This is a delicious mixture of chicken, beans and salsa in a jar.
The prep work for canning is also really fast: the entire mixture is raw pack.
This recipe comes from the Ball All New book (2016). It uses another home-canned product from that book, Roasted Salsa Verde, as an ingredient.
You can reduce the salt, which is just there for seasoning, and add it instead if you wish at the table.
You may wish to double or triple this recipe to get a full canner load: if so, just do your calculations on paper first before proceeding so that you aren’t trying to do mental gymnastics in the thick of things.
The recipe
Jar size choices: Half-litre (US pint / 16 oz) OR litre (US quart / 32 oz)
Processing method: Pressure canning only
Yield: 2 x litre (US quart) jars
Headspace: 3 cm (1 inch)
Processing pressure: 10 lbs (69 kPa) weighted gauge, 11 lbs (76 kpa) dial gauge (adjust pressure for your altitude when over 300 metres / 1000 feet.)
Processing time: Half-litres (pints) 75 minutes; litres (quarts) 90 minutes
If you don’t have a pressure canner, you can freeze this in plastic containers or straight-sided jars with no shoulders. (Water-bath canning is not acceptable for safety reasons.) Cook when you thaw it.
Chicken Chili Verde
Ingredients
- 1 kg chicken breast (boneless. 2 lbs)
- 100 g green onion (chopped. 1 cup)
- 4 tablespoons cilantro (aka fresh coriander. Washed, chopped.)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 4 tablespoons pickled jalapenos (sliced)
- 175 g white kidney beans (aka cannellini beans. 1 cup cooked)
- 250 ml roasted salsa verde (1 cup)
- 2 teaspoons salt (or non-bitter, non-clouding salt sub)
- chicken stock (hot)
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into 5 cm (2 inch) chunks. Put in a large bowl.
- Wash the green onion, trim, and chop, measure, add to bowl.
- Wash the cilantro, chop, measure, add to bowl.
- Peel the garlic, and slice or chop, add to bowl.
- Drain the pickled jalapeno, chop, measure, add to bowl.
- Drain the cooked beans, measure, add to bowl.
- Add everything else except chicken broth to bowl.
- Put a kettle or pot of water on to boil for you to make your chicken broth from, if you are using bouillon cubes, powder or liquid. If you're using home-made, start heating it in microwave. Mind the surge when you remove it.
- Using your clean hands or a very sturdy spoon, mix the contents of the bowl.
- Jar size choices: half-litre (1 US pint) or 1 litre (US quart)
- Pack the hot jars firmly (but not overly tightly) with mixture.
- Leave 3 cm (1 inch) headspace.
- Top up the jars with hot chicken broth.
- Debubble; adjust headspace.
- Wipe jar rims.
- Put lids on.
- Processing pressure: 10 lbs (69 kPa) weighted gauge, 11 lbs (76 kpa) dial gauge (adjust pressure for your altitude when over 300 metres / 1000 feet.)
- Processing time: half-litre (1 US pint) 75 minutes; 1 litre (US quart) 90 minutes.
Nutrition
See also if applicable: Dial Gauge Pressures.
Reference information
How to pressure can.
When pressure canning, you must adjust the pressure for your altitude.
For salt substitute, Herbamare Sodium-Free was used.
What is the shelf life of home canned goods?
Recipe notes
- See here for the roasted salsa verde recipe.
- As this is a raw pack, there will be shrinkage during processing. Thus they want you to pack the jar “tightly.” But that doesn’t mean squish it down, either.
- To be clear, you don’t heat or pre-cook the mixture before packing it in jars. This is a raw pack. Ball says, “These easy raw pack recipes are an innovative way to create delicious ready-to-eat meals for your pantry all year long. Raw ingredients and seasonings are combined, packed in the jar, and covered with hot broth; all of the cooking takes place right in the jar! Note: To ensure proper pressure and temperature is achieved for safe processing, you must process at least 2 quart or 4 pint jars in the pressure canner at one time.”
- You could use any type of white (or red) bean you wish. Just make sure they are cooked first; don’t put dry ones in the jar, you want them rehydrated first.
- Instead of 2 cloves garlic, you could use 1 teaspoon of minced from a jar.
- You can use any kind of boneless chicken you wish (e.g. thigh). It will affect the nutrition, raising calories and fat level, if that matters to you.
- Want it zippier? You can adjust the seasoning by adding a bit of hot sauce or some dried chili flake (or simply add hot sauce when serving.)
- Want it less zippy? Feel free to leave out some or all of the jalapeno.
Usage notes
To serve, Ball says, “Transfer contents of jar to saucepan and and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Serve over hot cooked rice.”
Instead, we like to stir in a tablespoon of cornstarch or flour to thicken the sauce, and then zap in microwave for 3 minutes, stirring half way through. That gives a less runny sauce.
Nice with a dollop of low-fat sour cream, either stirred into the sauce, or dolloped on top when served.
We also garnish it with lots of chopped fresh veg.
Recipe source
Butcher, Meredith L., Ed. The All New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving. New York: Oxmoor House. 2016. Page 274.
