This spicy Chili Verde Recipe is "off the charts good" at least according to my husband! Chunks of pork are cooked in a delicious made-from-scratch tomatillo sauce until extremely tender. Serve this chili Verde with some Mexican rice and creamy guacamole for a tasty and satisfying dinner.
Why this recipe works
This recipe works because of the time and love required to prepare it. Taking the extra time to roast the vegetables, as well as using fresh herbs and spices only add to the amazing flavor of this Mexican stew.
Now add hours of slow-cooking the pork in this flavourful stew which results in amazingly tender and juicy pork. If you're in a hurry, or short on time, try my Instant Pot Chili Verde recipe.
How to Make This Chili Verde Recipe
Step 1 | Prepare Vegetables
Peel and rinse tomatillos. Arrange on a foil-lined sheet. Add poblanos and serranos. Roughly chop the onion and add to the tray. Slice the top off of the garlic bulb and add the bulb to the tray.
Step 2 | Broil Vegetables
Drizzle the garlic and vegetables with one tablespoon olive oil. Broil the vegetables on high until charred.
Step 3 | Sear Pork
While the vegetables are in the oven, salt, and pepper the cubed pork. Heat the remaining oil in a cast-iron skillet. Sear the meat, working in batches. Add the seared meat to a crockpot, including the pan juices.
Step 4 | Peel Charred Vegetables
Peel the skin off of the charred peppers and garlic once they're cool enough to handle.
Step 4 | Blend Pan Ingredients
Add the pan ingredients, cilantro, cumin, and oregano to a blender. Top chicken broth. Depending on the size of your blender, you might have to do this in batches. Pulse the vegetables until roughly chopped.
Step 5 | Cook And Serve
Pour the mixture over the meat in the crockpot. Cover the crockpot and cook for four to six hours. Serve in a bowl, with a dollop of sour cream and a side of tortilla chips.
Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips
You're probably familiar with Salsa Verde, but have you ever had Chili Verde? “Chili Verde” simply means “green chili” in Spanish.
It's a slow-cooked Mexican stew made with a mixture of tomatillos, peppers, onion, garlic, chicken broth, and spices. All this goodness is then simmered to perfection with tender chunks of pork. Is your mouth watering yet?
Yes, tomatillos have a dry husk that is like a protective layer that encapsulates the green tomatillo inside.
To access the tomatillo, simply peel off the outer husk and rinse the tomatillos to remove the sticky substance (that's supposed to protect the tomatillos from insects) before using.
I’ve seen recipes where for the sake of ease, skip roasting the vegetables, while some use bottles of salsa verde.
That's fine if you're in a bind and can't find tomatillos, otherwise, please don't make the same mistake. When it comes to cooking, quicker is definitely not better!
Chili Verde is perfect for freezing. In fact, whenever I make some, I end up freezing half of it.
The quickest and easiest way to do that is to pour the extra Chili Verde in a large freezer Ziplock bag. Next, squeeze all the air out of the bag and seal. Freeze until ready to eat.
To defrost the frozen Chili Verde, remove the plastic bag from the freezer and soak in a deep bowl, filled with water.
If you are not pressed for time, allow the Chili Verde to come to room temperature over a few hours. Otherwise, defrost in a microwave, or reheat on the stovetop.
- Roasting the vegetables adds a deep, rich flavor that really enhances the flavor of this dish. I don’t know about you, but I definitely prefer roasted garlic over plain garlic. So please, no cutting corners.
- If you are lucky enough to have leftovers, you can use them to make green enchiladas.
- Or mix the leftovers in a breakfast burrito the following morning.
- If you're in a hurry and don't have four to six hours, give my Instant Pot Chili Verde Recipe recipe a try. It's also quite delicious!
- My personal favorite way of enjoying Chili Verde is in tacos. Use a slotted spoon to drain most of the liquid, then serve with corn tortillas, sour cream, and shredded cheese. Chili Verde quesadillas are also a great idea!
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Off The Charts Chili Verde
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs. tomatillos
- 3 poblano chilis
- 2 serrano peppers
- 1 large yellow onion
- 1 head garlic
- 3 tablespoon olive oil (divided)
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 lbs. pork (cubed)
- 2 cups chicken broth
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (or powder)
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
Instructions
- Peel and rinse tomatillos. Arrange on a foil-lined sheet. Add poblanos and serranos. Roughly chop the onion and add to the tray. Slice the top off of the garlic bulb and add the bulb to the tray.
- Drizzle the garlic and vegetables with one tablespoon olive oil. Broil the vegetables on high until charred.
- While the vegetables are in the oven, salt, and pepper the cubed pork. Heat the remaining oil in a cast-iron skillet. Sear the meat, working in batches. Add the seared meat to a crockpot, including the pan juices.
- Peel the skin off of the charred peppers and garlic once they're cool enough to handle.
- Add the pan ingredients, cilantro, cumin, and oregano to a blender. Top chicken broth. Depending on the size of your blender, you might have to do this in batches. Pulse the vegetables until roughly chopped.
- Pour the mixture over the meat in the crockpot. Cover the crockpot and cook for four to six hours. Serve in a bowl, with a dollop of sour cream and a side of tortilla chips.
Notes
- I don’t know about you, but I definitely prefer roasted garlic over plain garlic. So please, no cutting corners.
- If you are lucky enough to have leftovers, you can use them to make green enchiladas.
- Or mix the leftovers in a breakfast burrito the following morning.
- If you're in a hurry and don't have four to six hours, give my Instant Pot Chili Verde recipe a try. It's also quite delicious!
- My personal favorite way of enjoying Chili Verde is in tacos. Use a slotted spoon to drain most of the liquid, then serve with corn tortillas, sour cream, and shredded cheese. Chili Verde quesadillas are also a great idea!
Serena Brummett says
What kind of pork?
HildaSterner says
Hi Serena,
Pork shoulders, which can be found under the names Boston butt or roast, picnic roast, or boneless country-style pork ribs are all great options.
Stuart. Stone says
How do you cut some ofthe hot out of a recipe?
HildaSterner says
Hi Stuart,
Great questions! I would definitely leave out the serrano peppers. If you consider poblanos too spicy, just replace them with bell peppers. Or maybe do 1/2 poblanos and 1/2 bell peppers? It really just depends on how mild you want to make it. Let me know how it goes!