It’s a new year and that means it’s time for some new recipes! But because it’s still wintertime (obviously) we want recipes that are hearty but not heavy, and that will keep you warm. And what ticks those boxes? Soups and stews! I shared my favorite old-fashioned chicken & noodle recipe a while back, and today I am going to share my take on green chili stew.

If you’ve been following along, you know that we’ve spent a bit of time in New Mexico the past couple of years, and if there is one food item I feel like the state is known for, it’s Hatch Green Chilies. When you visit there are places where you can pick and roast your own peppers! Hatch Green Chilies can range in heat level from mild to hot. They also aren’t always green in color. But if you order just about anything in New Mexico, green chilis will be there!
I know, let’s get on to the recipe!
You’ll find tons of recipes for green chili stew, with slightly varying ingredients. This version is going to be without chunks of stewed veggies. We aren’t fans of stewed tomatoes or really chunky vegetables so I tend to leave things like that out. Carrots, peas, green beans? Fine with them. Tomatoes, hominy, or large hunks of spinach? I’m out. Matt also isn’t a huge fan of onions, so those need to be chopped pretty fine and cooked down. So with all that in mind here’s the recipe: green chili stew!

Ingredients:
-1 pound lean ground beef
-5 medium potatoes, diced
-1 yellow onion, finely chopped
-1/2 red onion, finely chopped
-2 tbsp garlic, minced
-1.5-2 cups green chilies, chopped (this brand is great!)
-2 tbsp green chili powder (find it here)
-1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
-1/2 can tomato sauce
-3 cups of water
-3 beef bullion cubes
-salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
- Brown and drain excess fat from ground beef in a large pot.
- Add onions and garlic, cooking until fragrant, 1-2 minutes
- Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine.
- Heat to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 3-6 hours for best taste.
- Serve with tortillas, chips, cheese, sour cream, red onions, cilantro, & sliced jalapenos for garnish.




It’s really that simple! The longer you cook it, the more flavors develop throughout the stew. The beans, onions, and green chilies also will break down creating a thicker stock to the stew. If you don’t want to keep your stove on, or you have errands to run, you can throw all the ingredients into a crockpot and cook it on low. I would take the time to brown the ground beef separately first if that’s the route you are going to take. You can also swap the tomato sauce for crushed or diced tomatoes if that’s what you prefer.

If you aren’t sure how spicey your chilies are going to be, start off with just 1 cup of diced chilies and go from there. It’s easy to up the spice factor, but not so easy to take it away. You can also omit the green chili powder if the spice level is a concern.
Let me know if you try this recipe in the comments below!
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