Hatch Green Chili with Pork (Colorado Green Chili) features tender shredded roasted pork shoulder, plenty of roasted Hatch Green Chile Peppers and your favorite Southwest warming spices. This Award Winning Pork Green Chili Recipe is Fall comfort food at its best and one of our favorite ways to use Hatch Chile Peppers.
What Is Hatch Green Chili With Pork?
A nod to our neighbors to the South, no surprise Hatch Green Chili originated in New Mexico. Traditional New Mexico Hatch Green Chili is a simple sauce or soup with seasonings and roasted Hatch Green Chile peppers.
New Mexico vs. Colorado Green Chili: Heading North, Green chili transforms into a thicker soup or stew with the addition of pork for Colorado Green Chili.
Hatch Green Chili is a savory pork stew taking advantage of roasted green chile peppers, pork roast and plenty of Southwestern warming spices. It’s a popular dish in the Southwest, particularly in New Mexico and Colorado with variations from each state. Colorado style green chili is a thicker and heartier with the addition of pork.
This Pork Green Chili Recipe, Colorado is the only way I’ve ever prepared it … for over 40 years.
Every August when chiles are roasting in our markets, I make a couple of large batches of my Hatch Green Chili to pack away in freezer containers to keep us warm until Spring.
Where Did I Get This Hatch Green Chili Recipe?
Back in 1979 I had my first introduction to this incredible Southwestern treat 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 Pork Green Chili recipe has developed into my own, with countless tweaks since 1979. And has turned into an award winning Hatch Green Chili Recipe.
Where Do Hatch Chiles Come From?
You can roast any variety of popular capiscum chile peppers, Anaheim, Big Jim or even chiles grown here in Colorado known as Mirasol to make a pot of Pork Green Chili.
But if you can get your hands on Chile Peppers from the Hatch Valley of New Mexico, they’re meatier, they’re larger and have a beautiful chile pepper flavor. Some say superior flavor. For a chile pepper to be labeled a Hatch Chile, it must be grown in the Hatch Valley region of Southern New Mexico.
Why are they special?
- Hatch Chile Peppers offer a great balance of heat and sweetness.
- The New Mexico terroir, the long hot days and cool nights, the climate is perfect for producing excellent peppers for your Southwestern recipes.
- They’re simply wildly popular here in the West.
Each Fall, we celebrate the arrival of Chile peppers from the Hatch Valley. Parking lot and roadside stands fire up their chile roasting drums and the aromas of New Mexico fill the air.
We evangelize and we obsess. We talk constantly about them and we add Hatch chile peppers to almost everything. We clear out our freezers to make room for as many packages of roasted chile peppers as we can possibly squeeze in.
A Winter stash is a cache to cherish. And the first thing I make is this Colorado green chili recipe with pork.
Let’s get started.
Table of contents
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 to add flavor when cooking onions.
- Tomatoes: 1 can chopped tomatoes, or use three large fresh tomatoes.
- Chile vs Chili: Please note this recipe calls for Chili powder seasoning (with an i) and Chile powder. Chili seasoning is a blend of spices used to make Tex-Mex style Chili Soups. 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 Chili vs. Chile.
- Southwest Spices: Cumin, Coriander, Mexican Oregano, Smoked Paprika. Use coriander seed or ground coriander.
- Hatch Chile Peppers, roasted, cleaned and chopped.
- Lime Wedges: Serving Hatch Green Chili with Pork with a squeeze of lime will brighten flavor.
- A cornstarch slurry if you’d like to thicken the chili once cooked.
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.
How To Make Colorado Green Chili, It’s Easy
- Step 1: Remove the pork roast from package and pat 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 145 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 seared burger 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: Discard the grease from the pan. 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.
- 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.
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 smoky flavor that comes 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 green chile recipe.
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 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.
How To Serve Hatch Green Chili
- 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.
How To Roast Hatch Green Chile Peppers
If you can only find fresh chile peppers, you will have to roast them yourself, which is a very time consuming job.
- Broil: Place chile peppers on a sheet pan and broil until blistered, turn and blister the other side. Place the peppers in a gallon sized zip lock bag, don’t seal and let them steam for about 20 minutes. You can then clean and prep them.
