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Chile verde in a bowl with beans, rice, avocado and garnishes.

Healthier Slow Cooker Chile Verde

This lighter take on classic chile verde delivers all the smoky, tangy flavor you love with lean pork tenderloin instead of traditional pork shoulder. Charred tomatillos, poblano peppers, jalapeños, onion, and garlic are blended into a vibrant green sauce seasoned with Mexican oregano and lime. The pork cooks low and slow until tender.
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*Easily adjust serving size to your liking by clicking the number under servings or with the boxes below in the ingredients section.

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 6
Calories 295 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 1½ pounds tomatillos husked and rinsed
  • 3 poblano peppers
  • 2 - 4 jalapeños I used 4 for more spice
  • 1 large white onion quartered
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 2 cups water
  • 3 green onions chopped
  • 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon
  • 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

For the Pork

  • 2 pork tenderloins about 2½ pounds total, preferably frozen, see note
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Char the Vegetables: Place the tomatillos, poblano peppers, jalapeños, onion, and garlic on a sheet pan. Broil for 8-12 minutes, turning and removing them as needed, until the vegetables are softened and deeply charred in spots. Remove the stems from the jalapeños (and seeds for a milder sauce).
    Char the poblanos first so they can steam while everything else cooks.
    A sheet pan filled with charred vegetables for chile verde.
  • Steam and Peel the Poblanos: Transfer the charred poblano peppers to a heatproof bowl and immediately cover tightly with plastic wrap or a plate. Let the peppers steam for 10 minutes.
    Once cool enough to handle, use your fingers or the back of a knife to gently rub off and discard the loose, papery skin. Cut off the stems, slice the peppers open, and scrape out the seeds and membranes.
    Steaming the charred poblano peppers in a bowl with plastic wrap.
  • Blend the Sauce: Add the charred vegetables, water, green onions, bouillon, oregano, chili powder, lime juice, salt, and pepper to the blender. Blend until mostly smooth, about 10 seconds, it's good to keep it a little chunky here.
    Blended salsa verde in the blender jar.
  • Slow Cook: Pour the sauce into a slow cooker and add the bay leaf. Season the pork tenderloins with salt and pepper and nestle them into the sauce. Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours, or until the pork is tender and reaches an internal temperature of at least 145°F.
    Chile verde with pork tenderloin in the slow cooker ready to be cooked.
  • Rest and Chop the Pork: Remove the pork from the slow cooker and let it rest for 10 minutes. Dice or shred the pork into large bite-sized pieces. (about 1-2 inches).
    Tender pork tenderloin cut into large chunks in white bowl.
  • Finish the Chile Verde: Return the pork to the slow cooker and stir into the sauce. Remove the bay leaf and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or lime juice if needed.
  • Serve: Serve hot with your favorite toppings, over rice, alongside beans, in tacos, burrito bowls, or over some sheet pan nachos.

Notes

  • If using frozen pork tenderloin, cook for about 6 hours.  If using defrosted cook for 4-5 hours or until it starts to shred nicely. 
  • Cooking on low heat is recommended for a tender result. 
  • Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  • Freeze for up to 3 months.
  • For easy meal prep, freeze in individual portions so you can thaw only what you need.
 

Nutrition

Serving: 0.16gCalories: 295kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 44gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 393mgSodium: 1203mgPotassium: 2884mgFiber: 5gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 721IUVitamin C: 65mgCalcium: 84mgIron: 7mg
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