Green chili stew is a hearty Southwestern bowl of tender pork shoulder, soft potatoes and roasted green chile in a savory, lightly thickened broth seasoned with cumin, oregano, garlic and onion. The pork is browned, then simmered slowly until it is tender, and the roasted chile goes in at two points so the stew has both deep, mellow chile flavor and a fresh, bright finish. It is a slow-simmered weekend pot, served hot with warm flour tortillas for dipping.
How to make green chili stew: Brown 2 pounds of cubed pork shoulder and set aside. Soften onion and garlic, and stir in flour if you want a thicker stew. Return the pork with half of 2 cups of roasted green chile, 4 cups of chicken broth, bouillon, cumin and oregano. Cover and simmer 1 to 1½ hours. Add cubed potatoes and simmer uncovered 30 to 45 minutes. Stir in the remaining chile for the last 10 minutes.
Why You’ll Love It
- Tender pork. Shoulder turns soft and juicy with a long simmer.
- Real chile flavor. Two cups of roasted green chile.
- A meal in a bowl. Meat, potatoes and broth together.
- One pot. Brown, simmer and serve from the same pan.
- Great leftovers. It keeps well and freezes well.
Ingredient Notes
Pork shoulder. Two pounds, cut into 1-inch cubes.
Vegetable oil. Two tablespoons, for browning.
Onion and garlic. One large yellow onion and 4 cloves.
All-purpose flour. Three tablespoons, optional. It gives the broth more body.
Roasted Hatch green chile. Two cups, chopped and divided. Frozen, jarred or canned roasted green chile all work.
Chicken broth. Four cups.
Caldo de pollo and caldo de tomate. One teaspoon of each. These are chicken and tomato bouillon powders, sold in the Latin foods aisle.
Russet potatoes. Three medium, peeled and cubed.
Cumin and oregano. One teaspoon of each.
Salt, pepper and flour tortillas. To season and to serve.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (optional)
- 2 cups roasted Hatch green chile, chopped, divided
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon caldo de pollo
- 1 teaspoon caldo de tomate
- 3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Warm flour tortillas, for serving
How to Make Green Chili Stew
1. Season the pork. Pat the pork cubes dry and season with salt and black pepper.
2. Brown the pork. Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Brown the pork in batches, then remove it from the pot.
3. Cook the onion and garlic. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add the optional flour. If using flour, stir it into the onions and cook for 1 minute.
5. Start the stew. Return the pork to the pot. Add half the roasted green chile, the chicken broth, caldo de pollo, caldo de tomate, cumin and oregano.
6. Simmer the pork. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook gently for 1 to 1½ hours, until the pork begins to turn tender.
7. Cook the potatoes. Add the potatoes and simmer uncovered for 30 to 45 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the broth has thickened.
8. Finish with green chile. Stir in the remaining green chile and simmer for 10 more minutes. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. Serve hot with warm flour tortillas.
When Should the Green Chile Go In?
In two parts. Half goes in at the start, with the broth, and cooks with the pork for the whole simmer. The other half goes in at the very end, for the last 10 minutes.
| When | How much | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| With the broth, before the long simmer | Half, about 1 cup | It melts into the broth and flavors the pork all the way through |
| For the final 10 minutes | The other half | It keeps its color, its texture and a fresher, brighter chile taste |
Chile that simmers for two hours turns soft and mellow and all but disappears into the stew. That is good for depth, but on its own it can taste flat. Chile added at the end still tastes roasted and green. Using both gives you the two layers in one bowl.
This is how this recipe does it, not a rule for every pot. Plenty of good green chile stews add all of the chile at the beginning, or all of it after the first simmer. If that is how you have always made yours, it is not wrong.
What is the order of everything else?
| Stage | Time | Lid |
|---|---|---|
| Pork, broth, seasonings and the first chile | 1 to 1½ hours | On |
| Potatoes | 30 to 45 minutes | Off, so the broth reduces and thickens |
| The second half of the chile | 10 minutes | Off |
Tips for Success
Why brown the pork in batches?
A crowded pot steams the meat. Browning a few pieces at a time gives a dark crust, and that crust flavors the whole stew.
Do I need the flour?
No. It is optional. Without it the stew is brothier. The potatoes release starch and thicken it somewhat on their own.
How do I know the pork is ready for the potatoes?
A cube pressed with a spoon gives easily but does not yet fall apart. It will finish softening while the potatoes cook.
What if I cannot find Hatch chile?
Roasted Anaheim chiles are a common stand-in. Use the same chopped amount.
How hot is it?
That depends on the chile. Roasted green chile is sold as mild, medium and hot, so pick the heat you like.
Storage and Reheating
Divide leftover stew among shallow, covered containers and refrigerate it within 2 hours. It keeps for 3 to 4 days in the fridge or 3 to 4 months in the freezer. Thaw in the refrigerator, not on the counter. Reheat on the stove until it comes to a boil and reaches 165°F. Do not reheat it in a slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
Warm flour tortillas are the classic partner, for tearing and dipping. For more stews, try the cowboy stew, the Instant Pot beef stew, the slow cooker Mulligan stew or the slow cooker poor man’s stew. For another bowl with a kick, there is Wendy’s chili. And for more green chile, make the one pan green chili chicken.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should the green chile go into the stew?
Half with the broth before the long simmer, and half for the final 10 minutes.
What meat is in green chili stew?
Pork shoulder, cut into cubes and browned.
Do I have to thicken it?
No. The flour is optional.
What do I serve with it?
Warm flour tortillas.
Final Notes
I measure the chile into two bowls before I start, so the second half is not forgotten at the end. If you make it, leave a comment to tell me how it turned out or ask a question.
Green Chili Stew
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Ingredients
- 2 pounds pork shoulder cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour optional, for thickening
- 2 cups roasted Hatch green chile chopped; divided
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon caldo de pollo
- 1 teaspoon caldo de tomate
- 3 medium russet potatoes peeled and cubed
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- salt and black pepper to taste
- flour tortillas warm, for serving
Instructions
- Pat the pork cubes dry and season with salt and black pepper.
- Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Brown the pork in batches, then remove it from the pot.
- Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- If using flour, stir it into the onions and cook for 1 minute.
- Return the pork to the pot. Add half the roasted green chile, the chicken broth, caldo de pollo, caldo de tomate, cumin and oregano.
- Bring to a simmer, cover and cook gently for 1 to 1½ hours, until the pork begins to turn tender.
- Add the potatoes and simmer uncovered for 30 to 45 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the broth has thickened.
- Stir in the remaining green chile and simmer for 10 more minutes. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. Serve hot with warm flour tortillas.
Notes
Nutrition
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