This Colorado Green Chili Recipe is made with tender shredded pork shoulder, roasted Hatch green chiles, tomatoes and and a unique blend of spices. I’ve been making this version since 1979, refining it over decades and entering it in Colorado green chili competitions, consistently placing near the top. Colorado-style green chili is a hearty pork stew built around roasted green chiles, and it’s just as good served in a bowl as it is smothered over burritos, eggs or fries.
Quick Look: Colorado Green Chili With Pork
- 🧁 Serves: 10
- ⭐ Features: Hearty ✓ Make Ahead ✓”Adjustable Heat” ✓
- ⌛️ Prep Time: 30 minutes
- 🍪 Cook Time: 5 Hours (mostly hands off time)
- 🕑 Total Time: 5 Hours, 30 Minutes
- 👩🍳Skill Level: Intermediate
- 🏆 Why make THIS version? A tested blend of spices, a proven method for the the best textured and flavorful shredded pork, and a very popular way to use Hatch chile peppers.
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Jump to:
- Quick Look: Colorado Green Chili With Pork
- What Is Colorado Green Chili?
- Why Is This Recipe Different?
- Where Did I Get This Recipe?
- Key Ingredients You’ll Need
- How To Make Colorado Green Chili
- Tips for Success
- How To Serve It
- Make Ahead, Freezing and Reheating
- Colorado Green Chili, FAQ’s
- Recipe For Colorado Green Chili
- Explore More Ways To Use Hatch Chile Peppers
- Colorado Green Chili With Pork
What Is Colorado Green Chili?
Colorado Green Chile is a hearty stew-like soup that contains shredded pork, roasted green chile peppers, tomatoes and a stellar line up of warming spices. It can be eaten like a soup or used to smother burritos or enchiladas. “Smothered” simply means to add an ample amount of green chili on top of the food. Popular in our area, practically every Mexican restaurant in Colorado serves a version of Pork Green Chili.
What makes Colorado Green Chili different than New Mexico Green Chili? New Mexican green chile preparations can be much simpler and more chile pepper forward, and lacks tomatoes. Recipes can vary, but It traditionally doesn’t include pork. Heading North, Green chili transforms into a thicker soup or stew with the addition of pork roast, tomatoes and warming spices. It’s a thicker stew/sauce consistency.
Why Is Pork Used In Colorado Green Chili? Simply to turn it into a heartier meaty version of green chili.
Why Is This Recipe Different?
This is my Colorado-style pork green chili recipe, developed over more than 40 years
- It’s based on a recipe I’ve been making since 1979. I’ve tested and refined the recipe over these years for a competition worthy version.
- My recipe starts with a whole pork shoulder roast, rather than lean cubes of pork. I give the roast a good browning sear, then slow-roast it in the oven until it’s tender enough to practically shred itself. As it cooks, the pork develops rich, gelatin-filled juices and deep roasted flavor. Once shredded, the pork goes into the green chili and simmers again, allowing it to soak up the roasted chile, tomatoes and Southwestern spices. The result is tender, deeply flavored pork woven throughout the chili, with a richness and texture that’s difficult to achieve with quick-cooked cubes of leaner pork.
- The Hatch chiles are roasted before going into the pot.
- My distinctive Southwestern spice blend includes coriander, Mexican oregano, Chimayo chile powder and smoked paprika.
- It’s designed to be eaten as both a stew and a Colorado-style smothering sauce.
Each Fall, we celebrate the arrival of Chile peppers from the Hatch Valley. We evangeliae, we obsess when parking lots and roadside stands all over Colorado fire up their chile roasting drums and the aromas of New Mexico fill the air.
We like to serve this for game days, Colorado snow days, feeding a crowd and batch cooking freezer meals.
Where Did I Get This Recipe?
Back in 1979 I had my first introduction to this incredible Green Chili when a coworker, who happened to be from New Mexico, brought a crock pot full of Green Chili with Pork to an office pot luck.
I hounded her for at least a year for her recipe but to no avail. All I knew was that it was full of pork and green chiles. Keep in mind this was before computers, Google search options and the wealth of resources we have at our fingertips current day.
With that said, this Colorado Green Chili recipe has developed into my own. With countless tweaks and testing, has turned into an award winning Hatch Green Chili Recipe.
What Are The Best Chile Peppers To Use?
