Pozole Verde de Pollo
This easy Chicken Posole Recipe featuring hominy, poblano peppers, and fresh tomatillos for a bold, flavorful green chicken stew, also known as Pozole Verde de Pollo!
Why We Love Pozole Verde de Pollo
You know we love a good chicken soup around here. From Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup and classic Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup, to Lean Green Chicken Soup and Chicken Minestrone Soup, there is a recipe that’s perfect to make for whatever season or mood you’re in!
There are many reasons why you will love this Mexican chicken stew… Not only is it delicious, but it’s also a one-pot recipe that is ready in just over an hour.
Plus, Pozole Verde (or Green Pozole) is a gluten-free dish that’s terrific for customizing. Feel free to make your chicken stew as mild or spicy as you like, and serve with any number of your favorite toppings.
Our version of Chicken Pozole uses a great balance of pantry staples and fresh ingredients that are easy to find to create a complete meal in a bowl – with barely any effort!
When I want a super bright, tangy, and fantastically flavorful stew with chicken I always turn to this easy Pozole Verde de Pollo recipe.
What is Pozole?
Green Chicken Pozole (or Chicken Posole) is a classic Mexican dish made with hominy.
If you aren’t familiar, hominy is dried corn kernels that have been treated with lye to become swollen and tender, so they have the texture of little dumplings.
Together, the chicken and hearty hominy make an incredibly comforting and satisfying chicken stew.
Ingredients You Need
Here is everything needed to make our authentic and easy Chicken Pozole recipe:
- Olive oil – or preferred cooking oil
- Sweet onion – peeled and chopped (The yellow onions not white onions)
- Garlic – minced
- Poblano peppers – seeded and chopped
- Fresh cilantro – chopped
- Boneless chicken thighs – you can use chicken breasts, but thighs really do have the best flavor
- Tomatillos – peeled husks and quartered
- Chicken broth – or water
- Seasonings – bay leaves, dried oregano, salt and pepper
Pro Tip: Poblano peppers are usually not spicy, but every now and again you get a surprise spicy poblano. Once you chop the poblanos, smell them to determine how spicy they are and decide if you’d like to use the full or just half of the pepper.
If you like a spicier stew and want even more heat, feel free to add one seeded and chopped jalapeno to this Pozole Verde recipe along with the poblano pepper.
How to Make Chicken Pozole Verde
From start to finish this posole recipe is ready in just over an hour. It makes enough to serve 8 people, but is perfect for cooking as a large batch and using leftovers as part of a weekly meal plan.
To make the best, easiest Pozole Verde, start by setting a heavy 6-8 quart dutch oven over medium heat on the stovetop. Then add oil, chopped onion and garlic to the pot.
Sauté for a couple of minutes before adding in the chopped poblanos, jalapenos, and cilantro. Sauté for another several minutes while stirring regularly.
Next place the whole chicken thighs – no need to cut up! – and chopped tomatillos, bay leaves, oregano, chicken broth, and 1 teaspoon salt into the pot.
Cover the pot with a heavy lid and bring to a boil. Quickly lower the heat to a simmer, and cook for about an hour. Keep the lid on the pot, and stir occasionally. Once done the chicken thighs should easily shred with a fork.
Remove the chicken thighs and bay leaves. Place the chicken thighs on a cutting board or in a large bowl, and use tongs or forks to shred the chicken into small chunks.
Then add the shredded chicken back to the pot, along with the rinsed canned hominy.
Get the Complete (Printable) Pozole Verde Recipe + Video Below. Enjoy!
Stir to combine, and simmer another couple of minutes to warm the hominy. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
Eat the Posole chicken stew right away while hot, or keep it on the stove on low until ready to enjoy. Ladle into bowls and serve with various toppings.
Ideas for Homemade Green Pozole Toppings
Garnish this posole recipe with any number of your favorite stew toppings.
Prepare a few of these and have them sitting out in individual dishes to allow dinner guests to serve themselves with their favorites…
- Tortilla chips or Tortillas
- Shredded cabbage
- Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
- Lime wedges
- Sliced avocado
- Sliced radishes
- Chopped cilantro
- Seeded and sliced jalapeños
Tips & Tricks
- Serve your green pozole with a crispy shrimp quesadilla or simple puffy tortillas as a side dish!
