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This award-winning Pork Chile Verde recipe is bursting with authentic Mexican flavor. With tender pork simmered in a spicy green chile sauce, it’s a true crowd-favorite that will knock your socks off!
5 Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Thank you for a great recipe. I made it for a chili contest at work and came in first place. I will be making it again, soon.” – Betsy
“This was a killer recipe!! I made it tonight. Easy and scrumptious!! My brothers favorite dish and I made it for his birthday “ Restaurant quality Sis” so happy.” – Gina
“EXCELLENT! I received a ton of compliments and took home the “Fan Favorite” award in my company’s Chili Cook Off. Thank you for posting!” – KJ
An Award-Winning Recipe From a Friend
This recipe actually comes from a sweet friend in our church, Diana, who once brought a big pot of it to a chili cook-off. It was such a hit that she won first place by a landslide! I begged her to let me share it here, and she kindly said yes. Since then, many of our readers have written in saying they won their own chili cook-offs with this recipe! So when you’re enjoying a bowl of this flavorful, spicy goodness, you can thank Diana for her award-winning recipe.
I like to serve this dish with Mexican Cornbread, Mexican Street Corn, or to cool things down a bit – Grilled Corn Salad. It’s time to see what all the fuss is about, you’ve gotta try it!
🩷 Erica
Table of Contents
Key Ingredients
- Pork – Use boneless pork ribs, pork shoulder, pork butt, boneless pork shoulder, or basically any cut of pork will work. If you prefer chicken, you can use chicken thighs instead.
- Jalapeño – Jalapeño peppers or serrano peppers can be pretty spicy. Cut down on some of that heat by removing the seeds from the jalapeños which is where the heat lives.
- Green chiles – You’ll find that 27 ounces is a lot when looking for chiles, so you can buy them whole in large cans at the grocery store. They chop up easily in the food processor or blender and it’s much cheaper than buying several small cans. You can also roast your own chiles if you prefer (see the following paragraph or the notes in the recipe card below).
- Add flavor – For extra flavor, add a bay leaf, ground coriander, some garlic cloves or dried oregano to the sauce.
Using Fresh Roasted Chiles
If you can’t find canned or pre-roasted chiles, it’s easy (and extra flavorful) to roast your own at home. Anaheim, Hatch, and poblano all work great in chile verde, and you can mix and match depending on how spicy you like it. To roast, place the whole peppers on a baking sheet and broil them in the oven, or char them directly over a gas flame or grill, turning occasionally until the skins are blackened and blistered. Transfer the hot peppers to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a lid, and let them steam for about 10 minutes. This makes the skins loosen up. Then simply peel off the charred skins, remove the seeds and stems, and chop them up for your sauce. Use about 6 cups of roasted, prepared chiles for this recipe or use a kitchen scale to weigh out the amount needed and you are good to go!
How to Make Pork Chile Verde
- 1. Brown the pork: In a large pot, brown the pork and drain.
- 2. Add onion & broth: Add onion and chicken broth (broth will not cover meat). Cover and simmer 1 hour, stirring often.
- 3. Season & simmer: Stir in garlic powder, celery salt, cornstarch, oregano, cumin, jalapeño, cilantro, chili powder, and green Tabasco. Cover and simmer another hour, stirring often.
- 4. Add enchilada sauce: Stir in green enchilada sauce and simmer 30 minutes.
- 5. Add chilies & beans: Stir in chopped and puréed green chilies, white beans, and salt to taste. Simmer 15 minutes.
- 6. Serve & enjoy: Serve with cheese, sour cream, rice, chips, limes, avocado, and/or flour tortillas.
Crock Pot Instructions
Whether it’s on the stove top or in the Crock Pot, this recipe is so simple to throw together. For the slow cooker version, start by searing the pork in a hot skillet, then drain any excess fat. Sauté the onion in the same pan until softened, and add both the pork and onion to your slow cooker. Pour in the chicken broth, cover, and cook on low for about 3 hours. Stir in the remaining ingredients and continue cooking on low for another 2 hours, until the pork is tender
How To Serve Pork Chile Verde
- No toppings – just soup.
- Traditional – topped with shredded cheese (white cheddar or Monterrey Jack is delicious), avocado, jalapeños, and sour cream.
- Enchilada style – Wrapped up in warm flour or corn tortillas. Use a slotted spoon to scoop the meat into tortillas, roll them up, then spoon the sauce over the top. Sprinkle with cheese and bake until bubbly. Seriously, it’s so good!
- Nacho style on top of a pile of crisp tortilla chips and salsa verde on the side.
- Over rice
- With a side of Mexican Rice and beans topped with fresh cilantro or diced jalapeños.
