Smoke up this no-fuss pork green chili using pork shoulder and canned green chiles. It’s so easy, you’ll add it to your weekly rotation.
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Table of Contents
What is green chili?
Green chili is a stew made with green chiles. Notice the different spelling.
Chili spelled with an i at the end is a stew. Chile with an e at the end is a type of pepper. Sometimes, the spelling gets mixed up, especially online.
Chile verde is the Spanish word for green chile. Sometimes this recipe is called pork green chili and sometimes it’s called pork chile verde.
Let’s start with the base of the stew – the green chiles.
There are several types of chiles that are green in color. The most common are jalapeno peppers, serrano peppers, anaheim peppers, New Mexico hatch chiles and poblano peppers.
This recipe uses a fresh jalapeno, canned roasted green chiles and green enchilada sauce. The enchilada sauce is made with green chile pure, green tomatoes and a few other ingredients.
Those ingredients get mixed with smoked pork butt for a hardy bowl of chili that is great by itself or smothered on burritos or eggs.
PRO TIP: When I trim my competition pork butt, I end up with a lot of raw pork scraps. This recipe is a perfect way to use those up.
Ingredients
- Pork Shoulder: For this recipe, you’re going to cut the pork shoulder (or pork butt) into chunks and remove the bone and excess fat. That way you have more surface area to introduce more smoke. I look for a 7-pound butt. Once I trim away the bone and fat, I’m left with about 5 pounds of meat.
- White Onion: Sliced thinly.
- Seasoning: I use a combination of kosher salt, black pepper and granulated garlic. You can mix your own or buy pre-mixed seasoning called SPG.
- Canned Green Chiles: I like to use a 7-ounce can, but if you can only find a 4-ounce can, that’s fine. You’ll find these in the Latin aisle of your grocery store. These come in mild or hot.
- Fresh Jalapeno
- Canned Green Enchilada Sauce: You’ll need two 10-ounce cans. It comes in mild or hot.
Substitutions: Save time by shopping for a boneless pork butt. Instead of canned green chiles, you can also use roasted hatch chile peppers.
See the full recipe card below for servings and a full list of ingredients.
How to make pork green chili
Start by heating your grill or smoker to 275F degrees with an indirect heat zone.
- STEP ONE: Cut the pork shoulder into large chunks and season with salt, pepper and garlic. Slice the white onion into thin slices and place them in a disposable aluminum half pan.
- STEP TWO: Place the pork pieces on top of the onions in the pan. Place on the grill over indirect heat and smoke for 3 hours.
- STEP THREE: At the 3-hour mark, the pork should have a nice mahogany bark. The internal temperature of the meat will be about 180-185 F degrees and there will be liquid in the pan.
- STEP FOUR: To the pan add the green chiles, diced fresh jalapeno and canned enchilada sauce. Gently stir. Cover with foil and continue smoking for one hour.
- STEP FIVE: After one hour, the meat should reach 200-205 F degrees. At this point, you can remove it from the grill and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- STEP SIX: Shred the pork in the pan. I prefer to do this with my hands while wearing gloves and glove liners. That way, I can massage the meat and mix it with the chile sauce. You can also use two forks. Taste it and add salt and pepper, if needed.
PRO TIP: Shredding the meat in the pan allows the pork to soak up the green chile sauce, making it extra moist and flavorful.
How to serve pork green chili
Once you have shredded pork green chili there are so many things you can do with it. To start, it’s great served by the bowlful and topped with cotija cheese, fresh cilantro, fresh parsley or sour cream.
You can pile it onto tortillas with shredded cheese, diced onions and cilantro to make tacos. Don’t forget the lime wedges.
Try a spoonful on top of a burger. Chile verde is also delicious smothered on omelets or burritos.
Storage
Pork green chili leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. It also freezes great! Just seal it, and you can freeze it for up to 6 months.
You can reheat this pork green chili recipe in the microwave or a sauce pot.
GCG Pro Pitmaster Tips
- Cut your pork butt into large chunks so more of the meat is exposed to the smoke
- Use canned chiles and sauce for a quick, easy meal
- Cover the pan with foil for the last hour to braise the meat so it will shred perfectly
Frequently Asked Questions
Green chili is a type of stew made with meat and green chiles. Chile verde is the Spanish term for green chile peppers, but it also refers to a stew made with meat and green chiles.
Enchilada sauce is made by pureeing chiles and cooking them down with tomatoes and spices. It’s a very smooth sauce. Salsa verde is more chunky and is made with raw or slightly roasted peppers and tomatoes.
Sure. You won’t get the smoky flavor, but to cook it in a slow cooker, simply season the meat and add it to the crock pot with the remaining ingredients. Cook it on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-6 hours.
When I want to cook meat really fast, I use my pressure cooker. I add the meat and onions to the Instant Pot and cook it for about 45 minutes. Then, I release the pressure and add the peppers and sauces and let it simmer for another 30-60 minutes.
Some pork green chili recipes are really liquidy and the recipe suggests adding cornstarch or masa to make up for it. When you cook my recipe on the smoker, you don’t have that problem.
The meat smokes in the dry heat without a lid for three hours. Then, when you add the sauce, it’s the right meat to sauce ratio for the perfect chili consistency.
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Smoked Pork Green Chili (Pork Chile Verde)
Ingredients
- 5 lb boneless pork butt
- 1 white onion, sliced
- 2 tsp salt, pepper and garlic, SPG
Green Chile Sauce
- 1 fresh jalapeno, diced
- 7 oz green chiles, canned
- 20 oz green enchilada sauce
- 1 tsp kosher salt, to taste
- 1 tsp black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat Grill: Heat your grill or smoker to 275F degrees with an indirect heat zone.
- Prep: Cut the pork butt into large chunks. Season all over with the salt, pepper and garlic. Place the sliced onions in a disposable half pan. Add the seasoned pork on top.
- Smoke: Place the pan of pork on the smoker and cook over indirect heat for 3 hours.
- Sauce: To the pan, add the jalapenos, green chiles and enchilada sauce. Gently stir. Cover with foil and cook 1 more hour. The internal temperature of the meat should be about 200-205F degrees.
- Rest: Remove the pan from the smoker and rest for 30 minutes.
- Shred: While wearing gloves and glove liners, shred the pork right into the pan and blend with the sauce.
- Season: Mix in 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and 1 teaspoon of black pepper or more to taste.
- Serve: See serving suggestions above.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
