This Green Chili Recipe is the result of years of tweaking and testing (and eating!), until it was packed with as much rich, meaty green chili flavor as I could cram in there.
This recipe makes a giant pot of Chili - enough for a crowd or for dividing up and freezing into smaller portions.
Eat green chili in bowls with warm flour tortillas for dipping or ladle it over burritos, enchiladas, crispy corn tortilla quesadillas, or these super easy crispy Chili Rellenos.
Or, spoon it over eggs, veggies, rice and beans, grilled meat or fish, or anything else that strikes your fancy.
+ Subscribe to my newsletter for new and exclusive recipes in your in-box every month! As a full time traveler, living, working, cooking, and baking from a 5th wheel RV, it's also where I share our experiences of life on the road.
What is green chili?
Growing up in Colorado, I was a little surprised as an adult to realize that "Green Chili" did not mean what I thought it meant all across the country.
In fact, outside of much of the west, if you say "Green Chili" many people will simply think you are talking about an actual Green Chili, not delicious pork and chili stew.
Green Chili is a stew that's traditionally made with a meat base and plenty of, you guessed it... green chilies. After that, anything goes.
The Green Chili you find at one restaurant is not the Green Chili you'll find in another. This is also true from state to state, from household to household, and from recipe to recipe.
Even though Green Chili recipes date all the way back to the 1600s, when someone says "traditional" Green Chili, really just means traditional to them, or their family, or their local community. This brings us to the next question...
Why is this green chili red?
It's true. My Green Chili is kinda red. That's because it contains chipotle chili powder, enchilada sauce, and tomatoes because all of these ingredients add flavor. Big heaping portions of delicious chili flavor.
There are also plenty of green chilies in there. This stew is still appropriately named. It just also includes some red chili. Because, YUM.
Ingredients needed to prepare this recipe
- Boneless country-style pork ribs. This cut has good marbling, great flavor, and is perfect for low and slow cooking. Unlike leaner cuts, like pork tenderloin, boneless country-style ribs have enough fat to keep the meat moist and tender during a longer cook time. If you can't find country-style boneless pork ribs, you can use pork shoulder roast (also called Boston butt pork roast), pork tenderloin, or boneless pork chops.
- Vegetable oil, canola oil, or extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and ground black pepper
- 1 large onion and several cloves of garlic
- Jalapeño
- Spices: Chipotle chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano
- Butter and all-purpose flour. In this recipe, I combine butter and flour to make a roux that thickens the chili slightly. If you want to make this green chili gluten free, use sweet rice flour instead of the all-purpose flour.
- Chicken or vegetable broth. Or Better than Bouillon stock base (see more information below).
- Enchilada sauce. From a can, a jar, or homemade. And, yes, I know enchilada sauce is an unusual ingredient in green chili. For some people the fact that I've included it might be considered downright heretical. But, I add it anyway and encourage you to do the same because it's absolutely delicious.
- Diced canned tomatoes, preferably fire roasted
- Green chilies, roasted, peeled, and diced (mild, medium, or hot)
- Chipotle peppers in adobo
- Worcestershire sauce. Yes, I know Worcestershire sauce is a very non-traditional ingredient in green chili regardless of what tradition we're talking about. But Worcestershire sauce has a powerful umami flavor which is why I like to add it to green chili and other unexpected soups and sauces like homemade marinara.
- Granulated sugar. A small amount of sugar brightens up all the fresh flavors in green chili.
- Lime juice.
- Fresh cilantro (optional)
Better than Bouillon is one of my favorite ingredients.
I almost always have several varieties of Better than Bouillon in my refrigerator because I feel the flavor is better than most brands of packaged broth and stock and they are so much more convenient. Each little jar is a concentrated stock base that lasts for months in the refrigerator. I keep several varieties in my refrigerator at all times.
For green chili, I generally use either Better than Bouillon Chicken Base. or Better than Bouillon Adobo Base, or Better than Bouillon Chili Base.
If you'd like to make a batch of homemade enchilada sauce, this is the super simple Enchilada Sauce Recipe I use.
- The recipe makes enough for a pan of enchiladas with some leftovers which I use later in the week to make things like Stuffed Poblano Peppers and Tortilla Soup.
- Or, I'll freeze it for later, like those times when I want to make a big pot of Green Chili. If you are so inclined to make your own enchilada sauce, it's 100% worth it.
- Make it earlier in the week, use some of it to make the best Cheese Enchilada Casserole, and save the leftover for this Green Chili.