How To Make the Sauce Thicker
If your chile verde turns out a little thinner than you’d like, don’t worry, it’s easy to fix. One quick method is to whisk a spoonful of cornstarch with cold water to make a slurry, then stir it into the pot and let it simmer until the sauce thickens. If you prefer, you can also let the chile simmer uncovered for a bit longer, which allows the liquid to reduce naturally and concentrate the flavors. On the other hand, if the sauce gets too thick, simply stir in a splash of chicken broth until it reaches the consistency you like. The goal is a rich, velvety sauce that clings to the pork and makes every bite flavorful.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe gets its name and rich green color from green enchilada sauce and green chiles along with a shot of green Tabasco sauce. A traditional Chile Verde dish is made with tender pieces of pork, chunks of beef, or a blend of both, sort of like a stew. Chicken is a delicious option, too.
This version has a medium kick. For a milder dish, skip the jalapeño or cut back on chili powder and hot sauce. For more heat, add extra jalapeños, serranos, or a dash of cayenne.
Yes! Chicken thighs work well and cook a little faster. Beef chuck roast is also a good substitute but will need extra simmering time for tenderness.
Definitely! It actually tastes even better the next day as the flavors deepen. Just reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave.
It will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. To freeze, cool completely, then freeze in portions for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Pork Chile Verde freezes great, and can last up to three months in the freezer. I like to make two batches at once, and freeze one for later. To reheat, thaw it out in the refrigerator, then warm up on the stove or in individual servings in the microwave.
More Delicious Chili Recipes
We adore soup season around here. Nothing beats a cold evening like a bowl of warm, nourishing soup or chili. Check out some more of our favorite chili recipes:
This award-winning Pork Chile Verde is comfort food at its finest. It’s hearty, flavorful, and sure to impress. Give it a try and drop a comment below, letting me know what you think! 🌶️💚
Chile Verde Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pork, diced (I used boneless pork ribs)
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 14 ounces chicken broth
- 1½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon celery salt
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- ½ tablespoon jalapeno
- 4 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- ½ tablespoon chili powder, more or less, to taste
- 1 tablespoon green Tabasco sauce
- 10 ounces green enchilada sauce
- 27 ounces canned green chiles, chopped or diced
- 8 ounces canned green chiles, pureed
- 1-2 cans white beans, drained and rinsed (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a large pot, brown the pork and drain.
- Add onion and chicken broth (will not cover meat entirely). Cover and simmer 1 hour, stirring often.
- Add garlic powder, celery salt, cornstarch, oregano, cumin, jalapeno, cilantro, chili powder, and green Tabasco sauce. Stir. Cover and simmer 1 hour, stirring often to avoid sticking.
- Add green enchilada sauce and stir. Simmer for 30 minutes.
- Add chopped green chilies and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add pureed green chilies, white beans and salt to taste.
- Serve with cheese, sour cream, rice, chips and/or flour tortillas.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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What is the consistency of this; a slightly thick chili verde, stew or soup? Also, the serving size is 6-8, but what “size” is each serving? Thank you 🙂
It is the consistency of your typical chili verde.. maybe slightly thinner. Each serving size is considered a “bowl”, which should be about 2 c. Hope this helps!
I am planing on making this at our company fundraiser but want to know, can I make this with chicken instead of pork and get the same great results?
hmmm that is a good question… It will probably taste similar but probably not the same as the original. I don’t see why you CAN’T… Maybe try a half batch first and see how it turns out before making a ton for a fundraiser? Let us know how it turns out either way!
in your recipe it calls for 14oz of chicken broth and 2 1/2 Tlbs of chicken stock does it need both and what is the difference?
The difference is how the broth is prepared (chicken stock is usually the broth from the bones, chicken stock is usually the broth from the meat)… honestly, we usually just leave out the chicken stock 😉 but I left it in the recipe to be true to the original recipe
Made this for a chili cook-off at my work and it won the judges’ favorite and 2nd place overall! Thanks!
Woo hoo! Congrats on the big win! Glad everyone liked it!
I have a roast I would like to place in the crock pot the day prior to making this amazing recipe, do you have idea’s towards what spices I could rub on the roast to enhance its taste to accompany the recipe?
I usually like to rub the pork with a generous amount of Kosher salt. You can really add any herbs that you would like! Since it is a Mexican-type dish, I would probably add a little cumin, chili powder, paprika, oregano etc…
Is the measurement for chicken stock at 2 1/2 Tablespoons ????? It just seems like it seems like a really small strange and small amount. Where does the liquid for this stew come from?
Yes, that is correct. The base is from the chicken broth (14oz) found in the recipe above. Hope this helps!
I’m reading that combination of spices, cornstarch and stock as making a slurry tö thicken the recipe. If that’s the reason for it (I’ll find out this weekend when I cook it for the first time), I’ll add the spices and the jalapenos etc. and then that slurry towards the end of the cooking process. I’ve made a lot of chile and I think this recipe has the potential of being, as Tony the Tiger said, grrrrrREAT!
Let us know what you think!
I made this wonderful recipe for our annual chili cook off and took first place. It is sooooo good! It does take awhile to make, but well worth it. I also took second with your Cafe Zupas Chicken Enchilada Chili. Thank you for two delicious recipes!
