Crock Pot Pork Green Chili is a soul-satisfying bowl of delicious chunks of tender pork in a slightly thickened sauce loaded with lots of green chilies, tomatillos, and spices. A Colorado-inspired favorite that is just as good eaten out of a bowl like a stew as it is poured over burritos!
For more comforting soup recipes, check out this One Pot Lasagna Soup, my Easy Minestrone Soup, or Cheesy Taco Soup.
Table of Contents
This Pork Green Chili recipe is from my Colorado-inspired recipes, as part of my American Eats series where I am working my way through the U.S.A., making foods that each state is known for.
This dish came on my radar after I kept hearing about a Colorado burger known as "the Slopper" where, from what I understand, a burger is put on a plate and then a whole bunch of pork green chili is poured (um, slopped?) over the top. Then it's eaten with a knife and fork.
I still haven't tried making a Slopper at home because this crock pot pork green chili was so delicious that even though it made a ton, we ate most of it straight up out of bowls like any other chili or soup, and poured the rest over beef and bean burritos! That reminds me, I need to try this green chili recipe in breakfast burritos!
Garnish a big bowl of pork green chili with some sour cream, cilantro, green onions, cheese, and lime and it's perfection on those cold and blustery nights, especially since pretty much all the work is done way earlier in the day.
Even though it's called "green" chili, it's usually a pretty murky muddy brown color bordering on reddish, thanks to the diced red tomatoes that are often added.
Some cooks like to use actual fresh green chilies that they roast and skin before making their pork green chili. Others use canned green chilies. There are also many recipes that just go straight to green enchilada sauce and salsa verde poured over large chunks of browned pork to make the green chili.
After weighing the pros and cons of time/effort/taste, I opted for the middle ground of using canned whole green chilies rather than roasting my own poblanos and anaheims.
Which you could totally do! But honestly, I tend to strongly prefer crock pot recipes that require minimal prep. Spending all the time roasting, skinning, and removing seeds before ever getting to the dump-and-run approach that makes the slow cooker so attractive just didn't sound practical or like something I would be willing to do on a repeat basis.
I also knew I wanted to control the flavor situation which would be easier to do with whole chilies than with premade green enchilada sauce and salsa verde. So, canned fire-roasted whole green chilies it is then!
I'm not claiming that this is an authentic chili verde recipe (even though I made every effort to make it that way), but it sure is good and I'm hoping it's close!
Why We Love This Recipe
- Add in your favorite peppers and spices, and garnish with your choice of toppings!
- Using ingredients you can easily find at grocery stores or food markets.
- With only 15 minutes of prep, you can let the slow cooker do the hard work for this one!
What You'll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Pork - I have used 3-4 pounds of boneless pork shoulder for this recipe, cut into 1-inch cubes.
- Flour - All-Purpose Flour will work fine for this recipe give the pork pieces a crisp outer.
- Salt & Pepper - Use a combination of freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt to enhance all the ingredients. More can be
- Onion & Garlic - Freshly chopped onion and freshly minced garlic will give you the best savory flavors here.
- Tomatillos - These mini green tomatoes add nutrition, extra texture, and a bright flavor to the chili.
- Chiles - Use whole fire-roasted green chilies for this recipe for a fresh, spicy flavor.
- Fresh herbs - I love using freshly chopped cilantro in my chili, it is so delicious and blends well with all the other flavors.
- Broth - Low-sodium chicken broth is always my go-to for recipes like this, so you can better control the saltiness of the dish while adding a great depth of flavor. You can use chicken stock in a pinch, or even just water if you prefer.
- Jalapeno - Adding a freshly chopped jalapeno pepper will give a bit of an extra kick to the chili. Add more if you wish!
