Hatch Green Chili Colorado Style features roasted pork shoulder and plenty of warming spices. This Award Winning recipe for Colorado Green Chili is comfort food at its best and one of our favorite Hatch green chili recipes.
Every August when chiles are roasting in our markets, I make a couple of large batches of this Colorado Green Chili to pack away in freezer containers to keep us warm until Spring.
A nod to our neighbors to the South, no surprise that the dish originated in New Mexico.
Traditional New Mexico Hatch Green Chili is a simple sauce or soup with seasonings and roasted Hatch Green Chile peppers.
Heading North, it transforms into a thicker soup or stew with the addition of pork for this Colorado Green Chili Recipe.
Colorado Green Chili is the only way I’ve ever it … for over 30 years.
Table of contents
- Why All The Fuss Over New Mexico Hatch Chile Peppers?
- New Mexico Chile Peppers, Red or Green?
- How To Stash Hatch Chile Peppers
- Chili vs. Chile
- How To Make Pork Hatch Green Chili Colorado Style, Step by Step
- How To Serve Green Chili
- FAQ’s
- Recipe for Hatch Green Chili Colorado Style
- What Can You Do With Hatch Green Chiles?
About This Recipe, It’s History
Back in 1979 I had my first introduction to this incredible Southwestern treat when a coworker, petite, blond and Polish brought a crock pot full of Colorado Green Chili to an office pot luck.
I hounded her for at least a year for her recipe but she would never give it to me. All I knew was that it was full of pork and green chiles. Keep in mind this was before computers, Google and the wealth of resource we have at our fingertips.
With that said, this Hatch Green Chili recipe has developed into my own, with countless tweaks since 1979. And has turned into an award winning Hatch Green Chili Recipe.
Why All The Fuss Over New Mexico Hatch Chile Peppers?
Of course you can roast and use Anaheim or Big Jim Chiles to make a pot of Green Chile with Pork. But if you can get your hands on Chile Peppers from the Hatch Valley, they’re meatier, they’re larger and they’re superior in flavor.
A great balance of heat and sweetness. New Mexico terroir, the long hot days and cool nights, the climate is perfect for producing excellent peppers for your Southwestern recipes.
I would compare the Hatch Valley and Chile Peppers to Napa Valley and wine.
There’s really not a variety of pepper called Hatch Chile. These famous peppers are of various varieties and grown in the Hatch Valley of New Mexico. They are 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.
New Mexico Chile Peppers, Red or Green?
Most New Mexico chile peppers are picked while they’re green to be used in salsas, sauces, enchiladas and so many other dishes.
But many chiles are left to ripen on the plant. Once they’re picked they turn red. They too can be roasted and used in your favorite Southwestern recipes. Even though they’re red, they too will work well in this Hatch Green Chili Recipe.
Most red chile peppers are dried and strung into ristras or dried and made into chile powders.
How To Stash Hatch Chile Peppers
How To Store Hatch Chile Peppers? I always purchase a large amount of roasted whole chile peppers. When I get home, I divide them into individual zip-lock style freezer bags, eight per package and then seal and freeze them after using my beloved vacuum food sealer machine.
How Long Do Hatch Chiles Last In The Freezer? Popped into the freezer they keep for months and retain their flavor beautifully. To use, just thaw, cut off the tops, remove seeds and most of the charred skin.
I like to leave a few small chunks of that smoky skin for extra flavor.
Don’t need to use 8 chiles at a time? Just put the 8-pack of chile in the microwave for 1 minute. After 1 minute, pull out the amount of chiles that you need and put the rest back in the freezer.
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.
Chili vs. Chile
Please note that this green chili recipe uses both Chile Powder and Chili Seasoning. Chile Powder with an “e” is a single ground chile powder.
Chili (with an “i”) Seasoning is a blend of seasonings that routinely consists of cumin, chile powder, Mexican Oregano, garlic, etc., used to season Chili soup.
I urge you to always buy quality Chile Seasoning. For the single blend of Chile Powder, I used New Mexico Chimayo Red Chile powder. Ancho would also work for this. If you use Chipotle Chile Powder, you’ll get a smokier flavor.
Chile with an “e” refers to a chile pepper. Chili with an “i” refers to a stew.
How To Make Pork Hatch Green Chili Colorado Style, Step by Step
How Do You Make Hatch Colorado Green Chili? Let’s get started!
- Step 1: Start by roasting a three to four-pound pork shoulder roast in the oven, 350 degrees for 3 hours. Simply seasoned with salt and pepper, or you can season with pork rub, a sprinkling of chile powder, you choose.
- Step 2: Remove the roast to a large cutting board. When the roast is cool enough to remove large pieces of fat and shred the meat. Place the shredded meat into a large Dutch oven.
- Step 3: Chop the tops off fifteen roasted Hatch Chile Peppers, remove some of the blistered skin and seeds and rough chop. Most of the seeds come out when you chop the top off. If you want to take the time to clean the peppers by removing the veins and all of the seeds, you’ll have to split them open and scrape. I don’t do that, unless they’re too hot. The heat is in the veins and seeds of the pepper.
