Chili Verde
Last updated on February 3rd, 2026
With the chilly weather coming, HOT meals are in order. Not just a piping hot meal, a meal with a little bit of spice! This Chili Verde turned out SO amazing! It wasn’t too spicy either, because I wanted it to be family friendly! But it’s definitely not difficult to crank up the heat on this recipe if you want more! This one took a little bit more time because it takes time to build the flavor profile in this delicious chili. Rest assured, it was a total labor of love! By the time it was ready to eat, the house smelled like an authentic Mexican restaurant! We couldn’t wait to dig into this, and boy was it worth the wait!
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So, what’s the backstory on this chili? Where does it come from?
Chili Verde literally means “green chili” and its roots stretch across Northern Mexico and the American Southwest, but especially New Mexico. This dish is thought to have begun as a rustic stew originating in Northern Mexico! It then evolved with the influence of Spanish Colonizers and Mexican Immigrants when they documented their spin on the stew in the 18th century in New Mexico. The “Verde” comes from the tomatillos and green chili peppers, which create the beautiful hue and flavor profile in this chili! In the US, Chili Verde is often used to stuff burritos or smother over enchiladas – but it really shines all on its own!
What ingredients do I need to make this?
Pork Butt (Shoulder)
Tomatillos
Jalapeño
Poblano
Onion
Garlic
Cilantro
Chicken Broth
Salt
Pepper
Chili Powder
Cayenne
Cumin
Oregano
Olive Oil
For serving:
Cilantro
Sour Cream
Avocado
Lime Wedges
What equipment do I need?
- Large Stockpot
- Cutting Board
- Chef Knife
- Large Baking Sheet
- Large Blender
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Cast Iron Skillet
- Mixing Bowls
- Silicone Brush
How do I make Chili Verde?
To prep the veggies and roast:
The very first thing you’ll want to do is prep all of your ingredients and start roasting your peppers. Wash the produce and remove the husks from the tomatillos. Line a baking sheet with foil and add the tomatillos, jalapeños, and poblano pepper to it.
Brush the veggies with oil, then broil on high heat for a while! We want to broil these whole, with all of their seeds intact, getting a nice char on the exterior.
While those roast, mince the cilantro and garlic, then dice the onion and green pepper, set aside for now.
To prep the pork butt:
Cut the fat off of the pork butt and chop it into bite sized pieces. I left a little bit of fat on mine, just for flavor!
This does take some time; I had a 7.5 lb pork butt and by the time I broke it down, there was about 5 lbs left!
Pro Tip: You’re going to need a very sharp knife!
Once the veggies are done roasting, let’s make the Verde sauce!
To make the Verde sauce:
Cut the tops off of the peppers and tomatillos, then scoop the seeds out of the peppers.
Next, add them to a blender and blitz them up until a smooth green purée forms. Set aside until ready to use.
To sear the pork:
Once all of the pork is cut up, add it to a large bowl and toss with some of the seasonings. Using your hands to coat.
Next, get out the cast iron skillet and heat some oil on medium high heat. You want it to be pretty hot, like close to smoking but not quite there.
Sear the pork, working in batches, for a few minutes per batch. Sear and stir until all of the pork has a nice char and crust on it!
Move to a large bowl until ready to use.
To make the Chili Verde:
In the same skillet with all of those flavorful bits leftover, add the rest of the oil and cook green pepper and onion until charred nicely, adding garlic in during the last minute.
Next, add the pork, onion, pepper, garlic, and Verde sauce to a large pot. Stir in the broth, the rest of the seasonings, and cilantro.
Bring to a gentle boil, then turn heat to low and simmer for a few hours, stirring every once in a while. I stirred every half hour or so, every time just salivating because it smelled so good!
To serve:
Serve Chili Verde with cilantro, sour cream, avocado, lime wedges – and whatever other garnishes you’d like! The pork should be fall apart tender and SO, SO flavorful! Enjoy!
Tips:
- We had this on its own and it was a TOTAL star! However, this would be yummy served over rice or however else you feel like having it!
- This wasn’t too spicy, otherwise my kiddos wouldn’t eat it! If you’re looking to break a sweat, consider adding 2 more jalapeños or reserving some of the seeds instead of discarding. You could also sprinkle in some crushed red pepper!
- This chili will last for 3-5 days if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months!
If you liked this one, check out some of my other chili recipes!
Chili Verde
Equipment
Ingredients
- 7 ½ lbs Pork Butt (Shoulder) fat trimmed and cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 ½ lbs Tomatillos husks removed
- 5 cups Chicken Broth
- 4 Garlic Cloves minced
- 2 Jalapeños
- 1 Poblano Pepper
- 1 Yellow Onion diced
- 1 Green Pepper diced
- ½ cup Cilantro minced
- ¼ cup Olive Oil divided
- 2 ½ tsp Salt divided
- 2 tsp Cumin divided
- 1 ½ tsp Black Pepper divided
- 1 tsp Dried Oregano
- ½ tsp Chili Powder
- ¼ tsp Cayenne
For serving:
- 1 Avocado cubed
- 1 Lime wedged
- Cilantro minced
- Sour Cream
Instructions
To prep the veggies and roast:
- Line a baking sheet with foil and add the tomatillos, jalapeños, and poblano pepper.
- Brush them with 1 tbsp oil, then broil on high heat for 25 minutes, until roasted and charred. While those are roasting, you can be chopping up the pork and the rest of the veggies!
To make the Verde sauce:
- When the peppers and tomatillos are done roasting, cut the tops off of them, scoop the seeds out of the peppers and add them to a blender.
- Blitz them up until a smooth green purée forms. Set aside until ready to use.
To sear the pork:
- Once all of the pork is cut up, add it to a large bowl and add in 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp black pepper, and 1/4 tsp cayenne. Toss with your hands to coat.
- Get out the cast iron skillet and heat 2 tbsp oil on medium high heat. You want it to be pretty hot, like close to smoking but not quite there.
- Sear the pork, working in batches, for 4-5 minutes per batch, stirring the pieces around occasionally.
- Sear and stir until all of the pork has a nice char and crust on it! Set aside in a large bowl until ready to use.
To make the Chili Verde:
- In the same skillet with all those nice flavorful bits still inside, heat remaining olive oil on medium and cook green pepper and onion until charred nicely, about 3 minutes, adding garlic in during the last minute.
- Next, add the pork, onion, pepper, garlic, and Verde sauce to a large pot on medium.
- Stir in the broth, the rest of the seasonings, and cilantro.
- Bring to a gentle boil, then turn heat to low and simmer for 2 hours, stirring every half hour.
To serve:
- Serve Chili Verde with cilantro, sour cream, avocado, lime wedges – and whatever other garnishes you'd like! The pork should be fall apart tender and SO, SO flavorful! Enjoy!
Nutrition
Please be aware that nutritional values are approximate and intended as a helpful guide
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The recipe has so much flavour we loved it with roasted vegetables. I am sure I will kep making this a lot.
I’m so glad you liked it, thank you for sharing!
This sounds like such a cozy and comforting recipe for a cool day. I can’t wait to try it in the coming weeks!
It was so cozy and comforting, for sure! Enjoy! ❤️
This looks and sounds amazing! I can just imagine how good the place smells while it’s cooking. Love that it’s not too spicy either!
So glad to hear this, I hope you enjoy!
Wow what a delicious recipe. Got to try it next weekend.
I hope you love it as much as we did! So yummy!
It’s totally chili season so I am so down for this! Thanks for sharing!!
I love hearing that! Enjoy!