Chili Verde

Homemade pork chili verde is one of the all-time great comfort foods. Succulent pork is simmered in a fragrant, spicy green sauce based on tomatillos and poblanos, with green chiles fanning the flames.

Our take on this classic chili contains a few shortcuts. Instead of making the verde sauce from scratch, we swap in salsa verde and green enchilada sauce for the traditional tomatillos and poblano peppers. No extra cooking is required! Just add everything to the slow cooker, switch it on, then sit back and wait for one of the best chili recipes to be ready.

Be sure to keep our easy chili verde recipe handy when planning a game-day potluck. This recipe is definitely one to serve once the mercury plummets.

What is chili verde?

It’s all in the name: Chili verde, or green chili, is a Mexican stew made from pork slow-cooked in a vibrant, beautifully flavored sauce composed of tomatillos (rather than the tomatoes used in red chilis), poblanos and green chiles. Some chili verde recipes use chicken, which isn’t traditional but is still delicious.

Chili Verde Ingredients

• Pork: The best cut for chili verde is boneless pork shoulder or pork butt, which comes from the upper part of the shoulder. This type of pork is fatty, a bit tough and made for slow-cooking. Cut the pork into chunky pieces.
• Green enchilada sauce: Punchy green enchilada sauce typically contains tomatillos, onions, garlic, chiles, spices, and either stock or water. Make your own (our cheese enchilada with green sauce recipe includes a good starting point), or use your favorite brand from the grocery store.
• Salsa verde: This gorgeous salsa boasts many of the same ingredients as green enchilada sauce, often adding cilantro or another aromatic herb to the equation. Pick up a jar or whip up homemade salsa verde in under 30 minutes. If you’re going the homemade route, try roasting the tomatillos first.
• Canned green chiles: The canned green chiles we use in recipes like this are typically Anaheim peppers. If you don’t have the canned variety, use fresh instead. Poblano or Hatch chiles are two types of peppers that work.
• Rice: Hot cooked rice soaks up the chili sauce like few other sides. Try something different by using Mexican rice or cilantro-lime rice.
• Sour cream: Sour cream not only adds a tangy creamy note to this chili but helps cut some of the spice.

Directions

Step 1: Combine and slow-cook

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In a 5-quart slow cooker, add the pork, enchilada sauce, salsa verde, green chiles and salt. Cover and cook on low until the pork is tender, five to six hours.

Editor’s Tip: You don’t need to cook the meat before adding it to the slow cooker. However, if you want some extra flavor, season the pork and brown it in a pan on the stovetop before combining it with the other ingredients in the slow cooker.

Step 2: Serve

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Serve the chili verde with cooked rice. If desired, top with sour cream and green onions.

Editor’s Tip: Add some chopped cilantro and a few lime wedges to highlight the fresh green flavor of the pork chile verde recipe.

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Chili Verde Variations

• Add beans: While an authentic chili verde recipe is beanless, adding beans makes this dish ultra-hearty and helps thicken the chili. Try white varieties like canned navy beans or cannellini.
• Stir in additional spices: A dash of ground cumin or ancho chili powder, or a small cinnamon stick, brings an earthy warmth to chili verde.
• Roast fresh chiles: To really add some flavor, char some fresh chile peppers, clean out the seeds, chop the peppers and add them to the chili. Getting char on the peppers brings a layer of smoky depth that sends this chili into orbit. While we can’t promise using charred peppers will make your pork chili verde recipe a contest winner, it’ll definitely make it a contender.

How to Store Chili Verde

Leave the chili to cool slightly, then transfer it to an airtight container. If you have a lot of leftovers or your chili is destined to be an easy make-ahead meal to keep you going throughout the week, portion the chili into individual serving sizes.

How long does chili verde last?

If you store it in the fridge, you should eat leftover chili verde within three to four days. Frozen chili verde can last up to three months.

Can you freeze chili verde?

Fellow make-ahead meal mavens, this easy chili verde recipe is an absolute dream for freezing. Transfer the chili to a freezer-safe container, leaving a little room at the top, and then pop it in the freezer. You can also store it in individual containers for quick one-person meals.

How do you reheat chili verde?

Pour the chili into a saucepan and gently heat it over medium-low. Bring it to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Once heated through, go ahead and dig in to those leftovers. If reheating from frozen, thaw the chile verde in the fridge overnight before reheating.

Chili Verde Tips

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How do you make chili verde on the stovetop?

For all the convenience of a slow cooker, sometimes it’s not an option. Instead, make chili verde using a Dutch oven on the stovetop. It’s still a bit of a waiting game—you’ll need about three hours for the pork to reach that outrageous tenderness.

How do you thicken up chili verde?

Extending the cooking time is the easiest way to thicken the chili. Alternatively, you can add masa harina, flour or beans to the chili for a thicker consistency.

What can you serve with chili verde?

Rice and beans are classic sides with pork chili verde. The recipe is a great excuse to cook up patio pintos or home-style refried beans. A basket of warm flour tortillas or corn tortillas is always welcome. Tortilla chips and chicharrones are excellent dipped in that monumental chili sauce.