- Grill: I feel a gas grill is an easier option. Simply heat the grill to 400 degrees, then place as many chile peppers as you can fit on the grates. Once blistered on one side, use long tongs to turn and blister on the other side. Place the peppers in a gallon sized zip lock bag, don’t seal and let them steam for about 20 minutes. You can then clean and prep them.
- Air Fryer: If you’re simply wanting roast a small batch of green chiles, an air fryer is a good option. Spray the peppers with oil, then place them in the air fryer. Cook until blistered, then turn and cook the other side. Use the zip lock bag method to steam.
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 Hatch Green 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.
Questions You Might Have
Pork shoulder roast or pork BUTT is commonly used to make Hatch Green Chili. More fat = tender and moist. Pork shoulder roasts (also labeled as Boston Butt) are typically sold in 7 – 8 pound packages. Once cooked, fat and bone removed, you’ll end up with about 3 – 4 pounds of shredded pork. I discourage to you use leaner cuts like pork tenderloin or a pork loin roast. The meat will have a dry texture.
Most Hatch Chile peppers are not as hot as a jalapeno pepper. On the other hand they can be as hot as a jalapeno or hotter. Why? There are several varieties of chile peppers grown in the Hatch Valley. And are categorized as Hatch Chile peppers because of the location they’re grown. They’re commonly labeled simply as Mild, Medium and Hot. Easy, let that be your guide.
Many farmer’s markets will set up chile roasting machines to roast peppers on site. If you simply can’t find Hatch Chiles in your area, you can always order them delivered to your doorstep. And they’re already roasted! Yes please! During harvest season, which starts in late August, you can also order fresh chiles and roast them yourself.
Yes, plan on 16 ounces of canned chile peppers, four 4-ounce cans chopped. There are usually about 4 whole peppers in 4-ounce can of chopped peppers. Or use 16 ounces of whole canned chile peppers.
No. Chile Verde is a classic Mexican pork stew in a tangy sauce of tomatillos, green chiles and peppers. The chile peppers routinely used are poblano peppers and jalapeno 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, or the pork may overpower the overall flavor of the end dish.
Yes, this recipe 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. Remove the meat and shred, then continue the recipe instructions. Once all ingredients are assembled and in the crock, cook on low for about 4 hours.
Hatch Green Chili Recipe With Pork (Colorado Green Chili)
I hope you give my Colorado Green Chili a try. You’ll find many great reviews of this recipe in the comments section. I entered my Colorado pork green chili recipe in the South Metro Denver Realtor Association Green Chili contest for nearly 6 years, and it always placed at the top.
How To Use Leftovers
Now that you’ve got that big glorious batch of Green Chili, here’s a couple of way to use the leftovers:
- Smothered Hatch Green Chili Breakfast Burrito, Hatch Green Chili Smothered breakfast burritos are a breakfast burritos championed. Clearly one of our best burrito recipes. A perfect combo of potatoes, scrambled eggs and bacon.
- Fried Eggs with Green Chili, This is just one of our ways to enjoy our stash of Hatch Green Chili. Smear a flour tortilla with refried beans, add a big ladle of leftover Green Chili and top with fried or poached eggs.
- Leftover Shredded Pork: You’ll have about a pound of shredded pork that goes unused in this chili. Reheat in a saucepan with your favorite BBQ Sauce for an easy BBQ pork sandwich.
More Hatch Chile Peppers Recipes
And don’t miss my post for Chili vs. Chile for some great info on all things Chile Peppers and Hatch chile peppers recipes. You’ll lots of ways to use Hatch chiles. There’s something for everyone.
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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Hatch Green Chili with Pork (Colorado Green Chili)
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
- Remove pork roast from package, pat dry with a paper towel and season both sides with Kosher salt. 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.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the seared pork roast in a 7 quart Dutch oven and cover. Cook for 30 – 40 minutes per pound is a good rule of thumb. And plan on about 4 hours. Use a digital read meat thermometer to determine an internal temperature of 145 degrees. The meat should be fall apart and easily shreddable.
- Use a large sheet pan, platter, or disposable foil roasting pan to shred pork. Use hands or forks to shred 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.
- 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
Hatch Green Chili, Colorado… It’s What’s For Dinner