The best kind of chilies for green chili
I prefer to use Hatch green chilies in this recipe, which are also sometimes known as New Mexico green chilies. Most supermarkets will carry several varieties of canned Hatch green chilies, chopped or whole. Also, some supermarkets will stock frozen bags of roasted Hatch green chilies in the freezer section.
Anaheim peppers and poblano peppers are also good chilies to use in this recipe. In fact, Anaheim peppers are pretty much interchangeable with Hatch chilies, but pay attention to the level of heat. Anaheim peppers are relatively mild, whereas unless Hatch chilies are specifically labeled as "mild", they will be much hotter than Anaheim.
Regardless of the kind of chili you use, they should be roasted and the skin removed before using them in this recipe. If you purchase frozen or canned green chilies in any supermarket, they are already roasted and peeled, and ready to use. If you purchase them fresh, you'll want to roast and peel them yourself.
This article from the Hatch Green Chili Store is a great resource for how to roast chilies on the grill, in the oven, on the stovetop, or even in the microwave.
If you're lucky enough to live in an area where Hatch, Poblano, or Anaheim chilies are grown you can often snag bags of freshly roasted green chilies at farmers markets in August and September. Snag as many as you can and store them in the freezer to use throughout the year.
Step-by-step photos and instructions
Cut the pork ribs into large bite-size chunks and spread them out over a couple of paper towels. Use another paper towel to pat them dry of excess moisture.
Add some oil to a large stockpot or dutch oven and set it over medium high heat. When the oil is very hot and shimmering, add enough pork to cover the bottom of the pan without any of the pieces overlapping. Sprinkle generously with salt. It's important to not overcrowd the pan so brown the pork in batches.
When you first add the pork to the pan it will stick to the bottom. Let it cook undisturbed until the pieces release from the pan easily, about 2 or 3 minutes. Use metal tongs to flip the pieces over and allow them to brown on the other side. Remove the pork from the pan to a plate and repeat with the remaining pieces of pork.
Turn the heat down to medium and add the chopped onion. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent, and starting to turn golden brown.
Add the garlic, jalapeño, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and some salt and cook for a couple of minutes to toast the spices and open up their flavors.
Add the butter to the pan and stir it around until it's melted.
Stir the flour into the melted butter and cook, stirring constantly, for about a minute.
Slowly pour in the broth, stirring constantly as you add it and using the spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any little brown bits of flavor that might be stuck there.
Pour in the enchilada sauce, diced tomatoes, green chilies, chopped chipotle peppers, Worcestershire, a pinch of sugar, and the pork. Bring the mixture to a boil then cover the pan, lower the heat, and let it simmer gently for a couple of hours. This will make your house smell SO GOOD.
Remove the lid from the pot, and let the chili simmer for about another hour uncovered which will help it thicken up.
Stir in a couple tablespoons of lime juice and taste it to see if it needs more salt. If adding cilantro, add that now.
The chili is ready to serve.
How to serve green chili
- Super Easy, Crispy Chili Rellenos. There are few things better in life than a Crispy Chile Relleno, fried to golden perfection, stuffed with roasted chile and plenty of melted cheese. This simple recipe uses egg roll wrappers to make homemade Chile Rellenos so easy you just might be tempted to make them every week.
- I make these crispy corn tortilla quesadillas about once a week. Most of the time we pour Herdez salsa verde over them unless we happen to have some green chili in the refrigerator and then, of course, we are smothering them with that.
- Homemade Flour Tortillas. Homemade tortillas, soft and warm, are one of the best things in the whole wide world. Combine that with how easy they are to make and flour tortillas from scratch becomes one of the few life decisions for which there can be no regrets.
- Pork Carnitas. I have made this Carnitas Recipe more times than I could possibly count for more occasions than I could possibly remember. The meat is crispy on the outside, super flavorful, fall-off-the-bone tender, and couldn’t be easier to prepare in the slow cooker or Instant Pot.
- Homemade Black Beans. Homemade black beans are a simple fix-it-and-forget-it dish when simmered slowly with garlic and spices in your slow cooker, on the stovetop, or in the Instant Pot.
- Jicama Salad with Apples and Honey Lime Dressing. This jicama salad is light, crisp, tart, and refreshing. It's quick and easy to make, packed with nutrition, and the perfect side dish for anything smothered in Green Chili.
- Pomegranate Margaritas. Pomegranate Margaritas are the Little Black Dress of the cocktail hour: simple, easy, dangerously delicious, and exactly right for nearly any situation.
