I have to admit, I’m not sure whether green chile/chile verde is officially from Colorado, New Mexico, or somewhere else in the southwest. What I am sure of is that it’s incredibly, impossibly good.
If you’ve never tried it, it’s like Texas chili but lighter, brighter, and way more fun (not dissing Texas chili though, I love Texas chili).
Green Chile Stew
In New Mexico this is just called pork stew, and for me it’s the best version of pork stew I’ve ever had. I thought our favorite tonjiru from Tokyo might put up some competition, but after tasting this version, it was a hands down clear winner.
Tomatillos in green chile
Tomatillos are not really a traditional ingredient, but the smokiness of the roasted tomatillo pairs perfectly with the chiles and is what makes this specific version stand out, for me.
Hatch vs other green chiles
This recipe uses Hatch chiles because it’s Hatch chile season, but if you don’t live near the southwest, you can use Anaheims + a spicy green chile of your choice (such as jalapeño, serrano, and my favorite: thai).
If the first half of the recipe looks familiar, that’s because it’s our 4 Ingredient Hatch Chile Salsa Verde, meaning you can double those ingredients and have yourself some awesome salsa to serve on the side.
Best cut of pork for stew
The cut on pork used here is pork shoulder. I had to take off the skin and trim it off the bone, but if you can find boneless pork shoulder, it will make this recipe far far easier.
This recipe works equally well in a slow cooker, Instant Pot, or in a dutch oven on the stove. I’ve never tried it at pressure an instant pot, but on the slow cook setting with the lid slightly open it should work exactly the same as a slow cooker. The photos are shot in a dutch oven because #aesthetics.
Cooking time
Last note: I tasted this at 2 hours, 3 hours, and 3.5 hours. At 2 hours it’s super bright and floral, you can really taste the chile, and the pork is still a little chewy in a wonderful way. By 3.5 hours the flavors are more melded together, the chile is more mild, and the pork is not quite fall apart tender but super soft. I liked both and I gave the win to 3.5 hours, but you should taste it at 2 and see if you like it, because who doesn’t love to eat a little earlier? It makes room for second dinner.
Super Easy Slow Cooker Chile Verde
Ingredients
- 1 cup hatch chiles about 4
- 4 lb pork shoulder/butt trimmed and cubed
- 1 lb tomatillo
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 cup fresh cilantro about half a bunch
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 2 cups chicken stock no sodium/unsalted preferred
- tbsp oregano Mexican oregano preferred, optional
Instructions
- Trim your pork butt and cube it. Season well with salt and pepper and set aside.
- Set your oven to broil. Wash and dry your tomatillos and hatch chiles. Rub them with oil (any oil is fine) and place in oven. Flip them when they are toasted to your liking and do the other side. This took 18 minutes in our oven at 550ºF.
- While you are waiting for your peppers to roast, brown your pork shoulder cubes in your dutch oven on high heat or your slow cooker on high/saute. Work in batches to avoid crowding. Once all the pork is browned, move it to a plate and set aside. Be sure to use a timer so you don’t forget about the chiles roasting in the oven, or check back after every batch of pork.
- Once the peppers are done, put them in a ziploc bag to steam for 10 minutes. Transfer the tomatillos along with cilantro, garlic, and a little salt to a blender and set aside.
- Once you are done browning the pork, reduce heat to low and cook your onions. When the onions are translucent, add the cumin seeds and continue cooking for another 2 minutes to toast them. Then add the pork, all accumulated juices on the plate, and the chicken stock.
- Remove the chiles from the bag and peel them. It’s not necessary but highly suggested that you also seed them with a small spoon. Once the chiles have been peeled and seeded, put them in the blender and puree. Once the salsa verde is pureed to your liking, combine it with the rest of the ingredients, mix well, and simmer for 2-4 hours.
- In the last 1/2 hour of cooking, taste the chili and adjust seasoning, and if you are using oregano, add it in now.
- Serve with cilantro, tortillas, and rice, or just enjoy by itself.
PS – Also put a cup of grated Sharp Cheddar into slow cooker right before serving, gave it a couple of gentle stirs, and served. Yummy plus!
Could you do this in pressure mode in the instapot?
absolutely, I would add less chicken stock as the instapot doesn’t allow evaporation, maybe 1-1.5 cups instead of 2.
I made this yesterday in my dutch oven. I used a boston butt. I couldn’t get the chili’s to peel well so I threw them in the blender along with a jalapeno since the Hatch chilis were mild. It’s delicious. Cooked about 2.5 hours and made burritos!
Perhaps you should look on a map as to the location of Hatch.
New to cooking & found a tomatillo/hatch chili salsa I’d like to use as a starter … can I cheat with that with this recipe to get started & build confidence? If yes, how much of the salsa do I use? Thx for welcoming me in with grace!
yes, you can absolutely! that is a great idea. to be honest, when i’m a rush i use tomatillo/hatch salsa too :)
First time with this kind of recipe it was amazing!
Any preservers out there? What guidance on canning this deliciousness?
In from southern New Mexico I have tried To make so many recipes but I honestly can never get the green chile recipes down. I’ll be trying this recipe tonight leaving it in crock pot slow cooking overnight. Only thing I see is there is a lot of seeds in it. I personally have always cleaned the seeds out of mine. I love cumin too we use it a lot down here. I will let you know how this comes out.