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Green Chile Shredded Beef (Carne de Res con Chile Verde)

Tender beef simmered in a vibrant green sauce made from tomatillos, serranos, roasted poblanos, and cilantro. This bold, comforting dish is perfect with rice or stuffed into tortillas for the ultimate Mexican-style meal.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican

Equipment

Ingredients
  

Sauce:

  • 1 lb milpero tomatillos (smaller than regular tomatillos) (smaller than normal tomatillos) husked and rinsed
  • 2 serrano peppers
  • 2 jalapeños
  • 1 tomato
  • ½ small onion
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 2 Bay leaves
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 Small bunch cilantro Remove stems
  • 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon
  • ¼ teaspoon cumin optional
  • Garlic salt, to taste (optional – use after blending the sauce to adjust flavor)

Meat:

  • 4 lbs chuck roast seared
  • 3 poblano peppers roasted and chopped
  • ½ small onion sautéed
  • 3 garlic cloves sautéed
  • 2 tsp Kosher salt
  • 1 tsp Ground pepper

Instructions
 

Charr the Vegetables

  • Char the poblanos. Place them directly on a hot, dry pan or over an open flame until the skins are blistered and blackened on all sides.
  • Transfer them to a glass container with a lid or a sealed zip-top bag and let them steam for about 20 minutes. This makes peeling the skins much easier later.
  • 1 lb tomatillos, husked and rinsed well to remove sticky coating
    Remove the husks from the tomatillos and rinse them thoroughly to remove the sticky residue. Make sure there’s no film left. If not rinsed well, it can affect the flavor of the sauce.
  • While the poblanos steam, char the tomatillos, serranos, jalapeños, tomato, ½ onion, and 4 unpeeled garlic cloves on a dry pan or griddle over medium-high heat.
  • Turn often until everything is blistered and softened. The tomato should be soft, the chiles should look pale green and slightly blackened, and the garlic should be golden but not burnt.
    Notes: Be careful not to let the tomatillos pop. These smaller tomatillos can burst and lose too much juice, which can make the sauce taste bitter. Watch them closely and remove them from the pan once they start to soften and the skins are blistered.

Blend the Sauce

  • In a blender, combine tomatillos, serranos, jalapeños, tomato, roasted onion, 4 roasted and peeled garlic cloves , 1 cup chicken broth, cilantro (without stems), bouillon, and cumin. Blend until smooth. Set sauce aside.

Prep Poblanos

  • After 20 minutes of steaming poblano chiles, peel off the charred skin
  • Remove seeds and stem
  • Cut into small squares

Cut and Season the Beef:

  • Cut the beef into medium-sized chunks, roughly 2–3 inches wide—just like stew meat.
  • Season the beef evenly with 2 teaspoons of kosher salt and 1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper.

Sear the Beef

  • Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add a drizzle of oil. Sear the beef in batches until golden brown on all sides. (Searing in batches prevents overcrowding the pan and boiling the meat. Make sure pan not overcrowded.)
  • Remove when golden brown and set aside.

Sauté Aromatics

  • In the same pan, reduce heat to medium and sauté the remaining ½ small onion and 3 raw garlic cloves
  • Stir until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Simmer in the Sauce.

  • Return the seared beef to the pan.
  • Pour the blended sauce over the top and stir to coat.
  • Add bay leaves
  • Stir
  • Cover the pan and let it simmer on low heat for 1 hour. Using a slowcooker or instapot? See the Alternative Cooking Methods & Tips down below)

Add Poblanos and Finish Cooking.

  • After an hour, add chopped roasted poblanos.
  • Stir in poblanos. Cover and continue cooking for 1 hour or until the beef is fork-tender and shreddable.
  • Ready Serve!

Serve and Enjoy.

  • This dish pairs beautifully with Mexican red rice, refried beans, or warm tortillas.
  • Note how easily the beef shreds.

Notes

  • Want it spicier? Add an extra serrano or leave the seeds in.
  • This dish is even better the next day. Reheat with a splash of broth.
  • Great for tacos, burritos, or over rice.
Keyword carne con chile verde, chuck roast, green chile verde, shredded beef, tomatillo beef
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