Chicken Pozole Verde is a comforting Mexican stew filled with shredded chicken and hominy in a warm green chile broth. It’s easy to make, filling and healthy! (gluten free, freezer friendly)
Making pozole verde has been on my to-do list since I started the blog back in 2015. That’s quite a long time for me to put something off, but no more – the day has finally come!
Today I’m excited to share a delicious and easy Chicken Pozole Verde recipe!
If you don’t know what pozole is, you’re probably wondering what the heck I’m talking about.
What is pozole?
Pozole (also spelled posole) is a Mexican stew traditionally made with pork and hominy covered in a flavorful chile broth. While there are countless variations, there is one essential ingredient in every recipe:
Hominy – it’s a type of maize that’s been soaked and treated with lime. They look like big puffy corn kernels and can usually be found in the Hispanic foods section of your local grocery store. Simply put, without hominy, pozole isn’t pozole.
(Learn more about hominy here.)
Other than hominy, you can pretty much add or substitute whatever you’d like! In this recipe, I used chicken instead of pork and made a green chile broth with tomatillos, jalapenos, onions and cilantro.
Growing up, my parents only ever made red posole so I didn’t really ask them for tips on making pozole verde. I was completely on my own with this one. Luckily I’m very familiar with all of the flavors, so I just worked with what I knew and went from there.
How to make pozole verde
I treated the green chile broth almost like a Easy Salsa Verde, but not as concentrated. To make, I placed boneless skinless chicken thighs, tomatillos, an onion, jalapenos, chicken broth, oregano and salt in a large dutch oven. I covered it partially and brought it to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 40 minutes.
At this point, the chicken will be cooked through and tender. Remove it with a slotted spoon, place it on a plate or cutting board and shred with a fork. Then, remove the cooked tomatillos, onions and jalapenos with a slotted spoon and transfer to a blender. Then add a large handful of fresh cilantro, a cup of the broth and blend until completely smooth.
Add the shredded chicken, blended broth and canned hominy. Cook for another 15 minutes on medium-high heat and that’s it!
A big bowl of warm pozole verde is seriously the best this time of year. That, a bag of tortilla chips and I’m one happy camper.
I served my pozole verde with some fresh jalapenos (because I like it spicy), lime wedges, sliced radishes, cilantro and more oregano. I also like to mix in a handful of thinly sliced cabbage for a little crunch sometimes, but I completely forgot to do that when I took the photos. #oops If you’ve got cabbage in the house, I highly recommend it!
More authentic Mexican recipes you’ll love
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INGREDIENTS
- 2 pounds boneless chicken thighs, skin removed
- 1 pound tomatillos, husked and washed
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped (or keep the seeds if you like it spicy)
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 1 large handful fresh cilantro, stems and leaves
- 1 28-ounce can white hominy, drained and rinsed
- to serve: limes, radishes, jalapeños, cilantro, oregano
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a large pot or dutch oven, add chicken thighs, tomatillos, onion, jalapeños, chicken broth, oregano and sea salt. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cover partially. Cook for 40 minutes, until chicken is fall-apart tender.
- Transfer chicken to cutting board and shred with a fork. Set aside.
- Using a large slotted spoon, place the cooked tomatillos, onions and jalapenos in a large blender. Add a large handful of fresh cilantro, a cup or so of the cooking liquid and puree until completely smooth.
- Add the shredded chicken, pureed veggies and hominy into the large pot. Stir and cook over medium-high heat for 15 minutes uncovered. Taste and season with salt as necessary.
- Serve with fresh lime juice, radishes, jalapenos, cilantro and oregano.
Lois Shaver says
What ingredient has all even cholesterol? delicious meal
Corie says
Amazing recipe I did add canned chopped Jalapeños in my broth. I used canned Tomatillos instead to shorten my prep time. I used red onion by suggestion on my Mexican neighbor she said red onion is better in Mexican soups. I did add more chicken and broth but it was amazing the whole family loved it and my neighbor even said it was good.
Ernie Block says
Last November I held a house warming for a group of about 30, a pozole party. It was a new experience with the condiments. This is an exceptional recipe. Thank you!
Stacey says
Love this recipe! Made it for a soup party and it was the first pot to empty! Have shared this recipe with lots of friends, it’s a great meal!
Isabel says
Thanks, Stacey! I’m so happy to hear that you loved it!
Nate says
OMG SO DARN GOOD!!! I did add a bit more liquid and chicken. We topped ours with shredded cabbage and it tasted perfect! I can’t wait to cook this for a crowd!
Isabel says
Yay! I’m so happy you liked it, Nate! Cheers!
Carmen L Gardea says
Best Pesolé ever! I will be making this again and again. Thank you.
I love the green doesnt even need the toppings.
Isabel says
This is the best comment ever! I’m so happy you liked it! Thank you 🙂
Sandi P says
This was fabulous!!! My prep time was longer that the noted 10 minutes due to prepping all the tasty condiments but oh so worth it. My family loves Mexican food and this did not disappoint. I will definitely be making this again. Thank you Isabel!
Isabel says
I’m so glad you liked it!
Anna-Maria says
Made this tonight and can’t wait to reheat and have again for lunch tomorrow! Recipe was easy to follow and ao delicious!!
Isa says
I’ve never made pozole before. This recipe was phenomenal! I cut all the ingredients in have because I made a smaller batch (only 1lb of thighs). The only difference is that I used 2.5 jalapeños because I love the spice. I had to stop in the middle of eating my pozole to thank you for the recipe. Can’t wait to make it for my entire family.
Jenna Feldman says
So delicious and easy!
Laura says
This soup is delicious! I made it in a slow cooker and it made the house smell great for hours. One change I would make with the slow cooker would be to cut back on the chicken broth. Simmering on the stove would let some of the liquid evaporate but in the slow cooker the soup ended up rather thin. Great flavors, though. We’ll be making this again for sure.
Cynthia says
Delicious! Easy! This was a Christmas Eve hit. Cooked all day in slow cooker and ready when we arrived home from church. Wow! Cabbage, radishes, lime, and a little grated cheese made this spectacular! Merry Christmas!
Isabel says
I’m so happy you liked it, Cynthia! I hope you had a Merry Christmas!