I have to admit, I’m not sure whether green chile is officially from Colorado, New Mexico, or somewhere else in the southwest, but I’m pretty sure 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 love love Texas chili).

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 (Japanese pork soup) from Tokyo might put up some competition, but after tasting this version, it was a hands down clear winner.

Slow Cooker Green Chili Hatch Chile Verde Recipe | www.iamafoodblog.com

Slow Cooker Green Chili Hatch Chile Verde Recipe | www.iamafoodblog.com

Slow Cooker Green Chili Hatch Chile Verde Recipe | www.iamafoodblog.com

Slow Cooker Green Chili Hatch Chile Verde Recipe | www.iamafoodblog.com

Slow Cooker Green Chili Hatch Chile Verde Recipe | www.iamafoodblog.com

Green Chile Stew

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.

Notes: 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 is our 4 Ingredient Hatch Chile Salsa Verde, meaning you can double those ingredients and have yourself some awesome salsa to serve on the side.

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.

Slow Cooker Green Chili Hatch Chile Verde Recipe | www.iamafoodblog.com

Slow Cooker Green Chili Hatch Chile Verde Recipe | www.iamafoodblog.com

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.

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!

Slow Cooker Green Chili Hatch Chile Verde Recipe | www.iamafoodblog.com

Super Easy Slow Cooker Chile Verde

This Easy Slow Cooker New Mexico & Colorado Hatch Chile Verde Recipe may be the best pork stew you’ve ever tasted
Serves 4
4.75 from 28 votes
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 4 hours

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.
    Slow Cooker Green Chili Hatch Chile Verde Recipe | www.iamafoodblog.com
  • 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.
    Slow Cooker Green Chili Hatch Chile Verde Recipe | www.iamafoodblog.com
  • 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.
    Slow Cooker Green Chili Hatch Chile Verde Recipe | www.iamafoodblog.com
  • 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.
    Slow Cooker Green Chili Hatch Chile Verde Recipe | www.iamafoodblog.com
  • In the last 1/2 hour of cooking, taste the chili and adjust seasoning, and if you are using oregano, add it in now.
    Slow Cooker Green Chili Hatch Chile Verde Recipe | www.iamafoodblog.com
  • Serve with cilantro, tortillas, and rice, or just enjoy by itself.
    Slow Cooker Green Chili Hatch Chile Verde Recipe | www.iamafoodblog.com

Notes

Serves 4 as a main or 8 as a side. Estimated nutrition is for a side portion.

Estimated Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Super Easy Slow Cooker Chile Verde
Amount Per Serving
Calories 492 Calories from Fat 145
% Daily Value*
Fat 16.1g25%
Saturated Fat 5.1g32%
Cholesterol 263mg88%
Sodium 442mg19%
Potassium 1073mg31%
Carbohydrates 10.3g3%
Fiber 2.8g12%
Sugar 0.8g1%
Protein 71.8g144%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

51 Comments

  1. Gordon says:

    Green Chile is most definitely a New Mexican pepper, the name Hatch Chile comes from the town of Hatch New Mexcio where the majority of the chiles in the state are grown. The most popular variety of the chiles, the big Jim, was bred at the agriculture department of New Mexico State University, which has also produced over 50 different varieties of Green Chile.

    1. Olga says:

      I lived in New Mexico 30 years and absolutely Green Chile is a New Mexico product and staple. Every year at the end of September and first week in October you can not escape the wonderful aroma of green chile being roasted outside grocery stores and then is balloon fiesta time, that’s New Mexico.

      1. David says:

        Yep New Mexico Land of Entrapment
        Come on vacation
        Leave on probation

        1. Linda says:

          Return on violation of probation!

    2. Rick Shapiro says:

      Gordon: you are absolutely right. My preference has always been the Big Jims and they make great rellenos. The recipe above is not quite to my own tastes as I usually use at least 12 green chiles, hot or extra hot, no tomatillos as the recipe states that’s not usual in NM, the pork is dredged in flour before browning and there are potatoes in the stew.

