Chile verde pork is a Mexican stew with tender meat in a spicy green broth. Make this recipe today – it’ll be perfect for dinner tonight!
How to make chile verde pork
INGREDIENTS & SUBSTITUTIONS
- Pork shoulder – you can use pork loin if necessary, but the meat won’t be as tender
- TomatillosÂ
- Anaheim green chiles – or you can use poblano chiles
- Jalapeños
- Serrano chiles
- Onion
- Garlic – substitute 2-3 teaspoons minced garlic
- Cilantro
- Vegetable oil – or another oil with a high smoke point, like canola or avocado oil
- Spices – ground cumin, salt, black pepper
To make the dish less spicy, replace the serranos with more Anaheim green chiles. Or replace both peppers with poblano chiles instead.
For a heartier stew, consider adding cubed red potatoes or some black beans.
Boil the potatoes until they are fork tender, then add at the end with the remaining chile verde puree. The cooked beans should be added at the end as well.
Step by step instructions
- Prep the ingredients
First, cube and season the pork. Slice all the peppers in half and remove the seeds.
Also, remove the outer skin from the tomatillos, onion, and garlic, and cut the onion in half for easier blending.
- Blend the puree
Next, boil the tomatillos, chiles, and onion. Or you can char them with a grill or broiler for added flavor.
Transfer to a blender or food processor along with the garlic and cilantro. Blend until smooth, then set aside.
TIP: Cilantro stems are full of flavor, so there’s no need to remove them. Rinse the entire bunch of cilantro, pat it dry with paper toweling, then include both leaves and stems in the puree.
- Make the pork chile verde
Brown the pork in batches. Then, add all the pieces back to the Dutch oven and cover with the puree. Make sure to reserve a cup of puree to add at the end.
Simmer for about 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
When the meat is tender, stir in the remaining puree. Add the cooked beans or cooked potatoes as well, if you’ll be using those.
How to thicken chile verde
The easiest way to thicken the stew is to use a slurry of cornstarch and water.
Stir together equal parts of each, usually 1-2 tablespoons, until well combined. Then, stir the slurry into the stew and let it simmer for a few more minutes.
RECIPE NOTES
- It’s best to wear gloves when handling chile peppers, especially when seeding. The oils can burn when transferred to the skin or eyes, and it’s easy to miss some spots when washing with soap and water.
- You can also make this Mexican pork stew in an Instant Pot. Instructions for this can be found in the recipe card below.
Can I freeze chile verde?
Yes! Let it cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container. Freezer bags will also work, but make sure to squeeze all of the air out before storing.
Pork chile verde will last about 3 months in the freezer.
When you’re ready to use, let it thaw in the refrigerator for at least a few hours or overnight. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove until warmed all the way through.
This recipe first appeared on Kevin Is Cooking September 2015 and has been updated with new photos and video.
Watch how to make pork chile verde below!
Chile Verde Pork
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs pork shoulder cubed
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 lbs tomatillos
- 6 Anaheim green chiles
- 2 jalapeños
- 2 Serrano chiles
- 1 large onion
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1 bunch cilantro about 2 cups
Instructions
- Cut the pork shoulder into chunks, about 1-2 inches. Season all over with cumin, salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Peel the outer skins off the tomatillos, onion and garlic. Cut the stems off the peppers and slice in half lengthwise. Cut the onion in half. (See Note 1)
- In the Dutch oven or large stock pot bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Add the tomatillos, chiles and onion. Cook for 8 minutes.
- Carefully remove with a slotted spoon and place all the peppers, tomatillos, onion, garlic and cilantro in a food processor, blender or Vitamix, and process until smooth. Reserve 1 cup, set aside.
- In a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat add the oil. When oil shimmers, add the pork and, working in batches so they brown and not steam, cook on all sides.
- Add all the cooked pork back to the Dutch oven and pour the pureed tomatillo green pepper sauce over and mix together completely to incorporate. Bring to a quick boil, close the lid and cook on low for 3 hours or until fork tender, stirring occasionally.
- After 3 hours, stir in remaining 1 cup cilantro infused chile verde puree. Serve hot with warmed tortillas or biscuits to sop up the amazing chile verde gravy. (See Note 2)
Instant Pot Method
- This could easily be cooked in the Instant Pot, too. Just brown the pork as directed on the Sauté setting (in batches to brown, NOT steam) and pour the vegetable chile puree on top. Close the lid and press the Manual setting on High for about 20 minutes. Allow for a Natural release and you're ready to eat. (See Note 2)
Notes
- If you prefer, you can either grill or place the tomatillos, chiles and onion under the broiler for a charred flavor instead of boiling.
- Options to add to this to make it go further are fork tender, cubed and boiled red potatoes or beans. Add after the 3 hour mark and stir in with remaining cup of chile verde puree, cover and heat to warm through.
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.
Nutrition
What kind of beans do you recommend? Do you add them into the stew or just serve as if filling a tortilla?
If adding beans to this, my go to would be Great Northern Nikki.
How many pablano pepper do i need if im subing them
Substituting for the Anaheim’s? I’d keep it the same amount Heather.
Ok thank you!
Will removing the seeds from the chilis (specifically anaheim chilis) prior to boiling them in water reduce the heat and spiciness in the dish? Unfortunately, at the moment I don’t have other chilis in my pantry. We have younger kids in our hourse and I would like to keep the recipe on the mild side. Thanks!
That is a great idea! Let me know how the family enjoys it!
this was so good. i cooked the veggies the night before and blended it all and made verde shrimp. which was very good. the next day i made pork verde in the slow cooker. it was excellent. well i have left overs so now i will and some beans and make pork chilli. also was able to save the liquid from the boiling the veggies. which was very tasty.
thank you Kevin for such a great recipe. Faye
Thank you for sharing this Faye! Glad you enjoyed it!
What is a serving size? You have the nutritional information but the actual size of the serving is not listed. (no star rating as I haven’t made it yet.)
Rod, I do not measure out portions to give you an exact, everyone’s will be different. I typically do 2 scoops from my ladle which comes to about 2 cups, which serves 6 people easily. Hope that helps.
This will be a sure hit at my house!!
It is every time I serve it up myself! Thanks Toni. 🙂
Keep up the good work, it’s hell lot inspiring!!
I hope you enjoy this one as much as I do, thanks!
Tried this for dinner tonight and it turned out great! Even my picky eaters gobbled this up!
I am so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing!
The flavor was so good! The broth pairs so well with the pork! A family favorite!