Chile Verde Recipe

This chile verde is chunks of pork in a green tomatillo sauce, all simmered together until the meat is fall-apart tender. A Mexican classic that’s packed with flavor and makes for a unique and unexpected dinner option.

I love to make my family’s favorite Mexican dishes at home such as chicken tacos, beef enchiladas and this super flavorful chile verde. Add your favorite toppings and you’ll have a hearty meal that everyone is sure to enjoy.

Whenever I go to my local Mexican restaurant, I have to order the chile verde. That super tender meat in zesty sauce just can’t be beat! You can enjoy chile verde on its own, or use it as a filling for burritos, tacos and enchiladas.

What is chile verde?

Chile verde is a Mexican style stew that’s filled with chunks of tender pork in a sauce made of roasted tomatillos and assorted chiles. The pork is slow cooked in the sauce until tender. This dish originated in Mexico and has become common in America.

How do you make chile verde?

This recipe starts with chunks of pork, which are cooked in a pan until golden brown. While the pork is browning, prepare the sauce by broiling tomatillos, poblano peppers and jalapeno peppers until they’re soft and blackened. Remove the skins from the peppers, then place them in a blender along with the tomatillos, cilantro and chicken broth. Puree the sauce mixture until smooth. Saute onions and garlic, the place the pork, vegetables and sauce all together to simmer. Cover the pot and place it in the oven. Bake the chile verde for 2-3 hours or until the pork is tender. Add fresh cilantro and other toppings, then serve and enjoy.

Tips for the perfect dish

• For this dish, you’ll want to use a cut of pork that’s well marbled. Some good options include pork shoulder or boneless pork country ribs.
• The green sauce can be made up to 2 days before you plan to make the dish. Sometimes I even make a double batch of the sauce and freeze some for later use.
• This dish is written to be mild on the heat scale. If you prefer a spicier stew, leave some of the ribs and seeds in the jalapenos.
• Pork stew stays fresh in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and can be frozen for 2 months.
• Leftovers make a great filling for burritos or tacos, and can also be spooned over nachos or wrapped inside tortillas to make enchiladas.

Flavor Variations

This chile verde is fabulous as-is, but you can add other ingredients to customize the flavors to your tastes.

• Toppings: Serve your meal with an assortment of toppings such as sour cream, sliced radish, avocado, tortilla strips and chopped cilantro.
• Veggies: Feel free to add some veggies to the dish such as carrots, potatoes or zucchini.
• Protein: While pork is the traditional choice for chile verde, you could also use beef stew meat or diced chicken thighs.

More Mexican recipes to try

• Pork Tacos
• Mexican Salad
• Chicken Fajitas
• Tacos Al Pastor
• Bean Dip

Chile Verde Video

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5 from 12 votes

Chile Verde

This chile verde is chunks of pork in a green tomatillo sauce, all simmered together until the meat is fall-apart tender. A Mexican classic that's packed with flavor and makes for a unique and unexpected dinner option.

Course Main

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword chile verde

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 3 hours 30 minutes

Total Time 3 hours 50 minutes

Servings 8

Calories 221kcal

Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

For the pork

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 pounds pork shoulder cut into 1 inch pieces
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 onion peeled and diced
• 1 tablespoon garlic minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano Mexican oregano if possible

For the sauce

• 1 1/2 pounds tomatillos husks removed
• 4 poblano peppers cored and halved lengthwise, seeds and ribs removed
• 2 jalapeno peppers cored and halved lengthwise, seeds and ribs removed
• 1 cup cilantro leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups chicken broth
• cooking spray
• toppings for serving such as sour cream, cilantro and tortilla strips

Instructions

For the pork

• Heat the oil in a large oven safe pot over medium heat.
• Season the pork pieces with salt and pepper.
• Place half of the pork in the pot. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side or until browned.
• Remove the pork from the pot. Repeat the process with the remaining pork.
• Return all the pork back to the pot. Discard excess fat, leaving 1 tablespoon of fat in the pan.
• Add the onion to the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper.
• Stir in the cumin and oregano.

For the sauce

• Preheat the broiler. Coat a sheet pan with cooking spray.
• Place the tomatillos, poblano peppers and jalapeno peppers on the sheet pan.
• Broil for 5-7 minutes or until vegetables are tender and charred.
• Place the peppers in a plastic bag and seal. Let the peppers sit in the bag for 4-5 minutes. This will make the skins a lot easier to remove.
• Take the peppers out of the bag and peel off the skins.
• Place the tomatillos, peppers, cilantro, salt, pepper and chicken broth in a blender. Blend until smooth.

For the stew

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Pour the sauce into the pot with the pork and onions. Stir to combine.
• Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover the pot and place it in the oven.
• Cook for 2 1/2 - 3 hours or until pork is tender.
• Place the stew into bowls. Add toppings as desired, then serve.

Notes

For a spicier dish, leave some of the ribs and seeds in the jalapeno peppers.

Nutrition

Calories: 221kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 590mg | Potassium: 779mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 490IU | Vitamin C: 69mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 2mg