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Slow Cooker Chile Verde Recipe

Slow Cooker Chile Verde Recipe
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★★★★★

5.2 from 11 reviews

This Slow Cooker Chile Verde recipe delivers tender, flavorful pork simmered in a tangy, mildly spicy tomatillo and poblano pepper sauce. The slow cooking process enhances deep, savory flavors, making it perfect for a comforting family meal. Roasting the vegetables before blending adds smokiness and complexity, while slow-cooked pork shoulder becomes fork-tender and juicy.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Pork:

  • 3 lbs boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano (or regular oregano)

For the Verde Sauce:

  • 1.5 lbs tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed (about 10–12 medium)
  • 2 large poblano peppers
  • 2–3 jalapeño peppers (or 1–2 serrano peppers for more heat, seeds removed for less heat)
  • 1 large white or yellow onion, quartered
  • 4–6 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1 cup chicken broth (low sodium preferred)
  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro, stems and leaves, roughly chopped (about 1 cup packed)
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice (from about 1/2 lime)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)

Instructions

  1. Prepare and Roast the Vegetables: Preheat your oven broiler to high, positioning the rack about 6 inches from the heat source. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place husked and rinsed tomatillos, poblano peppers, jalapeño peppers, and quartered onion on the sheet. Broil for 5-7 minutes, flip vegetables, and broil another 5-7 minutes until charred and softened. Remove from oven. Transfer hot peppers to a bowl and cover tightly to steam for 10-15 minutes; this aids peeling. Once cooled, peel skins off poblano and jalapeño, remove stems and seeds as desired, and roughly chop.
  2. Sear the Pork (Optional but Recommended): While peppers steam, pat pork cubes dry. Combine 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon oregano; season pork generously. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear pork cubes in batches until browned on all sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer seared pork to slow cooker.
  3. Blend the Verde Sauce: Add roasted tomatillos (with juices), chopped poblano and jalapeño peppers, roasted onion, garlic cloves, chicken broth, cilantro, lime juice, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper to a blender. Blend until mostly smooth but still textured. Adjust seasoning to taste, adding more salt, lime juice, or a pinch of sugar if desired.
  4. Slow Cook to Perfection: Pour verde sauce over pork in slow cooker; stir gently to coat. Cover and cook on LOW for 7-9 hours or HIGH for 4-5 hours until pork is fork-tender and shreddable.
  5. Finish and Serve: Once pork is tender, serve chunks as is or shred meat using two forks. Return shredded pork to slow cooker, stir to combine, and let warm for 15-20 minutes for flavors to meld. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt or lime juice if needed before serving.

Notes

  • Roasting the vegetables before blending enhances the flavor with smoky notes.
  • Searing the pork is optional but adds depth through caramelization.
  • Adjust jalapeño seeds quantity for more or less heat.
  • Low sodium chicken broth is preferred to control saltiness.
  • This dish pairs well with warm tortillas, rice, or beans.
  • Leftovers reheat well and flavors improve after resting overnight.

Nutrition

Keywords: Chile Verde, Slow Cooker Recipes, Mexican Pork, Tomatillo Sauce, Slow Cooked Pork, Pork Shoulder Recipe

Find it online: https://hannahdelgado.com/slow-cooker-chile-verde-recipe/