Smoked Chile Verde
On October 10, 2019 (Updated May 11, 2024)
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This Smoked Chile Verde is incredibly simple to make and off the charts delicious. Eat it straight off the bone, or serve it in tacos, burritos, on nachos and so much more. Save this recipe for later, it’s a keeper.
What is Chile Verde?
In it’s most basic state, chile verde is a stew of tender pork or beef in a savory green sauce. The sauce is made from tomatillos and green chile peppers. The heat of the chile verde can be adjusted to be mild to medium to hot, and the meat can be prepared in a number of ways.
If you search for chile verde, you’ll often see it spelled chile or chili. The first part of the name “chili” indicates that this is a stew-type soup made with meat and beans. “Verde” is Spanish for green, meaning chili verde is basically a green chili. In chili (or chile!) verde, we often omit the beans from the stew, and the green sauce and tender meat take center stage. When spelled “chile,” you often get the same recipe, the name is just indicating that it is a green sauce made with chiles.
Recipes for chile verde vary greatly by location with Mexican varieties differing from recipes in the states (and each state in the West having their own preferences and ingredients). No matter where you go or what recipe you follow, you’ll know you’re likely to get a stew with a flavorful meat and some variation of tasty green chiles and sauces.
Pulled Pork Chile Verde
Today’s recipe for smoked chile verde is a pulled pork chile verde. The secret to making this delicious pulled pork chile verde is in braising the pulled pork (smoked from a pork shoulder) in a tasty chile verde sauce while it’s on the smoker. This meat can be eaten in traditional stew form right off the grill, or you can use the meat in just about any way possible.
This pulled pork chile verde is incredible in tacos, burritos, enchiladas, nachos, and sandwiches. I like to eat mine with a squeeze of lime, a side tortilla, fresh chopped red onions, sour cream, and cilantro. There’s no judgement here on how you choose to enjoy this smoked chile verde. The sky really is the limit.
Chile Verde Sauce
This smoked chile verde pulled pork uses a combination of three sauces as a braising liquid to braise the pork after it’s had its initial smoke. These three Here’s what you’ll need to make this sauce:
- 28-oz can of Green Chile Enchilada Sauce
- 4-oz can of Fire Roasted Diced Green Chiles (choose your heat level)
- 12-oz can of Salsa Verde Green Tomatillo Sauce (I used Trader Joe’s brand)
How to Make Smoked Chile Verde
With only 5 ingredients, this smoked chile verde is simple to make and requires little more than seasoning your meat, watching your smoker temp, and giving it a little bit of time.
Begin by seasoning the pork shoulder with my Signature Beef Seasoning. You can purchase this seasoning online from Patio Provisions, or you can use a simple seasoning of equal parts salt, pepper, and garlic powder (I like to mix these in a small bowl before sprinkling on the meat).
With your smoker preheated to 225 degrees, smoke the pork for 8 hours straight on the grill grates. You’re aiming for the internal temp of the meat to reach 160-165 degrees F. Make sure you have a reliable meat thermometer on hand so you get an accurate reading.
Once your meat is between 160-165 degrees F, remove it from the smoker and place in a disposable aluminum pan. Dump the three cans of chile verde sauce goodness right over the meat. Using a large sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil, tightly cover the pan. You want to create an airtight seal, allowing the meat to braise inside the foil.
Return the meat to the smoker for an additional 2-3 hours. Remove the meat when the internal temp reads 195-203 degrees F. Allow the meat to rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour before shredding and serving. Taste the pork and add additional salt, as needed.
More Mexican-Inspired BBQ Recipes
I love some good Tex-mex or Mexican-inspired BBQ. Sometimes you just can’t beat the spicy, sweet flavors of these recipes. Check out more BBQ recipes from Hey Grill Hey when you’re wanting a kick of great flavor.
Chorizo Breakfast Burrito
Elote (Mexican Street Corn)
Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple Salsa
Smoked Chile Verde Recipe
Watch the video below, and let’s make something delicious! I’m all about helping you make better BBQ, feed the people you love, and become a BBQ hero Check out more Hey Grill Hey behind the scenes action on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube!
Smoked Chile Verde
Video
Ingredients
- 1 8-10 pound bone-in pork shoulder (AKA Boston butt)
- Signature Beef Seasoning
Braising Liquid
- 1 28-oz can green chile enchilada sauce choose mild or spicy based on your flavor preferences
- 1 4-oz can fire roasted diced green chiles choose mild or spicy based on your flavor preferences
- 1 12-oz can salsa verde salsa
Instructions
- Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees F. For a bold smoke flavor, go with mesquite wood, for a milder flavor, I recommend using alder or hickory.
- Using a paper towel, wipe down your pork shoulder to remove any excess liquid from the packaging or bone fragments from the meat.
- Season on all sides with my Signature Beef Seasoning or equal amounts of salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Place your seasoned pork shoulder directly on the grill grates. Close the lid, and smoke for 8 hours or until the internal temperature of your meat reaches 160-165 degrees F.