  2. MaMa says:

    All good except cumin. I like that there’s no flour.

    1. Mike says:

      Cumin optional, especially in New Mexico!

      -Mike (the one who wrote the post, not the guy below)

  3. Mike says:

    I’ve almost given up trying to educate people in this woefully ignorant country but maybe this will help. Chili with an “i” is what I eat, Chile with an “e” is a country. (coun tree)

    1. Ryan Doremus says:

      Was this supposed to be a joke? Chile is both a country and a pepper. Chili is what people make when it’s cold outside.

    2. Sonya says:

      Mike, I usually do not respond to comments but was so taken aback by the accusatory tone of your note and calling those who spell and say it chile, ignorant. New Mexico may be the only state that spells it chile (used by Spanish speaking Mexicans), but that is how we spell and describe Green Chile and related delicacies. We often joke if we eat out that if it’s spelled Chili, it’s not ‘authentic,” instead using Chili to describe bean based recipes. Things vary by region by region, but travel and experience or at least research before electing yourself educator of the ignorant will broaden your horizons!

      1. Stephanie says:

        there are so many mikes in this comment thread that even i’m confused ?

      2. Ryan Doremus says:

        Exactly!!! Thank you Sonya.

      3. Cheryl says:

        Perfect Sonya!

      4. Carla says:

        Sonya, YES.

        I can can spot a gringo a when they try to correct me on my use of chile

    3. Schlub says:

      My friend, you are the one who is woefully ignorant.

    4. Tamara K. Spangler says:

      Actually Mike, “chili,” “chile,” or even “chilli”(British) are acceptable variant spellings for the peppers or the dish.
      The country is now Chile but the British used to spell it Chili. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chili

      1. Mike B says:

        Some say catsup others say ketchup. Lol this thread turned dumb. I want to hear comments about the chile or chili.

    5. John Baker says:

      U WRONG! New Mexico grows chile, people eat chili in texas, check state and federal laws.

    6. Shelly says:

      Mike please stop at being a condescending snob and making all the other Mikes look bad.

  4. Michael says:

    yeah!

  5. Ryan Doremus says:

    Exactly!!! Thank you Sonya.

  6. Rhianna says:

    Double checking – 4 lbs of meat seems like a lot for 4 servings, no? Similar recipes usually only call for 2 lbs. Am I missing something?

    1. Mike says:

      You’re right in that it’s probably more like a generous 4-6. It partially depends how you eat it; a pound of meat per person sounds like a lot but we got 4 servings out of it when eating with no rice or tortillas.

    2. Giselle says:

      Trust me, when you taste this stuff, you’ll be glad you made more! Between me and a girlfriend, we devoured a whole pot of Hatch Green Chile with 2lbs of pork. Nothing else like it! Just make as much as you can, it goes fast and keeps well (unless someone finds your stash, LOL!

  7. Robert says:

    Always CHILE if you’re from NM, SINCE CHILE ORIGINATED IN SOUTH AMERICA. NM TRUE. You made chili, we don’t use tomatillos, cilantro or oregano in true NM CHILE.

  8. S. Rose says:

    Nice. This is fairly close in ingredients to Kenji’s pressure-cooker chile verde. His gets all the moisture from the vegetables and cooks up quick, so if you are short on time and/or chicken stock, it’s an attractive alternative. He also adds a dash of fish sauce to his, and I bet that would work here, too. There are few more delicious dishes than a well-made chile verde.

    1. Mike says:

      Thanks, I’ll try out Kenji’s! Being Vietnamese, I’m always wary of writing recipes where I suggest adding fish sauce to everything as being a little cliché (but don’t think I don’t do it secretly anyway)

  9. Aurora says:

    This looks great! What other meat would you suggest substituting for the Pork if needed?

