Chile Verde – Melt in your mouth tender pork chunks in a flavorful, spicy tomatillo sauce. It’s a great winter warmer, but it’s so good you’ll want it all year long!
And it requires next to no effort. After some quick prep, it’s one of those set it and forget it meals.
This green chili is a Mexican classic that needs to find its way into your kitchen!
It’s been a while since we posted a chili recipe here on GypsyPlate. But that time of the year is upon us, so we thought it was about time to make you a new one.
Though it’s certainly different from your typical red chili, we’re sure you’ll be coming back to this cozy bowl…
What is Chile Verde?
Literally translating to “green chili”, it’s a hearty stew originating in Northern Mexico, and is also often associated with the cuisine of New Mexico.
The base is a green sauce made of tomatillos, chili peppers (usually serrano) and other flavor enhancers. Typically, the stew is made with pork, though some variations use other meats.
It’s simmered low and slow until the meat is incredibly tender and juicy.
The green sauce: Salsa Verde
This tomatillo sauce is the base of the dish. I highly recommend homemade, but if going the store bought route, try to find fresh salsa verde from a Mexican grocery store.
You can read my detailed post for homemade salsa verde. But for a quick summary, you’ll be making a salsa out of tomatillos, serrano (or jalapeño) peppers, garlic, onion and cilantro.
For freshest flavors, simply blend them all in a blender or food processor.
For deeper, smoky flavors you can broil the ingredients (except cilantro) on a sheet pan for 5-6 minutes per side.
Whichever the method, the salsa can be made up to several days in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container until ready to use.
Ingredients for Chile Verde
- Salsa Verde
- Pork – Shoulder or butt.
- Chicken Stock
- Garlic
- Cilantro
- Lime Juice
- Seasonings – Cumin, coriander powder, oregano, salt and pepper.
How to make Chile Verde
You’ll find detailed instructions for slow cooker, stove top and instant pot in the recipe card. But the basics are pretty simple:
Cut the pork into chunks and season with salt and pepper.
Sear the pork chunks for a few minutes to brown them up.
Mix pork and all ingredients in your preferred vessel and cook till the pork is tender.
How long does Chile Verde take to cook?
Depending on your method:
Slow cooker (low): 8-10 hours
Slow cooker (high): 4-5 hours
Stovetop: 2.5-3 hours
Instant Pot: About an hour (including time to pressurize and pressure release)
How to serve Chile Verde
Serve up a big bowl of it and garnish with your favorite toppings. Some ideas include avocado, cilantro, lime wedges, chopped onion, sliced jalapeños and cotija or cheddar cheese. You can have a pile of warmed corn tortillas on the side for scooping.
It’s also a great filler for tacos, burritos and bowl meals, or over a pile of nachos. That’s why we like to make a big batch, the leftovers are so versatile!
Speaking of leftovers…
How to store leftovers
Like all chilis and stews, this one just seems to get better after a day or so, as the flavors mingle together.
You can refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Just reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop with a splash of additional water.
It also freezes very well. Store it in an airtight container and freeze, using within 2-3 months for best quality.
Check out our collection of favorite Chili Recipes!
Customizing your pot of Chile Verde
Although pork is most traditional, and is what we used today, it’s your pot of chili so feel free to try other meats. If using chicken, go with boneless skinless thighs. For beef, we would recommend chuck roast
Different people have very different tolerance for spiciness. Making your own tomatillo sauce is going to give you the most control. If you are on the milder end of palates, follow my salsa verde recipe and only use ½-1 serrano pepper, or 1-2 jalapeños. And be sure to remove the seeds and white pith!
So, are you ready to dig into this hearty bowl? If you love flavors as much as we do, I would call this one a must!
If you love this recipe as much as we do, I hope you leave a comment and star rating, I love hearing from you! And please share us on social media to keep the recipes coming! Until next time…
Chile Verde, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!
Try these other hearty chilis and stews:
The Ultimate Chili
Black Bean Chili
White Bean Turkey Chili
Smoky Chipotle Chili
Brunswick Stew
Guinness Beef Stew
Chile Verde
Chile Verde – Melt in your mouth tender pork chunks in a flavorful, spicy tomatillo sauce. It’s a great winter warmer, but it’s so good you’ll want it all year long!
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil
- 3 pounds pork butt or shoulder, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 2 cups salsa verde (see note 1)
- 1 Tbsp oregano
- 2 tsp cumin powder
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 cup chicken stock
- Juice of two limes
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Slow Cooker Method
- Heat oil in a large sauce pan or dutch oven over medium high heat.
- Generously season pork cubes with salt and pepper, then add to heated pan. Sear on all sides.
- Transfer pork, along with all other ingredients to a slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 8-10 hours.
- Serve along with your favorite garnishings.
Stove Top Method
- Heat oil in a large sauce pan or dutch oven over medium high heat.
- Generously season pork cubes with salt and pepper, then add to heated pan. Sear on all sides.
- Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium low. Cover and cook for 2.5-3 hours, until pork is tender.
- Serve along with your favorite garnishings.
Instant Pot Method
- Set pressure cooker to Saute mode. Add in oil to heat up.
- Generously season pork cubes with salt and pepper, then add to heated instant pot. Sear on all sides.
- Stir in remaining ingredients. Seal lid to pressure cooker, set to manual High pressure for 30 minutes,
- At end of cooking time, allow pressure to natural release for 10 minutes before removing lid.
- Serve along with your favorite garnishings.
Notes
- For homemade salsa verde, blend the following ingredients in a blender or food processor with a couple of tablespoons of water:
- 1 pound tomatillos, husked and rinsed
- 2-3 serrano peppers
- 1/4 onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup cilantro
- Salt to taste
Optionally, you can roast the first four ingredients on a sheet pan. First set the top oven rack to 4-5 inches from the top and preheat the broiler to high. Then, broil the ingredients for 5-6 minutes per side.
Nutrition Information
Yield 10 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 440Total Fat 29gSaturated Fat 10gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 16gCholesterol 118mgSodium 460mgCarbohydrates 9gFiber 2gSugar 5gProtein 33g
Nutrition information calculated by Nutritionix.
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