canned green chile

Easy Southwestern Pork Stew

chicken broth, a little more if needed

red potatoes, 1/2 inch cubes

chili powder

cumin

cayenne

oil, more as needed

garlic,

pork loin,

(4-ounce can) diced green chili peppers

salt & pepper

If desired one can of rinsed beans, black or pinto, rinsed and drained and/or 1 can of corn, drained or equivelent amount of frozen (about 1 1/2 cups) may be added.

Instructions to add optional biscuit topping are in the body of the post.

Notes

This easy braise is generously spiked with Tajín, the chile-lime salt that is often sprinkled on fresh fruit but can also be used as a punchy, one-stop seasoning for grilled chicken and salads. You can eat the stew in bowls, with tortilla chips on the side, or on top of rice, or use a slotted spoon to tuck it into tortillas for tacos, burritos or enchiladas. Mild or hot cans of roasted, chopped green chiles are usually stocked near the canned chipotles and pickled jalapeños, and are a versatile pantry item to have on hand.

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2025/04/25/multimedia/sd-tajin-chicken-gcjl/sd-tajin-chicken-gcjl-videoSixteenByNineJumbo1600.jpg

Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.

Slow Cooker Tajín Chicken and Peppers

chicken thighs

pinto beans,

(4-ounce) cans hot

bell pepper,

garlic cloves,

Tajín seasoning,

canola oil

onion powder

Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

queso fresco,

Rice, tortillas or tortilla chips,

NYT Cooking

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Combine the chicken, beans, green chiles, bell pepper, garlic, Tajín, oil, onion powder and cumin in a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker. Season with 1½ teaspoons salt. Cook on low until the chicken is tender and the pepper is soft, 4 hours.

Break the chicken into large chunks using two forks. Serve topped with queso fresco and more Tajin to taste.

I loved this recipe. The flavor held to the next day. I rated it a 5 but my BF rated it a 3.

Made today with some very minor changes.  Instead of Tajin I used Simply Organic Chili Lime seasoning, zest from a lime and all the juice.  No additional salt.  I also used canned organic diced green chiles.  Cooked in the Instant Pot on high for around 2 hrs., or until the chicken was cooked through and tender.  The beans broke down and made a lovely thick sauce.  definitely a keeper.

I made this yesterday.  It is so good!   I used all the salt called for and did  not find it too salty.  It was delicious! The only change I made was I did not have any bell pepper so skipped it, used kidney beans instead of pinto beans and otherwise made the recipe as written.   I did make my own Tajin using this recipe:
2 tablespoon hot chili powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 
1/2 teaspoon ground sea salt
4 packets (approx 1/2 tsp) dehydrated lime juice powder

Have happily prepared this several months ago, but it made a large quantity. Last night pulled a container from freezer for an easy supper. Served over white rice.
I’m happy to say this is a freeze-worthy recipe. Yum!

I used white beans and onions in the stew as opposed to the onion powder. I eliminated the oil and added salt. Potluck people as well as teenagers at home thought it was great and no one noticed the lack of salt or fat, so I think it's unnecessary. Great recipe that can basically accommodate what you have on hand as long as you have that all important Tajin 😁

It’s like white chicken chili. I really liked it! The tajin flavor to me as least was subtle. I didn’t add any salt as per other comments.

We made this using the low sodium Tajin. Left out the pinto beans, doubled the cumin and used avocado oil instead of the canola oil. First time using Tajin and combined with the green chilis we really liked it. Would make again.

Time  taste ratio = 100. Excellent low stakes, low effort, tasty dinner. Always skeptical of flavor depth with slow cooker. Added 4 garlic cloves, omitted salt and added 1/2 cup chicken stock (better than bouillon to control salt). Used 2 cans mild green chilis. Don’t think I needed stock (very stewy bur so is birria right!?) but added to manage spice with mild chilis I had not cooked with, and as I used regular tajin might have helped w salt bc I did add some after! Thought I should brown chicken but with time crunch didn’t. We served w curtido and queso fresco avocado cilantro and lime side of corn. I think this would satisfy the majority of families and for a crowd, and most importantly the cook! easily makes a stew to eat alone or over rice or maybe enchiladas.

