One of our favorite green tomato recipes! A tangy twist on classic beef chili. Green tomatoes are swapped for traditional ripe red tomatoes then combined with ground beef, pinto beans, and poblano peppers for an irresistible chili recipe that uses us all of the green tomatoes still in the garden come fall. Use tomatillos to make this delicious chili the rest of the year! Hearty comfort food.
Calling all gardeners!
It’s almost fall and I’ve got buckets of green unripe tomatoes on my hands. I’ve been rapidly thinking of ways to use them. My conclusion?
A tangy Green Tomato Chili! What better to cut through the spice and beefy-richness of chili than some sharp green tomatoes?
what are green tomatoes?
First of all when I say green tomatoes what I mean are unripened red tomatoes. If you’ve grown tomato plants in your garden you know what I mean.
Tomatoes start out green, grow to size, and then become ripe tomatoes in a shade of red or green or yellow or even purple depending on what variety of tomato it is.
If you live in a climate where it gets cool in the fall, you may notice that some of those tomatoes never ripen completely and have to be harvested green before the first frost sets in.
Green tomatoes are great to cook with, I’ve always wanted to try them in a tomato tart with cream cheese or even try pickling green tomatoes but those are still to come. What have you made with green tomatoes? Leave me a comment below, I’d love to know!
A lot of people turn these tart tomatoes into green tomato chutney, green tomato relish, green tomato pie, and more. We turned them into this divine chili recipe.
You can also find green tomatoes in the summer at Farmer’s Markets and some grocery stores. So if you really fall in love with their crunchy, tart taste you might look out for them there.
what if i can’t find green tomatoes
I’ve deduced that anywhere a green tomato would work, so would a tomatillo. Tomatillos have a similar texture and tartness as green tomatoes and they are much easier to find. They look similar to a green tomato, but are covered by a papery husk and can be found in most grocery stores and all Latin markets.
Using tomatillos also means you can make this tart and earthy chili any time of year!
chili ingredients
Although green tomatoes are the star of the show, this chili has all the other classic ingredients that makes chili so craveable: juicy ground beef, lots of spices, aromatic veggies, and beans.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Olive oil or vegetable oil
- White onion, mince more for garnish—I love that bite of crunch on top.
- Garlic
- Poblano peppers are preferred but green bells or even red bell peppers would work.
- Jalapeños. Take the seeds out if you like things less spicy.
- Ground beef. You could also substitute small pieces of beef stew meat here if you like a chunkier texture.
- Chili powder. Use mild chili powder or a chili powder that’s made from only one chili like guajillo chili powder or for a smoky, spicy kick; chipotle chili powder.
- Ground cumin
- Dried oregano. I prefer dried Mexican oregano or even dried epazote is delicious.
- Smoked paprika
- Ground coriander
- Dried pinto beans
- Green tomatoes
- Chicken broth
- Kosher salt
- Cilantro
Read on for optional garnish ideas!
how to make green tomato chili
This recipe, like any chili, is pretty easy and super comforting. Bonus? Also, naturally gluten free! So yay for that.
Because this recipe calls for dried pinto beans, the first step is to soak the beans overnight. You don’t have to do this, but the beans will cook quicker if you do. If you’ve forgotten to soak them, you can give them a quick rinse and use them right away, but the chili may take up to an hour longer to cook.
Next step is to sauté the vegetables. Typically I would tell you to season the veggies with salt and pepper as you add them to the pot but because we are cooking with dried beans we don’t want to add any salt until the end. Salt keeps the beans from getting tender.
Once the veggies are soft and starting to caramelize, brown the meat and add the spices. It’s nice to let the spices toast in the oil for a minute. These two steps should take about 20 minutes.
Add the beans and the remaining ingredients (except the cilantro and salt) and simmer, covered until the beans are tender, about 2 hours.
Taste a bean to see if it is tender and no longer crunchy in the middle. If they are cooked all the way through, season the chili with salt and continue cooking for another hour or so to really let all the flavors combine.
Stir in the cilantro right before serving and dig in!
favorite adaptions
- To make this Green Tomato Chili vegetarian you could omit the ground beef altogether or add more vegetables like chopped zucchini, shredded kale, or beet greens in the last 15-20 minutes of cooking.
- Use canned pinto beans in place of the dried. Add the canned beans in step 3 like you would with the dried beans but only cook another 30 minutes.
- Swap out ground turkey or chicken for the ground beef.
- Add a 1/4 cup of mole paste in with the chicken stock for added spice and richness.
what to serve with it
I can’t have chili without cornbread—it just doesn’t seem right. This is our go-to super simple cornbread which can be made into muffins or in a loaf and sliced.
For something completely different, try Zoe Nathan’s Buttermilk Cornbread recipe which I haven’t decided if it’s a cake or a cornbread but it’s pretty darn delicious.
now for my favorite part of chili: the garnishes!
You can really let your imagination run wild here. It’s fun to set out all the garnishes at the table like a “garnish bar” and have everyone dress up their bowl of chili just how they like it.
As far as I’m concerned there are three important garnish categories and the perfect bowl of chili needs to have at least one garnish from each to be labeled a success.
They are as follow:
- Fresh and Crunchy
- minced white onion
- thinly sliced scallion
- fresh cilantro leaves
- Creamy
- Grated aged white cheddar cheese
- sour cream
- sliced avocado
- Bright and Spicy
- Hot Sauce
- Lime wedges for a squeeze of lime juice over the top
- Thinly sliced jalapenos
more green tomato recipes to try!
- Swap green tomatoes for the tomatillos and make Green Tomato Salsa Verde
- Fried Green Tomato Burritos
- Green Tomato, Sausage, and Rice Soup
what’s in your green tomato chili bowl?
