This delicious Mexican soup is one of my favorite recipes. It's
Table of Contents
🗝️ Key takeaways
- Slow cooker easy! It simmers to perfection while you are busy all day so you can sit down to a hot dinner.
- Great any time but especially delicious on a cold day. Perfect for busy weeks.
- This simple soup freezes like a charm.
Chicken pozole verde is the best ending to a cold, rainy day. Fall-apart-tender chicken, chewy hominy, and plenty of southwestern spices and herbs come together in this spicy, brothy soup to create a mouthful of magic.
And it's my favorite remedy for a cold.
In the mood for beef? Try my recipe for old-fashioned beef and noodles.
🧾 Ingredients
📖 Variations
You can add other green vegetables as you wish - think cabbage, spinach, zucchini, celery, whole corn kernels, etc.
- Poblano peppers are mild in heat but so delicious! You can substitute Bell peppers if you can't find poblanos.
- Chicken breast is what I use but you can use boneless thighs if you like.
- Boneless pork works really well here
- Chicken stock or chicken broth work equally well.
- For even more flavor you can use bone-in chicken and then remove the bones and any skin before serving.
- Or, use chicken thighs.
- One or two extra garlic cloves adds even more flavor.
Optional Garnishes
Once the pozole is finished you serve it up in bowls and float your favorite garnishes on top. Here are the ones I like best -
Cojita is a crumbly Mexican cheese that's very similar in taste and texture to feta. It's easy to find here in Texas but if you have trouble getting it where you are just substitute feta.
It adds a salty bite to the recipe that really gives it a boost of flavor.
- sour cream
- fresh cilantro
- radishes
- cojita cheese
- queso fresco
🔪 Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the green recipe card below. Click on the image to see it full size.
- Add all of the ingredients except the garnish to your
slow cooker . - Cook on low for 8 hours.
- Shred chicken with 2 forks before serving.
- Garnish with toppings of choice, squeezing a little lime juice into each bowl.
🥫 How to store leftovers
Let cool to room temperature and then put in an airtight container. Chicken pozole will keep in the refrigerator for 4 or 5 days.
To freeze pozole let it cool to room temperature and then add to firm freezer containers - I wouldn't recommend freezer bags.
To thaw place in the refrigerator overnight and heat before serving.
💭 Tips
Expert Tip: If you want to keep the spicy level down on this classic Mexican soup then be sure to seed and remove membranes before adding them to the soup. ALWAYS wear gloves when working with hot peppers!
- If you like cilantro be generous with it.
- This is even better the next day.
- If you don't care for shredded chicken you can dice it instead.
- In a hurry? Make it on top of the stove with a rotisserie chicken.
This is seriously such a simple meal that you'll be making it all winter long! This green chicken pozole recipe is light and fresh plus it's even better the second day!
👩🍳 FAQs
Here are the questions I am most frequently asked about this recipe.
Either is correct. In Central Mexico you're more likely to see it spelled pozole and in the border areas it's often posole.
There are two kinds of pozole. Red pozole (or pozole rojo) is usually made with ground chiles and pork. Pozole verde is most often made with chicken and a clear broth.
Yes! This recipe freezes well for up to 3 months.
Hominy is dried corn that's been soaked in lime. It puffs up and gets soft and chewy. You can usually find canned hominy in the grocery store. Be sure to rinse it well before using.
Nothing. Without hominy pozole is just chicken soup.
📚 Related recipes
Want something a little lighter? Try this 0-PointWeight Watchers Cabbage Soup- it's filling and hearty!
🍽️ Serve with...
I like to keep it simple.
This is an easy soup -- it's so flavorful that it's a shame to add too many other flavors. Here are some of my favorite dishes to serve with chicken pozole verde.
- Warm flour tortillas and butter.
- I also like the crunch of tortilla chips with this.
- Sopapillas are good anytime. When I was in Santa Fe they served them like bread -without sugar.
- A salad on the side is always welcome.
- Finish dinner and relax into the evening with mugs of spiked Mexican hot chocolate.
📞 The last word
Posole is all about fresh ingredients. It's full of color and great flavor - unbelievably delicious!
It's the perfect change from classic chicken soup, and, although it's a delicious, comforting winter recipe, I love it in spring, too. With all the vegetables and hearty hominy it really is a complete meal.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Green Chicken Pozole (Pozole Verde)
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 1 cup onion, diced. Use more if desired.
- 1 poblano pepper, cored and diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper, sliced thinly in rounds or diced (be sure to remove seeds)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 12 ounces green chiles, (canned) diced
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 28 ounces white hominy, drained and rinsed
- 3 boneless chicken breasts, or thighs
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- kosher salt to taste
Optional Garnish
- avocado, diced
- lime wedges
- cilantro, chopped
- cotija cheese, crumbled. Feta can be substituted.
- cabbage, shredded
- radishes, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients except the garnish to your slow cooker.
- Cook on low for 8 hours.
- Shred the chicken with 2 forks before serving.
- Garnish with toppings of choice, squeezing a little lime juice into each bowl.
Stovetop Instructions
- Season chicken with salt and pepper.
- Heat a little oil in a heavy skillet until rippling.
- Brown chicken on both sides.
- Turn heat down and cook until cooked through (165F)
- Add pozole ingredients to a stockpot.
- Bring to a simmer.
- Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Dice or shred the cooked chicken and add it to the pot.
- Simmer 10 more minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
- Serve with garnishes as above.
Notes
- Always, always, always wear gloves when working with jalapenos. Trust me.
- For even more flavor you can use bone in chicken and then remove the bones and any skin before serving.
- If you like cilantro be generous with it.
- To freeze pozole let it cool to room temperature and then add to firm freezer containers - I wouldn't recommend freezer bags. To thaw: place in the refrigerator overnight and heat before serving.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
First published December 28, 2015. Last updated November 27, 2023 to improve editorial content.
Helen Blanchard says
Oh my gosh! I love Pazole. I eat it all the time from a can. But it’s $6.99 at most stores that carry it. So I’ve been looking for a good recipe to make for myself. I love the Pazole Rojo also. Sometime if you can I’d love the recipe for it too. Thanks so much. Your recipes are amazing.
Marye says
Thank you, Helen! My friend Deb at Bowl Me Over has a great recipe for Posole Roja - https://bowl-me-over.com/authentic-posole/