A single bottle of beer turns these Braised Pulled Pork Enchiladas Verde into a magical Mexican Meal. The slow cooker insures a steamy blend of well balanced exciting flavors. Simply warming the tortillas to make them pliable to roll, makes this an easy enchilada recipe over those where corn tortillas are fried and dipped.
My post has all the process shots, hints and tips for you to make the very best pork enchiladas verde. Let’s get started.
There’s nothing we love more than homemade Mexican Food. You should try my super easy recipe for Chili Burrito. With cheese and rice, it’s a great way to use left over chili con carne.
So, let’s talk about enchiladas. What do you like in yours? Chicken? Beef Machaca? Cheese? My answer is a resounding yes. To all.
My latest enchilada project found inspiration in a single bottle of beer. Using my slow cooker, a pork roast, a combination of some of my favorite warming spices, and canned green enchilada sauce made for a very flavorful and tender filling for shredded pork enchiladas.
Enchiladas fall into the comfort food category in a big way. When someone makes you enchiladas for you it means they love you. Enchiladas are a labor of love and can quite frankly be time consuming.
Note: Most enchilada recipes call for frying and then dipping the corn tortillas in sauce before rolling. For this recipe, we’re taking an easier route by simply warming the corn tortillas to make them pliable and rollable.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Bone-in or boneless pork shoulder roast.
- Mexican Oregano
- New Mexico Red Chile Powder, Chimayo preferred
- Chili seasoning powder
- Sweet smoked paprika.
- Green Enchilada Sauce, canned to make this an easy recipe.
- Fresh Garlic Cloves
- Sweet Onion
- Beer, your favorite brand
- Cheese: A good white melting cheese. I like Pepper Jack. You can use Monterey Jack or Muenster cheese.
- Yellow Corn Tortillas
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 oregano and will bring a sweet undertone to any recipe.
Ingredient Notes and Swaps
- About Chile Powders: You’ll notice this recipe calls for both Chili (with an “i”) and Chile (with an “e”) powders. Chili powder or seasoning is a blend of seasonings commonly used to season Tex-Mex Chili type soups. Chile powder is a single blend red chile powder made from red chile peppers. To learn more about the differences, please refer to my article Chili vs. Chile.
- Smoked Paprika: Adds a beautiful layer of smoky flavor to this recipe. Since we’re using chile powder, which can be spicy, I’ve specified sweet smoked paprika. If you want to add more heat, substitute hot smoked paprika.
- I used a large can of Las Palmas Green Enchilada Sauce. You can make a double batch of this Homemade Roasted Tomatillo Salsa for the verde topping.
- Purchase a block of cheese and grate it yourself. Packaged pre-grated cheeses contain additives that will keep the cheese from clumping. They can also cause the cheese not to melt smooth and creamy.
Step by Step Instructions
- Step 1: In a small bowl, use a fork to combine to combine the chile powder, chili powder, smoked paprika and Mexican oregano.
- Step 2: Sear the pork roast. My slow cooker has a removable insert that can be used to sear and brown meat stove-top. If you don’t have an insert, use a large skillet to brown the pork roast on both sided before continuing.
- Step 3: Add the spice mix: Sprinkle the spice mix on top of the pork roast. Use your fingers to gently pat the mix on the pork.
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 seared burger taste charred. It’s a technique that brings science to your cooking skills.
- Step 4: Shred the pork. Let the pork cool and and place meat onto a large surface that you can fine shred the meat with two forks. I like to use a disposable foil roasting pan. At this point I like to sprinkle on more red chile powder to add more heat. Use a slotted spoon to fish out the onions from the crock pot and add them and 1 cup of the liquid from the slow cooker to the pork. Shred the pork removing and discarding any large chunks of fat.
- Step 5: Start building those enchiladas. I like to use the casserole dish I’m going to bake them in. Add about ½ cup of Green Enchilada Sauce to the bottom of the casserole dish. Swirl it around to coat the bottom. Add a good pinch of shredded pork to the middle of a warmed tortilla. Add ¼ cup of shredded cheese and very gently roll the tortilla, placing it seam side in the casserole dish. Continue, using the casserole dish as your platform. Keep pushing the enchiladas to the end to make room for 8 enchiladas.
- Step 6: In the end you’ll have two casserole dishes of 8 each pork and cheese filled enchiladas, seam side down, ready to top with cheese.
- Step 7: Pour the remainder of the Green Enchilada Sauce over the enchiladas and top generously with more shredded cheese.
