This Hatch green chili with shredded pork is the soup my family asks for all fall. The base is a smoky salsa of Hatch chiles, tomatillos, poblanos, onion, and garlic, and the pork cooks until it falls apart. It’s cozy, a little smoky, and just as good the next day.
It’s also easy to make ahead, which matters when you’re juggling school, practice, and dinner. Make the pork or the salsa the day before, then combine them when you’re ready to eat.
Why You'll Love Hatch Green Chili with Shredded Pork
- It’s make-ahead. The pork and the salsa can each be made in advance.
- It’s flexible. Use a slow cooker or an Instant Pot, whichever fits your day.
- It stretches. The leftovers turn into other dinners (ideas below).
Ingredients You Will Need
Pork Shoulder (Pork Butt): This cut features beautiful marbling and rich fat content, which breaks down during pressure cooking to yield incredibly juicy, fork-tender shredded meat that absorbs the green chile flavor perfectly.
Hatch Green Chiles: The absolute star of the show. Whether using fresh roasted or high-quality canned chiles, they provide a uniquely smoky, southwestern heat baseline.
Tomatillos: These small, papery-husked green fruits add a necessary tartness and helps to thicken the sauce into a rich stew.
White Onion & Garlic: Sautéed forms a savory foundation that rounds out the sharp acidity of the tomatillos.
Chicken Broth and Pork Stock: Provides the necessary liquid to create a deeply flavorful gravy base.
Hatch Green Chile Seasoning: Adds richness to the broth. Follow this link for the exact seasoning I use in this recipe.
How to Make Hatch Green Chili with Shredded Pork
Sear the pork: Add oil to the pot and sear the meat in batches until a deep, golden crust forms on all sides. Remove the pork and set it aside.
Cook the Pork: Either in a slow cooker or in an instant pot
- Slow cook: Cover pork with water and add peppercorns, Bay leaves, and 1/2 white onion. Cook slowly overnight, about 8 hours on low.
- Instant Pot: Cover pork with water and add peppercorns, Bay leaves, and 1/2 white onion. Cook on high pressure for 2.5 hours.
Prep the chiles. Dry roast the poblano peppers and hatch green chiles in the broiler for 5 minutes per side. Husk the tomatillos then rinse and keep them whole.
Dice and Mince. Dice the onions and de-stem jalapeños. Mince the garlic.
Make the green chili salsa base. In a pan, over 2-3 tbsp of avocado oil, sauté the Hatch chiles with the tomatillos, poblanos, onion, garlic, and spices until the edges are blackened.
Add 1 cup of chicken stock when . Blend everything until smooth. This is your soup base. (Leave in diced green chiles or add canned tomatoes if you want texture.) Set salsa soup base aside.
Prep the pork and broth. Remove the broth and fat from the pork pot, (to do this I like to strain all of the pork broth and then put it back into the stock pot I’m using for the soup (then measure about 5 cups of liquid.) Shred the pork.
Combine. Add the salsa base into the pot with pork broth and bring it to a simmer. I like to add my chicken bouillon at this point so it dissolves.
Shred and serve. Shred the pork right into the soup.
Optional thickener: Dissolve a couple of teaspoons of cornstarch in some of the broth, stir it in, and simmer until the soup thickens.
What to Serve with Hatch Green Chili with Shredded Pork
I serve my green chili over rice with a side of quesadillas. Top it with cilantro, green onions, or diced jalapeños for a little heat and crunch.
Give Your Left Overs a Second Life
This is where the green chili earns its place in a busy week. Use leftovers in these ways:
- Spoon the pork and sauce into tortillas for green chili burritos or tacos (we love breakfast burritos).
- Stuff chimichangas with the shredded pork and cheese.
- Serve it over rice or eggs the next morning.
How to Store and Reheat
In the Refrigerator (best 4-5 days)
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 to 5 days.
- Flavor Improves Over Time: Unlike fresh recipes, this cooked pork stew actually tastes better on days 2 and 3 as the meat fully absorbs the smoky green chili broth.
In the Freezer (Up to 3 months)
- Freezes Beautifully: Let the stew cool completely, then transfer it to a heavy-duty freezer bag or freezer-safe container (leaving an inch of headspace)
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
Thaw and Reheat:
- Thaw frozen green chile in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until piping hot.
- Adjust the Thickness: If the gravy has thickened too much during storage, simply stir in a splash of chicken broth or water while reheating to restore its consistency
Hatch Green Chili with Shredded Pork (Family Favorite)
Ingredients
- 4 lb pork shoulder
- 3 Tbsp Avocado oil
- 1 1/2 white onion divided
- 12 tomatillos
- 16 oz hatch green chili use fresh if available
- 5 garlic cloves
- 3 jalapeños less if you don’t like the spice
- 2 poblanos Optional
- 4 c. Chicken stock
- 5 c. Pork broth from cooking
- 1 Tbsp hatch chili seasoning link provided below
- 1 Tbsp chicken bouillon
- 1 tsp salt or more to taste
- 1 pinch Mexican oregano
- 1 tsp thyme
- 2 tsp cumin
- 5 whole Peppercorns
- 2 Bay Leaves
Instructions
- Add oil to the pan and sear the pork in sections until a deep, golden crust has formed on all sides . Remove the pork and set it aside. Then choose one:
- Slow cook: Cover pork with water and add 1/2 white onion, peppercorns, and bay leaves. Cook slowly overnight, about 8 hours.
- Instant Pot: Cover pork with water and add 1/2 white onion, peppercorns, and bay leaves. Cook on high pressure for 2.5 hours. When using the Instantpot method, I like to give it a slow release after the 2.5 hrs of high pressure cooking.
- Prep the Chiles - If you are using fresh poblanos and hatched chiles dry roast (broil 5 minutes on each side), peel, and dice. For the tomatillos peel the husk, rinse and keep whole.
- Dice the onion, jalapeno peppers, and mince the garlic.
- Make the green chili salsa base. In a pan, over 2-3 tbsp of avocado oil sauté the Hatch chiles with the tomatillos, poblanos, onion, garlic, and spices until the edges are blackened.
- Add 1 cup of chicken stock then blend everything until smooth. This is your soup base. (Leave in diced green chiles or add canned tomatoes if you want texture.)
- Set salsa soup base aside.
- Remove the broth and fat from the pork pot, (to do this I like to strain all of the pork broth and then put it back into the stock pot I’m using for the soup (then measure about 5 cups of liquid.)
- Add the salsa base into the pot with pork broth and bring it to a simmer. I like to add my chicken bouillon at this point so it dissolves.
- Shred the pork right into the soup.
- Optional thickener: Dissolve a couple of teaspoons of cornstarch in some of the broth, stir it in, and simmer until the soup thickens.
