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This pork chili verde (served over rice and garnished with ALL of the good things!) is bold, creamy, and really delicious!
Easy Pork Chili Verde Recipe
This pork chili verde is DELICIOUS, y’all. It’s loaded with such incredible salsa verde flavor, is nice and creamy thanks to the coconut milk, and requires very little effort to bring together (hello, slow cooker meal!).
Though this is a pork “chili” verde recipe, don’t think of it as a traditional red chili (like THIS one) that you’d be more likely to fix on a cold winter’s night — this chili variation is really different from that and truly isn’t too hot (or “wintery”) of a meal to serve year round.
Find an entire dinner series centered on pork tenderloin in THIS article, where Cassy walks you through how to make 2 very different meals really efficiently using pork tenderloin. Meal 1 is Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin with Bok Choy and meal 2 is this Pork Chili Verde. The concept is BRILLIANT (not to mention time-saving) and is what Cassy’s 3rd book, Cook Once Dinner Fix, is modeled around.
Pork Chili Verde Ingredients
The ingredients list may seem on the longer side, but many of the ingredients on the list are actually pantry staples, so you may be able to check a few off your list before making a trip to the grocery store. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Pork Tenderloin – to start, you’ll need 1 (1-1.25 pound) pork tenderloin.
- Onion – you’ll also want to grab 1 small onion and give it a quick dice.
- Garlic – in addition to the diced onion, 3 cloves of minced garlic will add a ton of really delicious flavor.
- Salsa Verde – 1 jar of store-bought salsa verde (about 16 ounces worth, but don’t stress too much about exact amounts) brings a delicious, slightly spicy flavor to the meal.
- Green Chilis – you’ll also need 1 (4-ounce) can of green chilis.
- Coconut Milk – to make everything really creamy, you’ll also need 1 (13.5-ounce) can of full-fat coconut milk.
- Lime Juice – a ½ cup of fresh (always fresh!) lime juice adds a punch of brightness to the finished dish!
- Spices + Seasonings – because of all of the other really flavorful ingredients, 1 teaspoon of ground cumin and 1 teaspoon of fine sea salt are the only spices and seasonings needed here!
- Pinto Beans – 2 (15.5-ounce) cans of drained and rinsed pinto beans add some really great texture to the final product.
- Cilantro – garnish the finished product with fresh cilantro,…
- Jalapeno Pepper – …sliced fresh jalapeno peppers,…
- Sour Cream – …sour cream, and…
- Sliced Limes – …sliced limes!
- White Rice – we chose to serve this pork chili over (about) 3 cups of cooked white rice!
How to Make Pork Chili Verde
Just 3 steps and very little effort gets this meal on the table! Here’s exactly what you’ll need to do:
- Add to slow cooker + cook – add the pork, onion, garlic, salsa, canned chilis, coconut milk, lime juice, cumin, and sea salt to the slow cooker. Cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 6 hours.
- Shred the pork + add the beans – once the time is up, shred the pork with a fork, add the pinto beans, and let cook for 30 more minutes.
- Garnish + serve – serve the slow cooker chili verde pork over the white rice and garnish with the cilantro, jalapenos, sour cream, and sliced limes.
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Pork Chili Verde Frequently Asked Questions
Most chilis do tend to deepen in flavor the longer that they cook, and because this one is cooked in the slow cooker, we’ve already built that step in for you!
I wouldn’t describe this dish as sour at all, and that may be because of the coconut milk! It can be tempting to grab the low-fat coconut milk at the store, but using full-fat coconut milk will really up the creamy factor and ensure that the chili verde doesn’t taste sour!
I wouldn’t characterize this chili as super thick, but it also isn’t the kind of chili that you would eat a big ole bowl of all on its own (like a red chili). This chili is meant to be served over rice, so it definitely shouldn’t be super thin, but we do want the rice to soak some of the yummy flavors up, so we aren’t necessarily looking for a super thick finished product either.
If you do want the chili to be thicker, feel free to thicken the finished product with a few tablespoons of cornstarch, or even blend up one of the cans of the beans to use as a thickener before adding it in!
We LOVE this pork chili verde over white rice (though any rice that you prefer would be great!) and garnished with a generous dollop of sour cream, fresh cilantro, sliced, fresh jalapeno pepper, and lime wedges!
Sure! This is actually a really great meal to freeze, and if you’re looking to go this route, I’d consider making a double batch for dinner one night, and then just freezing the entire second batch so that you’ve got a full, 4-serving meal hanging out in the freezer for a busy, no-time-to-cook night!
