Chicken Pozole Verde (green pozole)
This pozole verde with chicken is extremely easy to make and full of flavor. The secret of this authentic Mexican recipe is on the sauce, a scrumptious and mild-spicy salsa verde that adds tons of flavor to this dish.
What is pozole verde?
Green pozole (sometimes spelled posole), is a Mexican dish which its origin dates back to pre-Hispanic times. There are various types of pozole that depend on the region in Mexico where it’s prepared. The most common are red pozole (pozole rojo), white pozole white pozole, and green pozole (pozole verde).
Pozole verde is made by simmering hominy in a flavorful green sauce made with various ingredients, such as poblano peppers, tomatillos, pumpkin seeds (pepitas) hot green peppers, and some green leaves like: Radishes leaves, lettuce, epazote, cilantro, quelites, to name a few.
Traditional green pozole is prepared with homemade hominy (nixtamal). But in this pozole verde recipe we’re taking a shortcut and making it with canned hominy which is easier to find outside Mexico and also save us lots of time in the kitchen. There are many brands for precooked hominy, I used the one you see in the photo below.
The salsa verde
You just need to pay attention to the sauce (salsa verde) because this is what will add the delicious flavor to pozole verde. Normally I’ll use fresh tomatillos boiled and blended with the other ingredients, but in this case I am using a can of tomatillo salsa for more flavor and also because is easier to find where I live.
Pozole Verde Recipe + VIDEO
Rinse hominy with plenty of cold water and then place it into a large pot.
Add chicken, half garlic knob, onion, and salt, then cover about 2-inch with water.
Boil for about 1 hour or until chicken is well cooked. Remove onion and garlic from the pot and discard. Remove chicken, place in a bowl and set aside.
Place tomatillo sauce (or boiled tomatillos) in a blender. Add onion, serrano chili, roasted poblano (peeled and seeded), cilantro, radish leaves, pepitas, and garlic. Pour 2 cups of water and blend until you’ll have a smooth sauce.
Add the green sauce to the pot with hominy and simmer for 20 minutes. Adjust with salt and turn off the heat.
While hominy is simmering with the green sauce, shred the chicken and place in a bowl. Cover and set aside. You can also return chicken to the pot and simmer altogether, is up to you.
How To Serve
In a bowl or deep plate ladle the pozole verde. Add some shredded chicken on top, and garnish with chopped onions, shredded lettuce, and radishes.
Sprinkle some oregano and serve with spicy salsa verde (I am leaving you the recipe below), a squeeze of lime, and tostadas or crispy potato tacos.
How To Make The Spicy Salsa Verde
Place serrano or jalapeño chilies in a blender. Add garlic, cilantro, pepper, oregano and salt. Pour in 1/2 cup of water and blend until smooth.
In a small sauce pan heat the oil over medium heat. Add the sauce and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Adjust with salt and turn off the heat. Transfer the salsa to a jar or bowl.
Recipe Notes
- You can make this pozole verde recipe as spicy as you’d like or not spicy at all. Omit the hot peppers (jalapeno or serrano) or add as much as you’d like to make it spicier!
- After shredding the chicken you can either return it to the pot or serve it as suggested above: On top of pozole verde.
- If you’re lucky enough to find fresh tomatillos, use those instead the can of salsa verde. 1/2 lb should be enough, just boil them and blend them with the rest of ingredients for the green sauce.
- If you can’t find radishes leaves, use a bunch of spinach instead.
- You can find canned roasted poblanos at many Mexican stores. Or you can also use a roasted green bell pepper.
Watch How To Make It
Did you know? Pozole can be also spelled as poSole.
Pozole Verde Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 30-oz can hominy (rinsed and drained.)
- 1 ½ lb chicken pieces (tights, breast, etc.)
- ½ knob garlic
- 1 small onion (halved)
- salt
For the green sauce
- 1 7-oz can salsa verde (read note 3)
- 1 cup radishes leaves (packed, read note 4.)
- 1 small poblano pepper (roasted, peeled and seeded.)
- 1 small bunch cilantro
- ¼ cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
- 1 jalapeño pepper (cut into chunks)
- ½ small onion
- 2 garlic cloves (peeled)
- salt (to taste)
For spicy salsa verde (optional)
- 3 jalapeño or serrano peppers (cut into chunks)
- 1 small bunch of cilantro
- 1 garlic clove (peeled)
- ½ tsp peppercorns
- 1 Tbsp dried oregano
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
To serve
- ½ cup onions (chopped)
- ½ cup radishes (sliced)
- 1 ½ cups lettuce (shredded)
- 2 limes (halved)
- dried oregano
Instructions
- Place hominy into a large pot. Add chicken, garlic, onion, and salt. Cover with water.
- Cook for 1 hour. Remove onion and garlic from the pot and discard. Remove chicken and set aside.
- Place tomatillo salsa in a blender. Add onion, serrano chili, roasted poblano, cilantro, radish leaves, pepitas, and garlic.
- Pour 2 cups of water and blend until you’ll have a smooth sauce.
- Add the green sauce to the pot with hominy and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Adjust with salt and turn off the heat.
- Shred the chicken and place it in a bowl (read note 2).
Make the spicy salsa verde (optional)
- Place jalapeño chilies in a blender. Add garlic, cilantro, pepper, oregano and salt. Pour in ½ cup of water and blend until smooth.
- In a small sauce pan heat the oil over medium heat. Add the sauce and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
- Adjust with salt and turn off the heat. Transfer the salsa to a jar or bowl.
How To Serve
- Add pozole verde on a bowl. Add some shredded chicken on top, and garnish with chopped onions, shredded lettuce, and radishes.
- Sprinkle some oregano and serve with spicy salsa verde, a squeeze of lime, and tostadas.
NOTES
- You can make this recipe as spicy as you’d like or not spicy at all. Omit the hot peppers (jalapeno or serrano) or add as much as you’d like to make it spicier!
- After shredding the chicken you can either return it to the pot or serve it on top of pozole.
- You can use ½ lb fresh tomatillos instead of salsa verde. Boil them, drain them and add them to the blender.
- If you can’t find radishes leaves, use a bunch of spinach instead.
- Nutritional info doesn’t include “spicy salsa” ingredients nor salt for cooking chicken.
Nutrition
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