There’s a sense of comfort that only a pot of slow-simmered chili can offer. I still remember the first time I made this dish, it had been one of those long days when all I wanted was something warm, filling, and rich with flavor. The kitchen filled with the scent of roasting chiles and garlic, sending up memories of family gatherings, football-season Sundays, and late fall dinners around the table.
The core of this ground beef green chili recipe lies in honoring two things: real ingredients and old-school technique. There’s nothing overly fancy about it, just a bit of chopping, searing, and time. But that’s the point. This is food made without shortcuts, inspired by Tex-Mex roots but adapted to everyday life.
Whether you’re planning a meal prep session, hosting friends, or just nurturing your winter appetite, this chili will satisfy and stretch into the week ahead. Grab a slow cooker or Dutch oven, and get ready to bring something unforgettable to the table.
What Is Ground Beef Green Chili?
Ground beef green chili, or chile verde con carne, is a Tex-Mex comfort dish made by simmering chunks of beef (or ground beef) in a sauce made from roasted green chiles, fresh tomatillos, garlic, onion, and classic Mexican spices such as cumin, oregano, and just a hint of allspice.
Though it’s called “ground beef” in some home recipes, the most flavorful versions use cubed chuck roast, which offers a deeply beefy taste and fall-apart tenderness after hours of slow cooking. The “green” in green chili comes from the starring chiles, a mix of Hatch, Anaheim, poblano, and jalapeños that get roasted, peeled, and chopped before joining the pot.
The finished chili is saucy yet thick enough to scoop with a tortilla. It’s tangy, smoky, warm but not too spicy, and way more complex than plain red chili.
Why You’ll Love This Ground Beef Green Chili
Let’s get into why this ground beef green chili is a fantastic choice for dinner tonight. One, it’s incredibly flexible. You can adjust spice levels based on personal preferences, making it a hit with kids and adults alike. Two, it’s perfect for meal prep. You can make a big batch over the weekend and enjoy it throughout the week.
Moreover, the ingredient list showcases fresh vegetables, lean beef, and simple spices. In your pot, you’ll find goodness from the peppers, the health benefits of garlic, and protein from the beef that can keep hunger at bay. It’s comfort food that’s also friendly to your waistline.
I have personalized this recipe over the years. It’s been tested during chilly soccer games, at family gatherings, and cozy nights in. Every interaction with this dish has enhanced its flavor and my love for it.
Why You Can Trust This Recipe
As a registered dietitian and experienced home cook, I’ve spent years developing, tweaking, and testing slow-simmer recipes that combine comfort and flavor in perfect balance. This ground beef green chili recipe is rooted in tradition but designed for real, modern kitchens, whether you rely on a Dutch oven or love the convenience of your slow cooker.
The ingredients are fresh and accessible. The methods are time-tested, not trendy. I’ve personally made this chili dozens of times, for weeknight dinners, family gatherings, and even game-day crowd-pleasers. It’s been refined step-by-step based on practicality, picky eaters, and nutrition without ever sacrificing flavor.
As you read through the prep, technique, and serving variations, know this recipe is built from hands-on experience and real results. You can cook it exactly as written or customize it with full confidence that it’ll still turn out delicious and deeply satisfying.
The Ingredients You Will Need to Make Ground Beef Green Chili
- 3 pounds chuck roast, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 pound Anaheim or Hatch green chiles (about 7)
- 1/2 pound poblano chiles (about 3)
- 2 jalapeño chiles
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 tablespoon bacon grease or vegetable oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups chicken broth (3 cups if using a slow cooker)
- 1/2 pound tomatillos, husked and cut in half
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 2 tablespoons masa harina
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 cup chopped cilantro, divided
- Sour cream, for serving
- Warm tortillas or tortilla chips, for serving
- Extra cilantro, for garnish
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Roast the Chiles
Preheat your oven broiler on high. Place the Anaheim, poblano, and jalapeño chiles on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil for about 5 minutes per side, or until all sides are blackened and blistered.
Transfer the roasted chiles to a large resealable plastic bag (or a covered bowl) and let them steam for 20 minutes to loosen the skins.
When they’re cool enough to handle, gently rub off the skins, remove the stems and seeds, and dice the chiles. Set aside.
Step 2: Brown the Beef
While the chiles steam, pat your beef cubes dry with a paper towel. Season them generously with kosher salt and black pepper.