You can roast any variety of chile peppers to make this recipe. But if you can get your hands on Chile Peppers from the Hatch Valley of New Mexico, they are my first choice to make this recipe. Hatch green chiles are grown in New Mexico’s Hatch Valley, and are key to making Colorado green chili a very popular dish throughout Colorado.They are prized for their meaty flesh and distinctive roasted flavor.
You can also make this recipe Colorado-grown Pueblo chiles (a hotter, spicier chile pepper,) but the flavor will vary mostly in the spicy area. To learn more, check out my article on Pueblo Chile vs. Hatch Chile.
The most important thing is to use a chile you enjoy eating and to choose the heat level that suits you. I highly recommend using fresh roasted, but canned Hatch green chiles work when fresh aren’t available.
Key Ingredients You’ll Need
- Pork: Bone In pork shoulder roast BUTT Roast. Note: Bone in pork shoulder roasts are typically sold in 7 – 8 pound packages.
- Bacon Grease Drippings will be used for additional flavor when cooking onions.
- Tomatoes: Chopped canned tomatoes work well here, better yet, chopped fresh tomatoes.
- Chile vs Chili: Please note this recipe calls for Chili powder seasoning (with an i) and New Mexico Chimayo Chile Powder. Chili seasoning is a blend of spices used to make Tex-Mex style chili soups like my recipe for Cowboy Chili . Chile powder (with an “e”) is a single blend red chile powder. Chimayo Chile Powder is recommended, or use any New Mexico ground chile powder. To learn more, check out my article What Is Chile Powder.
- Spices: Cumin, Coriander, Mexican Oregano, Smoked Paprika. Use coriander seed or ground coriander.
- Hatch Chile Peppers, roasted, cleaned and chopped.
- Lime Wedges: The acidity from a squeeze of lime will enhance and brighten the flavor.
Mexican Oregano is preferred for this recipe. It's peppery, grassy, earthy flavor is a good compliment for Mexican Food. If you don't have Mexican Oregano, substitute Marjoram. Known for its aroma and delicate flavor, its related to Mexican oregano and will bring a sweet undertone to any recipe.
How To Make Colorado Green Chili
- Step 1: Pat the pork roast dry with a paper towel. Use a large skillet to heat oil. Season both sides of the pork roast with salt. Add oil to the hot skillet, once oil is hot, add the pork roast and sear on both sides until golden browned. About 5 minutes per side.
- Step 2: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the seared pork roast in a 7-quart Dutch oven and cover. 30 – 40 minutes per pound is a good rule of thumb. And plan on about 3-4 hours. Use a digital read meat thermometer to determine an internal temperature of 195 degrees. The meat should be fall apart and easily shred.
Pro Tip: Don't skip searing the meat. This is a crucial step in getting the most flavor out of this meal. Searing creates what is technically called Maillard reaction. Maillard reaction is the process where a crust is created. Simply stated, it's responsible for the complex flavors and aroma that makes bread taste toasty, and a grilled or pan seared seared steak, like my recipe for Denver Steak, taste charred. It's a technique that brings science to your cooking skills.
- Step 3: When the pork roast is cool enough to handle, use a large sheet pan, or disposable foil pan and use two forks, or hands, to shred the meat. Discard any large pieces of fat and the bone.
- Step 4: Leave a couple of tablespoons of the fat from the pork roast, or use bacon drippings. Heat the Dutch oven, add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes . Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add salt, coriander, cumin, oregano, chile powder, chili seasoning and smoked paprika. Stir just long enough to warm spices until fragrant. About 30 seconds. Blooming the spices is a trick I learned in Culinary School. It truly brings out the best in the flavors.
- Step 5: Prepare the green chiles by chopping off the tops, splitting them open. Use the back of a paring knife to scraping out seeds. Chop into bite sized pieces and add to the Dutch Oven along with the tomatoes, shredded pork roast and chicken broth.
- Step 6: Stir together and simmer on low, partially covered for at least an hour, and preferably two.
How To Roast Hatch Green Chile Peppers
If you can only find fresh chile peppers, you will have to roast them yourself by grill or oven.
- Roast until the skins blister and charred.
- Turn as needed so the peppers roast evenly.
- Place them in a covered bowl or sealed container to steam.
- Peel away the loose skins. Remove stems and seeds according to desired heat.
- Chop and add them to the chili.
Pro Tip: When cleaning roasted Hatch chile peppers, don’t run them under water to remove the charred skin. Doing so will wash away most of that oils and smoky flavor that come from the roasting process. Simply remove the burnt skin with your hands. And leaving a few small little patches of that smoky skin will simply add flavor to any recipe using green chiles.
