chile verde

noun

chile ver·​de -ˈver-ˌdā  -ˈvər-dē 

variants or chili verde

plural chiles verdes also chiles verde or chilies verde

: a mild to moderately spicy stew of green chilies, tomatillos, and usually pork

Walk into almost any taqueria in this country and you will find chile verde on the menu. The chile will likely be made with chunks of pork shoulder, slow cooked in a green chile sauce of jalapeño chiles, garlic, and tomatillos.

—Elise Bauer

I've had chile verde many ways over the years—in a dry burrito, in a wet burrito, as a kind of stew/soup that you dunk your tortillas into … —but over the years I've discovered that my ideal chile verde vessel is actually a quesadilla.

—Vince Mancini

Add the reserved tomatillo sauce along with ½ cup chicken stock, or up to a cup if you'd like a thinner chili verde.

—Mike Hultquist

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Mexican or New Mexican Spanish, literally "green chili," probably short for temole de chile verde "stew of green chile" or a similar collocation

First Known Use

1881, in the meaning defined above