Agree that green tomatoes make a stellar chili? Have a garnish you can’t live without? Make sure you snap a pic of your chili bowl and tag @holajalapeno or #holajalapeno on Instagram so I can see!
Tangy Green Tomato Chili with Beef Recipe
A tangy twist on classic beef chili! Green tomatoes are swapped for traditional ripe red tomatoes then combined with ground beef, pinto beans, and poblano peppers for an irresistible chili recipe that uses us all of the green tomatoes still in the garden come fall. Use tomatillos to make this delicious chili the rest of the year! Hearty comfort food.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 large white onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 poblano peppers, seeded and diced
- 2 jalapeños, seeded and diced (you can leave seeds in if you like things spicy)
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 pound dry pinto beans, soaked overnight, drained and rinsed
- 3 large green tomatoes, diced or 12 ounces tomatillos, husks removed and diced
- 6 cups chicken broth, stock or water
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 bunch cilantro, leaves and tender stems chopped
For the Garnish:
- Sliced avocado
- Grated sharp white cheddar cheese
- Thinly sliced scallions
Instructions
- To Sauté The Vegetables: Heat oil in a large stock pot with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent. Add garlic, poblano peppers, and jalapeños and continue cooking until browned, about 10 minutes.
- Add ground beef, chili powder, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, and coriander and stir, breaking meat up with the back of your spoon. Cook until beef is browned, about 5 minutes more.
- To Cook The Beans: Add beans, tomatoes or tomatillos, and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered until beans are tender, about 2 hours. Add salt and cook another hour. Taste and add more salt as needed; stir in cilantro right before serving.
- To Serve: Ladle chili into bowls and pass garnishes like grated cheese, sliced scallions, and avocado at the table for everyone to garnish their own bowl.
Notes
To substitute canned pinto beans for dried, add canned beans in their liquid, with the chicken stock and salt. Cook 30 minutes and serve.
Nutrition Information:
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 0Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 0mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 0g
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Kate, I hate to break it to you, but you live in North Dakota: the end is always near(!). We’ve had a remarkably extended Indian summer here in Minne’Sconsin, too, and your chili looks like a great way to use up some green tomatoes. I like the Fanta in the picture, too!
I’ve been enjoying your blog for a while now. Lots of appetizing stuff here. May winter spare your home on the plains for many more weeks.
Brett
p.s.- You have a very chef-like typo in this post, where you wrote “cleaver” for “clever”!
Brett
Ha Ha Brett! I meant to say cleaver. Good Eye!
Thanks for reading!
*You know that real chili has NO beans!!!! Have you never visited Texas?
**Pick your heirloom tomatoes just as they turn from solid green to yellow, then bring inside & put in a paper sack. They’ll ripen in no time and taste like they ripened on the vine. The reason is because you didn’t thin them so they grew too close together. No problem, tho’ are still much better than the regular kind.
***Green tomatoes??? Try slicing them and dipping in an egg wash w/ milk then in corn meal and fry. “Fried Green Tomatoes” YUMMmmmmmmmm.
If you have a spare room in the house, you can always dig up a few and bring them inside and let them continue producing all winter. Surprise your neighbors with fresh from the “garden” tomatoes in January! 🙂
I love cooking with my kids. We typically make cookies or muffins but my oldest daughter (11yrs) has begun to help me with making dinner. She loves chopping vegetables.
That’s amazing Alisha! You are teaching life skills right there!
Yo con hambre y entro a ver tu receta… Antojo total!
Ese green tomato chili se ve delicioso, y más acompañado con el aguacate.
De verdad que quiero probarlo! Seguiré tu receta, ya te contaré si me sale.
Que bueno! Muchísimas Gracias Mari!!
OMG green Tomato And Chili. I love it this recipe. Thanks
Oh, that’s wonderful! Thank you so much!
Que rico Kate, siempre nos das buenas ideas. Amo tus recetas tan bien elaboradas. Gracias
Muchísimas Gracias Maria!
I love the poblano in this chili, poblano peppers are so flavourful and aromatic, you can really change a dish with a little bit of their goodness.
This was very good. How much is the actual serving size , 1 cup? I am trying to log this into my food plan but am not sure of the quantity of the serving size.
Hi Theresa! I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe. Yes, 1 serving is 1 cup. 🙂
How would I adjust cooking times/temps to let this cook in a crockpot?
Hi Alexandra! You could absolutely make it in the slow cooker. Personally, I would sauté everything first and brown the meat in a frying pan on the stove then transfer to the slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients (except salt) and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8. The only other change I would make would be to add 4 cups of broth or water instead of the 6 (unless you want it more soupy). Add salt at the end to taste.
Tomatillos ARE related to tomatoes, hence the similarity in their name. There are many common names, some of which include the word “gooseberry” but that’s the problem with common names: they’re often way off the mark. Tomatillos are in the tomato family, and grow on a plant similar to a tomato. Gooseberries are in their own family along with currants, and grow on a woody bush.
I made this green tomato chili. I topped it with cheddar cheese, lime & sour cream and it was delicious. Mine was more like a soup than a chili…perhaps because I left out all the peppers except for 1 large jalepeno…I’m not a big fan of hot, but next time maybe I’ll add some non hot peppers to the mix. I’m hoping it will freeze well as that’s my plan for what’s left!
Hi Kim, Yes it will be more soup like if you leave out some of the veggies but it still should become thicker the next day. It is one of those recipes that is even better after it sits overnight in the fridge. Thanks so much for leaving a comment. I love to hear from you!
Okay so you cook this all together for 3 hours or just add the meat after the beans are cooked?
Hi Lesley! You add the ground beef to the vegetables and sauté it until it is browned then add the stock and beans and cook it all together until the beans are cooked.
This chili is excellent!! Easy to make and absolutely delicious!!
Amazing Melanie, thank you!