Easy Chicken Pozole Verde – Mexican Soup Recipe
Okay friends, we’ve made pozole rojo, now lets make pozole verde. I love mexican dishes and mexican inspired dishes. I have so much fun cooking with all these flavors. And soup season is one of my favorites! Lets walk through the steps and the important pieces of info.
There’s something about a big pot of pozole verde that just feels like comfort in a bowl. The tender chicken, hominy, and bright, herby broth come together into a meal that’s simple enough for a weeknight but still special enough to share with friends or family. I love how the toppings—radish, avocado, cabbage, lime—let everyone make their bowl exactly how they like it. It’s cozy, fresh, and full of flavor.
What I love most about pozole verde is how the flavors balance each other—rich and hearty from the hominy and chicken, but bright and zesty from the tomatillos, lime, and chiles. It’s the kind of dish that feels restorative, like it warms you up from the inside out while still being light and fresh. And honestly, the leftovers are even better the next day, once everything has had time to mingle together.
One thing important to me when cooking is that its simple and easy. So one pot recipes are some of my favorites. You can cook this all in one big stock pot right on your stove.
Start with a 6-8 qt stock pot over medium heat and add oil, onion and garlic. Let that cook for a few minutes before adding chopped poblanos, jalapeños and cilantro, cook for a few more minutes. Then place the whole chicken thighs in the pot along with chopped tomatillos, bay leaves oregano and chicken broth and 1 tsp of salt .
Cover the pot with your lid and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally. Once done the chicken will be tender and easily shreddable. Remove chicken thighs into a bowl or cutting board too shred.
Quick word of caution: when you pull your chicken out to shred, don’t place it straight into a cool glass dish. I learned this the hard way—piping hot chicken met a cold glass container and boom… shattered everywhere. (I even added a photo so you can laugh with me.) Needless to say, I had to start over because no one wants “glass shard pozole.” Stick to a cutting board or a heat-safe dish and save yourself the drama.
Once shredded, add the chicken back to the stock pot, as well as hominy and salt and pepper to taste.
Serve immediately, garnish with cabbage, radish, lime, cilantro and sour cream.
Pozole Verde
Equipment
- 1 6-8 qt stockpot or dutch oven
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 6 poblano peppers chopped
- 3 jalapeno peppers finely chopped
- 1/2 cup cilantro chopped
- 3 lbs chicken thighs bone in
- 1 lb tomatillos peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 15oz cans white hominy drained and rinsed
- salt and pepper to taste
Garnishes
- cilantro chopped
- radishes thinly sliced
- lime wedges
- cabbage shredded
- avocado sliced
- jalapeno thinly sliced
Instructions
- Start by adding olive oil to your stockpot over medium heat. Add in onions and garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add poblanos, jalapeños, and cilantro, cook for 5 minutes stirring often.
- Add the bone in chicken thighs, tomatillos, bay leaves, oregano, chicken broth, and 1 tsp of salt.
- Cover the pot and bring to a boil then lower heat and simmer for about an hour. At this point the chicken should be soft enough to shred.
- Remove bay leaves and remove chicken to a bowl or cutting board, remove the bones and shred the chicken.
- Add chicken back to the pot along with the hominy. Stir to combine and cook until hominy is warmed.
- Serve in large bowls and garnish with radish, cabbage, avocado, jalapeno, cilantro, and lime. Enjoy
Notes
- Make it ahead: Pozole gets even better the next day. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezer-friendly: The soup (without toppings) freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently on the stove.
Another really good soup recipe here if want to try it next!