Chicken Pozole Verde
This Chicken Pozole Verde is a rich and comforting Mexican soup loaded with tender chicken thighs, hearty hominy, and a bold and flavorful salsa verde broth that will warm you from the inside out. Top it with all your favorite garnishes and you have a stunning and satisfying meal that is perfect for entertaining or a cozy night at home!
Mexican Soup
I recently had the best time visiting my big sis Jackie in the Denver area, and one afternoon we stumbled upon the cutest little Mexican restaurant in downtown Lafayette for lunch. We ordered a little bit of everything – because that’s just what you do.
The real star of the table was Jackie’s all-time favorite, pozole verde (but with pork instead of chicken). Just a few bites in and I was already taking mental notes about how I was going to recreate it at home. And here we are!
Eating out always serves two purposes for this gal – first for the pure joy of incredible flavors, and second for the endless inspiration it brings to the blog! Every great meal is a potential new recipe, and honestly I would not have it any other way. I truly love this job!
Why This Recipe Works:
- Bold and vibrant salsa verde – roasting the tomatillos and jalapeños before blending creates an incredibly rich, smoky, and tangy green broth that is bursting with authentic Mexican flavor
- Tender and juicy chicken thighs – simmered low and slow in the broth until perfectly tender, making every single bite incredibly satisfying
- Hearty and filling – the combination of chicken, hominy, and a rich flavorful broth makes this a complete and deeply satisfying meal all in one bowl
- Incredible toppings – sliced radishes, fresh cilantro, lime, and a crispy blue chips take this soup completely over the top and make every bowl feel restaurant worthy
What You’ll Need:
- homemade salsa verde – a combo of tomatillos, jalapeño, onion, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, cilantro, and lime juice
- soup basics – olive oil, onion, garlic, seasonings (ground cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper), and chicken broth
- hominy – you’ll find canned hominy in most grocery stores
- chicken thighs – you could also use pork in this recipe as well
- toppings – include our fave blue chips, chopped cilantro, sliced radishes, and an big squeeze of lime
How to make Chicken Pozole Verde:
Step 1
Prep tomatillos. Remove husks from tomatillos and rinse well. Slice in half and place on a large baking sheet, cut side down.
Step 2
Add other veggies. Slice jalapeños in half and place cut side down on pan. Chop onion and add to pan as well. Add olive oil, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper to the veggies.
Step 3
Roast veggies. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Roast veggies for about 10 minutes and then turn heat up to broil for a few minutes, or until browned to your liking.
Step 4
Process the veggies. To a large food processor, add the roasted veggies (along with juices on the pan), garlic, cilantro, lime juice, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Pulse until combined to your liking. We prefer some texture so are careful to not let the food processor run too long.
Step 5
Prep chicken. Remove visible fat from the chicken thighs. Slice into bite-sized chunks and prep with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 6
Start the soup. Add olive oil to a large stock pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Then add minced garlic and seasonings (ground cumin, oregano, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper) and cook for another minute, stirring constantly.
Step 7
Add liquids, hominy, and chicken. Then pour in the prepared salsa verde, chicken broth, and hominy – and bring to a boil. Add chicken chunks, reduce heat, and simmer until chicken registers at least 165 degrees on a digital thermometer, about 10 minutes or so.
Step 8
Serve soup. Serve soup with toppings of choice – a squeeze of lime, sliced cabbage and radishes, chopped cilantro, and crushed blue chips or a baked tostada.
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to four days. You can also meal prep this by storing leftovers in individual bowls for easy lunches on the go.
What to serve with Chicken Pozole Verde:
We have lots of ideas of sides to serve with this delicious Mexican soup. Choose your favorites!
Recipe FAQs:
Pozole verde is a traditional Mexican soup made with hominy and meat in a bold green broth. The green color comes from a roasted tomatillo and jalapeño salsa verde that is blended and stirred into the soup – it’s rich, tangy, slightly spicy, and absolutely incredible!
