Chicken Pozole Verde (2024)

Hearty and satisfying Chicken Pozole Verde or Green Pozole is a traditional Mexican stew, made with shredded chicken and white hominy in a flavorful and vibrant green chile broth. Incredibly easy to make, this pozole verde recipe is gluten-free, healthy and delicious.

Mexican Pozole Verde

Meet Chicken Pozole Verde, the much easier, quicker, but equally delicious cousin of the famous pozole rojo.

Known as “the magic cure of all ailments”, authentic Red Pozole is made with small pieces of pork shoulder which take much longer to cook than chicken. For this reason, this traditional Mexican soup is usually made on special occasions like Mexican independence day and Christmas.

This easy pozole verde recipe aka pozole verde de pollo is made with chicken breasts or thighs and hominy in a flavorful broth similar to salsa verde but not as concentrated.

The green sauce in this delicious Mexican soup is made with green chiles such as poblano peppers and jalapeño peppers, fresh tomatillos, chicken broth and cilantro. This comforting Mexican stew is usually served topped with tortilla chips, thinly sliced radishes, shredded cabbage and lime wedges.

What’s Pozole (Posole)?

Pozole or Posole, one of the most iconic traditional Mexican soups is a robust and rich stew made with chiles and meat in a savory broth. Mexican cuisine has three different variations of this tasty soup, green pozole, red pozole and pozole blanco (white posole); however, all the versions have one ingredient in common, hominy.

What’s Hominy?

Hominy is a type of corn or maize that has been soaked in a lye or lime solution to soften the outer hulls. The corn kernels are then rinsed and the hull is removed. You can purchase ready to eat canned hominy at any grocery store.

What Is Pozole Verde Made Of?

• Chicken: Boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts both work well.
• Chicken Stock or Chicken Broth: Used as part of the cooking liquid.
• Chiles: To make the savory and mildly spiced green chile sauce, this pozole recipe uses poblano chilies and jalapeno peppers. For a spicier soup, substitute the jalapeños for serrano peppers.
• Tomatillos: These are also known as Mexican husk tomatoes. If you cannot find fresh tomatillos, sub them with 6 to 8 ounces of canned tomatillos.
• Spices: Dried oregano (use Mexican oregano, if available), ground cumin, ground coriander, sea salt or Kosher salt, ground black pepper and bay leaves.
• Lime Juice: There is nothing quite like the flavor of fresh lime juice. The juice from the bottle cannot compare to the real fruit.
• Cilantro: You’ll need a small bunch of fresh cilantro (or a large handful of fresh cilantro).
• Hominy: You will need two cans of hominy, drained and rinsed.

How to Make Pozole Verde from Scratch?

1. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and chiles and sauté until the onions start to become translucent. Stir in the minced garlic cloves and tomatillos and sauté until the peppers have soften. Remove from the heat.
2. Place tomatillos and the green chile mixture into a blender and add some chicken broth and the fresh cilantro. Blend until a smooth sauce forms.
3. Return the blended mixture to the pot or Dutch oven and add the remaining broth and seasonings. Stir to combine.
4. Add the chicken and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot partially and simmer until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
5. Transfer the chicken to a plate or cutting board and shred it with two forks.
6. Return the chicken to the pot and stir in the hominy. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes over medium heat and season to taste. Serve with a squeeze of lime and desired toppings.

Is it Pozole or Posole?

Actually both spellings are correct! You will find the spelling of this soup’s name both ways.

What Does Pozole Verde Taste Like?

Reminiscent of salsa verde in taste, this iconic Mexican dish is hearty with fresh flavors from the tomatillos and cilantro. A cross between a stew and a soup, chicken pozole verde or pozole de pollo is filling and mildly spiced. Definitely a dish that can be enjoyed by the whole family.

Is Pozole Verde Spicy?

This recipe for chicken pozole uses one jalapeño, seeded and deveined, which makes this stew mildly spiced. For moderate heat, you can use 2 to 4 jalapeños or serrano peppers. For an extra spicy dish, I recommend you remove the pepper’s seeds but leave the veins intact. That’s where the pepper’s heat is!

Can I Make Green Pozole with Chicken Creamy?

Yes, to add creaminess to this brothy stew, you can stir 4 ounces of sour cream and 4 ounces of cream cheese into the soup.

Making Ahead, Storing, Freezing and Reheating

• Making Ahead: You can make the chile verde sauce the night before.
• Storing: You can store chicken pozole verde in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
• Freezing: Cool the soup completely, then store in an airtight freezer-safe container or freezer safe resealable bag and freeze for about 2 months.
• Thawing: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
• Reheating: This comforting and flavorful soup can be reheated in the microwave in small intervals or in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring as needed. If the soup is too thick, you can add additional broth until reaching your desired consistency.

• Chile Colorado Recipe (Mexican Stew)
• Easy Homemade Guacamole
• Mexican Chicken Adobo (Adobo de Pollo)
• Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
• Fresas con Crema (Strawberries and Cream)

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All Clad Stockpot 6 Qt.

Dutch Oven 7.5 Qt (Good Value!)

Blender – Ninja Professional 72 Oz

Hominy (15-ounces)