The Ultimate Chile Verde Pork

Chile Verde Pork is a classic Dutch oven stew, chock full of succulent slow-cooked pork shoulder in a rich, spicy sauce made with tomatillos and peppers. This recipe uses pork shoulder, but you can also make this flavorful dish with chicken. 

Chile Verde is most famously known in New Mexico, where it is practically the official state dish.

You can see this meatless green chile sauce on almost every menu in the state. It's like a flavor-punch gravy that goes with so many things.

Typically, I will serve this with corn tortillas, rice and beans, and Mexican cabbage slaw.

We've previously discussed my obsession with tacos, so it should be no surprise that I am going to make this into a Chile Verde taco situation.

What You’ll Love About This Recipe

• So much flavor.
• Easy to make.
• Makes beautiful leftovers.
• Freezes well.

Chile Verde Recipe Notes

Chili Verde is easy to make on the stovetop. I've also included all the instructions for making chili verde in a slow cooker or in an Instant Pot. Also, keep in mind that you can make this recipe with chicken instead of pork. I've even made it with extra firm tofu.

Ingredient Notes

This recipe has a long list of ingredients. Don't let that scare you! You'll notice that the veggies are just different kinds of peppers, so they are in the exact same section at the grocery store.

• Pork shoulder. AKA pork butt. I usually use a 3 to 4 lb pork shoulder for this recipe.
• Tomatillos. These are like little green tomatoes that come in their own adorable natural wrapping paper husks.
• Peppers. Lots of peppers. You'll need Anaheim (or Hatch chiles if you're in New Mexico), poblano chiles, jalapeños, and serrano peppers.
• Onions.
• Chicken broth.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Start the Chile Verde Sauce

1. Roast the vegetables. Place the peppers and scored tomatillos on a sheet pan and roast at 500℉. Allow the skin to blacken, and turn them during the cooking process so that all sides are blackened. (Be sure to reserve the juices from the tomatillos.)
2. Let the veggies rest. Place foil over the baking sheet and let the peppers and tomatillos sweat until cool. 

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Pork Shoulder

• Trim and dice the pork shoulder into knuckle-sized pieces.
• Brown the pork shoulder in the Dutch oven. Season the pork with salt and pepper, and then brown the pork on all sides on medium-high heat. Remove the pork from the Dutch oven. Set aside.
• Drain off the majority of the pork fat from the pan. Reserve a little for caramelizing the onions. 

PRO-TIP: Use the trimmed pork fat for browning the meat. Do this by placing the trimmed fat into your Dutch oven and cooking it over medium heat until some of the fat has rendered out. Remove the fat pieces and add in the pork shoulder. 

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Finish The Chile Verde Sauce

1. Reduce to medium heat. Add diced onion and a little salt. Caramelize the onions. All the crunchy brown bits from the pan should incorporate nicely as the liquid from the onion acts as a deglazing agent. (Flavor Wow!)
2. Add the peppers, tomatillos, and reserved juice to the caramelized onions. 
3. Puree the sauce. I use a stick blender here to puree everything. If you don't have a stick blender, make sure to rough chop all the peppers before you add them back to the pot and squish the tomatillos well with your hands as you add them.
4. Add the browned pork.
5. Add the chicken stock. I add enough to cover the meat. 
6. Add the bay leaves, garlic, cumin, and oregano.
7. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to simmer for about 2 hours. Stir occasionally. 

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You'll want to cook this until the pork is tender. If you need to reduce the sauce, raise the heat and cook with the lid off until you reach the desired consistency. 

Add the fresh lime juice and minced cilantro. Serve and enjoy!

Other ways to cook Chile Verde

Using a classic Dutch oven is my favorite way to cook this Chile Verde pork recipe. However, sometimes you're short on time, or you'd rather come home from work and have dinner waiting for you.

How to make Instant Pot Chile Verde

1. Set the Instant Pot to sauté. After 1 minute, add the pork cubes and brown them on all sides.
2. Add the tomatillos, Poblano peppers, Anaheim peppers, jalapeno chilies, serrano chilies, onion, and garlic. Add 1 teaspoon Kosher salt plus the bay leaves and the chicken broth.
3. Set to manual and cook 25 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally.

How to make Chile Verde In A Crock Pot

1. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 2-4 hours, until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

FAQs and Expert Tips

Storing + Freezing Tips

How To Store Chile Verde

You can store Chili Verde in an air tight container in the fridge for up to a week.

How to Freeze Chile Verde

Place 3 cups of Chili Verde in a 1 gallon freezer bag and then lay it flat in the freezer. Freeze up to 4 months.

Thaw before reheating.

How To Reheat Chile Verde

You can reheat Chile Verde in a skillet on the stove top over medium heat, or in the microwave. Make sure the temp reaches 165℉.

Recipe Variations

• Chile Verde Chicken. Substitute chicken breasts and or thighs for the pork in this recipe.
• Vegan Chile Verde. Make the Chile Verde sauce using vegetable broth. Skip the steps where you add any meat. Add diced extra firm tofu and simmer for about 20 minutes.
• How to just make the Chile Verde sauce. You don't need to add any protein to this recipe. Simply follow the directions for making the sauce. This green chili sauce is amazing on eggs.

What to Eat With Chile Verde

Besides the obvious tortillas, you can serve Chile Verde with diced avocado, chopped cilantro, and white onions. Top it with a sprinkle of grated cotija cheese. Yum!!!

Hungry For More Comfort Food?

Here are more of our family's favorite comfort food recipes. I know your family will love them to.