- Tomatoes - Diced tomatoes will bulk out the chili, melding
- Seasoning - Use chili powder and cumin for spice and a classic chili flavor, while oregano adds
- Cornstarch - 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Garnish (optional) - What you garnish your chili with will depend on the flavors that you want to bring out. Chose from lime wedges, fresh cilantro leaves, chopped green onions, and grated sharp cheddar cheese.
- Serve - Serve with sides of sour cream, tortilla chips, or in flour tortillas.
How to Make Crock Pot Pork Green Chili
This chili verde recipe entails about 15 minutes of actual hands-on effort and it's almost all up-front!
- Cut pork. Slice a pork shoulder butt roast into 1-inch cubes. You are going to want to trim off any excess fat while doing so you don't end up with a layer of grease on the top of your chili verde.
- Coat and season. Toss the cubed pork with a little flour mixed with spices.
- Brown the pork. Brown the pork in batches with a little oil in a hot iron skillet. Transfer the pork to the slow cooker.
- Sauté onion and garlic. In the same pan, add a little more oil and sauté the onion and garlic to soften. I like to add a little broth to the pan to help scrape up any of the browned bits left over from browning the meat, then I add all of this to the crock pot with the pork.
- Blend ingredients. In a blender, pulse half of the chopped tomatillos and peppers with the chicken broth, then pour this over the browned pork in the crock pot, adding the remaining chopped tomatillos, green peppers, jalapeno, and tomatoes.
- Cook. Cover the pot and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours. You can leave the chunks of pork whole or use two forks to shred them at this point.
- Thicken. The pork green chili could absolutely be eaten just like this. I like to thicken it ever so slightly with a slurry of cornstarch and water, which I stir in and let cook for 30 minutes while I get the rest of dinner ready and set the table. It doesn't make the sauce thick like a stew but gives it a slightly creamy, almost silky texture that is wonderful.
Recipe FAQ's
Chili Verde is a classic American Southwest dish that seems to be popular in both Colorado and New Mexico. It's made from chunks of pork shoulder (not the whole roast) that are cooked low and slow in a sauce made from green chiles, tomatillos, tomatoes, garlic, jalapeño, and spices.
Pork Chili Verde is not spicy unless you leave in the jalapeño seeds to increase the heat, so even my young kids can gobble up a bowl of the saucy, tender meat without hesitation.
Chili Verde, or pork green chili, as it is also known, can be used to fill burritos or tacos if you are just scooping out the meat from the sauce, spooned over rice, or used to smother burritos (or apparently burgers), or just eaten straight out of a bowl topped with all your favorite chili fixin's.
Store green chili in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
When the chili has completely cooled, store it in freezer-safe containers or portion it into Ziploc bags in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just thaw it in the fridge overnight and heat it up again the next day.
Stew or Chili?
As written, this chili verde recipe is more of a soup or stew-like pork green chili. With a higher meat ratio, this recipe can be used to fill tortillas for tacos or burritos. Decrease the amount of chicken broth in half from 4 cups to 2 cups. Alternatively, just make it this way and scoop out chunks of pork with a slotted spoon. Fill your tacos with the meat and save the broth for a light lunch the next day or for topping other dishes like you would gravy.
Substitutions and Variations
- Extra heat. Add some cayenne pepper, extra jalapenos, hot sauce, or
- Hatch chiles. Use hatch chile peppers instead of jalapenos for a slightly milder chili with a similar flavor.
- Meat. You can use cubed beef, chicken, or turkey for this recipe! Shredded beef, shredded pork, or even shredded chicken would work well for this recipe as well.
- Roasting your own chiles. You can make this completely from scratch if you prefer. Replace the canned green chiles with 2 poblano peppers and 2 anaheim peppers. Char the peppers (and might as well do the jalapeno and tomatillos while you are at it) under a hot broiler until black, turning frequently. Then place the peppers in a ziploc bag or glass bowl covered tightly with plastic wrap to steam them for 10-20 minutes. Then just rub or peel the skins off, remove the seeds, and chop.
