This Hatch Green Chili Recipe with Pork (Colorado Green Chili) features roasted pork shoulder and plenty of warming spices. This Award Winning Pork Green Chili Recipe is comfort food at its best and one of our favorite Hatch green chili recipes.
Got leftover green chili? Use it to make breakfast the next morning with easy Green Chili and Eggs.
Every August when chiles are roasting in our markets, I make a couple of large batches of my Hatch Green Chili Recipe 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.
This Pork Green Chili Recipe, Colorado is the only way I’ve ever prepared it … for over 40 years.
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.
With that said, let’s get started.
Table of contents
- Where Did I Get This Hatch Green Chili Recipe?
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- Important: Chili vs. Chile
- How To Make Colorado Green Chili, It’s Easy
- How To Serve Pork Green Chili
- Questions You Might Have
- Storage and Reheating
- Tips for Success
- Why All The Fuss Over New Mexico Hatch Chile Peppers?
- How To Stash Roasted Hatch Chile Peppers
- Hatch Green Chili Recipe With Pork (Colorado Green Chili)
- What Can You Do With Hatch Chile Peppers? More Recipes:
Ingredients You’ll Need
- 3 pound pork shoulder roast, preferably bone in. Remember, that bone adds a boost of flavor.
- Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
- Neutral Oil: Canola oil or Vegetable Oil.
- Bacon Grease Drippings
- 1 large onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 14.5 ounce can chopped tomatoes
- Chicken Broth
- Spices: Cumin, Coriander, Chimayo Chile Powder, Chili Powder, Mexican Oregano, Smoked Paprika
- Chile Peppers, roasted and chopped
- Lime Juice
- Water
- Cornstarch
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.
Important: Chili vs. Chile
Please note that this pork 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.
Chile with an “e” refers to a chile pepper. Chili with an “i” refers to a soup or stew.
To learn more, check out my article Chili vs. Chile.
How To Make Colorado Green Chili, It’s Easy
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.
- 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.
How To Serve Pork 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 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.
Questions You Might Have
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.
Storage and Reheating
- As I mentioned, I’ve been known to double this recipe just so I can have a stash of this Hatch Green Chili Recipe 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.
- 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.
Tips for Success
- 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.
- 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.
Why All The Fuss Over New Mexico Hatch Chile Peppers?
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.
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. They’re 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.
How To Stash Roasted 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.
Hatch Green Chili Recipe With Pork (Colorado Green Chili)
I hope you give my Colorado Pork Green Chili a try. You’ll find many great reviews of this recipe in the comments section.
Now that you’ve got that big glorious batch of 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.
And don’t miss my post for Chili vs. Chile for some great info on all things Chile Peppers and recipes. There’s something for everyone.
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.
And, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter for more delicious recipes and cooking tips. Make it a delicious day … every day.
Hatch Green Chili with Pork (Colorado Green Chili)
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons neutral oil Such as vegetable or canola oil.
- 3 pound pork shoulder roast Pork BUTT, bone in
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ 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 ½ – 2 cups. Depending on the heat level you'd like. Use Hatch, Pueblo or Poblano
- juice of ½ lime
- ½ cup water
- ¼ 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
Nutrition
Colorado Pork Green Chili … It’s What’s For Dinner
What Can You Do With Hatch Chile Peppers? More Recipes:
How do you use Hatch Chile Peppers? If you love Chile Peppers as much as we do here’s a great line-up of Recipes with Green Chiles.
- 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
- 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 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.
Best recipe ever!!!! The peppers came to MINNESOTA via whole foods. I was able to get the chimayo Chile on eBay from a guy that lives in Colorado. Thank you for a fantastic recipe!!!!
Fabulous Robert! And so glad you found some Chimayo Chile Powder. It can be hard to come by.
Could cubed potatoes be added he this? The best green Chile stew I’ve ever had was in Castlerock, CO and I believe it had diced potatoes.
How would this affect the cooking time and thickness?
Absolutely Marsha. I have added potatoes to this.
Looking forward to making this. When you refer to 1 1/2 T coriander, are you referring to cilantro, ground coriander, or coriander seeds?
Actually I use ground coriander. And I like to garnish with a little bit of fresh cilantro. I think the flavors differ, so both are welcome. And if you want to substitute coriander seeds, I’d toast them a bit and them crush them.