- Step 4: Add chicken broth and a can of (or fresh) chopped tomatoes and spices. Chimayo Chili Powder is important in this recipe. Or use a good quality red chile powder purchased from a reputable spice shop. I also use Chili Powder in my recipe. Chili powder is a combination of dried chilis with other spices added in. It’s what you use to make Beef and Bean Chili Soup. Let simmer on low for at least an hour or preferably 2 – 3 hours.
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 Serve Green Chili
- Simply serve the green chili with warm flour tortillas for dipping or scooping.
- A dollop of sour cream or Mexican Crema is always welcome
- Some chopped cilantro works well here.
I entered my Colorado green chili recipe in the South Metro Denver Realtor Association Green Chili contest for nearly 6 years, and it always placed at the top.
FAQ’s
Pork shoulder roast or pork BUTT is commonly used to make Hatch Green Chili. More fat = tender and moist. If you use a pork tenderloin or pork loin roast, the meat may be dryer.
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.
No. You can chop and de-seed green chiles just like you do jalapeno peppers. Then use them in fresh salsas like Pico de Gallo, or saute them to add flavor to dishes like Mexican Scrambled Eggs. For Hatch Green Chili, it’s customary to use roasted green chile peppers.
Recipe for Hatch Green Chili Colorado Style
I hope you give my Colorado Green Chili recipe a try, and If you do, please take the time to come back and give this recipe a rating. It is very valuable to me for future recipe development.
And leave a comment about your experience with the recipe.
Now that you’ve got that big glorious batch of Hatch Green Chili, here’s a couple of way to use the leftovers:
How To Use 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. Green Chili and Eggs with refried beans on a flour tortilla, you’ve got a killer Southwestern breakfast.
And if you’re of fan of New Mexico Recipes like we are, 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.
Hatch Green Chili, Colorado Style
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons neutral oil Such as vegetable or canola oil.
- 3 pound pork shoulder roast Pork BUTT, bone in
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon bacon drippings
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 14.5 ounces can chopped tomato undrained
- 1 quart chicken broth or more. Depending on how much meat came off the roast.
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 tablespoons coriander dried, ground
- 1 teaspoon cumin ground
- 1 teaspoon hot Chimayo Chile Powder or good quality red chile powder
- 1 teaspoon of your favorite chili powder
- 2 teaspoons Mexican Oregano or more if needed
- 1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
- 15 chile peppers roasted, skinned and chopped. 1 1/2 – 2 cups. Depending on the heat level you'd like. Use Hatch, Pueblo or Poblano
- juice of 1/2 lime
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
Instructions
- Season the pork roast with salt and pepper. Heat the Dutch oven 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 2 minutes on each side. Or until golden brown.
- Place the seared pork roast in a large Dutch oven. Cover and roast in a 350 degree oven until done. About 3 hours. Remove the roast from the pan and let cool enough to be handled and then shred the meat with two forks. Set aside.
- Heat the oil and the bacon drippings in the same Dutch oven. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 10 minutes . Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Add the shredded pork, canned tomatoes, chicken broth, salt, coriander, cumin, oregano, chile powders, paprika and chiles. Bring to a boil and then simmer on low for at least 1 hour. Up to 2 hours is good.
- In a bowl combine water and cornstarch and stir until combined. Towards the end, I like to add a little of this to thicken the soup.
- Add a squeeze of lime to each bowl of chili. From here, taste and adjust the seasonings to your taste. Serve with warm flour tortillas.
Video
Notes
Colorado Green Chili … It’s What’s For Dinner
What Can You Do With Hatch Green Chiles?
How do you use Green Chiles? If you love Chile Peppers as much as we do here’s a great line-up of Hatch Chile recipes.
- Baked Avocado and Scrambled Egg Breakfast Burritos with Green Chile Gravy
- Green Chile Chicken Lasagna
- Instant Pot Scalloped Potatoes with Green Chiles
- Pork Green Chile Stew with Potatoes
- Roasted Green Chile Chicken Tacos
- Green Chile Shrimp Quesadillas
- Hatch Green Chile Quiche with Bacon
- Green Chile Chicken Burgers
- Hatch Green Chile Pasta with Chicken
- Green Chile Dip
- Toasted Pueblo Chile Chicken Sandwich
- Overnight Hatch Chile Breakfast Burrito Casserole
- Easy Breakfast Tacos with Hatch Chile Potatoes and Eggs
- Roasted Hatch Chile Sauce
- Hatch Chile Hummus
- Hatch Chile Beef Short Rib Stew
- Hatch Chile Mac and Cheese
- Hatch Chile Burgers with Tequila Lime Seasoning
- Hatchamole Scrambled Egg Breakfast Sandwich
- Anthony Bourdain’s New Mexico Beef Chili Recipe
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.
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