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.

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

• 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 Oregano, Chili 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

Step One. Brown the ground pork and onion together.

Drain off any extra fat.

Step Two. Add seasoning.

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 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!

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.

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 Verde 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.

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. 

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.

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.

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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.