This pork Chile Verde recipe is so flavorful and is packed with tender chunks of pork in a delicious homemade salsa verde sauce made with roasted peppers, onions, garlic, cilantro, and seasonings. Absolutely scrumptious!
I love pork with anything, and I love Tex-Mex and Mexican foods. Living in Texas makes it sort of a requirement. I decided to combine those two loves for this delicious Chile Verde recipe. It’s the perfect meal any time of year. In the summer, it’s a great addition to any party or get-together. In the winter, it’s the perfect meal to warm you up on a cold day. There’s really no wrong time to serve it if you ask me, and that’s just what I’ve been doing for years. I figured it was about time that I shared my recipe with all of you. Everyone I know loves it, and I think everyone you know will, too.
Tender Pork Chile Verde Recipe
This delicious Chile Verde features tender, seasoned pork butt bathed in a spicy Verde sauce. Every bite is an explosion of delicious Mexican flavors. Juicy, tender pork and the flavorful, homemade salsa Verde sauce combine to create a dish that’s just so good and packs a punch of both flavor and heat! It’s a tasty recipe that’s perfect over rice, with a side of Mexican rice, or even as a Mexican pulled pork sandwich.
Tips
This recipe is fairly straightforward, but I do have some tips here to help ensure that you make the best recipe possible and also make sure you don’t burn your eyes out of your sockets. You really won’t, but it will feel that way if you aren’t careful!
- Always wear gloves and never touch your face when working with the hot peppers in this recipe. If you get their juices in your eyes, you’ll be miserable. Trust me.
- Always remove the seeds from your peppers. They add no flavor. They’re just little bombs of heat. I like a spicy dish, but if you add the seeds, it’s just too much.
- Trim as much fat off of your pork butt as possible before cooking. While fat adds flavor, too much fat will make the dish greasy.
- Never skip the searing process when cooking your pork butt. Searing it gives it a lot more flavor and helps seal in the juices as it cooks.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have questions about this Chile Verde recipe, then read on. The following FAQ answers the most commonly asked questions about Chile Verde.
What is Chile Verde made of?
Chile Verde is a Mexican-American stew. It’s total comfort food, filled with tender chunks of pork in a savory green sauce consisting of roasted green chili peppers and tangy tomatillos.
What’s the difference between green chili and Chili Verde?
There is no difference. Chili Verde literally translates to “green chili”. They’re the same thing.
How can I thicken my Chile Verde?
The easiest way is to mix a little cornstarch and water and add it to the pot. Only add a little at a time so you don’t overdo it. You can also add a tablespoon or two of Masa Harina or cornmeal to the Chile Verde to thicken it. Be sure to mix it in very well so that it can absorb the excess moisture.
Can you freeze Chile Verde?
Absolutely. Let it chill in the refrigerator, then transfer it to an air-tight, freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bags. To defrost, simply leave it in the fridge overnight.
Chile Verde Side Dishes
Chile Verde is a delicious meal, and it’s made even better with delicious Mexican sides. It pairs perfectly with so many different foods. Some of my favorites include:
- White rice
- Spanish rice
- Cornbread
- Street corn
- Refried beans
- Cilantro lime rice
- Mexican street corn casserole
- Fiesta corn
- Frijoles y chorizo
- Corn and beans
- Flour tortillas
Storage and Reheating
You can store this Chile Verde recipe in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For longer storage, you can freeze it for up to 2 months. Just follow the instructions in the FAQ above. To reheat it, place it in a pot and heat it over medium-low heat until heated through.
Chile Verde Recipe Ingredients
There are several ingredients to this recipe. You’ll be making both seasoned pork and salsa verde, so you’ll need a few things. Don’t worry, many of them are seasonings, and everything you need can be easily found at your local grocery store.
For the Salsa Verde
- Tomatillos – outer skins removed, rinse off sticky surface
- Poblano peppers – stems and seeds removed
- Serrano peppers
- Jalapeno peppers – stems and seeds removed
- Cilantro
- Onion
- Cloves garlic
- Lime
- Chicken broth – divided
- Garlic salt
For the Pork
- Boneless pork butt or pork shoulder – fat trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- Cumin
- Garlic powder
- Black pepper
- Oregano
- Red pepper flakes
- Vegetable oil
How to Make Chile Verde
Making this recipe is very simple when you break it down into steps. It’s a recipe that even beginners can make!
Step 1: Prep
Line a baking sheet with foil and spray it with nonstick cooking spray. Set it aside.
Prep the tomatillos by removing the outer skins and placing them in a bowl of water. Rinse and rub off the sticky layer underneath the skins and place the tomatillos on the prepared baking sheet. Next, cut the stems off all the peppers. Cut them in half and remove the seeds. Rinse and place them on the baking sheet, skin side up.
