Green Chile Stew

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This flavorful Green Chile Stew is a comforting soup that has just the right amount of spice. It’s freezer friendly and can be made in the slow cooker or instant pot!

With a handful of pantry ingredients, you can have an amazing soup that’s hearty and will be on repeat all winter long just like this Creamy Potato Soup and Hearty Beef Stew!

Overhead view of stew in a bowl garnished with cilantro, pico de gallo, and cheese.

I don’t know about you but when it’s really cold, snowing, or raining out I want all the soups! They are so comforting, warming, and hearty making them perfect for the occasion. Plus, they can also be really budget friendly, so if you are looking to stretch your wallet soup can be a great choice.

This Green Chile Stew Is:

  • easy to make using either the slow cooker or instant pot
  • bursting with bright, bold, lightly spicy flavor
  • freezer friendly
  • healthy….yes, white potatoes can be healthy too
Overhead view of all the ingredients needed to make this hearty stew.

Key Ingredients:

PORK: I like to use pork shoulder for this recipe but any pork roast will work
GREEN CHILES: This is where I am taking some help and using canned green chiles. You can also roast and peel your own to use. You will need around 3 cups of roasted, peeled, and chopped chiles.

ONION AND GARLIC
FRESH TOMATO
POTATO
CHICKEN BROTH

SALT, CHILI POWDER, CUMIN, OREGANO: All spices I love adding to this stew for extra flavor.
FRESH CILANTRO: Adds freshness to the stew

Four pictures showing the steps to preparing the stew.

How To Make Green Chile Stew:

It is a simple stew to make and you can use the slow cooker or instant pot, whichever suits your style.

BROWN THE MEAT: I love browning any meat before adding it to the slow cooker or instant pot because it adds so much flavor. If you are pressed for time you can skip this step.

ADD REMAINING INGREDIENTS: Add the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker or instant pot, cover and cook.

Just before serving stir in 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro or leave it out and add a little to your bowl.

Hand holding a folded tortilla dipping it into the green chile stew.

Frequently Asked Questions

CAN I ROAST MY OWN CHILES?

Yes, they will work well in this recipe. You will need about 3 cups of roasted, peeled, and chopped chiles.

HOW TO STORE LEFTOVERS?

Store stew in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To reheat: heat on the stove top stirring occasionally. If it is too thick add a little chicken broth or water until it reaches desired consistency.

DO I HAVE TO DO A NATURAL RELEASE?

Yes, a natural release is very important when cooking meat. It allows the temperature to drop slower producing more tender meat. When a quick release is used the meat will seize up and be tougher.

Slow Cooker Version:

Brown the pork in oil over medium high heat. Remove from heat and add to slow cooker. In the same pot cook the onion until softened. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Deglaze the pan with chicken broth then add to the slow cooker.

Add remaining ingredients EXCEPT for the cilantro to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours. Shred pork and add back to the slow cooker. Before serving stir in chopped cilantro or add it to individual servings.

Overhead close up of the green chile stew with a folded tortilla and a spoon in the bowl.

Instant Pot Version:

Set instant pot to saute and when hot brown pork in oil. Remove from instant pot and set aside. Add onion and cook until soft. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute. Deglaze with chicken broth making sure to get everything off the bottom of the pan to avoid the burn code.

Add pork back to the pot along with remaining ingredients EXCEPT for cilantro. Place lid on instant pot and turn to seal. Make sure the vent is set to seal. Cook on HIGH pressure for 25 minutes and do a natural release for at least 20 minutes. Move the pressure valve to venting to release the rest of the pressure. Remove the lid and shred pork then add back to the pot. Stir in the cilantro and serve or add the cilantro to individual servings. 

Serving Suggestions:

You can serve this stew with cornbread or these yummy cornbread muffins. Or skip the cornbread and serve with tortillas to dip in the stew. Don’t forget about toppings like pico de gallo, crumbly cheese, or sliced avocados.

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Overhead view of stew in a bowl garnished with cilantro, pico de gallo, and cheese.

Green Chile Stew

Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: pork stew
This flavorful Green Chile Stew is a comforting soup that has just the right amount of spice. It's a freezer friendly meal that can be made in the slow cooker or instant pot!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 426kcal
Author: Malinda Linnebur
Print Recipe Save Recipe

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds (1.3kg) pork roast, cut into chunks
  • 3 tablespoons oil
  • 2 large onions, diced
  • 8 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 quart (945ml) chicken broth
  • 1 (27oz) (765g) diced green chiles
  • 2 roma tomatoes, diced
  • 4 russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • teaspoons cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro, optional

Instructions

  • Brown the pork in oil over medium high heat. Remove from heat and add to slow cooker. In the same pot cook the onion until softened. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Deglaze the pan with chicken broth then add to the slow cooker.
  • Add remaining ingredients EXCEPT for the cilantro to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours. Shred pork and add back to the slow cooker. Before serving stir in chopped cilantro or add it to individual servings.

Notes

  1. INSTANT POT VERSION:
    1. Set instant pot to saute and when hot brown pork in oil. Remove from instant pot and set aside. Add onion and cook until soft. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute. Deglaze with chicken broth making sure to get everything off the bottom of the pan to avoid the burn code.
    2. Add pork back to the pot along with remaining ingredients EXCEPT for cilantro. Place lid on instant pot and turn to seal. Make sure the vent is set to seal. Cook on HIGH pressure for 25 minutes and do a natural release for at least 20 minutes. Move the pressure valve to venting to release the rest of the pressure. Remove the lid and shred pork then add back to the pot. Stir in the cilantro and serve or add the cilantro to individual servings. 
  2. FREEZER FRIENDLY: Freeze completely cooled soup in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat on the stove stirring occasionally. 
  3. GREEN CHILES: You can roast, peel, and chop your own. You will need about 3 cups. If you can’t find a 27 oz can use 4 (7oz) cans.
  4. If you don’t like shredded meat in stew, cut the meat into 1 1/2″ cubes before browning.
  5. While browning the meat will add flavor to the stew if you are short on time you can skip that step.

Nutrition

Calories: 426kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 114mg | Sodium: 760mg | Potassium: 1244mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 225IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 4mg

4 thoughts on “Green Chile Stew”

  1. 5 stars
    I made this and loved it! I was planning to make it for holiday dinner but remembered one of the attendees doesn’t eat pork. Has anyone tried this with chicken?

    Reply
    • I haven’t tried it with chicken but I don’t see why you couldn’t! I would use chicken thighs for flavor and to keep the meat moist.

      Reply
  2. 5 stars
    This recipe is good. I had to make a few adjustments. Since potatoes aren’t the same size and we lik them in our stew, I use 1 1/2 lbs. Last year’s batch of chile was super hot so I only used 3/4 C. 1 can rotel tomatoes which also has some chile. I thought it was going to have too much onion, but it was perfect. Very tasty recipe.

    Reply

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