Tips for Success
- Over Seasoning: Resist the urge to over season this Chili. You want the Hatch chile peppers to be the star of the show.
- Make Ahead: If roasting the pork shoulder a day or two in advance, go ahead and shred the meat before refrigerating. It’s much easier to shred while the meat is still warm.
- Purchase Roasted Chile Peppers: Chile roasting events where chile roasting barrels are fired up, are common in our area. Purchasing these peppers are a true convenience if not a luxury.
- Purchase Quality Products: If you’re looking to make an award winning pork green chili recipe, I urge you to always buy a quality blend of Chile Powder. I used New Mexico Chimayo Chile powder or simply powder labeled as New Mexico Red Chile Powder. Ancho chile powder, or cayenne pepper will also work for this recipe.
How To Serve It
- Simply serve green chili with warm flour tortillas for dipping or scooping. Or lightly crush corn tortillas with your hands over the chili for a little crunch.
- A dollop of sour cream or Mexican Crema is always welcome.
- Some chopped cilantro works well here.
- To make it a meal, serve with my recipe for Cheesy Cornbread, or a try this Southwest Salad with Black Beans.
- I love to serve this for breakfast: a simple flour tortilla smeared with refried beans, a healthy spoonful of green chili and topped with a fried egg. Check out my recipe for Green Chile With Eggs. And my Green Chile Smothered Breakfast Burritos.
Make Ahead, Freezing and Reheating
- Make Ahead: As with any type of soup style recipe like this, it tastes better the next day or even in two days. Make this chili up to four days in advance. Store in the refrigerator and reheat stovetop when ready to serve. You can also roast the pork shoulder a couple days in advance, shred the meat and then continue with the recipe the day you plan to serve.
- Refrigerate: To refrigerate leftovers, simply place in a sealed container. This green pork chili will keep for up to 5 days. To reheat, a microwave safe soup bowl works great.
- Freezer: As I mentioned, I’ve been known to double this recipe just so I can have a stash of this Hatch Green Chili in the freezer to keep us warm all Winter. I like to store it in half gallon or gallon freeze safe plastic storage bags. Just fill them most of the way to the top, squeeze the air out and seal well. Those bags will lay flat in the freezer to optimize freezer space. They’ll keep for up to 6 months.
Colorado Green Chili, FAQ’s
I always use a pork shoulder roast, also called pork butt, for this recipe. The marbling and higher fat content keep the pork moist and tender through the long roasting time, while the connective tissue breaks down into rich, flavorful juices. Pork shoulder roasts are often sold in 7- to 8-pound packages. After removing the bone and rendered fat, you'll have about 3 to 4 pounds of juicy, tender shredded pork for the chili.
I don’t recommend leaner cuts such as pork tenderloin or pork loin roast. They don’t have enough fat or connective tissue to stay as tender during the long cooking process and can become dry. I learned this firsthand at a Colorado restaurant that touted its green chili as the "best" because it used pork tenderloin. While the chili itself had plenty of flavor, the lean pork was noticeably dry. For this recipe, pork shoulder is what gives the chili its rich, succulent texture.
It’s very common for people to confuse the words chile (with an e) and Chili (with an “i”). Hatch green chile is a pepper. Colorado Green Chili is the finished dish using peppers.
It’s an entirely different dish. Verde simply translates to “green”. Chile Verde contains pork and chile peppers. The difference being the addition of tomatillos and the absence of tomatoes.Chile verde is more of Mexican food dish, tangier with a different flavor architecture. Colorado Green Chili is a Colorado inspired dish, green chile forward and commonly served smothered.
Yes, plan on 16 ounces of canned chopped chile peppers. There are usually about 4 whole peppers in 4-ounce can of chopped peppers.
That the beauty of cooking with chile peppers. You can purchase mild, medium, hot and even extra hot peppers. I suggest purchasing medium heat peppers for optimal flavor.
Colorado green chili can range from brothy to thick enough to ladle over a burrito. My preferred consistency is a hearty stew that clings to the pork rather than a thin soup. That’s why I use a cornstarch slurry.
Yes you can. Even though I prefer the Dutch Oven method, cooking a pork roast is easily adapted to a Crock Pot Slow Cooker. You can sear the meat then transfer to a crock pot and cook on low for about 8 hours or until tender. You’ll still need to finish the recipe stove-top.