Hominy is dried corn that has been treated with an alkaline solution, giving it a unique chewy texture and earthy flavor that is completely different from regular corn. You can find canned hominy in the Latin foods aisle of most major grocery stores – just drain and rinse before adding to the soup!
You can, but chicken thighs are highly recommended for this recipe! They are more flavorful, stay incredibly tender during the long simmer, and don’t dry out the way chicken breasts can. If you do use breasts, watch the cook time carefully to avoid overcooking. You can also use pork instead of chicken in this recipe.
With 2-3 jalapeños it has a nice medium heat. For a milder version, remove the seeds and membranes from the jalapeños before roasting. For extra heat, add a serrano pepper or leave all the seeds in!
Absolutely – and it actually tastes even better the next day! Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. The flavors deepen beautifully overnight making this a perfect make-ahead meal.
The toppings are what make pozole truly special! Sliced radishes, fresh cilantro, a big squeeze of lime, and a crispy tostada or chips on the side are the classic go-tos. Set up a toppings bar and let everyone customize their own bowl!
Other Delicous Soup Recipes:
Soup is definitely my cooler weather love language. Try one of these delicious Tex-Mex soup recipes next!
Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)
xoxo ~Sue
Chicken Pozole Verde
Ingredients
For the salsa verde:
- 2 pounds tomatillos – husks removed, rinsed, and cut in half
- 2-3 large jalapeños – stems removed and sliced in half
- 1/2 medium white onion – chopped
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
- 1-2 cloves garlic
- 1/3 cup cilantro – roughly chopped
- 1 large lime – freshly squeezed
For the soup:
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large white onion – chopped
- 6 cloves garlic – minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano – or regular oregano
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
- 4-5 cups lower-sodium chicken broth
- 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs – cut into bite-sized chunks
- 32 oz. hominy – rinsed and drained
Toppings:
- chopped radishes and cilantro
- freshly squeezed lime
- blue chips – optional
Instructions
- Prep tomatillos. Remove husks from tomatillos and rinse well. Slice in half and place on a large baking sheet, cut side down.2 pounds tomatillos
- Add other veggies. Slice jalapeños in half and place cut side down on pan. Chop onion and add to pan as well. Add olive oil, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper to the veggies.2-3 large jalapeños, 1/2 medium white onion, 2 Tablespoons olive oil, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Roast veggies. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Roast veggies for about 10 minutes and then turn heat up to broil for a few minutes, or until browned to your liking.
- Process the veggies. To a large food processor, add the roasted veggies (along with juices on the pan), garlic, cilantro, lime juice, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Pulse until combined to your liking. We prefer some texture so are careful to not let the food processor run too long.1-2 cloves garlic, 1/3 cup cilantro, 1 large lime
- Prep chicken. Remove visible fat from the chicken thighs. Slice into bite-sized chunks and prep with salt and pepper to taste.3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Start the soup. Add olive oil to a large stock pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Then add minced garlic and seasonings (ground cumin, oregano, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper) and cook for another minute, stirring constantly.2 Tablespoons olive oil, 1 large white onion, 6 cloves garlic, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Add liquids, hominy, and chicken. Then pour in the prepared salsa verde, chicken broth, and hominy – and bring to a boil. Add chicken chunks, reduce heat, and simmer until chicken registers at least 165 degrees on a digital thermometer, about 10 minutes or so.4-5 cups lower-sodium chicken broth, 32 oz. hominy
- Serve soup. Serve soup with toppings of choice – a squeeze of lime, sliced cabbage and radishes, chopped cilantro, and crushed blue chips or a baked tostada.chopped radishes and cilantro, freshly squeezed lime, blue chips
Notes
- I often make the roasted salsa verde the day before so the soup comes together super quickly after that.
- Store leftover soup in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to four days. You can also meal prep this by storing leftovers in individual bowls for easy lunches on the go.
- The toppings are what make pozole truly special! Sliced radishes, fresh cilantro, a big squeeze of lime, and a crispy tostada or chips on the side are the classic go-tos. Set up a toppings bar and let everyone customize their own bowl!