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authentic chile verde recipe

Quick and Easy Authentic Chile Verde Recipe That is So Tender

This authentic chile verde recipe is super easy and oh so tender! No need for all that braising and simmering as this easy chile verde recipe comes together under one hour and is full of flavor! Spicy and delicious, it’s the perfect beginner recipe for any level cook!
Total Time:50 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: authentic chile verde recipe
Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds pork shoulder cut in large chunks
  • 7 tomatillos husks peeled
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 2 large jalapenos
  • 1 cup water
  • half an onion cut into thirds
  • ½ cup chopped cilantro (¼ will be used as a topping)
  • ½ tablespoon dried oregano
  • ½ tablespoon cumin
  • juice from ½ a lime
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • olive oil
  • garlic powder to taste optional
  • onion powder to taste optional

Instructions

  • In a medium size stock pan, put the tomatillos, garlic cloves, onion, jalapenos, cup of water, and salt to taste. Cover and boil over medium heat for 20 minutes.
  • Once the ingredients for the salsa is done boiling, remove the stems from the jalapenos and tomatillos. See note below.
  • Transfer the boiled ingredients to a blender with a ladle. Try not to get too much of the water when transferring. Add ¼ of the cilantro and salt to taste. Blend until smooth.
  • In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat add olive oil. Once hot, brown the pork shoulder in the pan until lightly seared on the outside. Make sure you don't overcrowd the pan so that you can get a nice sear on the pork. Season generously with salt and pepper.
  • Add the blended salsa to the sauté pan and stir to combine. Season with the dried oregano, cumin, and lime juice. Optional - Season additionally with the garlic powder and onion powder to taste. Cover over medium-low heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the pork is tender. If the salsa is too thick, you can add some of the water from the stock pan the salsa boiled in.
  • Remove the cover and top with a ¼ of the chopped cilantro. Cook for another 5 minutes uncovered until the sauce slightly thickens. Enjoy!

Notes

  1. The green sauce is adapted from my Easy Shredded Chicken Tacos Recipe with Green Salsa.
  2. After the ingredients for the salsa is done boiling, I use a ladle to transfer the jalapenos and the tomatillos to a cutting board so that I can cut the stems off. Do this step one by one so you can preserve the juice without getting most of it on your cutting board.
  3. For a nice, even browned look to the tasty pork shoulder, don’t overcrowd the pan. If you need to cook the meat in batches or in two separate pans in the stove so that it doesn’t overcrowd will result in the best searing of the meat.
  4. See Sam’s Pro Tips for this Authentic Chile Verde Recipe for further detail.