With tender chunks of pork, slightly spicy tomato and chile-studded sauce, this Colorado Pork Green Chili Recipe is healthier comfort food at its finest!
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Enjoy authentic Colorado Pork Green Chili without all the fuss of husking tomatillos or de-seeding jalapenos. This chili makes a fantastic weeknight dinner recipe and will disappear in no time!
Today I introduce to you the pork green chili that has ruined all restaurant green chilis for me: my favorite Colorado Pork Green Chili Recipe.
Not only does this chili have a perfectly seasoned, tangy sauce that has just enough kick to make you smile in anticipation for your next bite without making you sweat. But, it's also so dang easy to make.
I mean, really. I remember a few years ago (before I started Mae's Menu), deciding to dive into a green chili recipe on a Sunday afternoon. It required work: hulling tomatillos, slicing jalapenos, and deconstructing other various fresh produce from scratch.
I wish I could say that results of my labor were worth it, but unfortunately, they were not. The chili sauce was flavorless, the kick of chili was way too much for my taste, and why did I put in all that hard work again?
Thinking that all green chilis, by definition, required a Sunday afternoon in the kitchen, I didn't dig for any other recipes. Instead, I stuck to ordering it when out (which, thankfully, is a super easy thing to do here in Colorado).
Fast forward to December of last year, however, when I ordered a cup of chili with my lunch while Chris and I were out celebrating a (very cold) outdoor anniversary lunch.
The experience was disappointing: the sauce was slimy, the flavor rather one-dimensional (all heat, no spices or acid), and the pork was non-existent. I quickly realized what was next for me: finally developing a pork green chili recipe that is totally tasty while being accessible and made with only easy-to-find and use ingredients.
The following few weeks were busy ones: I tested out different combinations of pork, cumin, coriander, diced green chiles, green enchilada sauce, salsa verde, and more. Once I got my flavor profile down, I tested out how to make this recipe in the Instant Pot and Crockpot.
What resulted is a recipe, though I've eaten approximately 5 different batches over a span of a few weeks, I still get beyond excited to dig into it whenever it finds its way onto our menu again. I hope you get that excited about this recipe, too.
Here at Mae's Menu, we have a variety of readers: those who are more experienced in the kitchen and want to zip straight through to the recipe and those who want to learn more about the dish, potential substitutions, and more.
To skip straight to the recipe, just click "Jump to Recipe" at the top left of this post. To browse the post quickly, just click the headings in the table of contents below.
Table of contents
- This Colorado Pork Green Chili recipe is...
- Recipe ingredients:
- Ingredient substitutions & adaptations:
- What is Colorado pork green chili?
- Is this recipe gluten-free?
- How to make this Colorado green chili...
- Pro-tips to make this recipe perfect every time:
- Can you make this recipe in an Instant Pot?
- Can you make this recipe in a slow cooker?
- How do you serve colorado green chili?
- Storing, freezing, and reheating letovers:
- Tools needed to make this recipe:
- Other chili recipes you'll love:
- Or Pork recipes to check out:
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This Colorado Pork Green Chili recipe is...
- Meaty
- Tangy
- Lightly-spicy
- Made with easy-to-find ingredients
- Versatile
- Great for meal prep
- Easily made in an Instant Pot or slow cooker
- Naturally gluten-free
- A hit with the whole family
You don't have to wait until you're dining out to enjoy a delicious green chili! In fact, this recipe is ready in about an hour, doesn't require any obscure ingredients, and tastes better than most restaurant equivalents!
Recipe ingredients:
- Pork loin - if you can't find a straight-up pork loin, just cut up some pork chops. Either works just fine.
- Onion
- Garlic
- Cumin
- Low-sodium chicken broth - or traditional broth, just reduce the salt to ¾ teaspoons
- Diced green chiles - you can find canned at most grocery stores. Defrosted frozen green chiles can also work.