- Remove the pork from the smoker and place in disposable aluminum pan. Pour all ingredients for the braising liquid over the pork. Cover tightly with a large sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil and seal all edges.
- Increase the heat on your smoker to 350 degrees F.
- Place the pork shoulder back on the smoker for 2-3 hours. Cook until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 195-203 degrees F.
- Remove the pork from the smoker and allow to rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Remove the aluminum foil, and shred the pork straight into the liquid, removing the bone and any gristle or excess fat. Taste and season with additional salt, as needed. This meat is versatile and can be eaten like a stew, served in burritos, tacos, on nachos however you like.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Awesome. How can you go wrong? Smoked pork shoulder with a tangy spicy green chili sauce. Smoked chile verde pulled pork tops the charts. Just made it today. And will do it again. Nachos, tacos, burritos or even just eaten straight out of the pan, it is a tasty versatile recipe.
We have been making this pork chili verde since you posted it and it is very very good. So simple, but the flavor is off the charts. We smoke a lot of different things, most things really, but this is one of our favorites. We are retired, just the two of us left here, so it takes us a while to get through an entire pork butt – so we pressure can this and it is as good out of the jar as it is off the smoker. I usually tweek recipes a lot, I have not tweeked this one at all and always fight the urge, it is that good – as written.
This looks great. How do I make it in my oven?
The recipe will work as is. You’ll just miss out on the smoky flavor.
We have made this several times over the last couple years, getting ready to make it again. We follow your recipe to the letter, if our butt weighs more, we add more sauces. We used to freeze it but now we pressure can it in pint jars, works real well doing that. This recipe is very good, one of our favorites.
I know the whole point of this recipe is to smoke your own pork, but I had some smoked pork leftovers from a butcher shop, and wanted to do something more interesting with them than more smoked pork BBQ sandwiches. The chili verde additions really made the smoked pork sing. You can eat it in a burrito, or as nachos, or just by itself. I will definitely be making this again! Delicious and different.
If you’ve got the time to roast your own tomatillos, onions, garlic, and chiles, I totally recommend it! I used two Costco pork sirloin roasts rubbed with green chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper and smoked as discussed in this recipe. Meanwhile I charred several poblanos, jalapeños, and Anaheim chiles, peeled and seeded and set aside. Then do the same with garlic, yellow onions and tomatillos. Combine in a blender with a small can of low sodium chicken stock. Once the roasts reach a temp between 155-165, move to the croc pot ( or covered pan as described in the recipe)to braise. Once the meat temp reaches 205 its done!! Shred the roasts and serve with charred tortillas, lime wedges, cilantro and sour cream. Salud!
I tried the recipe as its and love it. However, I very much like your contribution. I will try to let you know how it goes.
Hello Susie! You are awesome! Love everything you do! Regarding the Chile verde pulled pork, I went off the reservation a little bit. Used SPG but also added Chile de arbol and Mexican oregano to the rub! Then I also placed the butt in a roster with foil in my over and placed the cover on it. I also finely chopped 3 Serrano peppers and added them to the rostef hatch chiles. Also used El Pato green enchilada sauce. My wife loved it as well as I did. Can’t wait to share this with all other members on my family on a special occasion! It was that good.
OK so I don’t normally leave reviews on recipes, in fact I think this is the first one. I made this for the first time last year when I had garden fresh tomatillos and was looking for something to use them on. I’ve made it at least 6 times since then, it’s by far the best pulled pork I’ve had. I have one on the smoker now after my grocery store had Pork Butts 50% off and I bought 3 all with the intent to make this recipe. Simple, with few ingredients but packs a powerful bite. I’ve made Burritos, Burrito Bowls, Tacos, Nachos. I even made a dip with the drippings: Cream Cheese spread on the bottom of a casserole pan, Pulled Pork drippings (With some pulled pork obviously) over that, then some cheese, I used provolone the first time, but may look to get oaxaca cheese the next time. If anyone has any other recipes for this I’d love it because there’s no way it wouldn’t be good while using this pork! Thanks Hey Grill!
Hello ! Just wanted to say thank you for all your help grilling! Second, could you do this recipe with a pork loin instead of a shoulder. I understand the timeline would be different, but following the same process?
The loin is too lean of a cut to shred like this. You can do it but it won’t work nearly as well.
I’ve made this recipe a few times and it is absolutely fantastic! I use salt, pepper, and garlic powder for rub, a jar of jalepeno salsa verde, and about a cup of 505 Southwestern flame roasted hatch green chiles from a jar. Amazing flavor!
Can I treat a pork cushion the same as a shoulder? Possibly with a higher final temp to compensate for the more muscular cut? Waiting for pork shoulders to go on sale around here. Thanks.
Cushion will work, but probably not as well as shoulder. It’s a much leaner muscle.