- Cooking method. You can make this recipe in a Dutch oven on the stovetop or in the oven, or in an Instant Pot pressure cooker, but the cook times will vary.
More Delicious Comforting Recipes
- Baked Ziti
- Copycat Costco Mac and Cheese
- Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
- Zuppa Toscana
- Healthy Turkey Chili
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Crock Pot Pork Green Chili Recipe
Ingredients
Chile
- 3-4 pounds of boneless pork shoulder cut into 1-inch cubes
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound tomatillos husks removed chopped
- 28 ounces whole fire-roasted green chilies drained (chopped or diced)
- ½ bunch of cilantro chopped
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 jalapeno de-seeded and chopped
- 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon cold water
Garnish (optional)
- lime wedges
- cilantro leaves
- chopped green onions
- sour cream
- sharp cheddar cheese grated
- tortilla chips or flour tortillas
Instructions
- Cut the pork shoulder into 1-inch cubes, trimming any excess fat, then toss with the flour, salt, and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet and brown the pork on all sides, then transfer to a slow cooker. You may need to work in batches and add a bit more oil until all of the pork is browned.
- In the same skillet, sauté the onion, peppers, and garlic, adding a little more oil if the pan is dry, for 3 to 5 minutes. Add ½ cup of broth and scrape up any fond (the browned bits on the bottom of the pot). Transfer everything to the slow cooker with the pork.
- In a blender, combine ½ the chopped tomatillos with ½ of the diced green chilies and the cilantro, then process until smooth. Add ½ cup of the chicken broth if necessary.
- Pour the blended tomatillos into the crockpot and add all remaining ingredients except for the cornstarch and water. Cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or on LOW for 6-8 hours until the pork is tender.
- At this point, you can serve as is, or thicken by making a slurry with the cornstarch and water. Stir the slurry into the chili verde and cover again for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, then serve in bowls garnished with lime wedges, cilantro leaves, green onions, sour cream, grated cheese, and tortilla chips or warm tortillas.
Notes
- Store: Store green chili in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: When the chili has completely cooled, store it in freezer-safe containers or portion it into Ziploc bags in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just thaw it in the fridge overnight and heat it up again the next day.
Nutrition
More States I Have Visited in my American Eats Series
Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • New Jersey • New York • Oregon • Puerto Rico • South Carolina • South Dakota • Texas • Utah • Wisconsin
This looks great. Now that Thanksgiving is over I can think about cooking again. And I love the crock pot for dinners like this.
Goodness gracious!! This has got to be the best way to warm up on a cold day that I have ever found!! Thank you for the amazing recipe!!
I'm a Colorado Native and this Chili is delicious!
I live in Colorado and made this recipe; it was fantastic. I roasted the jalepeno and tomatillos; used frozen green peppers from New Mexico; and skipped frying up the onions/pepper. I also used my homemade turkey broth which always heightens a recipe. Added some salt and pepper and found it very flavorful. My husband also really enjoyed it.
This was so yummy! Diced pork was a bit different than the shredded pork I grew up with (Colorado native) but browning it ahead of time was great. I added some spices to make it have more of a kick and skipped the flour when browning which made it whole 30 approved for my husband too! Also an FYI... You talked about peppers and I knew there should be green pepper but it isn't listed on the ingredient list. An easy no mess meal that is filling and delicious. Thanks!
I usually make my green chilli in a pan on the stove. I tried making it in a crock pot once before, it wasn't what I was expecting.
This recipe is great. I made it last night and it's almost gone. Thx for the recipe!!!!
You're welcome! So glad you enjoyed it!
Great recipe! Approved by this Colorado native!
Instead of using canned green chilis, I used a jar of Hatch Valley 505 Southwestern Medium Flame Roasted Green Chiles, which was delicious (it only contains a few ingredients - one of which is lime juice, which was a nice addition). I also added more salt, cumin & chili powder. My husband can be hard to please when it comes to food, and he said this was the best green chili he's had! Thanks for sharing!
