Chile Verde Pork is a Mexican stew recipe with tender pork chunks braised in a savory broth flavored with traditional spices and herbs.
Hearty, Mexican Dishes like Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Chicken and this Chile Verde Pork make the perfect warm Dinner on a cold day.
Sabrina’s Chile Verde Pork Recipe
Chile Verde is a traditional thick stew you can eat with a tortilla, use it as a topping for nachos, or load it into a burrito with White Rice and Black Beans. Slow simmered pork adds depth to this recipe, and is oh so comforting on a dreary day. This is a great dish for leftovers since the flavors get even better after it cools down and heats back up again. I’ve included slow cooker and Instant Pot versions below to match your preference.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 4 pounds pork shoulder , cut into 1" chunks
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 6 poblano peppers , deseeded and chopped
- 1 yellow onion , diced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 14 ounces diced tomatoes , undrained
- 4 ounces canned diced green chiles
- 20 ounces green enchilada sauce
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 cup cilantro , chopped
- 1 lime , juiced and zested
Instructions
- Season pork with salt and pepper and add to a large dutch oven on medium high heat with vegetable oil.
- Cook chunks until seared and well browned, about 3-4 minutes on each side.
- Remove the pork and set aside.
- Lower heat to medium.
- Add in the poblanos and onions, stir to coat.
- Cook for 5-6 minutes until softened.
- Add in the garlic, stir and cook for 1 minute.
- Add in diced tomatoes, diced green chiles, green enchilada sauce, cumin and oregano.
- Stir well to combine and cover.
- Bring to a simmer.
- Add in the pork and stir to combine.
- On low heat, covered, cook the pork for 1 hour until pork is tender.
- Stir every 15 minutes.
- When tender add in the cilantro, lime juice and lime zest.
- Stir and cook for 2 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
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Chef’s Note
I use boneless pork shoulder for Chile Verde, but many other fattier cuts of pork can be utilized. Boneless pork loin, pork butt, or boneless pork country ribs can all be used instead of shoulder. You don’t want to use extra lean cuts like pork tenderloin or pork chop because they don’t have nearly enough fat to stay tender.
Table of contents
Can this be made ahead of time?
Chile Verde Pork is a great dish to make ahead because it tastes even better the next day! Simply store it in the stew pot with the lid then pop it on the stove top and simmer over medium heat. You can also prep ahead by cutting the pork pieces and fresh vegetables and store for up to 1 day in separate containers.
How to Store
- Serve: You can keep this delicious stew at room temperature for up to 2 hours or keep it warm in a slow cooker for up to 4 hours.
- Store: Once cooled, transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. It’s best if you reheat it over low heat, covered, on the stove top.
- Freeze: Cool completely then store in a freezer bag or airtight container. It will stay good for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating on the stove or slow cooker.
Cooking Variations
Slow Cooker Chile Verde Pork
- Rub salt and pepper all over pork pieces.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large dutch oven over medium high heat.
- Brown pork chunks for 3-4 minutes on each side. Transfer pork to your slow cooker.
- Optional, you can sauté the onions and poblano peppers in the pork fat in the pan.
- Add the onions, peppers, and remaining ingredients except lime and cilantro to the slow cooker.
- Stir everything and cover with the lid. Cook for 7-8 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high, until the pork is tender.
- Add the lime and cilantro and cook another 15 minutes before serving.
Instant Pot Chile Verde Pork
- Turn Instant Pot to sauté and add vegetable oil. Season pork cubes then sear pork in batches so it’s not crowded in the bottom of the pot, about 4 minutes on each side, then transfer to a bowl.
- Sauté onions and poblano peppers in pork fat until softened, about 5 minutes, scraping up any browned bits.
- Add garlic, cumin, and oregano, to onion mixture and cook for about 30 seconds, until garlic is fragrant. Turn off the Instant Pot.
- Return pork chunks to the pot, and stir in the diced tomatoes, green chiles, enchiladas sauce.
- Lock the lid and seal the pressure valve. Cook on manual high pressure for 30 minutes. Naturally release pressure for 20 minutes, then release any remaining pressure before removing the lid.
- Stir in the lime juice, lime zest, and chopped cilantro., let sit for 2 minutes before serving
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