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HomeRecipesSoups & Stews

Chicken Pozole Verde

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By: IsabelPosted: 11/17/22

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Pozole Verde Recipe

Pozole Verde is a comforting Mexican stew filled with shredded chicken and hominy in a delicious green chile broth made from tomatillos, jalapeños, and cilantro. It’s easy to make, hearty, and ready in only one hour!

Pozole verde made with chicken and hominy in a bowl topped with sliced radishes, shredded cabbage, and cilantro.

Table of Contents

  • What is Pozole?
  • Ingredients You’ll Need
  • How to Make Pozole Verde
  • How to Serve Pozole Verde
  • Storing and Freezing
  • More Mexican Recipes
  • Chicken Pozole Verde Recipe
  • Ingredients
  • Instructions
  • Video
  • Isabel’s Tips
  • Nutrition Information

Pozole verde is one of my favorite traditional Mexican dishes to make when I’m craving something comforting yet light and bright.

Unlike pozole rojo which is made from succulent shredded pork in a rich red chile broth, this green pozole is filled with tender shredded chicken in a tangy tomatillo green chile broth.

It’s also ready in half the time, making it perfect for busy weeknight meals. If you have an Instant Pot, take a look at my Instant Pot Pozole!

What is Pozole?

Pozole (or posole) is a traditional Mexican stew made with pork and hominy cooked in a flavorful chile broth. There are three main variations of the dish:

  • pozole verde – made with a green chile broth
  • pozole rojo – made with a red chile broth
  • pozole blanco – made without any chiles at all

Pozole is served year-round, but is popular during the fall and winter months, as well as celebrations like birthdays, Christmas, New Years, and other holidays.

Ingredients You’ll Need

  • Hominy: It’s a type of maize that’s been soaked and treated with lime. Hominy looks like big puffy corn kernels and can usually be found in the Hispanic foods section of your local grocery store, or in the canned vegetables section near the yellow corn. Learn more about hominy.
  • Chicken: I used boneless skinless chicken thighs for lots of flavor without too much fat, but you can use chicken breasts or any other chicken cut that you prefer.
  • Tomatillos: These green tomato look-alikes add a great tanginess and brightness that really makes the chile sauce pop. Make sure to remove the papery husks and rinse off the sticky residue before cooking with them. Learn more about tomatillos.
  • Chiles: I used jalapeños for a medium heat level, but you can use poblanos for milder spice or serranos for hotter spice. Or a combination of all three!
  • Onions, garlic, oregano, and cilantro: For added flavor in the green chile sauce.
  • Broth: Chicken or vegetable are best. If you’re in a pinch and don’t have any, you could use water instead.
  • Toppings: I recommend lime wedges, sliced radishes, Mexican oregano, thinly shredded cabbage, diced onions, cilantro

How to Make Pozole Verde

1. Cook: Add chicken thighs, tomatillos, onion, garlic, jalapeños, broth, oregano, and salt in a large dutch oven. Bring it to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover partially, and cook for 40 minutes.

Tomatillos, onions, jalapenos, garlic, and Mexican oregano in a Dutch oven for pozole.

2. Blend: Remove the cooked tomatillos, onions, jalapenos, and garlic with a slotted spoon and transfer to a blender. Then add a large handful of fresh cilantro, a cup of the cooking liquid, and blend until completely smooth.

Green chile sauce for pozole verde in a blender.

3. Shred: Remove the cooked chicken from the pot, transfer it to a cutting board or plate, and shred.

Shredded chicken on a cutting board.

4. Combine: Add back the shredded chicken, blended green chile sauce, and hominy to the pot.

Green chile sauce being poured into a large pot with broth and hominy for pozole verde.

5. Simmer: Simmer for 15 minutes, give it a taste, and season with more salt as desired.

Pozole verde with chicken and hominy in a ladle about to be served.

How to Serve Pozole Verde

Toppings are a huge part of serving pozole. Here are some ideas of what to add to your bowl:

  • chopped onions
  • lime wedges
  • sliced radishes
  • fresh cilantro
  • Mexican oregano
  • thinly sliced cabbage

Storing and Freezing

Storing: Pozole verde can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Freezing: To freeze, cool pozole in the refrigerator. Once cooled, transfer to a freezer safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

Chicken pozole verde (green pozole) in a bowl with a spoon ready to be eaten.

