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Award Winning Chile Verde Recipe

Easy Colorado Green Chile recipe using tasty New Mexico roasted Hatch green chiles, jalapeños, pork, tomatoes and spices; slow cooked to release the best flavors! Rich, thick Colorado Green Chile can be served alone like a chili or soup, used for smothering, in enchiladas, with eggs and potatoes or as a side for any Mexican dish!

Prep Time
40 mins
Cook Time
6 hrs
Total Time
6 hrs 40 mins
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 157 kcal
Course: Main Course , Appetizer
Cuisine: American , Mexican

Ingredients

  • 1-2 pounds pork diced, pork shoulder roast, pork butt are best
  • 15-26 ounces diced tomatoes regular, fire roasted, etc.
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 1 24 oz bag New Mexico Green Chiles found in freezer section*
  • 2-4 tablespoons jalapeños chopped (canned, roasted, or fresh*)
  • 32 - 64 ounces chicken stock or broth
  • ½ cup masa flour corn flour, or may replace with regular flour
  • 6-8 tablespoons butter
  • 1 1 /2 tablespoons cumin
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt and pepper each
Garnish or Serving Suggestions
  • Sliced or diced avocado
  • shredded colby jack Mild Cheddar or Mexican cheese
  • chopped cilantro Diced red onion, black olives
  • squeeze of fresh lime chopped tomatoes
  • sour cream or Mexican crema
  • warm tortillas four or corn
  • tortilla chips
Serve as stew or chili, as a dip or use in recipes.

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Add a tablespoon or two of oil (vegetable or olive works) to a large frying pan (this is my favorite pan!), over medium-high heat, add pork in batches, don’t crowd the pan, you don’t want to steam the meat, but get a quick, crisp sear on the outside. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set aside.
  2. In a large soup pot, add a tablespoon of oil and cook the chopped onions until caramelized and translucent; then add minced garlic, cumin and smoked paprika, stirring around for one minute to bloom the spices. 
  3. Add the tomatoes, the green chilies and jalapeños. Bring to a simmer on low, then stir in the browned pork. 
  4. TFC PRO TIP | I used a 26 oz box of diced tomatoes, which tends to overpower the “green” in the chile, but I like tomatoes and thought it will yield a slightly milder flavor. If you want it greener, then add a standard 15 oz can. 
  5. Meanwhile, add the butter to the skillet you browned the pork in (don’t wash it, you want all of those flavorful brown bits), over low heat, once butter is melted, add the masa flour to the melted butter, stirring constantly for about 1 minute, until flour is lightly browned. Add chicken stock slowly whisking constantly until thickened. This is a roux, which will thicken the stew.
  6. Add the roux to the green chile, stirring to combine, and simmer for at least 2-3 hours. See notes below for Oven cooked green chile and Crock Pot versions. 

Notes

  • The biggest difference is that Chile Verde uses tomatillos in place of the diced tomatoes used in this recipe, they are both "green chiles" which is what Chile verde means (chile green), but using tomatillos is more traditional and keeps the chile recipe all green.
  • If you want to use tomatillos, use about 12-18 ounces, husked, rinsed and halved. Cut in half and place cut side down, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place under a broiler for about 5-7 minutes to lightly blacken the skin. Remove from oven, let cool enough to handle. Puree in blender and add to chile verde. You may opt to not roast the tomatillos and puree them raw as well, but the flavors will be better if you roast them.
  • *Pork | If preferred you can sear a 1-3 pound pork roast or pork butt, place in Chile verde soup, and cook for a minimum of 3 hours, covered. Removed, shred pork and return to green chile.
  • *You can roast your own Green Chiles! You will need about 24-32 oz (3-4 cups), each chile once roasted, seeded and chopped yields about 1 oz of chiles, so you will need between 18-24 roasted green chiles. 
  • TFC PRO TIP | Do not wash the peppers after blistering or removing the skin, this will wash away some of that delicious smoky flavor!
  • My stovetop tends to get pretty hot even on simmer, so for tomato based recipes, like my Grandpa Frank’s Spaghetti Sauce (so yummy), I tend to finish simmering in the oven. 
  • Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F and place the (oven safe) covered pork green chile in the oven. I let mine stew (get it) for 6-7 hours so that the pork just fell apart. 
  • A couple of tips so you attain the same great results as slow cooking this tender Colorado green chile. 
  • Roast your own chile peppers (see above)!
  • Cool completely and store in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days, and up to 4 months in the freezer. Thaw and use however you like!
  • Saute the onions in a large frying pan until translucent, add the garlic and spices, stirring around until bloomed. Remove from pan and add to crockpot, add tomatoes, green chiles and jalapenos.
  • Add a little oil to the same pan, increase heat to medium-high, salt and pepper the pork pieces and brown in batches, remove and add to crock pot. 
  • Make the Roux | Add butter to the same pan over medium-low heat, melt, then quickly whisk in the masa (flour) until browned and bubbly, about a minute. 
  • Whisking constantly, slowly whisk in chicken stock until it’s thick, like a gravy. Stir into a crock pot, cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or on high 4-5 hours. 
  • Gluten-Free Pork Green Chile | This recipe is naturally gluten-free as long as you are using Masa Flour. You may also substitute the Masa with a good GF All-purpose flour.
  • Vegetarian and Vegan Green Chile | Omit the pork, substitute oil for the butter, reducing by a couple of teaspoons when making the roux, replace the chicken stock with vegetable broth.
  • Can’t find Hatch or Colorado Green Chiles? Use Anaheim peppers instead.
  • If you absolutely cannot find fresh or frozen green chiles, then purchase high quality canned Hatch Green Chiles, using the same amount. 

Nutrition Information

Serving 1serving Calories 157kcal (8%) Carbohydrates 7g (2%) Protein 7g (14%) Fat 11g (17%) Saturated Fat 5g (25%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 4g Trans Fat 0.2g Cholesterol 33mg (11%) Sodium 302mg (13%) Potassium 233mg (7%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 2g (4%) Vitamin A 235IU (5%) Vitamin C 4mg (4%) Calcium 30mg (3%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 16servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 157

% Daily Value*

Serving 1serving
Calories 157kcal 8%
Carbohydrates 7g 2%
Protein 7g 14%
Fat 11g 17%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 4g 20%
Trans Fat 0.2g 10%
Cholesterol 33mg 11%
Sodium 302mg 13%
Potassium 233mg 5%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 2g 4%
Vitamin A 235IU 5%
Vitamin C 4mg 4%
Calcium 30mg 3%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.