Pork Chile Verde

Chile Verde (green chili) is a Mexican stew made with tender chunks of pork shoulder simmered in a green chile and tomatillo sauce.

I seem to be on a bit of a soup kick lately. And can you blame me? It’s winter! It’s cold! And the best way to warm yourself up on a cold winter’s day is with a hot bowl of soup or in this case chili. But not just any chili, I’ve got a little bit of a twist for you today with this Chile Verde.

When most people think of chili, the first thing that comes to mind is a thick hearty tomato based dish like this Hearty Beef Chili or Instant Pot Chili. Unlike the chili that most of us are used to, pork chili verde doesn’t use tomato sauce, or tomatoes. Instead, it calls for tomatillos which give it the lovely green color.

And while the verde broth is delicious, my favorite part about chile verde is the succulent pork pieces. By cooking them low and slow in the broth they get unbelievably tender. So tender that you can shred them with a fork.

This recipe is so easy to make and the whole family loved it so let’s talk about what you need to make it!

Pork Chili Verde Ingredients:

• TOMATILLOS: Many people may associate them with tomatoes, or think they are simply green tomatoes that is not actually the case. Tomatillos have husks on them and are best when used when they are green. Flavor wise, unlike tomatoes, with their touch of sweetness, tomatillos are a lot more tart . You will be able to find them in the produce section of your local grocery store usually next to the tomatoes. After you try them in this recipe, you’ve got to try making Fried Tomatillos too!
• GARLIC: The garlic in this recipe gets roasted along with the tomatillos to add a touch of sweet garlic flavor.
• PORK SHOULDER: The shoulder is a pork cut that can be used in many different ways. It is at its best when it’s slow roasted, braised or stewed. Basically any kind of slow cooking that will allow the pork to become tender and succulent.
• SALT AND PEPPER
• OLIVE OIL: Used to sear the pork as well as sauté the onions.
• CUMIN: Adds a nutty, smokiness to the verde sauce.
• OREGANO: Found in a lot of Italian and Mexican recipes, Oregano is one of my favorite spices to add a pungent, slightly bitter flavor.
• LOW-SODIUM CHICKEN BROTH: Using low sodium chicken broth will allow you to control the final saltiness of the dish.
• CILANTRO: Adds a lemon, peppery flavor while also adding a bright green color to the chile verde.
• JALAPEÑO: Adds a touch of heat.
• DICED GREEN CHILES: Using canned diced green chilies is a short cut for this recipe but you can also roast your own if you like.

Step by Step Photos and Instructions:

Like most stew recipes, the hardest thing about making this Chili Pork Verde, is allowing it enough time to cook. It will take about 1 1/2 hours for the pork to get tender. You will be able to tell that it is ready when the pork shreds easily.

• Step #1: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place the tomatillos and garlic on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes.
• Step #2: While the tomatillos are roasting, toss the pork pieces with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil over medium heat and brown pork. You may need to do this part in batches so that you don’t overcrowd the pan.
• Step #3: Reserve 1 tablespoon of the pan drippings. Stir in onion, cumin and oregano. Cook 1- 2 minutes or just until the spices become fragrant. Return the pork to the pot and add the chicken broth.
• Step #4: After the tomatillos have roasted, place the tomatillos, garlic and cilantro into a blender and blend until smooth. Once blended, pour the mixture into the soup. Add in the jalapeños and green chiles. Cook uncovered for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve.

You can serve Pork Chile Verde on its own as a soup or, my families favorite way, with some red beans and rice.

Storage and Leftovers:

This reheats beautifully! Store it in the refrigerator for up to a few days. Reheat on the stove until warmed through.

Pork shoulder is one of my absolute favorite cuts. It is extremely economical and versatile. If you’re looking for more recipes that use it check these out:

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork is on repeat around here! We use it for so many recipes.

Use pulled pork to make these epic BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches.

Classic Hawaiian Kalua Pork is made easy using the Instant Pot.

Pulled Pork Nachos are PERFECT for game night!

The entire family will LOVE these Pulled Pork Enchiladas.

Note: This post was originally published in 2011. It was updated with new photos, step by step instructions, nutrition information and a slightly modified recipe in 2023.

Chili Verde

Chile Verde (green chili) is a Mexican stew made with tender chunks of pork shoulder simmered in a green chile and tomatillo sauce.

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Course Main Dishes

Cuisine American

Servings 6 Servings

Calories 299 kcal

Ingredients

  

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Ingredients:

• ▢ 1 pound tomatillos husks removed and cut in half
• ▢ 6 cloves garlic
• ▢ 3 pounds pork shoulder trimmed of excess fat, cut into 1 to 2 inch pieces
• ▢ 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 1 teaspoon oregano
• ▢ 1/2 medium onion diced
• ▢ 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• ▢ 4 cups chicken broth
• ▢ 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• ▢ 1 jalapeno diced (optional)
• ▢ 8 ounces diced green chilies

Instructions

 

• ▢
  Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place tomatillos and garlic on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes.
• ▢
  While the tomatillos are roasting, toss the pork with the salt in pepper. Heat olive oil over medium heat and brown pork in batches.
• ▢
  Reserve 1 tablespoon of pan juices. Stir in onion and cumin. Cook 2 minutes. Return pork to the pot. Pour in chicken broth.
• ▢
  After the tomatillos have roasted, place the tomatillos, peeled garlic and cilantro into blender (or use an immersion blender) and blend until smooth. Pour mixture into the soup. Add in diced jalapeno and green chilies. Cook uncovered for 1 1/2 hours. Stirring occasionally. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.
• ▢
  Serve as is or with rice and beans.

Notes

Nutrition facts for estimation purposes only. 

Nutrition

Calories: 299kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 30gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 96mgSodium: 1469mgPotassium: 830mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 271IUVitamin C: 18mgCalcium: 63mgIron: 3mg

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Keywords: blender, chili verde, entree, Food, green chili, pork shoulder, Recipe, tomatillos