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Chicken Pozole Verde

Kicking off Hispanic Heritage month with one of my favorite Mexican dishes ever- Pozole Verde! This soup is super comforting and packed with so much flavor. You have to try it!

What is Pozole?

Pozole is a traditional Mexican soup that is made with hominy and flavored with either red or green chiles. It is traditionally made with pork, but pozole verde is mostly made with chicken.

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.

Why you’ll love this recipe

I’ve made dozens of pots of pozole over the years, and nothing has ever tasted better than the techniques I’ve developed to make this recipe.

Traditionally, a whole chicken is boiled and then seasonings and salsa verde is added. I prefer to make a “sofrito” first- with onions, garlic, and Mexican seasonings. 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! I use a spatchcocked chicken.

I like to use a spatchcocked whole chicken for three reasons:

- ALL the bones from a whole chicken will make a great chicken broth. Keep the spine that is removed to add to the broth!
- 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.”
- 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.

Different types of Pozole

There are actually many types of pozole! It can be made with chicken, pork, or any protein. I’ve had some seafood pozoles that were SO tasty!

Pozole can also come in different colors- red, green, and white (just like the Mexican flag).

Red pozole (pozole rojo)

Made with red chiles, traditionally chile guajillo and chile ancho.

Green pozole (pozole vere)

Made with green chiles and tomatillos. The chiles that are traditionally used are some combination of poblano, jalapeno, serrano, and cubanelle.

White pozole (pozole blanco)

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

Ingredients

Chicken- for best results I recommend spatchcocking a whole chicken. You can also just use a cut up whole chicken, or chicken thighs/drumsticks/breasts.
Hominy– Pozole is characterized mainly by this unique ingredient made from kernels of corn. Prepared hominy from the Mexican market is best, but you can also use canned hominy. I will show you how to prepare the canned stuff to make it better.
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 salsa also has the “sofrito”, cilantro, and tomatillos.
Seasoning- kosher salt, black pepper, cumin, Mexican oregano, and Knorr chicken bouillon.

Toppings- Pozole would not be complete without all the delicious toppings! The usual toppings include cabbage, red radish, lime, avocado, onion, cilantro, and tostadas. I grew up eating pozole with iceberg lettuce, but cabbage is also very popular.

Prepared hominy

For the best results, I recommend making pozole with prepared hominy from the Mexican market. It takes longer to cook, but all you need to do is rinse and boil it in a separate pot for one and a half to two hours.

How to make canned hominy taste better

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 prepared hominy from the Mexican market. I know some of you may not have the time or option to use it, 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.

Prepping the salsa verde

You can roast the peppers and tomatillos any way you prefer- air fryer, on the stove, over direct fire, or in the oven. If you’re using canned hominy, it is most convenient to roast the peppers in the oven so you can just add the hominy to the baking sheet.

Start by roasting the peppers and tomatillos on one side of the baking sheet for 15-20 minutes at 400degrees 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!