- Canned diced tomatoes - preferably low sodium
- Salsa verde - adds the tang of tomatillos and a bit of jalapeno heat without any fuss
- Cornstarch - thickens up the chili sauce
Ingredient substitutions & adaptations:
- Pork - ground pork will work in place of cubed pork, but the texture and nutritional profile of the recipe will be different
- Thickener - flour and water can work in place of the cornstarch and water, though this will make the recipe no longer gluten-free
What is Colorado pork green chili?
Colorado pork green chili is a thick stew made of pork, green chiles, chicken broth, seasonings, and tomatillos and jalapenos. The chili is lightly spicy and features more herbal and acidic notes than it does heat.
Some recipes require peeling and simmering down tomatillos, seeding and cutting jalapenos, and more, but this recipe takes care of that work for you by using salsa verde instead.
Is this recipe gluten-free?
Yes, this recipe is naturally gluten-free!
How to make this Colorado green chili...
- Saute the onions and pork in hot olive oil until the pork is no longer pink.
- Add the garlic, cumin, and salt, and saute for 2-3 minutes, or until fragrant.
- Stir in the chicken broth, diced green chiles, diced tomatoes, and salsa verde until combined. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until the tomatoes are dark red and the sauce has thickened a bit.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and cold water until combined. Pour into the chili and cook, stirring frequently, until the chili has thickened up.
- Season the chili with additional salt to taste and serve hot!
Pro-tips to make this recipe perfect every time:
- Prepare the chili ingredients ahead of time. The first few steps do move along quickly so you'll appreciate having everything all ready to go from the start.
- Use pork that has a fair amount of marbling. You don't want a crazy amount of marbling, but a few ribbons of fat to give flavor.
- Use fresh garlic. I know mincing garlic can be a pain, but trust me: using freshly minced garlic gives so much better flavor than the bottled garlic. If you want to save time but still have that fresh garlic flavor, look for peeled garlic at your supermarket (I can usually find it at Trader Joe's).
Can you make this recipe in an Instant Pot?
It's super simple to make Instant Pot green chili with this recipe, thankfully. Here are the directions:
- Complete the first two sauteing steps on the saute setting of the Instant Pot or pressure cooker, cooking on medium heat.
- Stir in the chicken broth, green chiles, tomatoes, and salsa verde. Stir well.
- Turn off the saute feature and lock on the lid. Pressure cook the chili on high for 13 minutes and quick-release the pressure.
- Whisk up the cornstarch slurry as directed and turn the Instant pot back to medium heat on the saute feature. Stir in the cornstarch and cook, stirring as you go, for 2-3 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.
- Season with any additional salt to taste and serve hot!
Can you make this recipe in a slow cooker?
Yes, you can easily make slow cooker green chili with this recipe. Here's how:
- Complete the first two sauteing steps as directed in a dutch oven or stockpot.
- Pour the pork and spice mixture into a slow cooker and add the chicken broth, green chiles, diced tomatoes, and salsa verde. Stir well.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 1 hour and then on low for 7 hours.
- Before serving, turn the temperature back up to high for 15 minutes. Mix the cornstarch slurry up as directed and mix into the chili for 5-10 minutes, or until the chili has thickened up.
- Season with any additional salt to taste and serve hot!
How do you serve colorado green chili?
Oh, how Coloradoans love their green chili! There are so many different serving options for this. You of course can enjoy a large bowl with sour cream or Greek yogurt, cheese, diced onion, etc. Or, you can do as we do and serve it "smothered" over any of the following:
- Burritos
- Omelets
- Roasted potatoes or breakfast skillets
- Grilled chicken
- Grilled cheese
- Burgers
- ... and the list goes on!
Basically, you can serve this chili wherever you want a spicy, tangy, and saucy topping, so have fun experimenting and let me know your favorite combos in the comments below!
Storing, freezing, and reheating letovers:
Leftover chili keeps covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. It can also be frozen in a freezer-safe container for 2-3 months.
