Green Chili Recipe

Looking for a delicious and hearty dish to warm you up on a chilly winter night? Look no further than this green chili recipe! Made with tender chunks of pork, spicy green chilies, and a blend of flavorful and delicious spices, this dish is sure to become a new favorite.

Whether you serve it with rice or tortillas, or enjoy it on its own, this green chili recipe is the flavor to satisfy your hunger and warm your soul. So gather your ingredients and get ready to cook up a delicious and comforting meal!

What is Green Chili?

Green chili, also known as Chile verde, is a traditional dish in Mexican cuisine. Green chili is also a popular dish in the southwestern United States, especially in states like Colorado and New Mexico. It is sometimes called “Colorado Green Chili“.

It is typically made with diced or shredded pork that is simmered in a flavorful broth made from green chiles, garlic, onions, and spices. The green chilies used can be either fresh or canned (or both!), and can vary in spice level depending on the type of chilies used. It can be eaten as a stew or as a topping on tacos, burritos, and other Mexican recipes.

Ingredients in Green Chili

• Olive oil – divided for roasting veggies and for cooking pork tenderloin
• Poblano peppers – fresh hatch peppers (more traditional) can be hard to come by so grab some poblanos instead, which taste fairly similar.
• Jalapeno pepper – feel free to leave some seeds in if you like an extra kick
• White onion – quartered for roasting
• Garlic – no need to pre-mince before roasting. You’ll cut them up after roasting.
• Pork tenderloin – traditional recipes use pork shoulder but I’m cutting down the cooking time by using pork tenderloin instead.
• Chicken broth/stock – see notes below on making recipe vegan (substituting stock and pork)
• Tomatillo salsa – also called salsa verde (try my homemade recipe here!). A hack since fresh tomatillos aren’t widely available at all grocery stores.
• Canned hatch chiles – In a 4 oz can. Available in most grocery stores (whole foods and trader joe’s both carry them). You can also buy them here.
• Corn kernels – Feel free to use fresh or frozen (no need to thaw). You can also use canned hominy instead if you can find it.
• Dried herbs + spices – oregano, cumin, salt and pepper (reduce salt if watching sodium levels)
• Fresh cilantro – feel free to leave out if you don’t like cilantro
• Lime – juice from 1 lime + more for toppings (see below).

How to Make This Green Chili Recipe

STEP 1: ROAST VEGGIES

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place poblano peppers, jalapeno pepper, white onion and, garlic cloves on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tbsp of oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast on the middle or top oven rack for 15-20 minutes or until peppers and onion are golden brown and soft. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

STEP 2: CHOP VEGGIES

Dice peppers and onion and mince garlic into bite-sized pieces and set aside.

STEP 3: COOK PORK

Heat a large dutch oven or pot on the stovetop over medium-high heat and add remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Add pork pieces to dutch oven and brown on all sides (about 3-5 minutes). Note: pork will not be cooked through, you are simply browning.

STEP 4: ADD VEGGIES + SIMMER

Stir in chopped veggies, chicken stock, tomatillo salsa, can of hatch chilis, corn, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper to dutch oven. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer and cook, uncovered for 40-50 minutes or until pork is breaking apart and chili has thickened. Using two forks shred pork tenderloin along the side of the pot (or remove completely and shred on a cutting board before adding back in). Add in cilantro and lime juice.

Serve immediately with optional toppings (see below).

What To Serve with Green Chili

• Sour cream/Greek yogurt – add a scoop of sour cream (or greek yogurt) to your bowls!
• Lime wedges – For an additional zesty zing!
• Cheddar cheese – Or any other preferred cheese.
• Tortilla Chips – store-bought or homemade. Crush into bits of make strips if using homemade.
• Avocado – sliced or diced onto your bowls.
• Cilantro – Add extra cilantro or skip from your green chili recipe entirely if you don’t like the taste.

Make it Vegan

This green chili recipe can easily be made vegan or vegetarian by substituting the chicken broth for vegetable broth and replacing the pork with a can of rinsed and drained black beans.

Storage + Reheating

Storage– you can store your leftover green chili in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Reheating – reheat your leftovers in the microwave or on the stovetop, as desired.

Freezing – you can also store your leftover green chili in the freezer. Divide into an airtight container, label and then store in freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in fridge or for several hours on the counter. Reheat in microwave or stovetop, as desired.

More Chili Recipes

• Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
• Buffalo Chicken Chili
• Turkey Sweet Potato Chili
• Vegetarian Quinoa Chili
• One Pot Beef Chili

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