In a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat, add the bacon grease or vegetable oil. Brown the beef in batches, allowing each side to develop a golden-brown crust for about 5 to 7 minutes per batch. Do not overcrowd the pan.
Transfer browned beef to a bowl or directly into your slow cooker insert.
Step 3: Cook the Aromatics
Using the same pot with all those flavor-packed drippings, reduce the heat to medium. Add your diced yellow onion and sauté until softened and lightly golden, about 5 minutes.
Add the minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, just until fragrant. If using the slow cooker method, transfer the sautéed onions and garlic into the slow cooker now.
Step 4: Build Your Broth Base
Deglaze the onion pot with a bit of chicken broth (around 1/2 cup), scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom. This is flavor gold you don’t want to waste. Pour the broth into the slow cooker or Dutch oven.
Now add:
- Diced roasted chiles
- Tomatillos (halved)
- Half of the chopped cilantro
- Ground cumin
- Dried oregano
- Ground allspice
- Remaining chicken broth
If using a slow cooker, cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.
If using the stovetop method, bring the chili to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Cook uncovered for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
Step 5: Thicken the Chili
In a small bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons of masa harina with 1/4 cup cold water (or 2 tablespoons water, if using the slow cooker). Stir this slurry into the chili and let it cook, uncovered, for an additional 30 minutes.
Masa harina not only thickens the stew, but it also adds a light corn flavor that deepens the whole pot.
Step 6: Brighten and Finish
Turn off the heat. Stir in the remaining cilantro and add your freshly squeezed lime juice. Taste and adjust seasonings. Want a touch more salt? Maybe a splash more lime? Do it here.
Step 7: Serve and Enjoy
Ladle the green chili into bowls, top with sour cream and fresh cilantro, and serve alongside warm flour tortillas or crispy tortilla chips.
It’s incredibly filling on its own, but also perfect wrapped in a burrito, spooned over rice, or alongside eggs the next morning.
Notes
- Roasting the chiles properly matters, don’t skip steaming them. That trapped heat is what lifts off those rough skins.
- Always brown the beef. Skipping this step loses tons of flavor. If you’re in a rush, brown at least half.
- Tomatillos should be slightly soft when done. You’ll know they’ve broken down and integrated with the broth well when your ladle starts catching them.
- Use kitchen gloves when seeding jalapeños if you’re sensitive to chili oils.
- If using canned green chiles, drain and reduce the broth slightly to compensate for extra moisture.
Storage Tips
- Let the chili cool completely before transferring it to storage containers
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days
- Freeze in airtight containers or bags (in single-serving portions for quick thawing) for up to 3 months
- Reheat gently on the stove over medium-low, adding broth as needed to loosen
Serving Suggestions
Here are some fun and delicious ways to enjoy every bowl:
Cornbread Muffins
Soft, buttery, and slightly sweet, these make the perfect chili soaker, especially straight from the oven.
Cheesy Nachos
Top tortilla chips with shredded cheese, bake until melted, and layer on a warm spoonful of this chili, fresh cilantro, and a dollop of sour cream.
Rice Bowls
Serve chili over a bed of fluffy white or Spanish rice. The rice absorbs the broth and turns your meal into a filling fusion bowl.
Stuffed Bell Peppers
Hollow out bell peppers, fill them with chili, sprinkle the tops with shredded cheese, and bake until bubbling. A fun, fresh twist on dinner.
Tex-Mex Tacos
Pack the green chili into warm corn tortillas topped with avocado slices, diced red onions, and cotija cheese.
What Other Substitutes Can I Use in Ground Beef Green Chili Recipe?
Cuts of Beef
Chuck roast is ideal, but if needed, swap it with well-marbled stew meat, brisket, or even top sirloin. Avoid leaner cuts, as they may dry out.
No Hatch or Anaheim Chiles?
Use canned roasted green chiles from the grocery store. Choose diced or whole and drain any excess liquid. Fire-roasted types have the closest flavor.
No tomatillos?
Try green salsa (look for unsweetened, tomatillo-based varieties). It won’t be as fresh, but it works surprisingly well in a pinch.
Can’t find masa harina?
Use finely crushed corn tortilla chips to thicken, just stir them in and simmer until they dissolve.
Make it vegetarian
Use mushrooms or zucchini for a meaty texture, and white beans (like Cannellini) for protein and heartiness. Keep spices and broth the same.
