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This pork with Red Chili Sauce is my favorite filling for tamales, burritos, tacos and more. It's made with a pork roast, spices, and a homemade red chili sauce.
While living in Mexico with my husband as a young married couple, I had that opportunity to learn to make some authentic Mexican dishes including Mexican rice, Pork Chile Verde, and homemade tamales! I have a seriously love for GOOD Mexican food!
My experiences with the people, food, and culture of Puebla, Mexico instilled in me a deep love of all things Mexican and you'll notice that the Mexican cuisine on my site gets more love and attention than all of the other types of cuisine!
Don't miss my full tutorial and step by step tips for how to use this pork and make homemade tamales!
For the Pork:
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Add pork, onion, bay leaf, garlic, oregano, cumin and salt and pepper to slow cooker. Cover the pork with water and cook on LOW for 8 hours or overnight.
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Drain the pork broth into a container and shred the cooked pork.
For the Mexican red chili sauce:
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Use rubber gloves to remove the stems and seeds from the dried chiles while rinsing them under cold water. Place chiles in a saucepan with 2 cups of reserved broth. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, then remove from heat.
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Transfer the chiles and broth to a blender. Add oregano, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, garlic and blend until smooth. Set aside.
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In the same saucepan you used to cook the chiles, add oil and cook over medium heat. Add flour and salt and stir for 1 minute. Strain the chili sauce from the blender and add it to the saucepan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
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Add red chili sauce to the meat, and stir to combine.
Serve with:
- Homemade Tamales
- Inside a burrito
- As a taco
- On a salad
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Recipe
Shredded Pork with Red Chili Sauce
Ingredients
For the pork:
- 1 1/2 pounds pork loin shoulder or butt
- 1 large onion , chopped
- 1 bay leaves
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon Dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Red Chili Sauce:
- 4 dried california chile pods
- 2 cups reserved pork broth
- 1 teaspoon Dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 Tablespoon oil (vegetable or canola oil)
- 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
For the pork:
- Add pork, onion, bay leaf, garlic, oregano, cumin and salt and pepper to slow cooker. Cover the pork with water and cook on LOW for 8 hours or overnight.
- Drain the pork, reserving the broth. Shred the meat.
For the Red Chili Sauce:
- Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chiles while rinsing them under cold water. Place chiles in a saucepan with 2 cups of broth from the cooked pork. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, then remove from heat.
- Transfer the chiles and broth to a blender. Add oregano, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, garlic and blend until smooth. Set aside.
- In the same saucepan you used to cook the chiles, add oil and cook over medium heat. Add flour and salt and stir for 1 minute.
- Strain the chili sauce from the blender and add it to the saucepan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, then add the sauce to the shredded pork.
Nutrition
HAVE YOU TRIED THIS RECIPE?!
RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
The pork turned out delicious. An excellent filling for tamales.
Can I use a beef roast for this, and would the other ingredients/steps stay the same?
Yes, beef roast works great in this recipe! Use a chuck roast or beef shoulder – the ingredients and red chili sauce preparation stay exactly the same. The only difference is beef might need an extra hour or two in the slow cooker (9-10 hours total on LOW) to get tender enough to shred easily, so just check it at the 8-hour mark and continue cooking if it’s not pulling apart yet.
Do you use chili powder in both the pork and the red chili sauce? It is listed as an ingredient in both, but the instructions omit it from the pork. I am making this tonight to use in Tamales tomorrow. I’ll be back after I know how it turned out.
Great catch! Yes, you’ll add the chili powder to both the pork and the red chili sauce.
Easy-to-follow recipe, very forgiving. Flavor is sensational. I had been planning to add in extra flavorings like lime juice or cayenne, but this is absolutely perfect as-is. This will become a new staple in my kitchen. Thank you so much for this!
I don’t have a blender, but chopping the chili peppers works just fine.
How spicy is the red chili sauce?
I’m great with spice, but I plan to make tamales for a work potluck and I’m not sure how others’ tolerances may be.
It’s pretty mild overall! California chiles are known for their deep flavor, not heat.
-Stacy
While I like hot, my friends & family are not huge fans. I used half the amount of cali peppers and roasted red bell peppers and added to reduce the heat. Still tasted very authentic!
Hello, cherri Jackson here. I’m making the tamales but don’t see recipe for masa
The tamale recipe is right here https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/mexican-tamales/
Wow
Super delicious. Smile
Question – I made too much sauce. How should I store it ?
You can store the extra red chili sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you won’t use it that soon, it also freezes really well—just pour into a freezer-safe jar or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Just thaw overnight in the fridge when you’re ready to use it again!
-Stacy
I stored my extra sauce in the fridge overnight and when I went to use it the next day it was too thick to pour out of the jar. How do you recommend reheating it? My family LOVED the sauce and want to use it on everything!
Reheat in pot on the stove with medium low heat. You can add a little broth to thin it as needed. So glad you loved it.
thank you!
Can I use pressure cooker to cook meat? I’m making Tamales today help please
Hi there! Just wanted to chime in to say that I’ve used a pressure cooker to make meats like barbacoa for years, and it’s always worked perfectly. The only real advantage I’ve found to using a slow cooker is that it’s great for cooking dinner in advance. You can set it in the morning and dinner will be ready when you get home at the end of the day. Pressure cooker is definitely faster and works just as well though!
What are the pressure cooker/ instant pot recommendations for time, etc.?
Hi! Planning a big tamale Christmas Eve. Can you help me figure out how many lbs of pork and masa preparada would I need for around 100 tamales? Thanks!