Kickin’ Green Chili Recipe — Iowa Girl Eats

September 10, 2024

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Kickin’ Green Chili is the homemade version of Sam’s No. 3 green chili from Denver, Colorado. Lightly thickened with a satisfying kick!

bowl of pork green chili

Set aside everything you’ve ever thought about what chili should or could be, then say hello to your new favorite chili recipe of all time — Kickin’ Green Chili!

This irresistible green chili recipe is inspired by a visit to Sam’s No. 3, a near century-old diner located in the heart of downtown Denver, Colorado. Sam’s is famous for their massive menu including spicy green chili — which they sell over 60 gallons of each day!

For those of us who don’t call The Rockies home, I adapted their famous green chili recipe from diner-sized (aka 5 quarts) to a more manageable soup pot-sized recipe that you can easily make in your kitchen — plus it’s gluten free, whee!

You are going to LOVE THIS CHILI!!

Kickin’ Colorado Green Chili

We head west to Colorado a couple times a year and a cup of gluten free Colorado Green Chili is always on my must-find list while we’re there. The first time I ever had it was at Sam’s No. 3 (what feels like) a thousand years ago.

Green Chili is more brothy / stew-like than it’s red chili cousin, and is made with roasted green chiles, pork, onions, garlic, and tomatoes. You can of course get it by the cup or bowl, but green chili is also commonly draped over burritos, home fries and eggs, or french fries.

Translation: she’s versatile!

Seeing as how we don’t get a ton of fresh green chiles here in Iowa, I adapted Sam’s Green Chili recipe to be easily made in a home kitchen with readily available products in under an hour.

While I am not calling this green chili recipe authentic by any means, it is exceptionally delicious. Slightly velvety in texture, tomato forward, packed with melt in your mouth pork pieces, plus a little kick from the addition of both green chiles and jalapeños.

It will immediately become a cool and cold-weather favorite!

Ingredients Needed

Pork shoulder: is a marbled cut of pork so it becomes extremely tender and doesn’t try out while simmering in the chili. Look for sliced pork shoulder at the store which is easier to cut into bite-sized pieces then a whole shoulder roast.
Canned green chiles: add that signature green chile flavor to the chili without having to source, roast, peel, then process green chiles. Use spicy or mild depending on your preferences. I like Hatch brand.
Diced tomatoes and green chiles: aka Rotel. Rotel doesn’t disclose whether or not their product is gluten free, so I use my grocery store’s version, which is GF. If you don’t need to eat GF, Rotel is fine. Again, choose mild or hot.
Jalapenos: provide a delicious flavor and warmth to the chili. I generally use 2 larger-sized jalapenos (the smaller the jalapeno the more spicy it is).
Chicken stock or broth: forms the base of the chili.
Onions and garlic: for cozy, slow-cooked flavor.
Seasonings: dried oregano, mustard powder, salt and pepper season the green chili. Seems like an odd combo but trust me, it works!
Extra virgin olive oil: for sauting the pork and veggies.
Butter: for the base of the 1 minute flour roux which slightly thickens the chili.
Flour: for thickening the roux. I use my go-to Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour. You can use AP flour if you don’t need to eat gluten free.

What to Serve with Green Chili

While Green Chili differs in many ways to red / tomato-based chili — it’s the same in that green chili loves to be served with toppings and sides. Here are some ideas:

Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
Crushed tortilla chips
Red or green Tabasco Sauce
Fresh or pickled jalapenos
Dollop of sour cream
Diced avocado
Chopped green onions
Chopped cilantro
Tortillas
Cooked white rice
Easy Pinto Beans Recipe
Gluten-Free Cornbread

Green Chili is also great to serve on top of other dishes like breakfast burritos, french fries with lots of melted cheese on top, egg and home fry potato skillets, and baked potatoes.

Freezer Friendly Green Chili

Not only does this green chili reheat extremely well, but it’s perfect for freezing, too!

To freeze: cool the green chili down to room temperature then scoop into a gallon-size Ziplock freezer bag and freeze flat.
To reheat: thaw in the refrigerator overnight, or place the frozen Ziplock bag full of soup in a large dish and fill with warm water. Pour the thawed chili into a soup pot then reheat over medium heat, or microwave individual-sized bowls until hot.

#1 Tip for Success

If you’ve never made green chili before then I have just one tip to keep in mind while make this recipe:

Trust me.

That’s it, that’s the tip. LOL. Seriously, you might be scratching your head while making this green chili recipe wondering how and if it’s going to turn out. Just get to the end and I promise you’ll fall in love. This easy green chili recipe is 2 (ahem, fine, 3) bowl-worthy for sure!

Serve with Gluten Free Cornbread

How to Make This Recipe

Step 1: Prep then saute the pork shoulder

Start with sliced pork shoulder, which is so much easier to slice than a whole shoulder roast.

Tip: If you can’t find sliced pork shoulder at your grocery store, take a whole pork shoulder roast to the meat counter then ask them to slice it into 1″ thick slices for you.

Cut the pork slices into small, 1″x1″ cubes to ensure they become melt-in-your-mouth-tender after simmering in the chili for just 30 minutes.

Next heat extra virgin olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over heat that’s a touch below high. Once the oil is hot add the pork pieces then spread them into an even layer and let them sit undisturbed until seared on the bottoms, 1-2 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper then stir the pork and saute for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Tip: the pork will release some liquid after searing, seasoning, and stirring. That’s ok! Keep the heat between medium-high and high to cook the liquid off and ensure the pork is sizzling vs boiling.

Step 2: Add the aromatics and seasonings

Turn the heat down to medium then add chopped onion and minced jalapeno, plus salt, pepper, dried oregano flakes, and dry mustard powder. Stir to combine then saute for 5 minutes.

Add pressed or minced garlic then saute for 1 more minute.

Step 3: Add the broth, tomatoes, and chiles

Next, slowly stream in chicken broth while scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot, then add canned green chiles, and canned diced tomatoes and green chiles.

Turn the heat up to high to bring the chili to a simmer then place a lid on top, turn the heat down to low, and simmer covered for 20 minutes stirring every now and again.

Remove the lid then simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, adjusting the temperature as needed to maintain a gentle simmer, and scraping off any fat that rises to the top of the chili.

Step 4: Make the flour roux

When the chili has ~3 minutes left to simmer, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, then sprinkle in gluten free flour (or AP flour if not GF).

Whisk to combine then cook while whisking for 1 minute.

Slowly pour the flour roux into the simmering chili while whisking to avoid lumps.

Once all the roux has been whisked into the chili, simmer for 5 more minutes then turn off the heat and let the chili sit and thicken for 10 minutes.

Voila! Honest to goodness the best easy version of Green Chili you will ever have — so good!!!

Serve with any and all toppings — I’m partial to crushed tortilla chips and shredded Monterey Jack cheese — then dig in. I hope you love each and every spoonful of this mouthwatering meal. Enjoy!

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