More Mexican Recipes

  • Tamales
  • Beef Empanadas
  • Albondigas Soup

Recipe

4.59 from 325 votes

Chicken Pozole Verde Recipe

Serves: 8 servings
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Pozole verde in a bowl topped with shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, cilantro, and lime juice.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Total : 1 hour 10 minutes
Pozole Verde is a comforting Mexican stew filled with chicken and hominy in a broth made from tomatillos, jalapeños, and cilantro.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 pound tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 3 jalapeño peppers, halved (seeds removed if you don't want it spicy)
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano (Mexican oregano preferred)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 6 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)
  • 1 handful cilantro, stems and leaves
  • 2 (15-ounce) cans white hominy, drained and rinsed
  • Toppings: lime wedges, sliced radishes, Mexican oregano, thinly shredded cabbage, diced onions, cilantro

Instructions

  • Cook: In a large pot or dutch oven, add chicken thighs, tomatillos, onion, jalapeños, garlic, oregano, salt, and broth. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low, cover partially, and simmer for 40 minutes until chicken is fall-apart tender.
  • Shred: Transfer chicken to cutting board and shred with a fork. Set aside.
  • Blend: Using a large slotted spoon, carefully transfer the cooked tomatillos, onions, jalapenos, and garlic to a large blender. Add in a cup of the cooking liquid and the cilantro, and blend until completely smooth.
  • Simmer: Pour the blended mixture back into the pot and stir in the shredded chicken and hominy. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook uncovered for 15 minutes. Taste and season with more salt, if necessary.
  • Serve: Serve with toppings such as fresh lime juice, thinly shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, cilantro, diced onions, and Mexican oregano.

Video

Isabel’s Tips:

  • Storing: Pozole verde can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
  • Freezing: To freeze, cool pozole in the refrigerator. Once cooled, transfer to a freezer safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1serving Calories: 250kcal (13%) Carbohydrates: 24g (8%) Protein: 24g (48%) Fat: 6g (9%) Saturated Fat: 1g (5%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g Monounsaturated Fat: 2g Trans Fat: 0.02g Cholesterol: 108mg (36%) Sodium: 1465mg (61%) Potassium: 493mg (14%) Fiber: 4g (16%) Sugar: 7g (8%) Vitamin A: 570IU (11%) Vitamin C: 15mg (18%) Calcium: 42mg (4%) Iron: 2mg (11%)
Author: Isabel Eats
Course:Soup
Cuisine:Mexican
Pozole verde in a bowl topped with shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, cilantro, and lime juice.
Did you Make my Chicken Pozole Verde Recipe?Leave a comment below and tag @isabeleats on social media!
@isabeleats

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Recipe Rating:




  1. Lisa says

    Posted on 3/28 at 9:27 pm

    5 stars
    This was awesome!! It rivals any pozole I’ve had at upscale Mexican restaurants. I did add 2 additional cups of chicken stock because I think I may have inadvertently boiled off too much of the liquid initially. The consistency was perfect and now I have leftovers!

    Reply
    • Ana @ Isabel Eats says

      Posted on 3/29 at 1:43 pm

      Thank you Lisa!

      Reply
  2. Jocelyn says

    Posted on 3/20 at 9:09 pm

    5 stars
    This came out so delicious that even my picky 2 yr old loved it. I halved the recipe as its just 4 of us and it was perfect, little to no leftover. (Will be making the original amount so we can have leftovers to eat the next day now that we know we like it)

    Reply
    • Ana @ Isabel Eats says

      Posted on 3/21 at 12:19 pm

      Hi Jocelyn! Thank you so much! We’re glad your family enjoyed this recipe.

      Reply
  3. Greg says

    Posted on 3/13 at 8:48 pm

    Turned out great. Some of the best Chicken Pozole I’ve had.

    Reply
  4. Pamela J Neumann says

    Posted on 3/9 at 1:52 pm

    5 stars
    I just finished making this. It will be interesting to see what husband thinks.
    My problem now is what to serve with it. I have some store both tortilla chips. I think my husband would crunch them up like crackers and put in the soup. Any ideas let me know.

    Reply
    • Ana @ Isabel Eats says

      Posted on 3/10 at 1:06 pm

      Hi Pamela! Tortilla chips are great with posole, you can also try bolillo bread.

      Reply
  5. Connie says

    Posted on 2/25 at 7:42 pm

    OMG! So yummy and so easy! I just devoured 2 bowls. I made a 1/2 batch, which was perfect, since I had 1.5 jalapeño left over from the 1/2 batch of Chile Verde I made the other night.

    Fresh radishes and and cabbage added the perfect crunch. Actually, I was out of cabbage, but had some homemade pickled curtido in my fridge. Perfect!

    Thanks for the amazing recipes. I have made your Chile Colorado with beef, Mexican Rice, Chile Verde with pork, and Pozole Chicken Verde. All winners!

    Reply
    • Ana @ Isabel Eats says

      Posted on 3/8 at 1:29 pm

      That sounds delicious! Thank you Connie!

      Reply
  6. Molly says

    Posted on 1/29 at 5:29 pm

    This was so good! I made it with a little bit of parsley and some spinach. It’s my go to cilantro substitution since I live with someone with the cilantro feels like eating soap gene. So 2 things: it’s so good and don’t not make it if you don’t do cilantro it still so good.

