The BEST Green Chile Stew is loaded with bite-size chunks of pork that are seasoned with onion and plenty of garlic.
The pork is simmered in a green chile sauce until tender enough to almost fall apart when you bite it.
Filled with that irresistible pork, potatoes, and roasted green chile, this stew is what I dream of when the weather starts cooling off each fall.
And before any other native New Mexican can correct me, I am well aware of the ridiculousness of actually claiming the BEST Green Chile Stew, because technically I do love them all.
That said, this is my family’s BEST Green Chile Stew and we love it more than all the others.
Green Chile Stew
Over the years, I’ve made Green Chile Stew with many different kinds of meat: pork, ground beef, steak, chicken. However, this Green Chile Stew is hands-down our favorite.
Not that I won’t happily try YOUR green chile stew recipe if you send it to me! I don’t discriminate between green chile filled recipes.
Crock-Pot Green Chile Stew
I’ve had so many requests for a slow-cooker version of this recipe, I finally played with it the other day. And I’m oh so happy to tell you that it worked beautifully.
You don’t even need to brown the meat! Just toss every ingredient into the crock-pot all at once and cover it with the lid. Simmer on HIGH for 6 hours. When the potatoes are fork-tender and the pork is tender enough to pull apart, it’s ready to eat!
This is my kind of recipe for sure and it is easy as can be whether you make it on the stove or in the crock-pot!
This native New Mexican happily eats her green chile with breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Packed with so much flavor and hearty chunks of potatoes and pork, this is a simple winter meal that our entire family enjoys. There is more flavor from all of the chile in this recipe than there is actual heat.
My boys all began eating this green chile stew when they were barely on solid foods. We’re big fans of starting the green chile addiction early in life around here.
If you’re new to cooking with chile or leery of the heat, I recommend starting with a mild green chile. In some grocery stores, you may be lucky enough to find frozen chile in the freezer section of the grocery store.
If frozen isn’t available, you should be able to find canned green chile in different levels of heat in most grocery stores. You can substitute salsa verde for the green chile sauce if you’re unable to find green enchilada sauce in your store.
Several years ago, I tried making this with sweet potatoes and my family went crazy over it. My favorite version is still the traditional stew made with white potatoes, but it is really great both ways. However you make it, this soup is fantastic.
For some more New Mexico favorites that you might like to try these Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas, Calabacitas, and New Mexico Posole. These recipes are classic.
And if you haven’t tried it yet, Carne en su Jugo (a.k.a. Meat in its Juices) is another dinner that my family really enjoys.
Kitchen Tip: I use this pot or this crock-pot to make this recipe.
Green Chile Stew Stove-Top Recipe
- Combine the pork, flour, pepper and garlic powder in a gallon size Ziploc bag. Shake to coat thoroughly and then set aside. In a large pot over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the fresh garlic and onion and sauté until translucent, approximately 2-3 minutes.
- Add the dusted pork and cook until browned, approximately 5 minutes. Add the chiles, green chile sauce, stock and salt and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on low for 45 minutes.
- Add the potatoes and raise heat to boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, approximately 15 minutes.
Green Chile Stew Crock-Pot Recipe
- Combine the pork, flour, pepper and garlic powder in a gallon size Ziploc bag. Shake to coat thoroughly and then add the dusted pork to the slow-cooker. Add the potatoes, chiles, green chile sauce, stock, and salt to the crock-pot.
- Cover with lid and cook on HIGH for 6 hours, until the potatoes are fork-tender and the pork can be pulled apart.
Slow cookers or crockpots are an appliance of which I have more than one. If you are an avid slow cooker user like I am, you might understand the need for more than one. So, let’s talk about my favorites:
First up is this 6-quart slow cooker that has a locking lid. These crockpots are fantastic for transporting foods. Mine has gone everywhere from church potlucks to barbecues, game nights to Thanksgiving dinner. However, fair warning, these slow cookers run crazy hot. Low is closer to a boil than a simmer, the warm setting actually simmers. So trust me when I say HIGH is high.
My everyday slow cooker is this 8-quart Crockpot. It’s my go-to appliance for cooking large roasts and big batches of chili. Fun fact: did you know that a full 4-quart cooker, actually cooks more slowly than a half-full 8-quart cooker?
For just cooking a few pounds of chicken to shred for enchiladas or other smaller recipes, this 3-quart version is perfect.
Thanksgiving has become a breeze since I have mastered how to hold all of the side dishes using these medium-sized round slow cookers.
If you aren’t a fan of the idea of keeping more than one slow cooker in the house, these CrockPockets are a game-changer when it comes to preparing and holding multiple dishes at the same time. They slide into a standard 6-quart crockpot, dividing it into two sections that are perfect for serving different side dishes or keeping taco fillings warm for parties.
