Authentic Mexican Chile Verde

Chile Verde

Traditional green Mexican stew is all about layering flavors. From the searing of the meat, to the roasting of the peppers to the squeeze of lime and bits of cilantro, it all works together to create a really great bowl of green salsa verde chile.

Served over a bowl over Cilantro Lime Rice or Mexican Rice with flour tortillas for the full authentic experience. Of course you can tuck it into a flour tortilla to make a taco or burrito.

Pork chile verde has been one of my go-to Mexican recipes for the last 20 years, especially during the fall and winter months. There’s nothing like a hot bowl of fork tender pork, smothered with green chile verde sauce, after a long cold day. 

Roasting The Peppers

The key to making a restaurant-quality chile verde with pork is to roast the peppers. Roasting the peppers is what gives the dish a deep and rich flavor. Don’t skip this very important step. 

Ingredients

Here are the main ingredients to make pork chile verde. For the full list of ingredients reference the recipe card below.

• Boneless Pork Butt (Pork Shoulder) – cut into 2″ cubes and trim off the excess fat.
• Mexican Peppers – tomatillos, jalapeno peppers, Anaheim peppers, poblano peppers and serrano peppers. Use more serrano peppers if you like a hot level of spice.
• Onions – onions are a given since this is a Mexican recipe. Use any color you prefer.
• Spices – cumin, oregano, coriander, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Peppers For Pork Chile Verde

You can use a variety of peppers, depending on your heat preference and what’s available at your local market. Don’t have poblano peppers? Replace with Hatch chiles or Anaheim peppers. Want some heat? Replace the poblano peppers with more serrano or jalapeños. The mix is up to you as long as you keep the amount/weight of peppers used similar to as written below.

How To Make Chile Verde

Here’s an overview of the steps to make pork chile verde.

Roast the Vegetables – Place the tomatillos and peppers on a greased baking pan and transfer to the broiler to roast. Broil for 12-15 minutes, until the skin is blistering. Cool the peppers and peel the skins off.

Make the Chile Verde Sauce – Throw the roasted vegetables in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

Prep the Pork Shoulder – Season the pork shoulder and sear the cubes 2-3 minutes on each side to brown. Add the garlic and onion and soften.

Simmering – Add the blended green chile verde and chicken stock and bring the mixture to a boil. Let simmer for 2 hours, until the pork butt is fork tender.

Top and Serve – stir in the cilantro and lime juice and transfer to serving bowls. Add your favorite chile toppings and dig in!

Serving Suggestions and Toppings

I love topping pork chile verde with a ton of sour cream, but there are a ton of other options: avocado, cojita cheese, cilantro, pickled peppers, pickled banana peppers or small tortilla chips for a little crunch.

As side dishes go, outside of tortillas and Mexican Rice, Instant Pot Refried Beans or slow cooker refried beans, pair well.

Recipe Tips

• Chicken Chile Verde – You can use chicken in place of pork as it also provides a flavorful base and outstanding finished product. Make sure to use boneless drumsticks or thighs. Chicken breasts will not provide the same depth of flavor.
• Remove the excess fat and use it to make pork lard (rendered pork fat). 
• How to Thicken Chile Verde – To thicken the sauce, whisk 1 tablespoon of cornstarch into 1/4 cup of water and stir in to the sauce. The sauce will thicken as it simmers. If you prefer no cornstarch, keep simmering until your desired thickness is achieved.
• How To Thin Chile Verde – To thin the sauce, add some chicken stock, until your desired thinness is achieved.

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerating – Store chile verde in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Freezing – Freeze leftover chile by transferring it to a freezer safe container or bag and freeze. Frozen chile will last up to 6 months.

Reheating – Defrost the chile and reheat on the stove or in the microwave, until your desired temperature is reached.

More Mexican Recipes

Hailing from San Diego we’re Mexican food fiends. A few of our other Mexican Recipes and Pork Recipes to check out: 

This recipe was originally posted in November 2018, but I updated it in June 2024 with new photos, additional text and edits to the original recipe.

Chile Verde

This authentic Mexican Chile Verde recipe is loaded with tender cubes of seared pork butt simmered low and slow in a flavorful verde sauce (green sauce) made with tomatillos and a mix of Mexican green chiles: poblanos, anaheim peppers and jalapeno peppers. More Mexican Recipes.

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 hours hours 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 People

Calories: 341kcal

Cost: $17

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Ingredients

Chile Verde Sauce

• 5 Medium tomatillos, husked
• 3 Medium poblano peppers, seeded and cut in half lengthwise
• 2 Medium Anaheim or Cubanelle peppers, seeded and cut in half lengthwise
• 2 Medium Serrano or jalapeño peppers, seeded and cut in half lengthwise

Pork Chile

• 2 tbsp olive or avocado oil
• 2.5-3 Lbs boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2″ chunks (*Note 1)
• 1 medium white onion, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ tbsp Mexican oregano
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp coriander
• Kosher Salt, to taste
• 1 cup Chicken stock or broth
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• 1 fresh lime, juiced
• Optional Garnish: Tortillas, Lime Wedge, Avocado, Sour Cream

Instructions

Make The Chile Verde Sauce

• Preheat the oven to broil. Lightly grease a baking sheet and place the cut peppers and tomatillos on the sheet, skin side up.

• Bake the peppers and tomatillos for approx. 12-15 minutes, or until the skin is blistering.

• Remove from the oven and let cool for 8-10 minutes. Peel the skin off the peppers and discard.

• Transfer the peeled peppers and tomatillos to a blender or food processor. Process until smooth. Set aside.

Make The Pork Chile Verde

• In a small bowl, mix together the cumin, garlic powder, coriander, salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the cubes of pork and toss to coat.

• Heat a large dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the olive oil.

• Sear the pork cubes for 2-3 minutes on each side, until browned. Don’t overcrowd the dutch oven. Sear in batches, if needed.

• Add the onions and cook until soft, approx. 5 minutes.

• Add the garlic and oregano and cook until fragrant, approx. 30-60 seconds.

• Add the green chile verde sauce and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 2 hours, until the pork is fork tender. Keep cooking if the pork isn’t quite tender yet.

• Remove the chile verde from the heat and mix in the cilantro and lime juice.

• Serve in individual bowls and top with your favorite garnishes.

Notes

Chicken Chile Verde – To make chicken chile verde, replace equal parts pork with boneless chicken thighs or drumsticks.
Thicken Chili Verde Sauce – To thicken the sauce, whisk 1 tablespoon of cornstarch into 1/4 cup of water and stir in to the sauce. The sauce will thicken as it simmers. If you prefer no cornstarch, keep simmering until your desired thickness is achieved.
Thin Chili Verde Sauce – To thin the sauce, add chicken stock, until your desired thinness is achieved.

Nutrition

Calories: 341kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 115mg | Sodium: 226mg | Potassium: 1.011mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 335IU | Vitamin C: 60mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 3mg