Crock Pot Pork Chile Verde is the ultimate easy comfort food dinner! It’s cooked low and slow with onion, peppers, and seasonings, for tender, fall-apart pork in a spicy green sauce. If you’re looking for a cozy, hearty, satisfying, and EASY dinner, this pork chili verde recipe is it!
Dinners in the slow cooker are my favorite! I break out my Crock Pot for easy family meals all year long. The slow cooker makes wonderfully hearty and easy meals during the cozy winter months – but summertime is actually an amazing time to cook in it, too! Who wants to turn on the oven or cook over the stove when it’s 95°F out? Not me! So I’ll often use the Crock Pot in the summer for an easy cooking method that doesn’t involve heating up the kitchen.
This easy chile verde pork recipe is one of my favorite slow cooker meals to make, any time of year. All you need are 9 ingredients and 10 minutes prep time – the slow cooker does the rest of the work! And there’s nothing like slow-cooked pork … it comes out juicy, tender, and so full of flavor.
One of my secrets for the easiest pork chile verde recipe is to skip roasting whole tomatillos and instead use a jar of salsa verde. That way, I get the classic tomatillo element that you find in chile verde recipes, without the work (and the salsa verde adds so much extra flavor!)
Why I LOVE this recipe!
- Easy to put together – All you need are about 10 minutes to make this chile verde pork Crock Pot style!
- Great for meal prep – Make this chile verde slow cooker pork on Sunday for easy lunches and dinners all week long! It’s easy to reheat and the flavors deepen more and more over time.
- Flexible serving options – Serve Crock Pot Pork Chile Verde over rice or with beans served alongside. Tuck warm flour tortillas into each serving for scooping. Or just scoop it straight into a bowl and top with a bunch of garnishes and a handful of tortilla chips! You can even roll leftover chili in a tortilla with rice for a quick burrito. It’s excellent scooped over baked potatoes or baked sweet potatoes, too.
Recipe Notes
This Crock Pot Pork Chile Verde recipe is as simple as promised! Just 10 minutes of prep time for a family friendly meal.
In this section I am going to go through a few tips and tricks I use for how to make Crock Pot Pork Chile Verde to get the absolute best and most delicious results.
Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the FULL recipe card.
Ingredients + Substitutions
- Pork shoulder – Also sometimes called pork butt. You’ll want a roughly 2.5 pound boneless pork shoulder.
- Onion – I tend to use a classic yellow onion, but if you only have a white, red, or sweet onion on hand, that will work, too.
- Poblano peppers – Poblanos are mostly mild with a tiny touch of heat, perfect for slow cooker pork chile verde. If you can’t find poblano peppers, Anaheim peppers or jalapeno peppers are a good substitute, or even green bell peppers in a pinch. Note that jalapeno peppers can range from very mild or extremely hot, so I recommend giving them a taste before adding them all.
- Oregano – Dried oregano adds classic Mexican flavor.
- Cumin – Ground cumin lends an earthy note.
- Salt – Start with a little, then taste the chile verde at the end of the cooking process and add more salt then if you prefer.
- Cayenne pepper – If like a bit of extra heat in your chile verde recipes, add this optional bit of cayenne pepper for a kick.
- Garlic – I like lots of fresh minced garlic in my chile verde.
- Salsa verde – Use your favorite brand.
- Honey – Rounds out the flavors and adds a signature touch of sweetness.
- Optional topping ideas – Fresh cilantro, sour crea, lime slices, avocado, tortillas, tortilla chips, shredded cheddar cheese
Make sure to see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full quantities and ingredients list.
Recipe Variations
If you love this recipe as much as we do and want some quick ways to change it up for variety, these little tips will do the trick!
- Chicken Chile Verde– Swap in diced boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs for the pork.
- Creamy Pork Chile Verde– At the end of cooking, stir in about 4 ounces (half a block) of cream cheese until melted and well-distributed for a cheesy, creamy spin on classic chile verde.
Recipe Step by Step
I am going to highlight a few key steps in the recipe here, but make sure to jump down to the recipe card for comprehensive instructions on how to make Crock Pot Pork Chile Verde.
Add the onion to the Crock Pot.
Top with the poblano peppers.
Add the pork to the Crock Pot.
Top the pork with the seasonings.
Add the garlic to the ingredients in the Crock Pot.
Top with the lid and cook until the pork is fall-apart tender.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t rush the cooking time – In order for the pork to become fall-apart tender, it needs the long and slow cooking time. Plus, the longer it cooks, the deeper the flavor gets!
