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We are big fans of all forms of chili in our household. From moose chili to this quick and easy Colorado Green Chili, these recipes are perfect for this fall.
Pork chili is delicious and melts in your mouth. The best part is that the leftover meat can be used in enchiladas or burritos for another meal later in the week.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Jarred tomatillo salsa makes this chili easier than usual, and crazy fast. This chili is ready in under an hour!
- Searing the meat gives an extra depth of flavor that’s quick to achieve.
- Pork chili is delicious and melts in your mouth, and any leftover meat can be used in enchiladas or burritos for another meal later in the week!
Ingredients
- Boneless pork chops: The fresher the better! A local butcher is best, but a regular grocery store is just fine, too.
- Butter: I will always sing the praises of real grass-fed butter, highly recommended!
- Canned chopped green chilis: Feel free to go with whatever is cheapest near you. Most store-brand canned goods come from the same place as the name-brand ones.
- Tomatillo salsa verde: Tomatillo salsa gives the chili its distinctive color, and tastes great!
- Chicken or pork broth: This is the perfect recipe to use some homemade pork broth.
- Flour (optional): Flour adds some extra thickness to the chili, which can help since we won’t be simmering for hours. It’s not required, but if you prefer thicker chili, you’ll probably want it.
I love making Dutch oven chili recipes because it’s just one pot to clean, and by searing first, we will get those browned pork juices that will make this dish taste like it simmered all day long.
Easy Colorado Green Chili Recipe
Pro Tip: It’s always best practice to set aside your meat and salt and pepper it at least an hour in advance of searing. Don’t worry if you forget; it’s not the end of the world, but for added depth of flavor, pull out your meat in advance and at least salt it.
Step 1: Prep your onion and garlic by dicing and mincing, and have them ready to go. Chop the cilantro and have your seasonings ready.
Step 2: Take your meat and sear both sides in butter in your sizzling dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Step 3: Remove the pork to a cutting board and dice it into smaller pieces; about 1” cubes are perfect. That way, the meat will fall apart easily and will be manageable to eat. Set aside the hot pan.
Step 4: With your dutch oven lowered to medium heat, add another slab of butter and saute the onions and garlic together until translucent. Stir in your cilantro.
Step 5: Add the meat back in, along with the green chilies and tomatillo salsa.
Step 6: Next, add the broth and bring to a boil while seasoning with more salt, pepper, and cumin.
Step 7: Reduce the heat to a steady simmer and let it go for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you prefer, you can thicken the chili with a couple of tablespoons of flour here. It’s not essential, but it does give it a thickness that is lost since the chili will not simmer all day.
Step 8: Ensure the pork is cooked through before serving. If the meat was cut into 1” chunks or smaller, it should be good to go. Bigger pieces will take a bit longer, so keep an eye on your Colorado green chili and be sure to check the internal temperature of the pork with an instant thermometer.
By the time the chili is done, it will fall apart and melt in your mouth. Delicioso!
Recipe FAQs
Chili verde in Spanish literally translates to green chili in English. Tomatillo tomatoes, which are green in color, are used rather than the typical red tomatoes used in traditional chili or venison chili. The peppers used are also green rather than red, adding to the depth of green color here. That’s part of it, but what makes chili verde the dish is to use pork as the meat. A pork shoulder is ideal, but I actually like to use pork chops; even leftover boiled pork chops will work in a pinch.
You may be wondering, “Are green chilis spicy?” Like all other chilis, there are several levels of heat. I crafted this dish to please the palates of a household of children, so don’t worry if spice isn’t your thing. Since we’re using jarred tomatillo salsa verde to get our tomatillos and some of our chilis in, you can select a mild version, or vice versa, right off the grocery shelf. The same goes for the canned green chilis we’re using. Choose mild if that is your preference.
As with most chilis, the standard is a nice, moist cast iron cornbread. Which, as you can imagine, is cooked in cast iron! Another great option is to serve some warmed tortillas on the side. Even quesadillas are quick to throw together, especially on a sheet pan. Top it with chips, sour cream, Mexican queso fresco, more cilantro, or extra hot sauce for the daring at your table.
Leftovers should be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days. It can be warmed back up in the microwave for a quick and easy meal on a busy weeknight!
This is one of my favorite ways to use pork chops, while I typically save the shoulder for my dutch oven pulled pork and my pork cottage roll recipe.
But either way, it’s incredibly delicious. Make this for your next potluck, and you’ll be the favorite of the night!
Related Recipes You’ll Love
- Polish sauerkraut soup
- Savory pork bone soup
- Classic venison stew
- Make-ahead fajitas texanas
- Easy sausage peppers & rice
If you tried this Colorado Green Chili or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Colorado Green Chili
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs of boneless pork shoulder or pork chops
- 2 tbsp butter divided
- 1 onion peeled and diced
- 4 cloves of garlic minced
- 1/2 bunch of cilantro chopped
- 7 oz can of chopped green chilis
- 16 oz jar tomatillo salsa verde
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 tsp sea salt plus more to season the pork
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 2 tbsp flour optional
Instructions
- Salt and pepper meat, then sear both sides in a dutch oven in a tablespoon of butter.
- Remove the pork to a cutting board and dice it into 1" cubes
- Add another tablespoon of butter and saute onions and garlic.
- Stir in cilantro, then add the meat back in, along with the green chilies and tomatillo salsa.
- Add broth and bring to a boil while seasoning with salt, pepper and cumin.
- Thicken with flour if needed, then cover the dutch oven and reduce heat to simmer for 30 minutes.
- Ensure the pork is cooked through before serving it with your favorite toppings.
Video
Notes
- Feel free to adjust the heat by choosing the level of spice in your green chiles, mild, medium, or hot; it’s totally up to you.
- For the best flavor, I like to sear the pork until it develops a nice golden, crispy crust. It just tastes so much better in the chili that way.
- If you’ve got the time, let it simmer for a few hours before serving. The longer it cooks, the better the flavors come together.
- You can follow the step-by-step images above for reference, or check out the quick video in the recipe card for a closer look!
oh my, i love how easy this is to make!
Agreed!
Very good! It’s spicy, but just the right amount!
Yes, it does have a bit of a kick! I am happy to hear it turned out so well for you!
Looks good – but that isn’t Colorado green. You won’t find tomatillos or tomatillo salsa in a bowl of Colorado green. And you want fresh roasted peeled chopped poblanos, Anaheim or hatch Chiles.
quick & easy maybe…but CO green chile? NO!