That is awesome! So glad you won your cookoff! Congrats!!!! And the Enchilada Chili got second?! So cool!!!
maybe this is a silly question, but how essential is it to use celery salt? Will ordinary salt be ok without drastically altering the flavor?
It’s definitely not crucial, regular salt will work fine.
I have a chili cook off I will be competing in in a couple of weeks and am going to make a trial run of this recipe and take some to my chili taste-tester (a Hispanic co worker). I plan on using a pork roast and putting it in the crock pot whole, pulling it at the end. I love a roast that is fall-apart tender, and I think it would be phenomenal in this recipe. I find after shredding my meat, it helps absorb some excess liquid, which seems to be a concern when making this in the crock pot. I also find that for some reason the Randall’s northern beans in a jar helps lend a thicker consistency in stews and such. So I will try cooking the chili as mentioned and let you know how this pulled-pork chili verde turns out!
I am making this for a neighborhood chili cook-off & I did a trial run this past weekend. I really like the flavor & level of heat… I made it in the crockpot (I think the meat gets more tender), but I would prefer a thicker chili & I didn’t like the texture of all the pepper skins in it (because it was so cooked down). Would purréing more of the chili peppers solve this problem? What else can I do to thicken it up?
You can definitely try it that way– I am sure it couldn’t hurt!
This was a GREAT chili. I also won a Chili Cook-Off…took first place by a landslide. I did doctor the recipe a little though….I used a can of Salsa Verde in place of the pureed green chiles and I added a little cayenne pepper to give it a little heat . I think it needs the cayenne so it is not so savory and more like a chili. FYI I would add the cayenne a 1/2 a tsp at a time..stir and then taste. You can always add more, but you can’t take it away. 🙂
Woohoo! That is awesome! Great tips, too. So excited that you won!
This recipe was fantastic! Made it tonight. I actually substituted the pork for 2 lbs brisket and added yellow squash. It made the house smell amazing AND my fiancée was raving about it. I’m usually skeptical about people claiming recipes are “the best” but this is truly a keeper. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Do you think Pork Butt/shoulder would be too fatty?
It would work, it would make the soup a little more on the greasy side though.
I’m making this right now – 2nd hour of simmering – and noticing the meat is a bit tough. Wondering what I’m doing wrong? I cut the pork (boneless country style pork ribs) into approx 1″ cubes, browned the meat in a pan and then added the onions and chicken stock (used low-sodium canned broth). It seems like the simmering in liquid is making the meat rubbery. will the meat tenderize/break down a bit through the simmering process? Excited to try this recipe – looks so good!
The best thing to do would be to keep cooking it until the meat gets tender. More time should do the trick. It should flake apart easily and be really tender.
Hi. I notice most of these comments are from 2015 but I just found your recipe. Do I cover this during the 2 hour simmer? After the enchilada sauce & then the diced chilies do I keep lid off to reduce down? I never know, when a recipe says simmer if that is lid on or off. It smells delish! QThanks!
You can keep the lid off during the simmer and to reduce. Hope this helps!
35 ounces of chilies sounds like it would be very spicy. Is there something I could substitute? Or is this not terribly spicy. My husband will only do mildly spicy foods. Thanks!
You can definitely substitute them out for the mild ones.
What kind of chiles do you use?
Jalapeños or like the Ortega roasted green chiles?
Like the Ortega roasted for sure! Jalapenos would be super hot!
Deliciousness. Thank you for sharing. I am Puerto Rican and absolutely love this recipe. My boyfriend was in love, and my friends loved it too.
That’s quite a compliment. Thank you! I’m so happy this was a success for you!
Do you know how much calories per serving? Thanks!
Please see the nutritional information in the recipe card. Thank you!
I use this to calculate recipes all the time and it works GREAT! You can specify brands you buy so you get it exactly right.
I am so confused by this recipe but I’ve read through the comments and don’t see that anyone else has had an issue with it. I am making it right now, and am I reading it correctly that you need to simmer just the pork, chicken broth, and onions for an hour, then add the spice mixture and simmer again for an hour? The chicken broth was reduced to almost nothing by the time the first hour was over, and the spice mixture was like a paste so it didn’t add much moisture to be able to simmer for another hour. And I’m not sure how it’s supposed to serve 6-8 with just the liquid from a small can of enchilada sauce and the pureed chiles. It looks delicious but I’m not sure it’s coming out right.
If you are afraid too much liquid is simmering out, you can always add more chicken broth. I have made it the way listed several times and the chili always goes far. You are getting 27 oz. of chiles and 10 oz. of enchilada sauce which should be a pretty sizeable base. Let me know how it ultimately worked out for you.
Made this chili for our chili cook-off at church and won 1st place! It’s delicious! Also so easy to make! Making it again for my family this weekend! Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe!
Congratulations! I’m so glad you like the recipe!