Conclusion
This ground beef green chili recipe celebrates slow-cooked texture and layered flavor. It stays rooted in traditional green chile stew, while balancing tangy tomatillos, tender beef, and fragrant spice in every spoonful. Roasted peppers give it heat and body. Cilantro and lime give it brightness.
Whether ladled into a crisp tortilla bowl or poured over hot rice, this is the kind of meal you’ll want to make in double batches, one for now, one for the freezer.
However you serve it, it’s comfort food with character. Real ingredients, meaningful process, weeknight practicality, and leftovers that get even better with time.
You’ll also like the following Recipes!
Ground Beef Green Chili Recipe – Quick Simple Dishes
Description
This ground beef green chili recipe is packed with bold, smoky flavor and hearty textures. With roasted Anaheim, poblano, and jalapeño chiles leading the flavor profile, and slow-simmered chunks of chuck roast tenderized in a tomatillo and cilantro-spiked broth, this chili balances heat, tang, richness, and comfort in every spoonful. Made in a slow cooker or Dutch oven, it’s a make-ahead marvel that only gets better overnight.
Ingredients
Instructions
Step 1: Roast the Chiles
Preheat your oven broiler on high. Place the Anaheim, poblano, and jalapeño chiles on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil for about 5 minutes per side, or until all sides are blackened and blistered.
Transfer the roasted chiles to a large resealable plastic bag (or a covered bowl) and let them steam for 20 minutes to loosen the skins.
When they're cool enough to handle, gently rub off the skins, remove the stems and seeds, and dice the chiles. Set aside.
Step 2: Brown the Beef
While the chiles steam, pat your beef cubes dry with a paper towel. Season them generously with kosher salt and black pepper.
In a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat, add the bacon grease or vegetable oil. Brown the beef in batches, allowing each side to develop a golden-brown crust for about 5 to 7 minutes per batch. Do not overcrowd the pan.
Transfer browned beef to a bowl or directly into your slow cooker insert.
Step 3: Cook the Aromatics
Using the same pot with all those flavor-packed drippings, reduce the heat to medium. Add your diced yellow onion and sauté until softened and lightly golden, about 5 minutes.
Add the minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, just until fragrant. If using the slow cooker method, transfer the sautéed onions and garlic into the slow cooker now.
Step 4: Build Your Broth Base
Deglaze the onion pot with a bit of chicken broth (around 1/2 cup), scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom. This is flavor gold you don’t want to waste. Pour the broth into the slow cooker or Dutch oven.
Now add:
- Diced roasted chiles
- Tomatillos (halved)
- Half of the chopped cilantro
- Ground cumin
- Dried oregano
- Ground allspice
- Remaining chicken broth
If using a slow cooker, cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.
If using the stovetop method, bring the chili to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Cook uncovered for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
Step 5: Thicken the Chili
In a small bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons of masa harina with 1/4 cup cold water (or 2 tablespoons water, if using the slow cooker). Stir this slurry into the chili and let it cook—uncovered—for an additional 30 minutes.
Masa harina not only thickens the stew, but it adds a light corn flavor that deepens the whole pot.
Step 6: Brighten and Finish
Turn off the heat. Stir in remaining cilantro and add your freshly squeezed lime juice. Taste and adjust seasonings. Want a touch more salt? Maybe a splash more lime? Do it here.
Step 7: Serve and Enjoy
Ladle the green chili into bowls, top with sour cream and fresh cilantro, and serve alongside warm flour tortillas or crispy tortilla chips.
It’s incredibly filling on its own, but also perfect wrapped in a burrito, spooned over rice, or alongside eggs the next morning.
Nutrition Facts
Servings 8
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 500kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 16.3g26%
- Saturated Fat 5.3g27%
- Trans Fat 0.1g
- Cholesterol 230mg77%
- Sodium 1585mg67%
- Total Carbohydrate 9g3%
- Dietary Fiber 1g4%
- Sugars 4g
- Protein 76g152%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note
- Roasting the chiles properly matters — don’t skip steaming them. That trapped heat is what lifts off those rough skins.
- Always brown the beef. Skipping this step loses tons of flavor. If you’re in a rush, brown at least half.
- Tomatillos should be slightly soft when done. You’ll know they’ve broken down and integrated with the broth well when your ladle starts catching them.
- Use kitchen gloves when seeding jalapeños if you're sensitive to chili oils.
- If using canned green chiles, drain and reduce the broth slightly to compensate for extra moisture.
