Amazing Colorado Style Green Chile (Chili)

Colorado-style green chile is a local favorite. While there are many good recipes, I stand by this as a great recipe. Dare I say the best? Oh, I do!

I have made my famous green chile and taken it to chile cook-offs. Vegans, vegetarians, and carnivores all agree my recipe is a perfect blend of the best flavors!

If this is your first time making green chile, be prepared to fall in love. Our green chile (sometimes called chile verde) is so popular that 505 Southwestern and the Denver Broncos have a partnership to sell green chile at concession stands!

If you are in the mood, go all out and smother your burritos Christmas style, half green, and half red chile.

What is All The Fuss About?

Lately, I have been reading articles about green chile being the local must-try food in Colorado. I have to agree!

Starting in the fall, late August through late September, there are chile stands throughout Denver (possibly the state). It is a pastime to purchase a bundle of New Mexico chiles and watch them being roasted. While at the road stands, we always buy green and red chiles, along with poblano peppers.

Fun fact (ok maybe just fun for me) chiles are grown in Pueblo Colorado. In fact, it is such a big deal there is a Pueblo Green Chile Growers Association! The peppers from Pueblo are smaller and meatier in texture. Pueblo is in the southern part of Colorado, about 2 hours from the New Mexican border.

What is Colorado Style Green Chile?

Most people are familiar with the famous New Mexican Hatch green chile. The recipes are easily found throughout New Mexico and the American southwest. The New Mexican style is heavy on the actual green chilies and not a lot of other ingredients. However, in Colorado, we make a different type of green chile. Ours is stew-like made with fire-roasted tomatoes.

Colorado and New Mexico take their chilies very seriously. There has been a long-standing rivalry about whose chili peppers are better. Our governors even got in on the action and New Mexico placed billboards around Denver promoting their green chiles. Honestly, it's all good fun and rather funny.

What do I Put Green Chile On?

Well, pretty much everything. Too broad? Honestly in my home, we make this green chile recipe in large batches and can it. It is in such demand that we ship it to friends and family throughout the country.

My personal preference is to enjoy it as a main course. Most of my family likes to smother eggs, breakfast burritos, traditional burritos, enchiladas, nachos, and even burgers in it. We also use it as a type of salsa with tortilla chips.

When I say the main course, I mean a stew served with warm tortillas and lime wedges. Because the chili can be spicy, depending on the pepper heat level, I load the bowl up with cheese and sour cream to cool it off. Then I shamelessly, eat it with Frito Scoops. It's not exactly low fat, but it's soooo worth it!

Ingredients