Modifications: none
Nutrition
Serving size: 1 cup (250 ml)
Regular version (with salt)
Per 1 cup (250 ml): 181 calories, 1014 mg sodium
Note: does not include any possible sodium from the broth. Allow for that in your mind as well if that matters to you, unless you made your own from scratch salt-free
Weight Watchers PointsPlus®: 4 points+ (3 SmartPoints)
Salt-free version
Per 1 cup (250 ml): 181 calories, 445 mg sodium
All other nutrition information same as above.
* Nutrition info provided by https://www.myfitnesspal.com
* PointsPlus™ calculated by healthycanning.com. Not endorsed by Weight Watchers® International, Inc, which is the owner of the PointsPlus® registered trademark.
Marty Holcombe
May I safely substitute the same amount of canned green chilies for the salsa verde?
Healthy Canning
We’re not sure. It’s a Ball recipe. Ask them through their Facebook page — they are very responsive and may be able to give some guidance about how to do that exactly.
Val
hi! Can I use store bought canned beans in place of soaked and cooked beans? Thank you!
Healthy Canning
Yes, you may. Just use the same quantities as called for.
Val
wonderful, thank you!
Connie Smith
I have cooked chicken and canned beans. How would I process that?
Healthy Canning
If the chicken is already cooked then freeze the mixture. These directions are for starting with raw chicken. The density between the two is different and that would affect heat penetration. As well, the quality of the cooked chicken after processing might not be anything to write home about, anyway.
Deb
Hello,
Thank you for yet another great recipe. I made a double batch to start using pork instead. It was AMAZING! I also added some cumin. My question is though, can I increase the amount of beans? I definitely wanna make more. This is a 10 hands down!
Healthy Canning
In pressure canning, the density of what is in the jar is a critical control factor for safety because it affects heat penetration. It’s safe to leave stuff out — for instance, someone could leave out the beans. That would *reduce* the density and increase heat penetration even, and all would be good. But adding more beans would *increase* the density and interfere with the heat penetration for the recipe that was research-tested. So, no, you wouldn’t want to add more more beans, for that reason.
Delia
I did, but I used the precooked canned beans for the recipe, and it worked out great – but then I’m a rebel canner. It’s now a family favorite around here and we all survived the extra beans. 😉
Monika
Can corn be added to this recipe?
Healthy Canning
Once you open a jar for use, you can add whatever you like.
Monika
Thank you!
Jennifer
Can you use fresh jalapeños instead of pickled?
Healthy Canning
Yes
Clint Kolar
Would it be ok to use yellow onion with this recipe instead of green? Also, would it be fine to substitute fresh jalapeno or anaheim peppers instead of using canned pickled jalapeno peppers?
Healthy Canning
(1) Would it be ok to use yellow onion with this recipe instead of green?
Yes, just use the same amount.
(2) Also, would it be fine to substitute fresh jalapeno or anaheim peppers instead of using canned pickled jalapeno peppers?
Yes, just use the same amount.
Clint V Kolar
Can I substitute diced hatch peppers for the pickled jalapeños?
Or at least omit the jalapeños?
Healthy Canning
Yes, just use the same amount.
Kathryn Lanier
Hi,
I have a question on this recipe. I canned it and followed all directions. However, when I look at the jar, some of the chicken seems to be “stuck” together in the jar. Is this how it is supposed to be? Is there any reason to worry about the safety? All the jars sealed. I had no siphoning and it has been on the shelf about 6 months at this point. Lids are still sealed.
Thank you!
Healthy Canning
It will be fine. It’s natural for a few pieces to perhaps seem stuck together afterward. But sterilizing heat will have flowed with the liquid between them during the canning process, which is what counts.
Nikki McKenzie
Can pork be used in place of chicken? Will the cooking time be the same?
Healthy Canning
Yes pork could be used in place of chicken, and the processing time would be the same.
Heather S.
Hi there! Thanks for the yummy recipe. I made some yesterday and tripled the batch. However, in order to keep a 1″ headspace I was only able to fill 4 quarts instead of the expected 6. I followed all the directions perfectly and loss very little liquid. I also hear a nice ringing bell sound when I tap the lids with a spoon. Still, I’m worried. Do you think it will be safe to eat? Or did I pack them too tight? This is literally the first time I have used a pressure canner so I am really on a learning curve here.
Thanks!
Deborah Grantham
Can I omit the beans?
Healthy Canning
Yes, you may omit the beans.
Josette
Hello,
I was wondering if it would be possible to not add the chicken and make it vegetarian?
Thanks!
Healthy Canning
It is fine to omit the chicken. But don’t add anything in its place, and don’t increase the quantities of the other ingredients. Keep processing time and jar size recommendations the same. Yield will be less. But, it might just make sense to can the white beans and salsa each separately and combine as and when needed?
Ann-Marie Johnson
Can a store bought salsa verde be used instead of the homemade and canned one?
Healthy Canning
I think that would be fine, provided it doesn’t have a lot of oil in it (a salsa verde shouldn’t have any so that should’t be a concern).