Do not add any extra salt. Brown the chicken in the oil first. If you double the chicken, double the beans (along with everything else). Add 1 cup chicken broth. Slow-cook on high for an hour then turn down. Used 7 oz. green chilis + 2 small red chili peppers from G's garden.

Easy, fast, delicious. Also froze/unfroze well. This will be a regular in the make ahead lunch rotation.

Used black beans and chicken breasts and came out amazing! I agree it was a touch on the salty side - but if you thin it with a little low sodium chicken broth it makes an amazing soup.  But man low effort high reward!!

This was an easy ‘throw together meal’ which didn’t disappoint. We added extra garlic and cumin and a cup of chicken broth to round things out.
Simmered in a Dutch oven for about 1.5 hours and removed the chicken breast early as not to overcook (we also used thighs which came out super tender and flavorful). Served with homemade corn tortillas, pickled jalapeños, sour cream, cilantro and a fresh squeeze of lime. The Tajín added a brightness and an element of citrus without being overpowering (cut this down to 1.5 tbsps). 
Highly recommend for an easy weeknight meal. It will be on rotation in our home!

I made as directed and didn’t feel the salt was too much as I had read in comments. Overall I wasn’t a huge fan of the taste of this dish, I think because of the Tajin used in it. I won’t be making it again.

I noticed my posters having a complaint about the dish being too salty.  I used Trader Joe's Chile Lime Seasoning which is a Tajin dupe.  It's probably less salty because my dish was perfectly seasoned.

Fantastic!  Couldn't have been easier and the results are great.  I halved the recipe and used 6 chicken legs that I had on hand - really perfect balance of ingredients.  Also, I kept the slowcooker on warm for an additional 4 hours - the additional slow "cooking" time really made the broth thicker far more tasty.  Next time I might cook on slow for 5-6 hours.

Served with a cucumber, radish, avocado, cilantro, and feta salad.

Pretty much followed the recipe as written. Just added an additional pepper and reduced the salt to 1 teaspoon. Soooooo good.  Served the dish as tortilla filling.  Added coleslaw with Spanish rice as a side.  Again soooo good. Very contented after the meal. And BTW I’m in Florida and you can get Tajin original and low salt at Walmart. Dish will be made again.

Not sure if you can get it Up North, but in Mexico we have a Reduced Salt variety of Tajin that gives you more control.  Look for a pale blue cap.

We made this as written, except cooked in a pressure cooker for 45m. It was very good, and super easy. Will make it again, maybe adding some hominy.

@Progreso Dave
I bought some recently in a Foodtown grocery in Washington Heights, a predominantly Dominican
community in northern Manhattan. I love it.

We added half a lime and some cilantro to our bowls because the dish just tasted a little off with a strong citrus flavor even though we didn’t add any citrus besides the Tajín. I would not make these again but the lime and cilantro helped. Also, the chips did not add anything to the dish but more salt.

Takin is sold in a low sodium version, folks. It has blue cap.

@Tanya I made this on the stovetop in a Dutch oven. I added 1 cup of chicken broth, brought everything to a boil, covered, and moved the pot to my smallest burner. Stirred about every 30 minutes and cooked for a total of around two hours.

Love Tajin! Thanks for the Reduced Salt tip! (available online and big box stores.)

YUM! I was determined to make this with only what I had at the house. I used 1C dried Rancho Gordo Marcela cannellinis instead of canned. I didn't have green chilis so I substituted 1.5 C Hatch green salsa. I started with frozen chicken thighs, and put everything into an Instant Pot, w/6 C water (for the beans). After reading previous comments I was afraid to over-salt, so I just used the Tajine (no extra salt). Cooked 15 min high pressure, then natural release. I served it like tortilla soup: tortillas on the bottom of the bowl, then grated cheese, then a chicken breast plus soup, topped with cilantro, sliced cherry tomatoes, and a little lime juice. I will make this again! I'll double the beans and add salt next time.