Thank you! So 1 1/2 tablespoons ground coriander is correct not 1 1/2 teaspoons? I’m making it now and the house smells amazing.
Now you’ve got me 2nd guessing. Did you put 1 1/2 Tablespoons? I had someone else question that amount about a year ago.
I put that much but would love to hear your thoughts.
Thank you for this recipe! I have tried it twice, and it’s a definite keeper! I also live in Colorado, and found the 1st roasted green chilis in the frozen food isle of King Soopers (aka Kroger, to our east coast friends.) My hubby likes it hot, so I also added a can of diced jalapenos to my first attempt. No complaints; great recipe as written.
Tonight, I tuned it up a notch; Denver’s Mile High Flea Market had booths with fresh roasted chilis. I bought three, 1 gallon zip-locks of fresh roasted hatch chilis at $2.50/bag. I made the recipe as written, after dicing all 30, banana sized, roasted chilis. Their charred skins gummed up my knife every 5th chili- be prepared with a paper towel. Since we like it spicy, I also added 1/2 jalapeno, and a dash of habenero. It is very hot, so the added peppers arent recommended! We use this chili on egg and potato breakfast burritos.. Yum!
Thanks Stacie. I’m so glad you like the recipe. And thanks for the info about the flea market. One more resource. Enjoy those chiles 🙂
Does anyone have a good place to get authentic chimayo chili powder?????? Hard to tell what’s what from searching on Google.
Thanks!
I don’t. But I’ll be making a trip soon to the town of Chimayo. I’ll have my hands on authentic.
This might work for you. http://www.madeinnewmexico.com/products/new-mexico-red-chile/red-chile-powders/los-chileros-chimayo-blend-chile
Thank you Greg.
I buy it from the Village of Chimayo – and I’m certain it’s authentic. I know that doesn’t help much. But you might try to contact the trading post next to the church.
Hey Lee Ann,
I am entered in a Chile contest and was thinking about cubing the pork…would you use the same cut of meat?
Yes, pork shoulder.
BTW, there is no need to drive all the way to Brighton for homemade tortillas. There are several places on So. Federal. We go to Las Tres Americas on Federal and Evans for both flour and corn tortillas. And yes, they are still warm when you get them.
Hello Lea Ann,
Huge fan of green chili, don’t know when I first had it – sometime when I was a kid, but I’ve always loved it. My husband is a Rep for Sandhill Scientific, in Highlands Ranch, CO and we visit most summers. Love Colorado and the Southwest/West in general. I try green chili wherever I find it out West, always searching for the best. I make a Green Chile Pork Stew that I just sort of pieced together over the years. Very similar to your recipe. I sometimes serve it pretty straight and sometimes add hominy and black beans to round it out a bit more. Depends on my mood. Anyway, delighted to find your site and look forward to learning from you. I saw the Chimayo Chili Powder mentioned and did a bit of research online. There seem to be a few purveyors, but wildly different prices and availability. I’m wondering if some of these outlets might be selling “contraband” or “faux” Chimayo Chili Powder? I usually buy my spices from Penzeys or Savory Spice but have not see that particular one. I’d love to try the real deal and am searching for a reputable dealer. Would you be willing to part with the name or site where you purchase yours and is it available online? Thanks in advance if you can part with it!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B073MNYJPT/ref=mp_s_a_1_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1505528626&sr=8-2&keywords=chimayo+chile+powder&dpPl=1&dpID=3181HpOOUtL&ref=plSrch. Here’s a place to get real Chimayo chile powder.
Based on the 1 review of that product, I am suspect it is authentic chimayo or not.
Hi Amy. Thanks so much for your note. I’ve heard some bad rumors about fake Chimayo chile powder. I’m so leery that I’ll only buy it from the village of Chimayo. At the trading post next to the church.
I’ve been looking for a recipe like This! Very similar to my ex husband’s that I love but he won’t share the recipe….
Question… how many cups or weight does the green chilies amount to? I have quite a bit of frozen that is already chopped, etc…
Thanks!
This was very good but WAY too much thyme. I would probably omit completely next time around. Also, added extra cup of sharp cheddar. TY!
Excited to try this!! Is the 1½ tablespoons coriander ground coriander seed or meant to be fresh cilantro? I presumed it was ground coriander seed and that seems rather intense and overwhelming.