More recipes for chili lovers
+ Subscribe to my newsletter for new and exclusive recipes in your in-box every month! As a full time traveler, living, working, cooking, and baking from a 5th wheel RV, it's also where I share our experiences of life on the road.
If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, or take a picture and tag it #alittleandalot on Instagram.
📖 Recipe
The BEST Green Chili with Hatch Chile and Pork Ribs
The recipe makes a large pot of Chili - enough for a crowd or for dividing up and freezing into smaller portions.
Serve Green Chili with warm flour tortillas for dipping. Or, ladle it over burritos, crispy corn tortilla quesadillas, enchiladas, Chili Rellenos.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds boneless country-style pork ribs
- ¼ cup vegetable, canola, or extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and ground black pepper
- 1 large onion, peeled and diced
- 8 cloves garlic, peeled and diced
- 1 jalapeño, seeds and stem removed and diced
- 1 tablespoon chipotle chili powder
- 3 tablespoons ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 4 tablespoon (2 ounces/ 56 grams)butter
- ⅓ cup (40 grams) all-purpose flour
- 6 cups (48 ounces) chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 ¾ cup (14 ounces) enchilada sauce
- 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 32 ounces (2 pounds) green chilies, roasted, peeled, and diced (mild, medium, or hot)
- 2 tablespoons diced chipotle peppers in adobo
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2-4 tablespoons lime juice (to taste)
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
Instructions
- Cut the pork ribs into large bite-size chunks - about 1-inch cubes. Spread them out over a couple of paper towels and pat dry.
- Add the oil to a large stockpot or dutch oven and set it over medium high heat. When the oil is very hot and shimmering, add enough pork to cover the bottom of the pan without any of the pieces overlapping. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
- Let cook, undisturbed, for 2 or 3 minutes, until brown on the bottom. Use metal tongs to flip the pieces over and allow them to brown on the other side. Remove the pork from the pan to a plate and repeat with the remaining pieces of pork.
- Turn the heat under the pan down to medium and add the chopped onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft and translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the garlic, jalapeño, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and 2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes longer.
- Add the butter to the pan and stir it around until it's melted. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
- Pour in the broth, scrapping at the bottom of the pan to loosen any little brown bits of flavor that might be stuck there.
- Add the enchilada sauce, diced tomatoes, green chiles, chipotle peppers, Worcestershire, sugar and the pork. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and cover partially so that the lid is set slightly askew to allow steam to escape.
- Let the green chili simmer over low heat for 2 hours, lifting the lid and stirring every once in a while.
- Remove the lid and let the chili simmer for another 30-60 minutes, stirring often, until it's thickened slightly.
- Turn off the heat and stir in 2 tablespoons lime juice. Taste and add as much more lime juice and salt as you like.
- Serve sprinkled with fresh cilantro if desired.
Notes
- Store this Green Chili in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Substitute pork carnitas for pork ribs: I make these Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas ALL the time because they are just so freaking delicious. The recipe makes quite a bit, so I usually have leftovers, which I often use to make Green Chili. If you'd like to do the same, just skip the steps involving cutting and browning the pork ribs. Follow the rest of the recipe as it's written, adding the carnitas in step #6.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 377Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 84mgSodium: 785mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gProtein: 17g
K. Hathaway says
Whole Chile's from Hatch store are 13$ a pound. A lot for people now days. Easy to Roast and peel yourself. Throw poblano peppers on hot coals in BBQ, quickly turn when blackened. Blacken other side. Remove, place in plastic bag to steam. When cooled remove skin! Divide into freezer bags and freeze for future recipes!
RebeccaBlackwell says
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave this tip about roasting your own poblano's, K!
Regina Williams says
What can you substitute for the Chile’s from The Hatch Chilie Store?
RebeccaBlackwell says
Hi Regina! You can use any kind of green Chile's, frozen or canned. Please let me know if you have any other questions! And, I'd love to hear how your green chili comes out for you! xo
sara lafountain says
This chili was so delicious. My family loved it and begged me to make it again soon.
RebeccaBlackwell says
I am so happy to hear that Sara! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know. I truly appreciate it! xo
Liz says
I didn't realize Green Chili was related to pork chili! I initially thought it was an actual green chili! This sounds delicious, excited to give it a try!
RebeccaBlackwell says
I'm excited for you to try this, Liz! Please let me know if you have any questions, and I'd love to know what you think of this recipe after you make it! xo