To thaw your pork chili verde, simply let it sit on the counter for 15-20 minutes until it’s soft enough to pop out of the container, and then add it to a pot on the stove over medium heat, until everything is completely thawed and warmed through. Serve over rice, garnish, and enjoy!
Stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, this pork chili verde will keep for up to 5 days!
Ingredients
- 1 pork tenderloin about 1-1.25 pounds
- 1 small onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 16- ounce jar of salsa verde
- 1 4- ounce can of green chilis
- 1 13.5- ounce can of full-fat coconut milk
- ½ cup of fresh lime juice about 4 limes
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 15- ounce cans of pinto beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup white rice
- Fresh cilantro to serve
- Sliced fresh jalapeno peppers to serve
- Sour cream to serve
- Sliced limes to serve
Instructions
- Place the pork, onion, garlic, salsa, canned chilis, coconut milk, lime juice, cumin, and sea salt in a slow cooker. Cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 6 hours.
- Shred the pork with a fork, stir in the beans, and let cook for 30 more minutes, until the beans are heated through.
- After you add the beans, cook the rice on the stovetop according to package instructions.
- Serve the chili over the white rice and garnish with the cilantro, jalapenos, sour cream, and sliced limes.
Nutrition Information
Recipe Notes
- To make on the stovetop: Dice the pork into 1/2 inch pieces, then add one tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil to a large pot and saute the pork over medium-high heat, until browned, then remove from the pot. Add the garlic and onion to the pot and saute for about 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent, then add the pork, salsa, canned chilis, coconut milk, lime juice, cumin, sea salt, and beans. Cook over medium-low heat for about 30 minutes, until the pork is fully cooked through. At this stage, the pork will be fully cooked, but not yet shreddable. If you’d like it to be a shreddable consistency, continue to simmer over low heat for about 2 hours.
Wendy B says
These two recipes sound amazing! I can’t wait to try them and have the book with even more ideas to make those 2nd meals as tasty as the first!
Brandi Schilhab says
They are really delicious, Wendy! We can’t wait for you to get the book either!!
Jessica Rivas says
Is there an alternative to the coconut milk?
Brandi Schilhab says
You could try stirring in sour cream instead, Jessica!
Crystal M. says
Could I use heavy cream in place of the coconut milk?
Brandi Schilhab says
I don’t see why not, Crystal!
Rebekah H says
Kind of random question – but I’m thinking of making this with the meat I have in the freezer (brisket!). Do you think it’ll work okay?
Brandi Schilhab says
Definitely! That would be delicious.
Monica says
Hi! Sounds amazing. Can I do this in an instant pot?
Thanks
Melissa Guevara says
Hi Monica! Absolutely! I would add all the ingredients in step 1 into the instant pot and cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. ~Melissa
Sam says
Would it be longer if they are frozen?
Melissa Guevara says
Hi Sam, I would add an additional 20 minutes in the instant pot if you are cooking from frozen. ~Melissa
Marci says
Can you double the meat and leave same amount of other ingredients? I know it says serves 6 but one tiny pork tenderloin will be devoured very quickly by my big appetite teens.
Melissa Guevara says
Hi Marci! That should work out fine! ~Melissa
Emily Lindley says
I have this cooking now. I’m not sure if I’ve put together an easier recipe. I doubled it, threw everything in (step 1) and cleaned up my house and kitchen to get ready for company. It was the easiest way to have the lowest stress for company and I got so much done! Can’t wait to gobble it up!
Melissa Guevara says
I’m so glad to hear it was an easy and low stress process for you! Hope everyone enjoyed! ~Melissa
Gina says
Delicious! So easy. My whole family loved it. I feel like the pork that is left over could be used for so many things…tacos, loaded potatoes, etc. Win!
Melissa Guevara says
How wonderful! Thank you for taking the time to share with us. We are so glad it was a hit for the entire family. -Melissa
Gina says
Delicious! So easy. My whole family loved it. I feel like the pork that is left over could be used for so many things…tacos, loaded potatoes, etc. Win!
Amanda says
This is such a great recipe. I have made it several times now. It is SO EASY to throw together, healthy and the flavor is delicious. Making coconut rice to serve the chili on top of takes it up even another notch. Thank you for sharing such a wonderful, clean and quick recipe!
Brandi Schilhab says
Ooooh, what a great idea, Amanda! Coconut rice sounds delicious with this recipe. Thanks so much for taking the time to share this with us!