Chicken Pozole Verde
Enjoy a warm bowl of Pozole Verde featuring tender shredded chicken, slow-cooked hominy, and a vibrant green broth. Add fresh toppings like cabbage and avocado for a deliciously authentic Mexican experience.
Servings: 18 servings
Ingredients
For the sauce:
- 2 poblano peppers
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ½ pound fresh green tomatoes
- ½ jalapeño seeded and diced
- ½ serrano pepper seeded and diced
- 1 small white or yellow onion chopped
- 10 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ cup roughly chopped cilantro
- ½ cup roughly chopped baby spinach optional
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 6 cups chicken broth (you can also use the broth from the boiled chicken breasts)
To finish:
- 4 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken breasts you can also use thighs, leg-quarters, or drumsticks.
- 1 gallon water for boiling
- 15 ounces dry hominy (maíz pozolero) soaked overnight per instructions on the packaging
- shredded cabbage for topping
- sliced avocado for topping
Instructions
- Place the poblanos directly over a medium-low flame and let them toast for 5 minutes on each side or until blackened. Use kitchen tongs to flip them over carefully. This is the most authentic way to toast them, but you can also do it in a pan or grill.
- Remove the poblanos from the heat and immediately place them in a plastic bag. Seal it closed and let them rest for at least 15 minutes. This will soften their skin and help make the peeling process much easier.
- Remove the poblanos from the plastic bag and rinse them under warm water. Gently rub your fingers against the blackened skin to remove as much of it as possible. Don't worry if the poblanos break a little. Set them aside.
- Add the vegetable oil to a large pot set over medium heat. Stir in the green tomatoes, jalapeño, serrano, white onion, and garlic. Let them cook for about 8 minutes or until charred all over. Watch the garlic cloves because you'll need to flip them over and remove them from the heat sooner so they don't burn. Remove them from the heat and set them aside.
- Add the peeled poblanos and the charred veggies to a blender. Process until you get a smooth mixture. Add the oregano, thyme, cilantro, and spinach. Blend again until smooth. Strain the sauce into a large cooking pot.
- Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Let it cook for 25 to 35 minutes. The sauce should have gone from bright to dark green.
- Add the chicken broth to the sauce and stir to combine. Season with salt to taste. Let it simmer while you rinse the hominy.
- Place the hominy (maíz) in a large container and fill it with water. Stir it around to remove excess starch. Strain and repeat the process until the water is almost clear. Drain.
- Add the hominy to the green broth and cook it according to the package instructions. It should be between 2 to 3 hours. Add more water as needed if the water evaporates. Season with more salt to taste. Remove it from the heat and set it aside.
- While the hominy is cooking, add the chicken to a separate large pot. Pour in the water. Bring it to a boil and then reduce the heat. Let the chicken boil for 1 hour or until cooked through. Remove it from the pot and set it aside to cool.
- Remove the skin from the chicken. Discard it. Use meat shredder claws or two forks to shred the chicken.
- Fill each serving bowl with shredded chicken. Ladle hot pozole over the chicken.
- Garnish with your favorite toppings, like green cabbage and avocado slices, and serve.
Notes
- Hominy or maíz pozolero looks like big puffy corn kernels and can usually be found in the Hispanic foods section of your local grocery store.
- Chicken: I used bone-in skin-on chicken breasts, but you can use chicken thighs, too, or leg quarters.
- Green Tomatoes: I use fresh green tomatoes for this recipe, not tomatillos.
- Peppers/Chiles: This recipe includes a combination of peppers, including a jalapeno, a couple of poblanos, and serrano pepper. All seeds and ribs should be removed unless you want an incredibly spicy stew.
- Cook it low and slow, and don’t try to speed up the cooking process. If you need to make it quicker, use shredded rotisserie chicken and canned hominy.
- Add extra water. As the stew simmers, the liquid will evaporate. Thus, make sure to add water as you see fit.
- Season to taste: Before serving the pozole over the shredded chicken, taste it for salt and pepper, and adjust to your taste.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 161kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 166mg | Potassium: 383mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 314IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1mg
