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Green Chili Pork Recipe (New Mexico Green Chiles)

Green Chili Pork combines flavors that are out-of-this-world delicious. It’s the perfect one-pot recipe for tacos, over rice or stuffed into burritos and enchiladas. Best of all it comes together in just minutes.

Two Green Chili Pork taco bowl garnished with cheese and cilantro

Our ground pork green chili is an amazingly delicious recipe. It comes together faster than any green chili recipe I’ve ever made. This is one of those recipes that is either the start or finish of something beautiful.

By making this Hatch Green Chili recipe into a filling, I served green chili pork taco bowls for dinner. It was so good we had it the next night but served it as tacos! I’ve got photos of both and will be sharing even more ideas!

Some friends of ours introduced us to the Hatch Green Chile after attending a Hatch Green Chile Festival in New Mexico. They said that they were so good that they ordered a box load and had it shipped to Nebraska. Up until then, my exposure to green chiles was the mighty jalapeno that I used in salsa most of the time or that little can of green chilis you can buy at the supermarket.

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Ingredients for Green Chili Pork Recipe

Ingredients used to make Green Chili Pork including Ground Pork, cheese, black beans, green chilis, corn, tomatoes, rice, and spices. Garnishes include avocados and fresh cilantro - Hostess At Heart
Green Chili Pork Ingredients
  • Ground Pork – Unlike pork sausage or breakfast sausage, which is preseasoned and lacks the desired flavor, this recipe uses unseasoned ground pork which offers a distinctive taste profile by addimg our own spices.
  • Yellow Onion – You can use a white onion or a Vidalia onion too.
  • Black Beans – I like to use canned beans, but you can make beans from scratch if that’s something you enjoy.
  • Diced Tomatoes – You’ll need the tomatoes in tomato sauce, so don’t drain them. The fire-roasted variety is delicious in this pork green chili recipe.
  • Corn – I use frozen corn, thawed. You can also use canned.
  • Brown Rice – Cooked rice. You can use the variety you enjoy including white rice.
  • Spices – Cumin, Mexican OreganoChili Powder is a great blend in this recipe. You can substitute dried oregano for Mexican oregano.
  • Green Chili – I use peeled, diced, and roasted Hatch chile peppers and linked them below for you.
  • Kosher Salt and Black Pepper
  • Taco Bowls, Corn Tortillas, Flour Tortillas – This will depend on how you want to serve your green chile recipe.
  • Optional Garnishes – Fresh cilantro, diced red onions, and shredded cheese are our favorites.

One of the best things we love about this great recipe is the versatility of this dish. You can make Tacos, taco salad, enchiladas, or burritos.

How to Make Green Chili Pork

A skillet of ground pork and onions - Hostess At Heart
Brown Pork with Onion

Step One. Brown the ground pork and onion together.

Drain off any extra fat.

Step Two. Add seasoning.

A dish filled with cumin, oregano, and chili powder hovering over a skillet filled with browned ground pork with onions - Hostess At Heart
Add spices

Stir in cumin, oregano, and chili powder to the browned pork.

Step Three. Add the remaining ingredients to the green chili pork recipe.

Add corn, black beans, diced tomatoes, and 1-1/2 cups cooked brown rice. Stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Step Four. Serve your amazing green chili pork!

Serve the ground pork green chili in warm tortillas, or taco bowls, or use it as a filling for other dishes. Garnish with cilantro, shredded cheese, and avocado.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Hatch Chile?

A Hatch Chile is a variety of New Mexico chile pepper that is grown in the Hatch Valley of southern New Mexico. Don’t confuse them with the Colorado green chili. There’s a feud between those zesty green chiles!

Green Chili Pork Tacos garnished with fresh cilantro, avocado and jalapenos

What are New Mexico Chiles?

New Mexico chiles are so good that producers outside of New Mexico have tried to brand their green chiles as New Mexico Green Chiles. New Mexico takes its reputation for its chiles so seriously that it passed an Act making it unlawful for businesses to advertise their product as being made with New Mexico chiles unless the chile was actually grown in New Mexico There is a lot more information regarding the history and varieties of chile peppers if you’re interested.

Are New Mexico chiles hot?

There are several varieties of chiles from New Mexico. They come in different sizes, flavors, and heat levels from mild to hot peppers. We used Hatch peppers which can range from 1,000 to 8,000 in Scoville Heat Units, making them similar to mild Poblano peppers or Anaheim peppers to a hot Jalapeno or Habanero chili pepper.

Close up image of tacos filled with ground pork and rice garnished with cheese, fresh cilantro and jalapeno slices,

What’s the difference between chile and chili?

It was reported in the Chicago Tribune that according to the Chile Pepper Institute at New Mexico State University “chile” refers to the plant, such as “chile pepper” and “chili” is used to define a culinary dish such as “chili and beans.”

Hostess Tips

A lot of amazing recipes required breaking down large chunks of beef or pork and braising it for several hours. I love the flavor that this technique gives to a green chili recipe such as my Pulled Pork Green Chili Recipe and Poblano Pork Stew recipes.

However, I wanted this green chili recipe to be quick and easy so I used ground pork instead of a pork butt roast. The most important thing was to make sure that the dish was well-seasoned.

Also, we wanted a recipe that could be used in a variety of ways. As a result, we made a recipe that’s perfect as the main course to finger food appetizers or taco night.

My inspiration for this recipe was while shopping. You can now find Hatch chiles that are already roasted, peeled, and diced in my grocery store! That’s a game-changer, you guys. I’ve linked to the product below under the “What you may need” section.

