Mexican Chicken Pozole Recipe (Pozole Verde)

This traditional Mexican Chicken Pozole Recipe is perfectly flavored and spiced made with comforting hominy, peppers, delicious chicken and so much love.  If you love comforting soups like Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup, Taco Soup, Chicken Chili, Carrot Ginger Soup, or even Tomato Basil Soup, you will adore this perfectly spiced soup that makes you feel right at home.  Pair with my Blackened Chicken Enchiladas, Birria Tacos, and Mexican Cornbread for a true Mexican down-home meal!!

What is Pozole?

I remember the very first time I had chicken pozole verde or chicken posole depending on where you are from or eating it.  I ordered a large bowl of it at a local Chicago restaurant called Flacos Tacos. Their chicken pozole recipe is incredibly warming with hints of spices throughout and I loved it!

Pozole is a classic Mexican soup made rich with so many flavors with hominy and meat like chicken or pork. It is served in a red or green version and each has its own flavor.

It isn’t a cream-based soup but more of a broth soup.  The broth is highly flavored however so it isn’t like a lot of watered-down soups you may have tried before.

After my frustration, I ended up trying a few renditions of pozole verde online and found one that tasted just like the one I remembered at Flacos Tacos. 

This recipe inspired by that first taste of pozole, created the same warm feelings for me.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

• Easy to make recipe. This dish goes together in just a few steps and is perfect for any level home cook!
• Simple, wholesome ingredients. If you’re on the hunt for healthy meals prepared without a lot of processed ingredients, this one is perfect!
• Great flavor and it’s guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser.
• Everything in this soup just works.  All of the ingredients work to enhance their counterparts, never overwhelming one another.

Ingredients in Green Chicken Pozole

It’s the ingredients that make pozole verde so special. Here’s a breakdown of the most important ingredients in this pozole soup:

• Tomatillos: While they look a lot like small green tomatoes, they actually are quite different. You can find them in the produce section and they often come covered with a husk that you remove before using. They bring a bright, almost citrusy, and tangy flavor to the pozole soup.
• Hominy The hominy can be canned.  I usually find them right in the ethnic aisle of my local grocery store or you can find them at your local Mexican grocery store as well.
• Poblano Chile: A large deep green chile available in many grocery stores. It is on the mild side of things adding flavor rather than a great deal of spiciness.
• Shredded Chicken: Buy a rotisserie chicken, bake some chicken thighs or breasts, and shred them, or use some leftover pollo asado to make the soup.
• Cilantro: If you’re not a cilantro fan, that’s too bad as it works so well with the other flavors in the soup. You can use parsley instead but it will be quite different.
• Jalapeno: Green pozole with chicken also uses some jalapeno. Remove the seeds and veins from the inside for a slightly milder flavor. If you’re sensitive to spice or serving this for kids, you can reduce the amount or even leave it out completely. Serve up some sliced fresh jalapenos on the table for everyone to add if they want it.

You can find the entire list of ingredients to make chicken posole in the recipe card along with the quantities for each.

How To Make Chicken Pozole Recipe

Cooking green pozole is quite easy and requires very little active time. Here are the highlights of what goes into making it.

1. Make the base. Add the key flavor ingredients: tomatillos, onions, chilis, garlic, and cilantro to a food processor and blend until completely smooth.

PRO TIP: The most important tool you will need for this recipe is a heavy-duty blender or food processor. This mixture will serve as a key component that will perfectly marry with the chicken stock to make the base of your soup. 

2. Heat the green pozole base and cook for fifteen minutes. Heating the tomatillo mixture over the stove enhances the flavors of the aromatics a bit more. You will see the color change to a deeper green as it cooks.
3. Add the remaining heated chicken broth and water to the mixture and whisk together.

4. Add the shredded chicken breasts and drained hominy to the pot and stir together. Give it a taste and season with salt and pepper.
5. Cook the soup over medium heat until heated throughout then serve.

6. Garnish each bowl of chicken verde pozole with traditional toppings like avocado, lime wedges, radishes, and cilantro.

This green chicken soup is both filling and fulfilling in the most comforting way.  Spoonful after spoonful I imagined a Mexican grandmother preparing me this meal in her loving kitchen just like my Big Mama used to do for me. 

It’s a beautiful heartfelt recipe with lots of soul, just the kind I love.

How to Store

The beauty of this soup, and really soups in general, is that it’s great to make ahead. It often tastes better when served up the second time around.

• Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.
• Freezer: Freeze it in a freezer-safe container for up to three months.
• Reheat: Return the soup to a pot and heat over medium heat until it’s heated through. If it’s frozen, thaw it out overnight in the fridge. If it needs more liquid, add some water or broth to thin it out.

Can I meal prep posole verde?

Yes, most definitely! It’s perfect to make ahead. You can even cook a double batch to save one for a meal later on. Just be sure to let the soup cool completely and store as noted above for the best results.

What to Serve With Pozole

This soup cooks up in about 30 minutes so it’s perfect for weeknight dinners but it’s also tasty enough to serve to company. Here are a few serving ideas for inspiration.

• Serve with plenty of garnishes.  This is what really makes this soup so so special.  Grab avocado, red radishes, limes, and some chopped cilantro to make this soup really incredible.
• It’s perfect to serve a crowd! Add some crunchy tortilla chips and fresh guacamole and salsa verde along with pineapple mocktail margaritas for a party!
• Pair it with a side of Mexican cornbread or with some of these shrimp tacos for a full Mexican feast.
• Learn more about how to throw a serious Mexican Fiesta here for Cinco de Mayo or Taco Tuesday!

Expert Tips and FAQs

• Serve with garnishes! These are what make the soup even better.
• Make a double batch. Save time later on by prepping an extra batch to save for a quick meal in the future.
• Adjust the spiciness to your own tastes by adjusting the amount of jalapenos used in the soup.
• Chicken time saver tip: Pick up a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and shred it!

More Mexican Recipes

• Mexican Rice
• Mexican Corn on the Cob
• Blackened Shrimp Nachos
• Mexican Crab Cake Recipe

*Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating and leave comments below!* Post a photo of how your version of the recipe came out on Instagram (using #grandbabycakes)!!

This post was originally published in April 2018. It has been updated with new images and content.