Make slow cooker chili Verde in a WonderBag! This no-heat slow cooker is perfect for hot summers, pot lucks, or everyday cooking.

I am a huge fan of cooking without heat. I talk about it pretty much all summer long because when it’s over 110 degrees outside, the last thing you want to do is heat up your kitchen and house.
A great low to no heat way of cooking is to use a WonderBag. The WonderBag is a heat retention cooking bag that doesn’t require any electricity to cook food and shortens active cooking time, which means more time to spend with your family.
Did you know that wood fire cooking is the source of major social, economic, and environmental issues in Africa? It honestly never occurred to me that women in other countries are spending their days around a fire cooking for their families.
Families in Africa that use WonderBag can reduce their fuel usage, saving them money and easing the burden of poverty. Using the WonderBag helps save water, reduces the carbon footprint, and minimizes deforestation, smoke inhalation diseases, and deaths.
So how does this bag work?
To cook in the WonderBag, you basically make your recipe in a pot. It works best with 2-9 quart pots with short handles and a lid. Metal and cast ironwork best. I used a very well-loved enamel-covered cast iron dutch oven.
Make your recipe to the point where it’s ready to cook and bring it to a boil. Put the lid on the pot, put the pot in the WonderBag, and cinch it up.
The WonderBag will keep food warm for up to 12 hours, but most recipes will be ready in a few hours. Of course, like most slow cookers, the longer you cook the more tender the meat becomes.
After I put the pot in the WonderBag my kids kept asking, “What’s that smell?” It was the chili cooking, but they couldn’t figure out where it was coming from! They didn’t believe me that the big, red bag was cooking our dinner, but it did and it was fantastic.
This is such a different type of chili. It’s not quite white or chicken chili. It’s very unique and easy to adapt to your tastes. I made this with chicken, but I’ve also made it with pork and I’m sure ground turkey would be great in it.
Use as much or little chilies as you prefer and whatever heat you like. I used Anaheim chilies this time around, but have used other types to increase the spiciness.
Slow Cooker Chili Verde
Slow Cooker Chili Verde
A chicken chili made with green chili sauce for a unique flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken, cut in to bite size pieces
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped
- 1 1/3 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon corn starch
- 1/4 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 jalapeno, chopped (remove seeds/veins for less heat)
- 1/4 bunch cilantro, chopped
- 3/4 cup green enchilada sauce or salsa verde
- 3 cups green chiles, about 3 Anaheim chiles, some diced and some pureed
- 2 cups cooked white beans (or 1 15 ounce can)
Instructions
- Heat a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 Tablespoon of oil and heat.
- Add onion to the dutch oven and cook until translucent.
- Add chicken and brown on all sides.
- Add remaining ingredients to the dutch oven and stir.
- TO COOK IN A WONDER BAG:
- Bring chili to a boil.
- Cover the dutch oven with a lid and remove from heat. Place the dutch oven inside Wonderbag and close.
- Allow chili to cook for at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours.
- TO COOK IN A SLOW COOKER:
- Do not bring food to a boil. Instead, transfer the mixture to the crock of a 4-6 quart slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
- Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, chips, and/or flour tortillas if desired.