    1. Stephanie says:

      hi aurora,
      you could try beef! :)

  10. James McNulty says:

    This is a GREAT recipe. Taste is out of this world. Only thing different is to use a 5 or 6 pound Pork Butt roast as when you trim it, if you don’t enjoy eating fat in lumps, you’ll lose 1 1/2 to 2 pounds in weight. At its present price of $1.18 a pound, this amount of waste is acceptable.
    Instead of oven & skillet browning, I used a perforated BBQ pan (holes everywhere) and first browned the tomatillos, onions, tomatillos, and pork in batches on the BBQ. I cooked 2 extra peppers should, down the line, I wanted more heat (used 3 Hatch for recipe as I wanted it MILD.)
    Blended all the greens and spices together with 3/4 of the Chicken Stock. The other remaining stock went into the slow cooker with the pork “to get it going.” Recipe did not state but I used HIGH in my Slow Cooker.
    Set timer for 3 1/4 hours and tasted and checked for tenderness. PERFECT!
    Took 1/2 cup of very watery juice out of cooker and let it halfway cool. Added about 1/3 cup Mexican Mesa Harina or Corn flour used to make tamales and mixed into paste. Added/gently stirred into broth until thickened to nice and viscous. I wanted some of the absolutely delicious tomatillo/Hatch sauce to stick to every piece of meat.
    I then stirred in about 1 cup course grated Sharp Cheddar and with a gentle stir, it was plated.
    After the raving and as I put the leftovers away, I realized I had an excess of sauce remaining (about 20 ounces & my extra 2 roasted peppers) in spite of thickening. Slow cookers lose little to evaporation. I plan on putting a whole 5-6 pound chicken in that sauce in the slow cooker and enjoy the dish again. Chicken pork go well together.
    Thanks again for sharing this really wonderful recipe. I know what I’m making for the next “bring a dish” office party.

  11. James McNulty says:

    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!

  12. Justin says:

    Could you do this in pressure mode in the instapot?

    1. Mike says:

      absolutely, I would add less chicken stock as the instapot doesn’t allow evaporation, maybe 1-1.5 cups instead of 2.

  13. Jen says:

    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!

  14. NMFoodie says:

    Perhaps you should look on a map as to the location of Hatch.

  15. JenB says:

    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!

    1. Stephanie says:

      yes, you can absolutely! that is a great idea. to be honest, when i’m a rush i use tomatillo/hatch salsa too :)

  16. Everett Gardner says:

    5 stars
    First time with this kind of recipe it was amazing!

  17. Ronda says:

    Any preservers out there? What guidance on canning this deliciousness?

  18. Patricia Cruz says:

    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.

  19. Deborah says:

    5 stars
    Purchased 40 lbs. of Hatch chilis and used a bunch in this pork verde. The recipe was tripled and made in a pressure cooker the day before the party. Chili verde always tastes better the next day.

  20. Cecelia Albertson says:

    Thank you Tamara. Don’t believe British brought over green Chile as a staple. Chili con carne is a whole different red powder based recipe which is confusing when ordering at a cafe in downtown Denver where confused waitress smothered with chili con carne vs red chile over enchiladas. The cafe probably had red chile but waitress not knowledgeable of cafe menu. Please smother with this green chile recipe which resembles to Pati’s Mexican table on tv.

  21. Rima says:

    5 stars
    I got my hands on some hatch chiles and made this yesterday. I sauteed some sliced carrots with the onion because I had some to use up, and I put everything in a slow cooker on high for 4.5 hours. It’s literally the most delicious thing I’ve made in such a long time! Thank you so much for this recipe!

  22. Neal says:

    5 stars
    I had a pork butt to use and found this recipe. WOW! Relatively easy to prepare, and well worth the wait while it simmered in my Dutch oven. Not to mention that pork is a great value in the meat case compared to other proteins, making this a very affordable meal. Excellent served over rice. This one will make it into my “keeper” file for sure. Thanks for sharing!

  23. Sally azernitzky says:

    5 stars
    Thank you it is out of this world, so good

  24. Dawn says:

    5 stars
    Love love Chile Verde !! I make it year round. I sometimes use chicken if I need my fix and have no pork on hand.

  25. Sabrina says:

    5 stars
    always love chili verde and this one is a little different from the most recent one I’ve made so love to try it and thank you!

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-Steph & Mike