From the roundup: 22 Instant Pot Soup Recipes for Easy Weeknight Dinners

This Instant Pot green chile pork stew is the pot I reach for on Thursday nights when the week has already gotten away from me. Pork shoulder, green chiles, tomatillos, and potatoes all go in together, the lid locks, and about an hour later you have a broth that tastes like it cooked all day on the stove. It doesn’t.

Active time is maybe 20 minutes, most of it spent browning the pork and scraping up the bits before you seal the pot. That step matters. Skip it and the broth tastes flat. Do it right and the whole thing has this deep, savory backbone that carries the green chile and cumin through every bite.

Serve it in bowls with warm tortillas, or spoon it over rice if you have kids who want something to soak up the broth. Either way it’s a full meal out of one pot, which on a weeknight is exactly the point.

Why you will love this

Pork shoulder stays juicy under pressure, not stringy or dry like leaner cuts can get.
Canned green chiles and tomatillos do the heavy lifting on flavor so you’re not tracking down hard-to-find ingredients.
Potatoes cook right in the stew, so there’s no separate side dish to manage.
You can control the heat level just by choosing mild or hot chile cans, no extra steps.
Leftovers hold up well in the fridge for four days and actually taste better the next day once the broth settles.

Tips for success

Brown the pork in batches, not all at once. Crowding the pot drops the temperature and you get steam instead of a sear. Those browned bits are what give the broth real depth.
Deglaze thoroughly before locking the lid. If any browned bits are still stuck to the bottom, you risk a burn warning mid-cook. A splash of broth and 30 seconds of scraping solves it.
Cut your pork cubes on the larger side, about 1.5 to 2 inches. Smaller pieces can turn mushy by the time pressure releases.
Let the pressure release naturally for at least 10 minutes before doing a quick release. Rushing it can tighten the meat right at the finish line.

If the broth turns out thin

After pressure cooking, switch to the Saute function and let the stew simmer uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes. It thickens on its own as the potatoes break down slightly.
You can also mash a few of the potato chunks against the side of the pot with a spoon and stir them back in. No cornstarch needed.
If it’s too thick the next day after refrigerating, just add a splash of broth when reheating and stir.

Substitutions

Pork loin can work if that’s what you have, but cut the cubes larger and reduce pressure time by about 5 minutes or it will dry out. Salsa verde is a solid swap for fresh tomatillos in a pinch. Chicken broth or vegetable broth both work in place of pork broth without changing much.

For a milder pot that works for younger kids, skip the jalapeño and use mild green chile cans. The stew still has plenty of flavor from the cumin and oregano, just without the heat.

Make-ahead and storage

Cool the stew completely before storing. It keeps in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The broth thickens overnight as the potatoes absorb it, so add a splash of broth when reheating on the stove or in the microwave.

This stew freezes well for up to 3 months. Portion it into freezer containers before freezing so you can pull out exactly what you need. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat low and slow on the stove.

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