    Side note if anyone have a better cilantro sub I’m all ears because I LOVE cilantro.

    Reply
  7. Scotty says

    Posted on 1/29 at 1:47 am

    5 stars
    I recently made this for some pescatarian friends by leaving out the chicken, using vegetable broth and seafood stock, then throwing in 2 lbs of deveined and shelled raw shrimp a few minutes before serving. Made the garnishes fresh at the table, including a perfectly ripe avocado, and served it all with super crispy locally-made tostadas on the side to break apart and scoop with. They were over the moon!

    Reply
  8. Scotty says

    Posted on 1/29 at 1:43 am

    5 stars
    I recently made this for a some pescatarian friends by leaving out the chicken, using vegetable broth and adding seafood stock, and then throwing in 2 lbs of deveined and shelled raw shrimp a few minutes before serving. Made the garnishes fresh at the table and served with super crispy locally-made tostadas on the side to break and scoop with. They were over the moon!

    Reply
    • Ana @ Isabel Eats says

      Posted on 2/1 at 11:47 am

      Hi Scotty! That’s a great variation, thanks for sharing!

      Reply
  9. LeeAnn says

    Posted on 1/28 at 8:25 pm

    5 stars
    Made the chicken pozole. It was delicious and so easy to make. I used pasilla, jalapeño and serrano chiles. Perfect on a cold night. Thank you for sharing your recipe.

    Reply
  10. Mandy says

    Posted on 1/25 at 10:10 am

    Hi Isabela,
    For the pozole can I do it without the chicken? Right now I am not eating any type of meat. But I am carvings for pozole.
    Any suggestions?

    Reply
    • Ana @ Isabel Eats says

      Posted on 1/25 at 1:33 pm

      Hi Mandy! You can definitely still make this without the chicken. In place of the chicken, you can add more hominy and some extra vegetables. Drained and rinsed canned corn or white beans would be a good substitute!

      Reply
  11. Jax says

    Posted on 1/12 at 9:07 pm

    WOW! VERY GOOD! I usually make Posole Rojo from scratch so, initally, I wasn’t sure what to think about this posole. I 1.5x the recipIe but kept the jalapenos at 3 (big jalapenos). It got better as I continued to eat it. The whole family enjoyed it, even the children (ages 4-11). Such an easy and flavorful recipe. Will definitely keep this in our rotation.

    Gracias, Isabel!

    Reply
  12. Monica says

    Posted on 12/28 at 10:56 am

    Hi Isabel,
    I really want to try this recipe, however I don’t have a blender. Can you recommend a verde sauce that might be a good substitute.
    Thanks

    Reply
    • Ana @ Isabel Eats says

      Posted on 1/2 at 1:22 pm

      Hi Monica! Herdez salsa verde, or la costena have good salsa verde.

      Reply
  13. LILIA SANDFER says

    Posted on 12/26 at 10:04 pm

    I made it and it was very good.

    Reply
  14. Cambrea says

    Posted on 12/25 at 5:35 pm

    5 stars
    Soooooo good! I have never had pozole before and wanted to make it for Christmas Eve. It turned out incredible and was really easy to make. I used one-half of the jalapeno seeds and it was spicy but not too spicy. This is definitely one that I will make again!

    Reply
  15. Marisa says

    Posted on 12/25 at 11:48 am

    5 stars
    Easy to make and delicious!! Will make over and over again

    Reply
  16. Teri says

    Posted on 12/24 at 3:45 pm

    5 stars
    Amazing. Eating this now for Christmas Eve dinner and it is so comforting and refreshing with the lime! Will make all throughout this winter season!

    Reply
  17. Patrick says

    Posted on 12/21 at 10:41 am

    5 stars
    Delicious food . Thank you for the sharing

    Reply
  18. Kris T says

    Posted on 12/17 at 9:45 am

    5 stars
    Great flavor and easy to pull together!!

    We substituted chicken breasts, additional hominy and broth and turned out great. Nothing better on a cool fall or winter day.

    Reply
  19. Debbie says

    Posted on 12/14 at 4:33 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious and easier than other recipes out there. I used chicken breast since thats what I had. I also doubled the recipe to have enough for two days. Thank you.

    Reply
  20. Madelynn says

    Posted on 12/13 at 9:15 pm

    5 stars
    Oh my! I made this tonight and it was delicious!!!! My boyfriend is sick and it cleared his sinus’s.

    Reply
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Isabel Orozco-Moore, Founder of Isabel Eats
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A first-generation Mexican American who loves to cook! Here at Isabel Eats, you’ll find a mix of all your favorite authentic Mexican recipes with a twist!

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