- Cut your poblanos in long strips – The easiest way I’ve found to cut my poblano peppers is to cut off the top, then cut it in half long-ways. From there, cut it into strips, then line up the strips and dice.
- For less fat, skim the surface – At the end of the cooking process, there may be a thin layer of fat on the top of the chile verde. You can skim some off with a serving spoon or dab it with a paper towel, if you like.
Recipe Short Cuts
If you need to make this recipe, but are extra short on time, here are a few ideas that can help make this recipe even faster!
- Buy pre-diced pork shoulder to save on prep time – In some well-stocked grocery stores, the pork shoulder may already be diced. Or you can ask the butcher to cut it into 2-inch chunks for you.
- Make one, freeze one – I love to double up on the ingredients at the store. Then, when I’m prepping it, I’ll add the ingredients for a second meal to a sturdy gallon-size zip-top bag set up in a bowl to prop it up. Then I seal it, label it, and place it in the freezer for another time. Then it’s just a matter of thawing overnight, pouring it into the slow cooker in the morning, and, voila! Another Crock Pot Pork Chile Verde meal!
Freezer Meal Instructions
Making this Crock Pot Pork Chile Verde recipe into a freezer meal is simple! Follow the steps below and you can store this recipe in the freezer for up to 6 months.
To freeze before cooking
- Place all of the ingredients into an airtight container or freezer-safe zip-top bag.
- Freeze for up to 6 months.
- Thaw overnight in the fridge, then add to the Crock Pot and cook according to recipe directions.
How to Freeze Crock Pot Pork Chile Verde After Cooking
- Allow the chili to cool to room temperature.
- Transfer to a freezer-safe container or storage bag.
- Freeze for up to 6 months.
- Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
What to Serve with Crock Pot Pork Chile Verde
Since this protein based dinner has the delicious flavors of Mexican cuisine, it will pair well with many of your favorite Mexican-inspired side dishes.
Choose one or several of these side dishes to create a wholesome, well-rounded dinner. There are both classic options and some healthy options to keep it light.
Side Dish Ideas
- Easy Mexican Cornbread
- Easy Mexican Rice or Cilantro Lime Rice
- Mexican Caesar Salad
- Crockpot Borracho Beans
Crock Pot Pork Chile Verde Leftovers
If you have leftovers after making this recipe, then it is your lucky day! They save and reheat well, and can make the start of another delicious dish.
To save leftovers, separate into meal sized portions and then place in an airtight container and store:
- in the refrigerator for 3-4 days
- in the freezer up to a month
Leftover Recipes
Here are a few ways to repurpose those leftovers and give them a delicious makeover!
- Pork Chile Verde Burrito – Cook up a batch of rice and line the inside of a tortilla with about ⅓ cup rice. Add ½ cup leftover warmed pork chile verde. Top with Monterey Jack cheese, roll up the burrito, and serve.
- Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Tacos – Shred some of the leftover pork and add them to taco shells. Top with shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, avocado, and sour cream.
- Chile Verde Nachos– Top tortilla chips with chile verde, lots of cheese, and any other nacho toppings you desire. Bake at 350°F for about 10 minutes, until warmed through and melty. Top with sour cream, salsa, and guacamole.
Recipe FAQ’s
Does slow-cooking pork make it more tender?
Yes! Slow cooking gives the pork more time for the fat and connective tissue in it to break down, resulting in more tender bites of meat.
What is chile verde made of?
Chile verde is made with pork and green sauce. The grene sauce is typically made up of with peppers, garlic, and tomatillos.
More EASY Crock Pot Recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe, I really hope you will take a moment to grab a few more easy recipes for another busy night!
You can check out all of my easy Crock Pot recipes here, or see a few of our readers favorite recipes below.
- Southwest Chicken Chili
- Southern Pot Roast with Potatoes and Carrots
- Creamy Buffalo Chicken Chili
- Crock Pot Pork Carnitas
Crockpot Pork Chile Verde
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, (up to 2.5 pounds
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 poblano peppers, seeded and diced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, (optional)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups salsa verde
- 1/4 cup honey
Instructions
- Cut the pork into 2 inch chunks, removing any large pieces of fat or connective tissue.
- Add the onion and poblano pepper to the crock pot. Top with the pork.
- Combine the oregano, cumin, salt and cayenne pepper and sprinkle over the pork. Then add the garlic, salsa verde, and honey and mix to combine.
- Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 4-6 hours.
- Once done mix and serve with your choice of toppings over rice or with tortillas for dipping.
Recipe Notes
- Cilantro
- Sour cream
- Lime slices
- Avocado
- Tortilla chips
- Cheddar cheese
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