YIELD: 6 servings | PREP TIME: 20 minutes STOVETOP: 1 hour 40 minutes | SLOW COOKER: 8 to 10 hours | PRESSURE COOKER: 55 minutes
• 1 pound (454 g) tomatillos, papery husks removed, rinsed, and halved
• 1 medium onion, sliced into ½-inch-thick rings
• 2 poblano peppers (about ½ pound)
• 6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
• 2 jalapeño peppers, halved and seeded
• 1 handful fresh cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• 2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1 cup (240 ml) Chicken Broth or water
• 3 pounds (1361 g) pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 pound (454 g) white or sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
1. Preheat the broiler to high. Arrange the tomatillos, onion, poblano peppers, and garlic on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil for 5 to 7 minutes, until the veggies and garlic are charred. Flip the veggies and broil for another 5 minutes, or until the second side is charred.
2. Place the poblano peppers in a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap. This will build up enough steam to make the skins easy to rub off. When the garlic is cool enough to handle, pop the cloves out of the skins. Add the peeled garlic, onion, and jalapeño peppers to a blender. When the poblano peppers are cool enough to handle, rub off the skins and remove the stems and seeds. Add the poblano peppers to the blender with the rest of the vegetables, then add the cilantro, oregano, and 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of the salt. Pour in the broth and blend until smooth.
3. Season the pork with the remaining teaspoon of salt. Pour the tomatillo sauce into a large pot and add the pork and potatoes. Cover and cook at a bare simmer for about 90 minutes, until the pork and potatoes are tender. Serve garnished with cilantro.
Slow Cooker Instructions: Complete Steps 1 and 2, but in Step 2 blend the tomatillo mixture with ½ cup chicken broth (instead of a full cup). Place the pork, potatoes, and tomatillo sauce in a slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, until the pork and potatoes are tender.
Pressure Cooker Instructions: Complete Steps 1 and 2, but in Step 2 blend the tomatillo mixture with ½ cup chicken broth (instead of a full cup). Place the pork, potatoes, and tomatillo sauce in a pressure cooker. Secure the lid and cook at high pressure for 35 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally before opening the lid.
Lower-Carb Modification: Use celery root instead of potatoes.
More Recipes You'll Love
Roasted tomatillo pork chili verde gets its bright, tangy green sauce from tomatillos, poblanos, and garlic charred under a broiler before blending. Cubes of pork shoulder then braise in that smoky puree with potatoes until everything is meltingly tender. Cilantro stirred in fresh keeps the whole pot vibrant and alive.
Pro Tips
- Char the tomatillos, onions, poblanos, and garlic under the broiler until genuinely blackened in spots. That char is the soul of a proper chili verde.
- Steam the poblanos under plastic wrap before peeling — their skins slide right off, and rubbing them under running water would wash away the smoky flavor.
- Keep the braise at a bare simmer for the full 90 minutes. Pork shoulder rewards gentle heat and punishes a hard boil with tough, chewy cubes.
- For the lower-carb version, swap the potatoes for celery root as the recipe suggests — the tangy green sauce loves it just as much.
Frequently Asked Questions
What cut of pork is best for chili verde?
Pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes. Its marbling breaks down over the long braise and keeps the meat succulent in the tangy sauce.
Can I make this chili verde in a pressure cooker?
Yes — blend the tomatillo sauce with just 1/2 cup of broth, then cook the pork and potatoes at high pressure for 35 minutes with a natural release.
How long does pork chili verde keep?
Up to 4 days in the fridge and about 3 months frozen. The flavor deepens overnight as the pork absorbs the roasted tomatillo sauce.
Can I use a different pepper instead of poblanos?
Anaheim peppers are the closest substitute — mild, green, and roast beautifully. Avoid sweet bell peppers; the sauce needs some pepper bite.
Recipe Card
- 1 lb tomatillos, papery husks removed, rinsed, and halved
- 1 medium onion, sliced into ½-inch-thick rings
- 2 poblano peppers (about ½ pound)
- 6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
- 2 jalapeño peppers, halved and seeded
- 1 handful fresh cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish
- ½ tsp dried oregano leaves
- 2 tsp salt, divided
- 1 cup Chicken Broth or water
- 3 lb pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 lb white or sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
- Preheat the broiler to high. Arrange the tomatillos, onion, poblano peppers, and garlic on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil for 5 to 7 minutes, until the veggies and garlic are charred. Flip the veggies and broil for another 5 minutes, or until the second side is charred.
- Place the poblano peppers in a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap. This will build up enough steam to make the skins easy to rub off. When the garlic is cool enough to handle, pop the cloves out of the skins. Add the peeled garlic, onion, and jalapeño peppers to a blender. When the poblano peppers are cool enough to handle, rub off the skins and remove the stems and seeds. Add the poblano peppers to the blender with the rest of the vegetables, then add the cilantro, oregano, and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Pour in the broth and blend until smooth.
- Season the pork with the remaining teaspoon of salt. Pour the tomatillo sauce into a large pot and add the pork and potatoes. Cover and cook at a bare simmer for about 90 minutes, until the pork and potatoes are tender. Serve garnished with cilantro.
Lower-Carb Modification: Use celery root instead of potatoes.
