There are some recipes that just feel like home, and this Mexican Pork and Tomato Chile Verde is one of them for me. This isn’t a traditional pork chile verde, the addition of tomatoes takes it a bit off the beaten path, but it is still our favorite version of chile verde.
Pork Chile Verde
Pork Chile Verde is one of the Mexican foods I crave the most. Whenever I am in New Mexico, I order chile verde burritos and tacos more frequently than any other food. Learning how to make this at home has been such an awesome experience.
The recipe I’m sharing has been very lightly adapted from Simply Simpatico . The Junior League of Albuquerque wrote this cookbook to celebrate the authentic flavors of New Mexico, and it is a fantastic guide to real Southwestern cooking.
New Mexican Chile Verde
Cozy food at its best.
Learning how to make chile verde at home has been such an awesome experience. This recipe is hearty and flavorful, the kind of dish that makes your whole kitchen smell amazing while it simmers away on the stove. The pork gets fork tender, the tomatoes break down into a rich sauce, and the roasted green chiles give everything warmth and flavor without being overly spicy. If you try this, be sure to come back and let me know what you think of it!
Tomato and Pork Chile Verde
In the past, a long simmer time always intimidated me, but there really is nothing to it. The whole prep and kitchen work time in this recipe is easily completed in under 15 minutes. My entire family, even my youngest son, (who was a toddler the first time we made this) enjoyed this meal and asked for seconds.
I’ve since learned to double this recipe every single time I make it. The leftovers here are everything, as this is a recipe that is even better the next day. I’ll happily eat this for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
I just made this in a dutch oven, recipe as is…it’s AMAZING! Will be serving with polenta and am equally as excited for the leftovers. Just the right amount of heat for me (a wimp when it comes to chiles). I ended up browing the pork for 7-8 min to begin with and cooked for about 110 minutes at a simmer…it’s super tender. This is on my list to be making over and over again!!
– Megan
Ingredients for Tomato Pork Chile Verde
I love how simple the ingredient list is, but don’t let that fool you – every bite is layered with flavor. Browning the pork first gives it that deep, savory base, and then you have the garlic, onion, and bell pepper building on that.
Add in the tomatoes, green chile, and a few spices, and the result is a pot of food that tastes like a whole lot more than the sum of its parts. The slow cook is where the magic really happens as the pork simmers in that green chile tomato broth. Everything melds together beautifully, and the pork becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender.
How to Serve Chile Verde
Chile verde is often spicy enough to just warm your mouth, but then it is balanced by the polenta, rice, or tortillas served with it. I serve this most often over cheesy polenta , as pictured here, the polenta soaks up that rich sauce so well.
However, we also enjoy it over rice or mashed potatoes. And it is delicious the next day as a thick soup or stew, sopped up with hearty flour tortillas or cornbread . The meat is perfect stuffed into burritos and tacos as well. I don’t think there’s a way we don’t enjoy eating chile verde.
Ingredients1x2x3x
- ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ▢ 2 pounds pork cubed into 1″ pieces, I used boneless pork sirloin chops, but pork shoulder is good as well
- ▢ 3 cloves garlic minced
- ▢ ½ yellow onion diced small
- ▢ 1 red bell pepper chopped small, green bell pepper works as well
- ▢ 29 ounces can whole tomatoes
- ▢ 4 ounces chopped green chile roasted, peeled and chopped small, frozen or canned is fine also
- ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ▢ ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt adjust to taste
- ▢ 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ▢ ½ cup beef broth (or 1/2 cup water, plus 1/2 teaspoon beef base)
- ▢ ¼ cup fresh parsley about 2 tablespoons minced
Instructions
- Heat the oil, over medium high heat, in the bottom of a large dutch oven or soup pot with a lid. Brown the pork and then add the onion, garlic and bell pepper. Saute for a few minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Add the tomatoes and crush them with your hands or a wooden spoon. Add the green chile, cumin, cloves, salt, lemon juice, and beef broth. Stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and then reduce the heat to medium low.
- Cook, covered with a lid, for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally. The mixture should be barely simmering. After two hours, remove the lid and add the parsley. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired. Simmer for an additional 30-45 minutes, uncovered, until the mixture has thickened.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
{originally published 2/8/13 – recipe notes and photos updated 10/4/25}
Mexican Pork and Tomato Chile Verde
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 pounds pork cubed into 1" pieces, I used boneless pork sirloin chops, but pork shoulder is good as well
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ yellow onion diced small
- 1 red bell pepper chopped small, green bell pepper works as well
- 29 ounces can whole tomatoes
- 4 ounces chopped green chile roasted, peeled and chopped small, frozen or canned is fine also
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt adjust to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup beef broth (or 1/2 cup water, plus 1/2 teaspoon beef base)
- ¼ cup fresh parsley about 2 tablespoons minced
Instructions
- Heat the oil, over medium high heat, in the bottom of a large dutch oven or soup pot with a lid. Brown the pork and then add the onion, garlic and bell pepper. Saute for a few minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Add the tomatoes and crush them with your hands or a wooden spoon. Add the green chile, cumin, cloves, salt, lemon juice, and beef broth. Stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and then reduce the heat to medium low.
- Cook, covered with a lid, for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally. The mixture should be barely simmering. After two hours, remove the lid and add the parsley. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired. Simmer for an additional 30-45 minutes, uncovered, until the mixture has thickened.
Nutrition
Mexican Pork and Tomato Chile Verde https://barefeetinthekitchen.com/mexican-pork-chile-verde-recipe/
