Instant Pot Chili Verde

Ingredients

• 2.5 - 3.5 pounds (1440g) bone-in chicken thighs
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) olive oil
• ~10 (1lb) tomatillos (, halved)
• 2 (114g) Jalapeño (, chopped)
• 2 (280g) Poblano peppers
• 1 (6.5g) Serrano pepper (, chopped (optional))
• 2 (121g) Anaheim peppers or 1 green bell pepper ((optional))
• 6 (26g) garlic cloves (, minced)
• 1 (288g) onion (, sliced)
• 2 teaspoons (1.2g) dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons (6g) cumin seeds (, ground)
• 2 cloves
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) regular soy sauce
• ½ cup (125ml) unsalted chicken stock
• 28 grams cilantro leaves (, roughly chopped)

Steps

1. 1

   Optional Flavor Boosting - Roast Tomatillos & Peppers: Set oven to "Broil" function, preheat for 5 minutes. Place the baking sheet with tomatillos & peppers on the top rack, broil for 5 - 8 minutes. Allow peppers to cool down, then peel away Poblano and Anaheim peppers' outer brown skins. Cut peppers in half lengthwise, remove stems & membranes, then roughly chop them up. *Pro Tip: Keep the seeds if you like a more spicy chili verde, or discard the seeds if you prefer a more mild chili verde.

2. 2

   Brown Chicken in Instant Pot: Press "Saute" button to "Sauté More" to heat up Instant Pot. Wait until it says "HOT" on the screen (~8 mins). *Pro Tip: Make sure Instant Pot is as hot as it can be to induce a Maillard reaction. Add 1 tbsp olive oil (15ml) in Instant Pot's inner pot. Ensure the whole bottom is coated with olive oil. Pat dry chicken thighs with a paper towel, then lightly season one side with kosher salt. Place 6 chicken thighs in Instant Pot. Brown the first side of chicken for 3 minutes and 30 seconds, brown the other side for 3 minutes, then set aside. *Pro Tip: Normally, we don’t recommend overcrowding when browning chicken in Instant Pot, but it will work fine for this recipe. To save time, you don't have to brown all the chicken.

3. 3

   Saute Onion and Garlic: Add in sliced onions, then saute for 3 minutes. Add in 2 tsp (1.2g) dried oregano, 2 tsp (6g) ground cumin seeds, 2 cloves, minced garlic, then saute for 30 seconds until fragrant.

4. 4

   Deglaze Instant Pot: Pour ½ cup (125ml) unsalted chicken stock in Instant Pot, then deglaze by scrubbing all the flavorful brown bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Give it a quick mix.

5. 5

   Pressure Cook Chili Verde: Add in 1 tbsp (15ml) regular soy sauce and 1 tbsp (15ml) fish sauce. Add in chopped peppers and halved tomatillos, then give it a quick mix. Add in all the chicken. *Pro Tip: Make sure the chicken thighs are partially submerged in the cooking liquid. Close lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing position. Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 7 minutes + 10 minutes Natural Release. Open the lid carefully.

6. 6

   Shred Chicken & Make Green Sauce: Set aside the chicken in a large mixing bowl, shred chicken with two forks, and discard the skins & bones. Find and discard the cloves in Instant Pot. Add in 28g roughly chopped cilantro leaves, then blend the green sauce with an immersion blender. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt. *Pro Tip: For reference, we added 4 - 5 large pinches of salt to further enhance & balance the flavors.

7. 7

   Serve: Mix the shredded chicken thighs into the green sauce in Instant Pot. Taste the chile verde, then add more salt if necessary. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve & enjoy~