Colorado Style Green Chili brings together fire-roasted Anaheim chiles, jalapeños, and fork-tender pork to create a dish that’s bold, comforting, and deeply flavorful. With a blend of smooth purification and chunky texture, this chili clings lovingly to the meat while offering bursts of roasted pepper goodness. A squeeze of lime at the end adds brightness to every bite.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This
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Authentically Southwestern: The roasted chiles and spice profile capture the heart of Colorado‑style green chili.
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Layered textures & flavors: Puréed and chunky chile layers work with tender pork for contrast.
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Customizable heat: Add or remove jalapeño seeds to dial the spice up or down without losing flavor.
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Make‑ahead advantage: The flavors deepen after resting, making leftovers even better.
Ingredients
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3 lb boneless pork butt, trimmed and cut into 1‑inch cubes
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Salt (to taste)
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2 lb Anaheim chiles, stemmed, halved, seeded
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3 jalapeño chiles
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1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
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1 tbsp vegetable oil
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2 onions, finely chopped
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8 garlic cloves, minced
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1 tbsp ground cumin
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¼ cup all‑purpose flour
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4 cups chicken broth
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Cayenne pepper (optional, to taste)
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Lime wedges (for serving)
Instructions
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Begin pork browning
In a Dutch oven, combine pork cubes with ½ cup water and ½ tsp salt over medium heat. Cover and cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Uncover, raise heat to medium-high, and continue cooking until liquid evaporates and pork browns in its own fat (another 15–20 min). Transfer pork to a bowl and set aside. -
Roast the chiles
Preheat broiler with racks positioned: one 6 inches below element, one low. Line a foiled baking sheet with spray. Arrange Anaheim chiles, skin side up, and jalapeños in a single layer. Broil 15–20 minutes, rotating sheet and flipping jalapeños halfway, until skins are blistered.
Place Anaheims in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to steam. Let cool ~5 minutes.
Skin Anaheims, then chop half into ½‑inch pieces. Purée the other half until smooth. Pulse tomatoes with juice in food processor until coarsely ground. -
Build the chili base
In the same Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook 5–7 minutes until lightly browned. Stir in garlic and cumin and cook ~30 seconds until fragrant.
Add flour, stir and cook 1 minute (to remove raw flavor). Then add chicken broth, puréed and chopped Anaheims, tomatoes, and reserved pork (with their juices). Scrape up browned bits. Bring to simmer. Cover, move to lower oven rack, and braise until pork is tender, 1–1¼ hours. -
Finish with heat
Stem, seed, and finely chop jalapeños. Stir into chili. Season with salt, cayenne, and any reserved jalapeño seeds to your heat preference.
Serve hot with lime wedges.
Tips, Storage & FAQs
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Marbling matters: Use pork butt for its fat content—it yields succulent meat and richer flavor.
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Roasting is essential: Don’t skip roasting chiles—they add smokiness and depth that raw chiles can’t.
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Heat control: Add jalapeño seeds gradually to find your ideal spice level.
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Flour step: Cooking flour before liquids removes starchy taste and yields a silkier sauce.
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Rest before serving: Let chili rest 10–15 minutes off heat to let flavors meld and sauce thicken.
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Make ahead: Chili tastes even better the next day. Reheat gently and adjust seasoning before serving.
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Freezing: Cool fully, then freeze in portioned containers for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.
Final Thoughts
Colorado Style Green Chili is more than a recipe—it’s an experience. With carefully roasted chiles, melt‑in‑your‑mouth pork, and a balanced heat profile, this chili stands out. Make it once, and it will become a staple when you want warmth, depth, and a true flavor of the Southwest.
Colorado Style Green Chili
Ingredients
Method
- In a Dutch oven, combine pork cubes with ½ cup water and ½ tsp salt over medium heat. Cover and cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Uncover, raise heat to medium-high, and continue cooking until liquid evaporates and pork browns in its own fat (another 15–20 min). Transfer pork to a bowl and set aside.
- Preheat broiler with racks positioned: one 6 inches below element, one low. Line a foiled baking sheet with spray. Arrange Anaheim chiles, skin side up, and jalapeños in a single layer. Broil 15–20 minutes, rotating sheet and flipping jalapeños halfway, until skins are blistered.
- Place Anaheims in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to steam. Let cool ~5 minutes.
- Skin Anaheims, then chop half into ½‑inch pieces. Purée the other half until smooth. Pulse tomatoes with juice in food processor until coarsely ground.
- In the same Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook 5–7 minutes until lightly browned. Stir in garlic and cumin and cook ~30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add flour, stir and cook 1 minute (to remove raw flavor). Then add chicken broth, puréed and chopped Anaheims, tomatoes, and reserved pork (with their juices). Scrape up browned bits. Bring to simmer. Cover, move to lower oven rack, and braise until pork is tender, 1–1¼ hours.
- Stem, seed, and finely chop jalapeños. Stir into chili. Season with salt, cayenne, and any reserved jalapeño seeds to your heat preference.
- Serve hot with lime wedges.
Notes
