning until pliable. Fill with chicken and serve with the beans, cilantro and lime wedges.

Next-level option: roasted tomatillo salsa

Use this instead of the prepared salsa. Makes about 2 cups; add a little water after blending to reach 2 cups if needed.

Heat the broiler and set a rack about 6 inches below it. Put the tomatillos, onion, jalapeño and unpeeled garlic on a broiler-safe rimmed pan. Broil for about 8 to 12 minutes, turning halfway, until the tomatillos soften and develop dark patches. Remove the garlic sooner if it's ready.
Peel the garlic. Let everything cool slightly, then pulse in a blender with the cilantro, salt and any pan juices. Keep a little texture. Measure out 2 cups, adding a splash of water if needed, and use it in the chicken recipe. Taste before adding more salt because the bouillon will season the braise too.

Pinto beans with shallot and garlic

Makes about 3 cups, enough for six small side portions.

Set a 6-quart electric pressure cooker to Sauté. Add the oil and shallot and cook for about 6 to 8 minutes, stirring, until the edges turn golden. Add the garlic for 30 seconds, then the cumin, paprika, oregano and pepper for another 20 seconds.
Add a splash of the broth and scrape the bottom clean. Add the beans, remaining broth, water, chicken base and bay leaf. Lock the lid and cook on high pressure for 48 minutes. Turn Keep Warm off and allow a full natural pressure release. Allow about 80 to 95 minutes total for heating, cooking and releasing.
Check a few beans. They should be creamy all the way through. Older beans may need another 5 to 10 minutes under pressure, with more hot water if the pot is getting dry, followed by another natural release.
Remove the bay leaf. Mash a few spoonfuls of beans into the liquid to give it body. Stir in a teaspoon of the Wagyu fat or butter, then the lime, cider vinegar and chili powder. Taste and add more fat or seasoning as needed. Taste again just before serving.

Chicken verde tacos

The cheater version works

Let the chicken get tender