Chili Verde (Santa Fe Style Green Chili)

Chili Verde is a favorite across the Southwest. A friend dropped me a line to see if I had a recipe, and I was surprised that I had never posted one before! Not only is it a great idea for a blog post, I get to eat the Chili Verde too! It’s perfect for our January weather!

Hatch chiles for Chili Verde

Chili Verde is usually made with Hatch green chiles. Mild or spicy hot, both varieties are available canned in most supermarkets. Hatch chiles are usually harvested in the Autumn, but their flavor is popular year-round. Here in South Texas, we might see fresh Hatch chiles in the supermarket, but then again maybe we won’t. You never know.

If you happen to find fresh Hatch chiles, check out my tutorial on roasting fresh chiles. The tutorial features Poblano chiles, but the roasting process is the same for Hatch chiles. You will need about 6 roasted fresh Hatch chiles to make this recipe. If you can’t find them, simply use canned as instructed above. Here is more info on my blog about roasting chiles.

Fresh is better, but I can always find canned

Also, tomatillos are always better fresh, but they are not always available in every market. If you can find fresh, simply wash and boil 1 ½ lbs/750g of fresh peeled and washed tomatillos to equate the amount of tomatillos in a 28oz/793g can. Drain the water and add as directed in the recipe.

You may notice that this Chili Verde recipe calls for cubes of meat instead of ground meat. I like the texture of cubed meat better. As the meat stews, the cubes tend to fall apart anyway. Also, the bones that you will include with your stew meat will give the Chili Verde a thick, silky sauce. You could add corn tortilla mix or a wheat flour slurry to thicken it, but I prefer the bones for better flavor.

Try this chili served over rice, noodles or over tamales. It’s cold outside tonight, so I’m having mine with fried eggs and beans. So delicious!