Made this tonight with spicy chipotle peppers and thought it was delicious. Next time however, we will make it with mild peppers to accommodate everyone’s taste.

Just to clarify, I used natural release because I was starting with dried beans & frozen chicken. If you start with thawed chicken quick release is probably fine.

Great with crumbled tortilla chips, cheese, and a little sour cream.

@Progreso Dave Walmart carries reduced sodium Tajin. It’s available at my particular local store or for shipping. $3.34-$5.98 depending on the size you choose.

We really liked this, I decided to listen to the other reviewers and didn’t add the additional salt. Would remake.

Holy cow this is good, and so easy! I made some tweaks: accidentally got chicken breasts instead of thighs. I usually prefer dark meat, but these breasts turned out great so either should work. I used only 2 cans of green chiles, and added some canned chipotles. That made it too spicy for my kid, but oh so delicious for the adults. I used regular Tajin but didn’t add any extra salt. Served over rice, topped with queso fresco and avocado. 
We just added a new recipe to the easy weeknight favorites in this house!

@Claudia in using the pressure cooker. Did you do a slow release or just release the steam after 15 minutes thank you.!

There are a lot of things to love about this soup: It comes together in 20 minutes in just one pot with fewer than 10 ingredients. But most importantly, minimal effort results in a velvety yet bright soup. The cocoa powder accentuates the fudginess of the black beans, while the salsa verde adds surprising tartness. The tomatillos in the salsa also contain pectin which, along with the starchy bean liquid, quickly thickens the soup. While the soup’s cooking, ready your garnishes as you’ll want plenty to top the bowls. Leftover soup keeps for up to three days, but will stiffen as it sits, so thin with water as needed or turn it into refried beans.

Spicy Black Bean Soup

black beans

(roughly

green chiles

cocoa powder

garlic powder

cilantro

Salt and black pepper

lime

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2024/11/07/multimedia/Green-Chile-Black-Bean-Souprex-qgkt/Green-Chile-Black-Bean-Souprex-qgkt-videoSixteenByNineJumbo1600.jpg

Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Vivian Lui.

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In a large pot, bring the beans, salsa, green chiles, cocoa powder, cumin and garlic powder to a boil over high. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the beans flatten easily when smashed against the side of the pot, 7 to 10 minutes.

Use an immersion blender or potato masher to smash some of the beans until the broth is thickened to your liking, keeping in mind that the soup will also thicken as it sits. Stir in the cilantro, then season to taste with salt and pepper. (Because the beans and salsa contain salt, you might not need more; if you find the soup too salty or thick, add water to thin.) Serve with desired toppings.

I used Rotel instead of salsa Verde because it’s what I had on hand. It was really good. Also I loved the addition of Cocoa. I used Dutch process and I think it made a difference.. I also just used regular onion and garlic rather than powder. Very tasty for minimal effort.

Made exactly as written and this soup is inedible.

I was in the mood for soup, and was lucky to have all ingredients (except cilantro) in my pantry. Made a half recipe exactly according to the recipe and it was delicious. So easy. I will definitely make this again.

Added homemade roasted tomatillo, ancho pepper and cilantro salsa to a pot of black beans I had cooked last night. I added the other ingredients, plus extra cumin, more roasted garlic, a serrano pepper from my garden in lieu of canned chilis, and dark cocoa powder, adding an extra tbsp for added oomph. As the chimichurri salsa was a bit tart, added a tsp of brown sugar. Ate a bowel topped with cilantro and fresh crab meat I had just picked. It was sublime!

Delicious! So simple and quick but so much flavor.

The soup calls for a tortilla chip

For a pantry only recipe, this is pretty good.  Others are right that the salsa verde you choose will pretty much determine the flavor of the soup, and so it can get a bit tart.  I used the Trader Joe's Hatch Chile salsa so there was some spice to it, but I had to balance out the tartness with some fresh orange juice and zest stirred in at the last.  With added toppings it was pretty satisfying. I have other black bean recipes that I like more, but in a pinch, this is a great option.