- Step 8: Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until everything is bubbly and cheese is melted.
- Step 9: Top with chopped cilantro and sliced jalapenos to serve. Or pass these items at the table.
Questions You May Have
I highly recommend you use a pork shoulder roast to make this pork verde recipe. Avoid a pork loin, or pork tenderloin. They are leaner cuts of meat and will tend to dry out. Pork shoulder roast has enough fat to keep the meat tender and juicy and very shreddable.
Absolutely. I used a white melting cheese for this recipe to compliment the lighter flavors and color of the Green Enchilada Sauce. Choose whatever good melting cheese you’d like.
I prefer yellow corn tortillas for the corn forward flavor and their sturdy nature. White corn tortillas are somewhat more delicate than yellow corn tortillas, so you’ll need to be more careful during the rolling process. But yes, you can use white corn tortillas.
No, then you’d be making a smothered burrito rather than Pulled Pork Enchiladas Verde. An enchilada is made with corn tortillas, a burrito is made with flour tortillas.
Yes. Simply follow the directions and allow about three hours of oven cooking time for the pork.
How To Serve It
- Serve it with black beans, canned chile beans, or my recipe for Baked Rice for side dishes. Instant Pot Refried Beans are always a popular side.
- Once the enchiladas are out of the oven, top them with chopped cilantro, sliced fresh jalapeno peppers, or sliced Pickled Jalapeno Peppers before serving. And pass a bowl of chopped fresh onion, a customary topping for Mexican enchiladas.
Tips For Success
You simply can’t take a corn tortilla out of the bag and use it to make enchiladas or tacos. You have to warm the tortilla to make it pliable. Use the instructions in the recipe card for warming corn tortillas.
Storage and Leftovers
- Store any leftover enchiladas in the refrigerator well covered with either foil or plastic wrap.
- I recommend the best way to reheat enchiladas is in individual serving portions. A microwave oven works well here.
- Left over enchiladas will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can freeze them for 3 months.
- Depending on the size of pork shoulder you purchased, you may have left over shredded pork. Place any leftovers in a freezer safe zip-loc style bag. Always remember to label the bag using a sharpie marker. Use these leftovers to make more Pork Enchilada Verde in the future.
Recipe for Beer Braised Pulled Pork Enchiladas Verde
This Beer Braised Pork Enchilada Verde recipe is a great dish over which to unwind and catch up with friends. It’s creamy, savory, full of flavor with just enough spicy pizazz.
And pork enchiladas with green sauce is a happy tangy switch well balanced blend of flavors, a nice switch from traditional red-sauced enchiladas. I hope you give these slow cooker pork enchiladas it a try.
You Might Also Like
- Ground Beef Enchiladas With Red Chile Gravy
- New Mexico Stacked Enchiladas
- Chicken Enchiladas with Tomatillo Cream Sauce
- BBQ Pork Enchiladas, Cochinita Pibil
And if you’re a fan of Mexican food, don’t miss my Mexican Southwest Recipes Category. You’ll find lots of great recipe to spice up your meal plans. Including the most popular on my site for Hatch Green Chili with Pork.
And don’t miss this one for Chicken Taco Casserole. A crowd cheesy creamy crowd pleasing recipe.
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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Beer Braised Pulled Pork Enchiladas Verde
Equipment
- 1 Slow Cooker large enough for a pork roast
Ingredients
- 1 3-4 pound pork loin roast trim off some of the large fat cap
- 1 teaspoon New Mexico Chile Powder Chimayo preferred
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and rough chopped
- 1 large onion peeled and cut into half moon rings
- 1 cup Mexican beer
- 2 ½ cups Las Palmas Green Chile Enchilada Sauce divided
- 2 cups Monterey Jack Cheese shredded, more if needed
- 16 soft corn tortilla shells
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Heat two tablespoons canola oil in a large skillet, or better yet, if you have a removable slow cooker insert. Once the oil is hot, add the pork roast, brown on both sides that have been seasoned with salt.
- While the pork is browning, mix together the Mexican oregano, chile powder, chili seasoning and smoked paprika. Place browned pork roast in a slow cooker and sprinkle the top with the spice mix, gently rubbing some of into the meat.
- Toss in the garlic and top with the onion rings. Pour in the beer and 1 cup of the green enchilada sauce.
- Cook pork on low for about 8 hours. Or until meat is fall off the bone shreddable tender.