Closeup view of a taco bowl filled with green chili filling consisting of browned ground pork, rice, beans, corn and spices then garnished with cilantro, jalapeno, and cheese - Hostess At Heart

Recipe Variations

  • Add chicken broth for a delicious green chili stew recipe. You can also just thicken the stock and serve it as a green chile sauce over rice.
  • Fill tortillas and bake for burritos.
  • For enchiladas cover the stuffed tortillas with additional New Mexico green chili pork and sprinkle with cheese. Bake until melted and bubbly.
  • Top your favorite tortilla chips with Hatch Chili filling and sprinkle cheese over the top. Melt and serve with a dollop of sour cream and some salsa verde. 
Top down view of a bowl of Green Chili Pork garnished with cilantro, avocado, and jalapenos

What you may need

  • Flame roasted, peeled, and diced New Mexico Hatch Green Chiles – This is a game-changer. I’ll be making more recipes with my favorite chile any time of year now that I don’t have to go to all of the work to use them!
  • Enameled Cast-Iron Casserole – I love this brand. I have some three times as expensive as this one but it’s my favorite!
  • Spatulas – This pretty set has a flat side and a curved side to take on your toughest jobs. Plus, I love that they’re all one piece and can handle up to 500°F! It’s time to toss out those old chipped ones and treat yourself!

What to serve with this Green Chili Recipe!

This recipe is practically a complete meal. But, if you’re looking for a couple of delicious sides, how about some Tomatillo Rice, Instant Pot Charro Beans, or these Quick Black Beans? You can always start the meal with some Mexican Avocado Cotija Dip and finish it with Frozen Margarita Pie Recipe.

Regardless of what you do with this recipe, it’s going to be delicious and quick to get on the table.

Green Chili Pork filling with beans and corn in taco shells - Hostess At Heart

How to store leftover Green Chili Pork

Keep your leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for two or three days and reuse them in different ways! The cooked pork can also be frozen in airtight containers to reheat later for a quick meal. Reheat the leftover pork in the microwave or in a skillet until hot and bubbly.

I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe as much as we do. Drop me a comment below, and don’t forget to give it a star rating. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Your comments and ratings help others decide if this recipe is for them too.

Green Chili Pork, corn, black beans and rice inside a tortilla bowl garnished with cheese

Green Chili Pork Recipe – A Busy Day Favorite

Author: Julie Menghini
Green Chili Pork Recipe is a one-pot meal that is delicious.  It’s perfect for filling tacos, enchiladas, and burritos or made into a soup or stew.  You’re going to love this 30-minute meal.
4 from 1 vote
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American, Mexican
Keyword: Green Chili Pork
Servings: 6

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb ground pork
  • 1 yellow onion diced
  • 15 oz black beans canned, rinsed & drained
  • 14.5 oz diced tomatoes canned, don’t drain
  • 1 cup corn
  • 1 cup brown rice cooked
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp oregano (or Mexican oregano if you have it)
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 cup green chili *roasted, peeled & diced
  • Salt and pepper
  • Taco shells or taco bowls optional

Garnishes: Cilantro, shredded cheese, avocado,

Instructions
 

  • Brown the ground pork and onion together.  Drain off any extra fat.  Stir in cumin, oregano, chili powder.  Heat until aromatic, just a couple of minutes.
  • Add remaining ingredients, corn, black beans, diced tomatoes and 1-1/2 cups cooked brown rice.  Stir to combine.  Salt and pepper to taste.
  • Serve in tortillas, taco bowls or use as a filling for other dishes.  Garnish with cilantro, shredded cheese, and avocado.

Notes

You can use 2-4oz cans of green chilies if you don’t have access to the ones I use.

Nutrition

Calories: 456kcalCarbohydrates: 52gProtein: 23gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 101mgPotassium: 779mgFiber: 9gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 280IUVitamin C: 11.1mgCalcium: 71mgIron: 3.9mg

Nutritional Disclaimer

This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.

Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!

Did you enjoy this recipe? Don’t forget to pin it for later and follow me on Pinterest for more delicious recipes like this one!

An image for Pinterest of a tortilla bowl filled with ground pork green chili and topped with jalapenos, cilantro and diced avocados - Hostess At Heart

Originally released on April 19, 2019, this recipe has undergone updates aimed at enhancing our readers’ experience, featuring additional details and process images. The recipe itself remains unchanged.

4 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)
Recipe Rating




Kathleen

Tuesday 30th of April 2024

Hatch green chiles are the best! Truly, so much flavor without crazy heat! Made this for a meal for a friend the other night - loved it!

Laura Ashley Johnson

Monday 29th of April 2024

Wow! This port came out, incredibly Tinder and flavorful! I found myself going back for forkful after forkful! Thank you for this recipe! Perfect for Cinco de Mayo!

Julie Menghini

Tuesday 30th of April 2024

Thank you! We love these flavors too.

Sandra Shaffer

Sunday 5th of May 2019

We are all about the one pot meals! So simple with the hatch chilis already prepared, and boy you gotta love the variations for this chili pork. We are still in soup mode, so going to try this with extra broth.

Julie Menghini

Tuesday 7th of May 2019

We love those peppers too and love your soup mode idea too!

debi at Life Currents

Sunday 5th of May 2019

This is something my husband will love. And, the type of dish I love making for company. So flavorful & delicious!

Julie Menghini

Tuesday 7th of May 2019

Thank you, Debi!

Deb

Saturday 4th of May 2019

We visited New Mexico in October a couple of years ago and went to the Santa Fe Farmer's Market. We got to watch them roast the chilies while the sputtered and got blackened and blistered. The smell was heavenly! We're close enough to NM to be able to buy them in the grocery store - what a treat! It's fun bbq'ing them and getting that same intense flavor here. I still have some packages frozen from last year, I'll be sure to try your recipe!!

Julie Menghini

Tuesday 7th of May 2019

That would be so much fun to watch, Deb! Thank you for stopping by!

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