Recipe For Colorado Green Chili
I hope you give my recipe a try. You’ll find many great reviews in the comments section. Every August when chiles are roasting in our markets, I make a couple of large batches to pack away in freezer containers to keep us warm until Spring.
Explore More Ways To Use Hatch Chile Peppers
And if you’re of fan of Southwestern Cuisine, don’t miss my Mexican Southwestern Category. You’ll find lots of great recipes, including another classic New Mexico recipe for Carne Adovada, New Mexico Red Chile Pork. And one of the most popular Hatch green chile recipes on my site for Hatch Green Chile Dip … tortilla chips never had it so good.
If you liked this recipe, please leave a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I always appreciate your feedback and hearing how everything went.
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Colorado Green Chili With Pork
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons neutral oil Such as vegetable or canola oil.
- 1 pork shoulder BUTT roast, Bone in These are usually sold weighing about 7 pounds.
- 1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
- 1 tablespoon bacon drippings
- 1 large onion chopped, about 1 ½ cups
- 5 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 14.5 ounces can chopped tomato undrained. Or 5 – 6 medium fresh tomatoes.
- 32 ounces chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon Kosher alt
- 1 Tablespoon coriander dried, ground, or seeds that have been slightly crushed.
- 1 teaspoon cumin ground
- 1 teaspoon Chimayo Chile Powder or good quality red chile powder
- 1 teaspoon Chili Seasoning your favorite brand
- 2 Teaspoons Mexican Oregano
- 1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
- 1 – 1 ¼ pounds Prepared Hatch Chile Peppers roasted, skinned and chopped. Depending on the size of the peppers, this could range from 8 – 15 roasted peppers.
- juice of ½ lime
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pat pork roast dry with a paper towel and season both sides with Kosher salt.
- Sear The Pork: Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the neutral oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add the pork roast and sear about 5 minutes on each side. Or until well browned.
- Oven Roast: Place the pork roast in a 7 quart Dutch oven and cover. Cook for 30 – 40 minutes per pound. Plan on about 4 hours. Use a digital read meat thermometer to determine an internal temperature of 195 degrees. The meat should be fall apart and easily shreddable at this temperature.
- Shred Meat: Use a large sheet pan, platter, or disposable foil roasting pan to shred pork. Use hands or forks and discard any pieces of fat and bone. When it's all said and done, You'll have about 3 pounds of shredded pork. Reserve two pounds for the Green Chili. And use any pork juices in the chili for more flavor.
- Make The Green Chili: Heat the bacon drippings in the same Dutch oven. (or use butter or oil) Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes . Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Add salt, coriander, cumin, oregano, chile powder, chili seasoning and smoked paprika. Stir just long enough to warm spices until fragrant. About 30 seconds.
- Add 2 pounds of the shredded pork, canned tomatoes, chicken broth, and chopped chiles. Bring to a boil and then simmer on low, partially covered, for at least 1 hour. Up to 2 hours is even better.
- If you want to thicken the Hatch Green Chili, In a bowl combine water and cornstarch and stir until combined. At the end of cooking add this mix and simmer for a few minutes or until thickened. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
- Serve with warmed flour or corn tortillas and a wedge of lime.
Video
Notes
- Over Seasoning: Resist the urge to over season this Chili. You want the Hatch chile peppers to be the star of the show.
- Make Ahead: If roasting the pork shoulder a day or two in advance, go ahead and shred the meat before refrigerating. It’s much easier to shred while the meat is still warm.
- Purchase Roasted Chile Peppers: Chile roasting events where chile roasting barrels are fired up and roasting chile peppers are common in our area. Purchasing these peppers are a true convenience if not a luxury.
- Purchase Quality Products: If you’re looking to make an award winning pork green chili recipe, I urge you to always buy quality Chile Seasoning for the single blend of Chile Powder. I used New Mexico Chimayo Red Chile powder or simply powder labeled as New Mexico Red Chile Powder. Ancho chile powder, or cayenne pepper will also work for this recipe. If you use Chipotle Chile Powder, you'll get a smokier flavor.
- Yield: Pork roasts vary. Some may be fattier. In the end, after cooked and once the bone is removed and fat has rendered, a 7 pound pork roast will yield about 3 pounds of shredded meat.
- Chile Pepper Prep: DO NOT rinse the chiles under water to clean. You rinse away that roasted flavor. Simply use your hands to slide away the charred roasted skin of the chiles and the back of a knife to remove seeds from the inside of the chile peppers.