- Let the pork cool and and place meat onto a large surface that you can fine shred the meat with two forks. I like to use a disposable foil roasting pan. Use a slotted spoon to fish out the onions and add 1 cup of the liquid from the slow cooker to the pork. Shred the pork removing and discarding any large chunks of fat. At this point I like to sprinkle on more red chile powder to add more heat.
- Warm the Corn Tortillas: To build the enchiladas, working in two batches, wrap half of the corn tortillas in a clean dish cloth that's been slightly dampened with water under the faucet. Place wrapped tortillas in a gallon zip lock bag, but don't close the bag. Place in microwave and cook for 4 minutes on 50% power.
- Build the Enchiladas: I like to use my two 10 x 6.5" Le Creuset baking dishes to make enchiladas two pans of enchiladas. But you can also coat a 9 x 13 casserole dish with non-stick spray. Add ¼ cup of the enchilada verde sauce to each casserole dish or ½ cup to a 9 x 11 dish. Swirl it around to coat the bottom.
- Remove one tortilla at a time from bag and place about ¼ cup of the shredded pork in a tortilla shell. Top with 2 Tablespoons of shredded cheese and roll. Place the first enchilada into the casserole dish, seam side down, nestled to one edge of the pan. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, pressing them close together as you build and place them in the pan.
- Heat the remaining tortillas and repeat the process.
- Once all tortillas are filled and in the casserole dish, pour remaining cup of enchilada sauce over the enchiladas and generously sprinkle with more shredded cheese.
- Bake 30 minutes covered or until bubbly.
- Serve immediately.
- *If you can't find Chimayo chile powder, just increase the regular chili powder to two teaspoons
Notes
Nutrition
Beer Braised Pork Enchiladas Verde … It’s what’s for Dinner.
Why Trust These Recipes? Lea Ann Brown has lived, worked and played in Colorado for 45 years. She has immersed herself in the Colorado Culinary space, is a Culinary School Graduate and publishes her Colorado food Blog, Cooking On The Ranch.
You are right about enchiladas are a labor of love but I think they are really worth the effort, especially if you are making them for a party. You can assemble then early and pop them in the oven just when your guests arrive.
I made this last night and it was delicious! I started the pork braise yesterday morning. Because of my gluten intolerance, I used Holidaily Riva Stout, from Golden, CO. I braised it in the oven, but it wasn’t ready to shred after 2 hours at 350 (maybe my oven runs hot?), so I put it back in the oven for another hour at 300, which worked very well. Being a “Scoville wimp”, I used the mild version of the enchilada sauce, along with 2 different chili powders from Penzeys. I was using 6″ soft corn tortillas, but they only held half the filling (nothing wrong with leftovers!). The recipe doesn’t specifiy size, but I would use larger corn tortillas next time. We loved it, and it was easy to prepare, but the cook time is much longer than specified in the recipe. The pork can probably be made a day ahead and stored in a container in the fridge. Love this!
I agree that when somebody makes you enchiladas that means they love you!! 🙂 These enchiladas look totally amazing 🙂
Wow! These look good! I think we should all eat me enchiladas!
I have some cooked pork shoulder in the freezer waiting for a great recipe like this! They look wonderful, Lea Ann. Happy Holidays to you!
I’ve never met an enchilada that I didn’t like and your version sounds great. 😀
Hi Lea Ann, oh do these look delicious, I could eat these enchiladas for breakfast, lunch and dinner. My favorite flavors. Happy Holidays!
Now I need to get a beer 😀
Yum. Like Total Yum! I could eat this pork a zillion ways!
Stellar! And great photos as always.
Las Palmas makes good green, and red sauces.
These sound wonderful. Green sauce is my very favorite!! I can see this appearing on our table soon!
This one is a must try!
Beer braised AND verde??? That’s enchilada heaven, my dear.
Enchiladas are my son’s favorite! Yum! These look good!
We love enchiladas and these look and sound fabulous. What a great photo, too. Made my mouth water.
Just reading the title made me salivate and the photo took it up another notch. It looks delicious and when I work off the big batch of posole (your recipe) I just made, I’ll give this a try but will make the enchilada sauce to use some of the many roasted chiles we brought back from Santa Fe. Do you have a go-to recipe on your blog?
I think I’ve got a beer in the refrigerator, so I’m ready to make this! Love enchiladas, and I don’t care what the filling is — they’re all good. This looks exceptional — thanks.