Pork Chile Verde

There aren’t many things that can beat a big pot of pork chile verde simmering on the stove. It fills the house with the kind of aroma that makes you hungry long before it’s ready.

Made with pork shoulder, roasted tomatillos, poblano and jalapeno peppers, Pork Chile Verde is hearty, New Mexican comfort food. When it all comes together, the result is melt-in-your-mouth pork coated in the most delicious green chile sauce you can imagine.

It does take a little time, but that’s part of the beauty of chile verde. This is a recipe that rewards patience. It’s the kind of dish you make when you want your house to smell incredible all afternoon. Most of the time is hands-off, while the pork simmers in a broth infused with onions, garlic, cumin, and oregano until it’s fork-tender.

Towards the end of that simmering time, you’ll pop the tomatillos and peppers under the broiler to bring out their smoky, slightly sweet flavors. Toss those roasted vegetables into the blender along with the cilantro, and turn it into the chile verde sauce that is going to transform that tender pork.

pot of pork chile verde next to individual serving on wooden table

Chile Verde Pork

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:

4 pounds boneless pork shoulder
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 large yellow onion
6 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons ground
2 teaspoons dried oregano
3 cups water
1 tablespoon chicken base
2 pounds fresh tomatillos
4 fresh poblano chiles
2 fresh jalapeno peppers
½ bunch fresh cilantro

collage of process shots for pork chile verde

Green Chile Verde

Wondering if you can use Hatch or Anaheim green chile in this recipe? Sure, you can! It will change the flavors a bit, but we enjoy it both ways. You can simply add some green chile to the recipe or swap green chile in for the poblanos.

The heat of the chile peppers you choose to add will determine the amount of heat in the final dish. As written here, there is very little heat in this recipe. There is a whole lot of fantastic flavor, but the heat is minimal.

We are huge fans of green chile, as evidenced by the abundance of green chile recipes on the site. So, naturally, we do often include green chile when making pork chile verde.

How to Serve Pork Chile Verde

This dish is all about the experience of eating it, too. In my house, we scoop bites into warm tortillas, fold them around the chunks of pork, and dunk them back into the broth.

Every bite is hearty, cozy, and full of New Mexican flavors that we love. If tortillas aren’t your thing, chile verde is great over rice, rolled into enchiladas, or even ladled on top of scrambled eggs for breakfast.

Chile Recipes

From green chile chicken burritos to green chile carnitas to spicy chicken pot pie and a fluffy, cheesy, quiche with green chile, we sure do love our chile recipes.

Creamy and cheesy, with wonderful lingering heat, this green chile mac and cheese is a keeper, transforming the quintessential comfort food into a positively irresistible dish.

New Mexico green chile stew is loaded with bite-sized chunks of pork that are seasoned with onion and plenty of garlic. The pork is simmered in a green chile sauce until tender enough to almost fall apart when you bite it.

Warm the oil in a Dutch oven over high heat. Add the pork and season generously with 1-2 teaspoons of salt and about a teaspoon of pepper on all sides. Brown the pork on all sides, and then remove from the pot and set aside in a bowl.
Add the onion to the pot and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute until fragrant. Return the pork to the pot, sprinkle with cumin and oregano. Stir to coat and add the water and chicken base.
Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for about 3 hours.
While the pork is cooking, set the oven to BROIL and place a rack in the center of the oven. Lightly oil a baking sheet and set aside.
Wash and pat dry the tomatillos. Slice in half and place them cut-side down on the baking sheet. Wash and pat dry the peppers. Slice them in half and remove the stems and seeds.
Place in the oven and broil for about 7-10 minutes or until browned. Combine the peppers, tomatillos, and any juices on the pan in the blender along with the cilantro. Puree until combined.
When the pork has been cooking for 3 hours and is almost tender, pour the tomatillo mixture over the pork, cover again, and cook an additional 30-90 minutes until the pork pieces can be pulled apart with a gentle tug. (The pork should not be soft enough to shred.)