Reheating: reheat the chili on medium-high power in the microwave on 1-2.5 minute intervals, depending on the amount you are reheating, stirring between intervals.
If you are reheating from frozen, thaw the chili in the refrigerator for 24 hours before reheating as directed above.
Tools needed to make this recipe:
- Cutting board
- Chef knife
- Measuring cups & spoons
- Dutch oven or stockpot
- Heat safe spatula
- Whisk
- Small mixing bowl (optional)
- Can opener (optional)
Other chili recipes you'll love:
Or Pork recipes to check out:
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Colorado Pork Green Chili (+ Instant Pot & Crockpot Directions)
With tender chunks of pork, slightly spicy tomato and chile-studded sauce, this Colorado Pork Green Chili Recipe is a classic chili recipe that's perfect on it own, poured over burritos, eggs, grilled cheese, roasted potatoes, and more!
See the notes below the recipe for directions on how to make Instant pot green chili and slow cooker green chili.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ cup chopped white or yellow onions
- 1 ¼ lb. pork loin, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 4 oz. can diced green chiles, undrained
- 1, 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, no salt added
- 1 ½ cups (12 oz.) salsa verde
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- 4 tablespoons cold water
- Optional chili toppings: green onions, cilantro, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream or Greek yogurt, black olives, minced onions, etc.
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven until it sizzles when flicked with water. Add the onions and pork and saute, stirring frequently, for 6-8 minutes, or until the pork is no longer pink.
- Add the garlic, cumin, and salt to the pot and saute for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the garlic is fragrant and the spices are mixed throughout.
- Stir in the chicken broth, green chiles, diced tomatoes, and salsa verde. Stir well. Increase the heat to high and bring the chili to a boil. Reduce the heat back to medium and simmer for 27-30 minutes, stirring about every 5 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened a bit and the tomatoes are a dark red color.
- In a small mixing bowl or cup, whisk together the cornstarch and cold water until a slurry forms. Pour the slurry into the chili and stir, cooking the chili for another 1 ½-3 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened up.
- Remove the pot from the heat, season with any additional salt to taste, and serve hot with your favorite chili toppings!
Notes
1. Leftover chili keeps covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. It can also be frozen in a freezer-safe container for 2-3 months.
2. To make this recipe in the Instant Pot: complete steps 1 & 2 on the saute setting of the Instant Pot or pressure cooker, cooking on medium heat. Stir in the chicken broth, green chiles, tomatoes, and salsa verde. Stir well. Turn off the saute feature and lock on the lid. Pressure cook the chili on high for 13 minutes and quick-release the pressure. Whisk up the cornstarch slurry as directed and turn the Instant pot back to medium heat on the saute feature. Stir in the cornstarch and cook, stirring as you go, for 2-3 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened. Season with any additional salt to taste and serve hot!
2. To make this recipe in the slow cooker: complete steps 1 & 2 as directed in a dutch oven or stockpot. Pour the pork and spice mixture into a slow cooker and add the chicken broth, green chiles, diced tomatoes, and salsa verde. Stir well. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 1 hour and then on low for 7 hours. Before serving, turn the temperature back up to high for 15 minutes. Mix the cornstarch slurry up as directed and mix into the chili for 5-10 minutes, or until the chili has thickened up. Season with any additional salt to taste and serve hot!
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
⅛ of the recipeAmount Per Serving Calories 233Total Fat 11gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 57mgSodium 337mgCarbohydrates 13gFiber 2gSugar 4gProtein 22g
This nutrition breakdown is just an estimate of the nutritional value of this recipe and cannot be taken as facts. The owners of Mae's Menu are not nutritionists or dietitians and therefore cannot be held accountable for this nutrition estimate. Please contact your nutritionist or medical professional for a nutritional breakdown of this food. Furthermore, this food is not intended to prevent, diagnose, cure, or treat any disease.
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