Delicious and endlessly riffable. I halved the recipe and used some fresh tomato salsa that needed to be used up instead of salsa verde, as well as a bit of sofrito. excellent recipe to use up random bits of stuff!

I used two cans of black beans, a can of garbanzo, and a can of white beans and it turned out great! I was mainly just hoping to clean out my bean surplus with this recipe. I also am in Santiago de Chile, where I could not find salsa verde. Instead I chopped up red Chilean peppers and onions, and added canned crushed tomato for extra body and flavor. Overall it was great and I’m pleased with how customizable it was! I especially love the addition of cocoa powder.

We love this soup and my son-in-law who is vegetarian adores it. Always have it with a dollop of sour cream and a light crumble of our fav tortilla chips. We always ask if anyone can guess the surprise ingredient. (the unsweetened cocoa)

I made this exactly as written. It does not need any extra salt. I also served with tortilla chips and sour cream. I also feel that it would be good with some Appalachian style cornbread (non sweet).

@Paul
One way is to add diced serrano chili peppers to the ingredients as they cook and/or use them as a topping. I have made a version of this that calls for the peppers with success.

Cooked per recipe simple, easy and the taste is good. What would you do to make is spicier? I like spice.

This was a big hit. Made as written. Those complaining  about the taste and acidity must have a more refined palate than mine. My family thought it was delicious, flavorful,and a keeper.

This is a good soup, but after reading the reviews, I made some important changes. First, rather than a whopping 32 ounces of salsa verde, I reduced the recipe to just two 7-ounce cans of Herdez salsa verde. To add moisture lost from the reduction of salsa, a few splashes of vegetable broth were added. To the spices, I added 1.5 teaspoons of chile powder (I made my own from ground negro and California chiles). The result was a delicious soup, especially with cotija, lime and tortilla chips.

Nope - really did not enjoy this one at all. If I was to make it again I would drain the beans and add more stock. It was edible, but that’s it.

No need for canned chilis or garlic powder. Chop up peppers (poblanos!), onion and garlic, saute in olive oil, add spices to cook a bit and there you have sofritto as the flavorful basis of your soup. Adds about 20 minutes but it will be worth it.

No, the beans are not drained or rinsed.  The bean liquid helps thicken the soup.

I made this as written (all ingredients from Trader Joe's) and it was delicious! I did not need to add any salt or pepper and topped my soup with avocado, sour cream and tortilla chips.

The headnote says the "starchy bean liquid" helps to thicken the soup, so just dump in the whole can.

I made this using a pound of small black beans (cooked and cooled overnight) in a crockpot all day with the rest of the recipe as is. A bit of olive oil in each bowl is nice.

I have tried several black bean soup over the years and this is hands down the easiest and tastiest of all.  Followed the recipe exactly. The perfect amount of heat and that cocoa gives a wonderful depth. This is a keeper!

Never use canned chilis. They have nothing to offer. No taste, no heat.  Get a couple of jalapeños and remove their seeds. Put some disposable gloves on and dice the peppers.  Rinse the beans.

I use Rancho Gordo dried black beans. I will soak overnight, rinse and pressure cook in minimal vegetable broth. Imho far superior to canned beans.

Harry—it “must have sofrito” for you. Don’t like the recipe?  Don’t make it and scroll on by

The salsa verde will make or break this soup. The flavor and heat of the salsa will dictate the flavor and heat of the soup. Choose your brand wisely or make the salsa “your way.” 
I had to tone down the tartness and the heat w some roasted red peppers and roasted tomatoes. Both were good additions and still a half hour preparation. Would go for it again.

I used 1 pound of dried Rancho Gordo Midnight black beans and used the cooking liquid along with the beans — partly because I wanted the soup to be as velvety black as possible.  Acknowledge that fresh chiles might be snappier, but isn’t the whole point of this recipe that you can put it together in 20 minutes with things you have in the larder? And it is very good, at that.

Soup turned out delicious and had the right consistency. I did not rinse beans - just put in whole can. I rated it highly because it is so easy to make.

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