Grilled Green Chile Chicken

This flavorful grilled green chile chicken topped with roasted Hatch chiles and melted cheese is a healthy chicken recipe to spice up your weeknight dinner routine!

If you're anything like me, you've got a freezer full of boneless, skinless chicken breasts as a default for weeknight dinners. But do you ever take those chicken breasts out and then have no idea what to make? This recipe for grilled green chile chicken is the perfect way to spice up those chicken breasts for a quick, healthy and delicious dinner that will help you bust out of that rut.

Why You'll Love Grilled Green Chile Chicken

In this delicious dinner, chicken breasts are bathed in a spicy green chile marinade, then grilled until tender and juicy, and finally are topped with whole roasted Hatch chiles and jack cheese. It's spicy, cheesy, and full of flavor. No boring chicken here! Besides green chiles, the rest of the ingredients in this dish are ones that I almost always have on hand, so this dinner is a no-brainer for me when we want a quick and tasty meal! And it's a healthy way to add more flavor to your dinner. 

How To Make Grilled Green Chile Chicken

1. Make the marinade. Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.
2. Marinate the chicken in a large zipper bag or container with the green chile marinade in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes (or up to a few hours).
3. Grill the chicken. Heat the grill to high heat. Then turn it down to medium. Place chicken breasts on the grill and cook 3-4 minutes per side, or until nice a seared. Lower the heat to low setting, or move to top rack, and continue cooking until chicken is cooked through. It is done when a thermometer inserted into the thickest part reaches 165°F.
4. Top with chiles and cheese. Place a roasted Hatch chile on top of each chicken breast. Then top that with shredded jack cheese. Close the grill and continue cooking until cheese is melted. Then remove from heat and serve!

Tips For Making Green Chile Chicken

• I always suggest having a meat thermometer to ensure safely cooked chicken without over-cooking it. You want to reach 165°F for safe chicken.
• If you're in a hurry, you can skip the marinating step and simply season your chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, then drizzle with worcestershire sauce and olive oil before cooking.
• You can use sliced cheese instead of shredded. It tends to be less messy.

Can I Use Canned Green Chiles?

If you're not a Hatch chile hoarder like me, you have a couple of options for this recipe. You can either use canned chopped green chiles or you can buy some regular old green chiles and roast them yourself! Canned green chiles tend to be more mild, so you may need to add more to the marinade if you like things more spicy. 

You can also get fresh or roasted Hatch green chiles sent to your door from my friends at Hatch Chile Store!

What If I Don't Have a Grill?

If you don't have a grill, you can use the same method with a grill pan with a lid on the stove. Or, you can bake the chicken in a baking dish in the oven at 375°F.

For more healthy and delicious grilled chicken recipes, head to this roundup of grilled chicken recipes!

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the comments!

Grilled Green Chile Chicken

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

This flavorful grilled green chile chicken topped with roasted Hatch chiles and melted cheese is a healthy chicken recipe to spice up your weeknight dinner routine!

• Author: Kaleigh
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: main dish
• Method: grilled
• Cuisine: Southwest

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the marinade:

• 3 cloves garlic
• ¼ cup cilantro leaves
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ¼ cup roasted Hatch chiles (about 2 whole chiles), skins, seeds, and stems removed

For the chicken:

• 4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to even thickness
• 4 large roasted Hatch chiles, skins, seeds, and stems removed (or 1 small can chopped green chiles)
• ½ cup monterrey jack or white cheddar cheese, grated

Instructions

1. In a blender or food processor, combine all of the marinade ingredients. Pour into a large zipper bag or container and add the chicken breasts, coating each well. Let the chicken marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or up to a few hours.
2. Heat grill to high heat. Turn down to medium and grill chicken on each side until for 3-4 minutes. Move chicken to top rack of the grill (or turn heat to low). Continue cooking until chicken is almost done.
3. Place 1 green chile on each chicken breast and top with cheese. Close lid and continue to cook until cheese is melted and chicken is cooked through. Chicken is done when a thermometer inserted into the center reaches 165° F.
4. Remove from heat and serve.

Notes

• I always suggest having a meat thermometer to ensure safely cooked chicken without over-cooking it. You want to reach 165°F for safe chicken.
• If you're in a hurry, you can skip the marinating step and simply season your chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, then drizzle with worcestershire sauce and olive oil before cooking.
• You can use sliced cheese instead of shredded. It tends to be less messy.
• If you don't have a grill, you can use a grill pan on the stove, or bake in a baking dish in the oven at  375°F.

Keywords: grilled green chile chicken, grilled chicken with hatch chiles