Chicken Pozole [Pozole Verde]

This chicken pozole is a take on traditional Mexican stew with a spicy twist. Featuring white hominy, tomatillos, cilantro and green chiles this green pozole makes for a delicious weeknight soup or weekend delight.

Our garden this year was partially inspired by our many trips to New Mexico. C’s dad lived there so we’ve always felt a strong connection there and have had the opportunity to visit many times.

When we’re visiting I’m always sure to get a bowl of chicken pozole and some Christmas enchiladas! The food there is so good.

So when we were planning our garden this year we decided to change things up and plant both tomatillos and hatch peppers. Both have thrived and I’ve been able to make many recipes using both ingredients. This pozole verde features some of our many tomatillos and has become a staple around here. I hope you enjoy it!

What is Chicken Pozole?

Chicken pozole is a traditional Mexican stew or soup. There are typically 3 types of pozole: Chicken Pozole Verde (Green Pozole), Chicken Pozole Rojo (red pozole) or Pozole Blanco (white pozole). The name “pozole” (sometimes spelled posole) is derived from the Nahuatl “potzolli” and the stew is made with hominy and pork or chicken breasts.

Ingredients in Chicken Pozole

The ingredients in chicken pozole recipes differ depending on the type of pozole you are making. For this green pozole recipe these are the ingredients:

• Chicken Broth – chicken stock or broth forms the base of this soup
• Chicken Breasts – you can also use boneless or bone-in chicken thighs though make sure they’re boneless
• Tomatillos – roughly 1 lb of tomatillos
• Garlic – several fresh cloves garlic
• Onion – I prefer white onion but you can also use yellow onion
• Hominy – large white corn kernels. You can usually find this in the canned vegetable section. Feel free to replace with regular yellow corn if you cannot find hominy.
• Cilantro – fresh cilantro is ideal. You can skip if you don’t like cilantro.
• Oregano – I use dried but you can use fresh. Bonus points if you can find Mexican oregano
• Salt + pepper – to taste. I like to use kosher salt.

How to Make Green Pozole

STEP 1: POACH CHICKEN

Add chicken broth to a large stock pot or dutch oven and bring to a boil. Add chicken breasts to pot and lower heat to a simmer. Poach chicken in liquid until cooked all the way through (roughly 25 minutes).

STEP 2: SHRED CHICKEN

Remove chicken using tongs and allow to cool on a plate or cutting board. Shred chicken once cool enough to handle. Pour remaining chicken stock into a bowl and set aside (this will be the base of your soup).

STEP 3: COOK VEGGIES

Add olive oil to your pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add your tomatillos, white onion, garlic cloves and poblano peppers. Cook until lightly browned (around 10 minutes).

STEP 4: BLEND VEGGIES

Add all ingredients from your pot (tomatillos, onion, garlic and poblanos) to a blender and add in handful of cilantro leaves (skip if you don’t like cilantro). Blend until smooth.

STEP 5: PUT IT ALL TOGETHER

Add contents of blender back to your pot along with all remaining chicken broth, oregano, hominy, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then lower to simmer in pot for 10-15 minutes. Add your shredded chicken and cook until just heated through (a few minutes). Add more salt + pepper, to taste. Divide into bowls + top your pozole with desired toppings (see below).

What To Serve with Chicken Pozole

There are so many ways to serve green pozole. Here are some ideas:

• Radishes – many traditional chicken pozole recipes are topped with radish slices
• Cilantro – I love topping my pozole recipe with cilantro but feel free to skip if you’re a cilantro-phobe
• Limes – cut into lime wedges and serve on top or on the side. Squeeze in the extra lime juice just before serving.
• Avocado – chop into chunks for a creamy and delicious topping
• Chiles – want more of a kick? Add chiles like red chili flakes or even sliced jalapeno, ancho chiles or guajillo chiles (for a traditional recipe)
• Tortilla Chips – a personal favorite! I love the crunch tortilla chips add to chicken pozole. You could also make your own using corn tortillas.
• Sour cream – you could also use a dollop of greek yogurt
• Cheese – whatever you have on hand but I particularly like the flavor of cotija cheese.
• Shredded cabbage – many green pozole recipes are topped with shredded green cabbage.

Storage Tips: How Long will Pozole Verde last?

How long your Chicken Pozole will last depends on how you store it.

Refrigerator – will keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.

Freezer – Will keep for up to 4 months in the freezer. Store in an airtight container and remove the night before to thaw in fridge or several hours before to thaw on counter.

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