Step 2: Roast the Peppers
Broil on high, turning a couple of times during broiling, for about 10 minutes. The skins should be black and bubbly.
Step 3: Add Peppers to a Blender
Add the tomatillos, jalapenos, and serrano peppers to a blender or Vitamix. Then, place the poblano peppers in a large resealable bag and let them sit for about 10 minutes. Next, remove them from the bag and peel off the skins. Add them to the blender, as well.
Step 4: Make the Salsa Verde
Add the cilantro, onions, 8 ounces of chicken broth, lime juice, and garlic salt. Blend until smooth.
Step 5: Make the Pork
In a large dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Then add the pork and sprinkle it with the cumin, garlic powder, black pepper, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Stir. Sear all sides of the pork.
Step 6: Finish the Chile Verde
Once the pork is seared on all sides, add the remaining 6.5 ounces chicken broth and the salsa Verde to the pan. Simmer over medium-low heat until the pork is tender enough to fall apart when a fork is placed in it. Enjoy!
Try This Tender, Delicious Chile Verde Today
This Chile Verde recipe is so full of flavor and so easy to make, you deserve to have it in your life. When you break it down, it’s quite an easy recipe, and it’s so filling. It’s the perfect dish for anyone who loves both a feast and Mexican flavors. Give it a try, and I know you’ll love it as much as I and my family do.
More Delicious Mexican Food Recipes
Chile Relleno Casserole – This delicious Ground Beef Chile Relleno Casserole is made with fresh, oven roasted poblano peppers. The smoky flavor the peppers give this casserole is what makes it so delicious as well as all the cheese.
Mile High Nachos – These nachos are fully loaded with perfectly seasoned ground beef, refried beans, nacho cheese, two types of cheese, jalapeños, green onions, sour cream salsa and guacamole. So good!
Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers – These delicious stuffed jalapeño poppers are absolutely delicious. Amazing little bite-size poppers that tastes so good and are the perfect appetizer recipe that consistently gets gobbled up first on the appetizer table.
And here are some delicious Easy Beef and Bean Enchiladas from our other blog, Deliciously Seasoned that you might enjoy too.
Chile Verde Recipe
Ingredients
For the Salsa Verde
- 15 tomatillos, outer skins removed, rinse off sticky surface
- 2 Poblano peppers, stems and seeds removed
- 4 Serrano peppers, stem and seeds removed
- 4 jalapenos peppers, stems and seeds removed
- 1 cup cilantro
- 1 medium onion, cut in half
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 lime
- 14.5 ounce can chicken broth, divided
- 1 tablespoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon Slap Ya Mama® seasoning
For the Pork
- 6-7 pounds boneless pork butt fat trimmed, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Instructions
For the Salsa Verde
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Remove outer skin from tomatillos and place in a bowl of water. Rinse and rub off the stickiness off the tomatillos. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Using gloves, cut the stems off all of the peppers, remove the seeds and cut each pepper in half. Rinse and place on the baking sheet, skin side up.
- Place onion and garlic on baking sheet.
- Broil on high until the skins on the peppers are blackened and blistery, turning a couple time during broiling. This should take about 10 minutes, give or take.
- Once skins are blistery, remove the baking sheet from the oven and place tomatillos, jalapenos and serrano peppers into a Vitamix or blender.
- Place poblano peppers into a large sealable baggie. Let sit for approximately 10 minutes, then peel the skin off the peppers and add to the Vitamix or blender.
- Next, add garlic salt, Slap Ya Mama, cilantro, onion, garlic, 8 ounces of chicken broth and juice from one lime.
- Blend until smooth and there are no chunks. Add more seasoning to taste, if needed.
For the Pork
- In a large dutch oven or large pot, heat oil over medium high heat.
- Add pork and sprinkle with cumin, garlic powder, black pepper, oregano, and red pepper flakes, stir.
- Sear all sides of pork then add the remainder (6.5 ounces) of the chicken broth to pan along with the salsa verde. Stir to combine.
- Reduce heat to low, cover and let cook for approximately 1½ – 2 hours, stirring frequently until pork is fall off the fork tender.
- Use for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, or enjoy with a side salad and refried beans.
Nutrition
Here are a few pics that are perfect to pin to your favorite Pinterest boards.
Enjoy, Terri
Ok. First off. Do you use chicken or vegetable broth? This makes zero sence! Then divided? Wtf?
Thank you Richard. Sorry about that. It’s chicken broth and the directions have been updated. The divided part is we are only using 8 ounces of broth with the salsa verde and the remainder gets added into the pork.