- Don’t overcook the chicken! Once the chicken is cooked through to 165 F, it is done cooking. Cook it any longer and it might turn out dry.
- Make is extra spicy by adding some fresh diced jalapeño into the chicken pazole with the poblano peppers!
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! In fact, the flavors continue to get bolder and more delicious as this chicken stew sits. Keep leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
This posole recipe freezes very well, too! Put cooled stew in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Green pozole is like a chicken soup with notes of green pepper from the poblano peppers and a tangy twist thanks to the tomatillos!
Although we use chicken thighs in our Pozole Verde de Pollo recipe, you can certainly swap these with other preferred proteins. Use chicken breasts for a slightly lighter/healthier option.
Or, include pork roast to make this a Pozole Verde de Puerco recipe. You can also cook a spicier version with red sauce by making our Red Posole Recipe with Pork (Pozole Rojo) or milder Pozole Blanco (White Hominy Soup).
Or try this New Mexico variation with shredded pork and fresh verde flavors: New Mexico Green Chili Verde!
Poblano peppers are usually not spicy, but every now and again, you get a surprise spicy poblano. Once you chop the poblanos, smell them and decide if you want to add the jalapeños.
Looking for More Delicious Chicken Recipes? Be Sure to Try:
- Paleo Chicken Chili Verde
- The Best Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Buffalo Chicken Casserole (Chicken and Rice Recipe)
- Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Soup
- Creamy Salsa Verde Chicken Skillet
- Lemon Chicken and Rice
- 2-Ingredient Crock Pot Taco Meat
Check the printable recipe below for nutritional information on calories, cholesterol, carbohydrates, protein, sugar, and fiber.
Pozole Verde Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large sweet onion peeled and chopped
- 6-8 cloves garlic minced
- 6 poblano peppers seeded and chopped
- 2-3 jalapeno peppers seeded and chopped (optional for heat)
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- 3 pounds boneless chicken thighs
- 1 ½ pounds tomatillos peeled and quartered
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 6 cups chicken broth or water
- 2 – 15 ounce cans white hominy drained and rinsed
- Salt and pepper
- Garnishes: tortilla chips, shredded cabbage, lime wedges, sliced avocado, sliced radishes, chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Set a heavy 6-8 quart dutch oven over medium heat. Add the oil to the pot. Add in the chopped onion and garlic. Sauté for 2 minutes, then add in the chopped poblanos, jalapenos, and cilantro. Sauté another 8 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Place the chicken thighs, tomatillos, bay leaves, oregano, chicken broth, and 1 teaspoon salt in the pot.
- Cover the pot with a heavy lid and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat and simmer for 50-60 minutes, until the chicken is soft enough to shred. (Keep the pot covered.)
- Remove the chicken thighs, and bay leaves. Use tongs or forks to shred the chicken into small chunks.
- Add the shredded chicken back to the pot, along with the rinsed hominy. Stir to combine. Simmer another 2-3 minutes to warm the hominy. Taste, then season with salt and pepper as needed. Keep warm until ready to serve.
- To serve: Ladle the posole into bowls. Garnish the top with tortilla chips, shredded cabbage, sliced avocado, radishes, lime wedges, and cilantro.
overall, I love the soup. next time I’ll leave out the bay leaf, I’m finding I’m not a fan of its taste. I did add some ground up coriander seeds just to spice up the cilantro taste. Thank you so much for sharing the goodness.
This was wonderful. I have to admit, I always add better than bullion to my soups. Other than that, I made it according to the recipe.
Would change nothing, loved it!!
Tastes great. I used a marinated pork tenderloin from Trader Joe’s. The toppings make the dish complete.
Only had pozole once in my life; this was my first effort making it. It is one of the best soups I have made. I was a bit disappointed with the canned hominy, I will make it with dried next time. Garnish with cabbage, radish and cilantro! Outstanding!
This is such a great stew
Yes I just love this flavour.
Made this for the first time today. It was good but the oregano was a little overpowering and didn’t seem to go with the dish. I would make it again I just would eliminate the oregano.
I made it and left out the oregano because I figured I could add it at the end if it needed it but it didn’t. It was wonderful and an easy recipe.
This was absolutely stunning! So much flavor in every bite.
I love how flavorful and comforting this is!! Yum!
This is such a great stew, especially on a cold snowy day/night!