You're welcome! I'm so glad you liked it!
I made this a few months ago, first time making green chili, and it was a huge hit! I’d gladly eat it with a spoon but used most of it for tacos with (good) flour tortillas. I happened to have a bag of salad that needed to be used, the kind w/ kale and poppy seed dressing and craisins and ended up putting that on the tacos. I now know that made a HUGE difference because when I had them again w/o the salad it wasn’t as good. I guess it was the sweet and salty thing but yah, that really put them over the top. Thanks for the recipe. Now going to make it again for a non-traditional Xmas. 🌲
I love that you are making this for a non-traditional Christmas dinner!
I love a good green chili. As a Colorado native, I've been looking for a good homemade green chili recipe for awhile. This one is definitely one of the best I've had! I put green chili on everything, burgers, eggs, potatoes, etc... Thanks!
Did you use green chili powder or red chili powder in the recipe? Did you use regular oregano or Mexican oregano?
I use regular red chili powder and regular oregano in this.
Question! Am I reading this right:
4 (7 ounce) cans of whole fired roasted chiles
That means 24 Oz of chiles?
Yes, that is correct.
We just got back from Colorado and I googled a recipe as fast as I could. I can’t wait to try it. However, step 3 mentions green peppers. How many do I need for this recipe?Â
Sorry about that! I should have been more clear that those were just the diced green chili peppers, not green peppers. I adjusted the instructions to be more precise! Thanks for bringing that to my attention!
I am excited to try this. I have been jones'n for some good Colorado green chili. (everyone in Wisconsin looks at me like I'm crazy when I ask about it). What size Crock Pot do you use? Mine is a 4.5-5 quart size. Could I make it as written, or will I need to adjust my quantities?
Mine is an 8-quart crockpot and this recipe fills it pretty well. I don't have a smaller crockpot, so I can't say for sure whether his would fit, but my guess is you might want to cut the recipe in half or do 3/4 of a batch.
This is going in my slow cooker right now.  I’m using 6 Pueblo Green Chilis that we’re roasted at the festival yesterday.  I de-seeded three and left seeds in three.  I also used a couple more cloves of garlic. Â
This recipe looks amazing! Is there a way to make it with chicken instead of pork?
I can't see why not! It won't need to cook as long, but otherwise, I think it would be great!
This is almost the exact recipe I made up 30 years ago 🙂 only difference is I add about 5 tomatoes crushed and , since I like heat, I'll also throw in 3 roasted and skinned habeneros. So good with cilantro, sour cream, cheese, and warm tortillas!
Its also good with that leftover thanksgiving turkey or a turkey tenderloin.
This recipe is fantastic. The only thing I did different is add a little more corn starch to thicken a bit more. Definitely a keeper! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
I've made this recipe many times and it is so good. I'm getting ready to make it again, but realized that it is a pork loin in my freezer and not a pork shoulder like I thought. Can I use a pork loin for this recipe??
I haven't tried that! Theoretically yes, it should work okay, but it won't be the same because pork loin doesn't have the same marbling or fat as a pork shoulder so it might not be as fall apart tender in the end. But maybe? If you do try it, please report back and let us know how it was!
This is almost the exact recipe I made up 30 years ago 🙂 only difference is I add about 5 tomatoes crushed and , since I like heat, I'll also throw in 3 roasted and skinned habeneros. So good with cilantro, sour cream, cheese, and warm tortillas!
Hi! Isn't green chili pork the best!? I love your additions! The skinned habeneros would be so good!
I rarely comment any recipes I make, but I am back making this twice in 2 weeks! I am from Colorado and have made several variations of green chili and this has really rich flavor. I didn't have tomatillos and I am sure it would have been even better with them, but it was still awesome. A great way to use some pork that's been in the freezer!
Thank you so much for commenting, Becky! I'm so glad you enjoyed this one so much!