Shortcut Chile Verde

Our shortcut chile verde recipe calls for just four ingredients—pork shoulder, onion, jarred green salsa, and broth. It's much greater than the sum of its parts and results in a savory, comforting stew that couldn't be easier to throw together—you won't even need to brown the pork! As the mixture simmers, the onion and salsa infuse the broth with plenty of flavor while the pork becomes irresistibly tender. A quick squeeze of lime juice and a shower of cilantro at the end add a welcome dose of brightness and finish the whole thing off. Serve it on its own, pair it with rice, or get creative with toppings (sliced avocado, radishes, and cotija cheese would all make excellent additions). No matter how you spin it, there's no going wrong with this super-easy meal.

What Is Chile Verde?

Chile verde is a stew popular is Mexico and the Southwest—especially New Mexico—that features tangy tomatillos, green chiles, and pork shoulder. While the traditional process for making it calls for charring the chiles and tomatillos, sweating alliums like onion and garlic, and browning the pork, our streamlined version is as easy as it gets.

Ingredients for Shortcut Chile Verde

To make this easy recipe, you'll need these four ingredients:

Pork shoulder: We call for three pounds of pork shoulder, which you'll want to trim and cut into one-inch pieces. It's the perfect cut for a low and slow cooking application like braising and will become beautifully tender without drying out. Pork butt, which has more marbling and intramuscular fat than pork shoulder, can also be used here with great results.

Yellow onion: One thinly sliced onion is all the produce you need to add a flavorful, vegetal note to this stew. You can swap in a white or red onion if that's what you have on hand.

Green salsa: A cup of store-bought green salsa puts the verde in chile verde. Made with tomatillos instead of red tomatoes, it has a tangier, brighter flavor than other salsas. A spicier salsa will result in a stew that has quite a kick—taste it first to make sure it's not too spicy for you before using it.

Chicken broth: You'll need one and one-half cups of chicken broth or stock for this recipe. If you have homemade broth on hand, this is a great time to use it, though store-bought will work just as well. If buying broth, be sure to choose a reduced-sodium option so you can control the saltiness of the finished product.

Making Shortcut Chile Verde Ahead

You can make our shortcut chile verde recipe up to three days ahead of when you plan to serve it. Refrigerate it in an airtight container and reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until pork is warmed through.