This was my question. I love the sound of the recipe but I don’t like the assumptions people make when writing. Is it cilantro? Is it ground coriander, seed? Sooo frustrating especially with something cooking that long. I’m guessing it’s ground but hats so much.
Hi Bret: It’s Ground Coriander. I’ll change the recipe. Thanks for pointing that out. I do like to add fresh Cilantro at the end however. Following the rule: dried spices at the beginning of the cooking stage and fresh at the very end.
I am about to try your Hatch Green Chili, Colorado Style recipe. When previewing the recipe, I had the same questions about the coriander…fresh cilantro, whole coriander seed, or ground coriander? I searched the comments to see if anyone asked the question previously and found my answer. I noticed you were going to clarify the online recipe but it still says “coriander” and does not specify what form. This is just a friendly reminder to update the recipe.
It sounds like tomorrow is supposed to bring our first chilly blast of fall weather and this seemed like the perfect recipe for a chilly Sunday afternoon. Can’t wait to try it!
Thanks so much Deb. I appreciate that heads up.
Hi there – I made your green chile tonight. It is so delicious, very welll-balanced. I didn’t have any Chimayo chile on hand, but I’d read about chimayo’s citrus notes so subbed NM Chile and added a scant amount of orange zest. It’s like a touch of sunshine n the pot. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Thanks so much for your note and I’m so glad you liked it. Love..love..love your idea with the orange zest. Here’s to a delicious Sunday.
I made this for our annual green chili cook off. I doubled the liquids and spices after a trial run to make sure it was the consistency that I knew the “judges” would expect. I WON!!! Thank you so much, this is delish and have already tried it with turkey (pork is def better). It’s a new staple! ?
I made this yesterday and this was delicious. I had medium Hatch chiles and boy was it spicy! The only thing I changed was the amount of pork. I used 1.5 pounds rather than the 4 the recipe calls for. It was still very meaty, so I was surprised the recipe calls for 4 pounds.
There is a lot of fat and bone weight in a pork shoulder. Once the pork is shredded, I’m not sure of the final weight.
I just made this last night. I had almost all of the ingredients. I looooovvvveeeee it!!!! Thanks for sharing this!!!
Thank you so very much! And I appreciate that you took the time to let me know. High Five!
Hi I am.currectly preparing this dish and its simmering away. But i still have my lime left…. I read over the directions several times but I may still be missing it, where does the lime juice come in? Add at the end?
Add at the end. Thanks for letting me know, I’ll change it. I make so much Mexican food, there’s always a lime involved. 🙂
Could I cook roast in a pressure cooker to save time?
Absolutely. I need to use my pressure cooker more, you’ve given me a great idea.
I made this recipe in my crock pot, very tender & delicious
Fabulous – and thanks so much for letting me know. And yes, it works well in the Crockpot – I’ve made it that way several times.
I found Hatch chiles at Hy-Vee in Minneapolis this weekend! I was thrilled! Guess what I am doing today? You guessed it! Thanks for the great recipe,
Yay, what a great find. Enjoy!
Made this to represent the Broncos at our Super Bowl party. Very well received. Thank you. We’re looking forward to having the leftovers for breakfast served with an over-easy egg on top and tortillas.
Perfect! Love this served exactly the way you’re going to serve it.
This recipe looks amazing..can’t wait to try it!! Thanks for sharing~
You’re welcome Liz. Happy Holidays.
I live in Highlands Ranch, CO and just discovered your blog. I LOVE green chili with Brewery Bar being my favorite while eating out right now (it changes). I am planning on trying your recipe but was wondering, where near Highlands Ranch do you find your chilies? I’m ready to make your dip and other recipes too! I better buy a bunch!
Thanks so much for stopping in and the comment. An email is on it’s way.
Wilmore Nursery has a roasting station. It’s on County Line just east of Broadway.
Thank you so much for this recipe. I used to live in Colorado in Fort Collins and loved the Green Chili at one of the restaurants there, the BEST green chili I have ever tasted. This one sounds very much like the one there.
Thank you Ginger. We’ve had a beautiful Colorado late Summer here. I think you’d be missing Ft. Collins right now if you only knew. 🙂 Thanks so much for stopping in and for the comment.
I’m in FoCo..which restaurant?? 🙂