The Best Green Chile Stew
Ingredients
- 1-2 pounds pork stew meat or pork shoulder chopped into ½” pieces
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour or cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ yellow onion chopped into ½ “ pieces
- 3 large cloves garlic minced
- 7 ounces chopped green chile about ¾ cup worth (frozen works fine)
- 28 ounces green chile enchilada sauce about 3½ cups worth
- 3 cups chicken stock or water, plus 1 tablespoon chicken base
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt adjust to taste
- 4 cups diced potatoes about 2 large potatoes
Instructions
- Combine the pork, flour, pepper and garlic powder in a gallon size Ziploc bag. Shake to coat thoroughly and then set aside.
- In a large pot over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the fresh garlic and onion and sauté until translucent, approximately 2-3 minutes.
- Add the dusted pork and cook until browned, approximately 5 minutes. Add the chiles, enchilada sauce, stock and salt and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on low for 45 minutes.
- Add the potatoes and raise heat to boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, approximately 15 minutes. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
{originally posted 1/4/2012 – recipe notes and photos updated 3/25/20}
E @ Act Fast Chef says
Mary this looks great. I am always looking for new soups/stews. That is awesome that your youngest son ate this! I don't think my Toddler would eat it . . . but I can always try 🙂
Becki's Whole Life says
Happy New Year, Mary! Love this stew – very different and comforting. I love green chilies.
Jenn says
Welcome back, Mary! Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and new year!!
I've never had sweet potatoes in my chili before.. it does sound interesting. Hearty and warm and comforting – what more can you ask for??
The Blonde Duck says
I hope you had a great New Year!
My Journey With Candida says
Well welcome back to you!! Happy New Year!
As always, this sounds wonderful
Anna @ hiddenponies says
This looks amazing – so good to have you back! Happy new year to you and your family 🙂
SixBalloons says
Welcome back and Happy New Year to you and yours!
Three-Cookies says
I didn't know white sweet potatoes existed, so much more to discover and taste. Regular potato gets a bit sweet if you store it in the refrigerator but I guess thats not the one you are talking about here
Apron Appeal says
This is screaming "LAMB" for me. Can't wait to try it out.
due bionde in cucina says
Hello Mary, happy New Year!!!
Welcome back, your stew is delicius
sabina
Marjie says
Happy New Year, Mary! Stew is a perfect way to welcome January!
Shu Han says
That sounds simply gorgeous! Back home, my mum used to buy a mix of orange and white sweet potatoes and just steam them simply. Apparently, the white ones are sweeter, but i always went for the orange ones because they look prettier (: I've missed coming to your blog, great to see such a yummy recipe on my long overdue visit!
the starving student says
Hey look who's back! Hopefully you enjoyed your break and are ready to start 2012 blogging full force. Happy New Year!
Zoe says
Happy 2012, Mary!
This stew looks very delicious and it is a wholesome and comforting dish to kick start a new year.
Autumn @ Good Eats Girl says
Oh, wow. This stew sounds absolutely delicious!
Words Of Deliciousness says
I love this stew, it sounds delicious. Happy New Year, I hope you had a nice break.
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
I like a good green chili and your pork green chili stew sounds terrific.
Chey says
🙂 Any Green Chile Stew that one really likes is always the BEST Green Chile Stew! I,, too, am a native NM-ican and I, too, have enjoyed a few BEST green chile stews. I look forward to your BEST too! And, YES, pork is definitely the choice for making this type of recipe. When you list green chile sauce are you referring to canned green enchilada sauce? Mary, I truly enjoy your recipes and your site. I recently purchased the Weeknight Dinner Cookbook. The compilation of easy, tasty recipes is really nice to have. Thanks!
Mary says
You can make this with canned, frozen, or freshly roasted green chile. I hope you love it as much as we do!
Rebecca Cesario says
This Native NM-ican is so excited to try this recipe! Hearkens back to my childhood. Living in Michigan, we have taken to ordering fresh chile from Hatch and roasting it on our grill – not the same as the large barrel roasters in the parking lots all over the place in the Fall in New Mexico, but it works.
Mary says
There is nothing like the aroma of roasting chile! I love chile season so much.
Chey says
Very cool that you get to enjoy the awesome smell of roasting green chile in Michigan! 🙂
Jo K says
Phenomenal and easy! I did cheat and make my chunks of meat bigger – I also added a large can of hominy and a can of fire roasted tomatoes w/ green chilies – but only because I went to the store without my list and had looked at quite a few recipes and bought what I could remember! Your recipes are always Spot On and I appreciate the fact that they don’t take a long time to prep or cook. I used Pork Tenderloin (because I had it and ironically your recipe popped into my mail box during my original search this morning). Finally, I think the name of the recipe is perfect as it was The Best!!!
Mary says
I’m thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for taking the time to come back and tell me. Hominy and tomatoes are both a great addition to this stew!