Chicken, Mexican

Chicken Pozole Verde

Name: Chicken Pozole Verde
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 90 min
Ingredients: 4 lb spatchcocked whole chicken (or thighs, drums, and/or breast); 3 tsp salt; 1 tsp black pepper; 6 tbsp olive oil; 29 oz hominy (1 can); 2 bay leaves; Knorr chicken bouillon to taste; 3 poblano peppers; 3 jalapeno peppers; 3 serrano peppers; 6 tomatillos; 1 medium onion (diced); 4 garlic cloves (roughly minced); 1/2 bunch cilantro; 1 oz spinach; 1 tbsp knorr chicken bouillon; 1 tsp Mexican oregano; 1 tsp cumin; cilantro; red radish; iceberg lettuce or cabbage; avocado; tostada (w/sour cream & hot sauce*); lime; onion; jalapenos

November 16, 2021

Pozole is a traditional Mexican soup that is rich, filled with hominies, and flavored with either red or green chiles. It is traditionally made with pork, but this version is made with chicken.

I grew up eating chicken pozole because my Abuela and Tia do not eat pork. I actually prefer chicken pozole, but both are so so good!

What makes Pozole unique from other soups is the main ingredient: Hominy. Hominy is dried kernels of corn that have been soaked & processed until they puff up. They have a wonderful aroma & complex flavors, often described as mild, earthy, and grainy.

Pozole is traditionally eaten on Mexican Independence Day, Christmas, or any large family gathering. Every time I make it, it’s usually a large pot that can feed 6 to 8 people. It is a giant warm hug in a bowl- comforting and so important to Mexico’s history.

Just a quick note on the authenticity of this recipe: Mexico is a large country with 32 states. Every state makes their pozole different, and recipes vary even within the same state. From the style to the cooking method to the toppings- there are MANY ways to make pozole and none of them are really wrong.

TRULY authentic pozole is made with human flesh. This dish has a shocking history behind it. Eventually, it was replaced with pork and has evolved since then to use different peppers, proteins, and cooking methods.

Different types of Pozole

There are actually many types of pozole! Other than the more well known pozole rojo & verde (red & green), there is also pozole blanco (white). Furthermore, all three of these can be made with either chicken, pork, or any protein really. I’ve had some seafood pozoles that were SO tasty!

Red pozole– made with red chiles, traditionally chile guajillo and chile ancho.

Green pozole– made with green chiles and tomatillos. The chiles that are traditionally used are some combination of poblano, jalapeno, serrano, and cubanelle.

White pozole- made without chiles. This is what my Abuela made most of the time (she absolutely cannot handle spice haha).

Ingredients

Chicken- I like to use a spatchcocked whole chicken for three reasons:
1. ALL the bones from a whole chicken will make a great chicken broth. Keep the spine that is removed to add to the broth!
2. I spatchcock it in order to get a good sear on it (more/flat surface area). That’s where a lot of flavor will develop, especially after being seared in the leftover bits from the “sofrito.”
3. I like to have a variety of white and dark meat in my pozole. If you don’t have a whole chicken or rather not spatchcock it, you can just use skin on chicken thighs, dumsticks, and/or breast.
Hominy– Pozole is characterized mainly by this unique ingredient made from kernels of corn. A pozole simply isn’t pozole without it! This is a must. Dried hominies are best but in this recipe I am using canned hominies for convenience and time. I will show you how to prepare the canned stuff to make it better.
Sofrito – this is not exactly a sofrito, and technically it is part of the salsa verde but has another purpose. I sauté diced onions in a generous amount of olive oil until they have browned a little and have become sweet. Then add some roughly minced garlic, Knorr chicken bouillon, cumin, and Mexican oregano. This “sofrito” will develop some amazing flavor that is going to be added into the blender for the salsa verde. What’s leftover in the pan will not be wasted- we will sear our chicken in it!
Salsa verde- I’m using 3 of my favorite peppers for this recipe- poblanos, jalapenos, and serrano peppers. You can leave out the serranos if you don’t want it spicy at all. This sauce also has the sofrito, cilantro, spinach, and tomatillos.
Toppings- Pozole would not be complete without all the delicious toppings! Traditional toppings include cabbage, red radish, lime, avocado, onion, cilantro, and tostadas. I grew up eating pozole with iceberg lettuce instead of cabbage. Both are good but I like the flavor of lettuce.

Prepping the salsa and hominies

Here’s a pro tip if you’re using canned hominy: toast them first! Rinse & pat them dry, then roast them in the same pan with the chiles and tomatillos. They taste better this way and the texture isn’t as mushy.

Canned hominy isn’t horrible, but it’s definitely not as good as using dried hominy. I know most people won’t have the time or option to use dried, so here are my tips for the canned stuff:

Rinse the can taste from the hominies
Drain and pat them dry
Spread evenly on the other half of the baking sheet for the chiles and tomatillos
Toast them in the oven to bring out a wonderful corn flavor, until they have slightly browned on the edges

If you don’t feel like taking this extra step, its totally fine to just rinse and add them to your pozole. Since I am roasting the peppers on the same sheet anyway, I don’t see it as too much extra work.

You can roast the peppers and tomatillos any way you prefer- air fryer, on the stove, over direct fire, or in the oven. I prefer the oven because I can roast the hominies at the same time on one baking sheet.

I start by roasting the peppers and tomatillos on one side of the baking sheet for 25 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from the oven, then add the hominies on the other side, and continue roasting for another 15-20 minutes.

How to eat pozole my way

Everyone has their preferred toppings and ways to eat pozole. I grew up adding onions, lime, avocado, iceberg lettuce, red radish, jalapenos, and cilantro to mine. I know- it’s a lot of toppings! But they all come together so well and just make the dish complete.

Another thing I like to do is spread some sour cream and Tapatio hot sauce on a tostada. I don’t know if this is a common thing for Mexicans, but I’m pretty sure my Abuela taught me this as a kid and I’ve been eating it that way ever since. It is SO good, even just as a snack!