This authentic Mexican Chile Verde recipe is made of tender pieces of pork simmered in a flavorful tomatillo and chile broth. Serve in a bowl or with a side of rice for an authentic Mexican meal! (low carb, gluten free, paleo, freezer-friendly)
Pork chile verde will always hold a special place in my heart.
When I was in middle school, I used to walk home after school instead of taking the bus. It was a short walk, probably 15 minutes or so, and I really liked having that alone time to unwind after all the middle school drama. After my little walk, I’d step inside my house and be greeted by my dad and the wonderful smells of whatever he decided to cook for me that day. One of my favorite things he made for me after school?
Mexican pork chile verde and a batch of homemade flour tortillas.
Coming home to this after school was pure heaven! It was one of my favorite things. He made it spicy, but not too spicy and perfectly salty and savory every single time. I loved it so much that I thought I’d take a shot at recreating the recipe! Personally, I think his will always be the best but my recipe is a very close second.
The trick to making chile verde that’s rich and fall-apart tender is the idea of building flavors at each step in the cooking process.
The first flavor builder – roasting the tomatillos and peppers under a broiler. This gives the chile verde sauce a slightly smokey flavor, and cuts down on the sourness of the tomatillos. (Learn more about tomatillos here.)
The second flavor builder – searing the pieces of pork on all sides. This caramelizes the outside of the meat, seals in some of the juices and creates that finger-licking good flavor that everyone loves.
The last flavor builder – simmering the meat in the chile verde sauce for 2ish hours. This makes the meat super tender and juicy, reduces even more of the sourness from the tomatillos and further melds all the flavors together.
The final result is a bowl of chile verde goodness that words can’t do justice.
My favorite way to eat chile verde is in a bowl with some flour tortillas, but here are a few other ideas!
- on a plate with Mexican rice and refried beans
- in a burrito with rice and cheese
- in tacos
- you can also shred the meat and add it to your morning eggs
How to make Chile Verde {VIDEO}
Ingredients
For the chile verde
- 12 ounces tomatillos, husked and rinsed (about 6 tomatillos)
- 3 jalapenos, stems removed
- 2 large poblano peppers, stems removed
- 1 serrano pepper, stem removed
- 2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 cups)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
For the pork
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 2 1/2 pounds pork shoulder, cut into bite sized chunks
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 1/2 cups water (or more depending on how thin or thick you want the sauce)
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (about the juice from a lime)
- 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
For the chile verde
- Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray or grease with oil. Place the tomatillos, jalapenos, poblanos and serrano peppers on the baking sheet and place under broiler. Broil on high for 10 minutes, turning the tomatillos and peppers over halfway through.
- Remove the baking sheet from the broiler and cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Uncover and remove as much of the skin from the peppers as you can. At this point, you can also remove the seeds from any of the peppers if you don't want it too spicy.
- Add the broiled tomatillos, peppers, onions and garlic into a large blender. Blend until smooth. Set aside until ready to use.
For the pork
- Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add in the cooking oil and then the pork. Season generously with salt and pepper. Sear the meat on all sides until nicely browned.
- Add the prepared chile verde and mix thoroughly, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon so you get all the brown bits. Cover, lower the heat to simmer and cook for 2 to 3 hours, until the pork is tender.
- Add the water, lime juice and cilantro. Stir until combined. Taste and season with more salt, if necessary.
Isabel’s Tips:
Nutrition Information
I put in dried mexican oregano also, takes it up a notch.
Awesome recipe! But I “cheated” and used boneless pork country style ribs.
Make it all the time. Easy cut up a whole pork shoulder and freeze it in bag for when I need it. family love it.