Nutrition
Why Trust My Recipes? I am a Culinary School Graduate and a lifelong student of home cooking. I hope to inspire you try to cook as often as you can. I’ve been cooking for 50 years, and my recipes are tried and true tested and tested and then tested again before published. To read more take a look at my About Page.
This came out fantastic, I can’t really say enough good things about this recipe. Pay attention to the tips re: ingredients, prep etc and you’ll be rewarded with something transcendent.
In a nasty cold snap here in the northeast, buried under feet of snow…this stew warms the heart and soul!! Thanks for sharing this recipe, much love.
Hi Edwin and thanks so much for the compliments on this soup. And I appreciate you taking the time to write a review. So glad you liked it. Stay warm.
Great flavor. The Sonoran desert rat of my youth is very happy.
I personalized it a bit, but fantastic as is.
Bravo.
Jason ~ Northern CO
Hi Jason and thanks so much for your note. So glad you liked the recipe and took the time to let us know. Love the Sonoran desert rat reference!
This has won us 1st place in our chili cook-off multiple times and has become a family favorite. It’s just perfect!!
I love this! I’ve made it several times- I can enjoy the best comfort from Colorado (and NM) from my new home in WNC!
My son makes Green 💚 chili all the time. I made this with the exception of adding some roasted tomatillos and jalapeños. He said it was the best he’s ever had. Thank you.
I have been making your chili recipe now for about two years. My only difference is I brown chunks of the pork then braise the pork in the chili for 2.5 to 3 hours. My family doesn’t like shredded anything so I made that slight change. Still comes out great. Your selected spice blend is perfect. Thank you for publishing the recipe. We lived in Denver two years ago and I miss the Green chili. Also, I finally found a restaurant here that knows how to cook Carnitas like the restaurants in Denver.
Delicious and highly recommend!
I made this with a 4 lb bone-in pork shoulder cooked at 350 for 3 hrs. After it was cooked, I ended up with roughly 2.5 lbs of shredded pork. My local farmer’s market only had poblano peppers and 15 seemed like a lot, so I opted for 8. This still yielded approximately 2 cups of peppers after they were roasted, peeled, and chopped though.
I live in Colorado, born and raised, and this contends with some of the best Pork Green Chili I’ve ever had…let alone made. Overall, an easy to follow recipe that’s detailed yet concise. Thank you!
This is the best Denver Green made. I fell in love with Green Chile when I lived in Denver and now I follow your recipe when I get the urge.
PS. Are you sure about the internal temp after 4 hours. Should be more like 195 and not 145.
Love your recipes.
Hi Joseph! And thanks so much for your note. I’m so glad you like the recipe and so glad it compares to your experiences of Denver Green Chili. And yes, 195 degrees makes the meat shred-able. Thanks for the heads up. And I appreciate that you took the time to rate the recipe – thanks.
I HOUR PER POUND FOR PORK? SEEMS TO MUCH? I LIKE CHUNKY PORK, STILL COOK THREE POUNDS THREE HOURS? PORK MY FAVORITE MEAT AND WE RAISE BEEF CATTLE.
Chili Verde with pork has been a family staple for decades, we don’t even have a recipe written down. My wife, Susan, has become a fan of yours having made many of your soups. When she said she was going to make you green chili I was reluctant to change but oh my goodness, it is fabulous. One thing we are going to try to do differently is when to add the pork as it seemed to have fallen apart more than in your pictures.
Anyway, love your ideas, and appreciate them.
Guy & Susan (formerly of Parker)
Hi Guy and thanks so much for taking the time to write a note about this chili. I’m thrilled that you liked the recipe and have such glowing remarks.
I bought fresh roasted chiles on Friday, wanted to try once again (I’m 0 for about 10) to make decent pork green chili. Next day this recipe popped up, I’m going shopping for pork shoulder or pork butt (i said butt) and after my first successful batch made from your recipe, I’ll report back from the front lines!
Very well thought out and easy to follow recipe for amature home cook. Reminds New Mexican geen chili stews I used to eat at downtown Santa Fe as well as hole-in-the-wall joints next to gas stations here and there.
I have made this 3x now and it’s delicious! I’m from Colorado but now I live in Alabama where Green Chili is unheard of! Thank you for this recipe
I love this! I’ve made it several times- I can enjoy the best comfort from Colorado (and NM) from my new home in WNC! 5⭐️