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Top view of pozole verde in a bowl, with garnishes.

Pozole Verde Recipe

This classic chicken pozole verde features juicy shredded chicken breast, hominy, and a herby tomatillo broth. A comforting Mexican green soup that's flavorful and satisfying.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Chicken
  • 2 lbs chicken breast
  • 1/2 white onion
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 12 cups water
  • salt to taste
For the Green Salsa
  • 1 lb tomatillos
  • 1 cup cilantro chopped
  • 1 cup parsley chopped
  • 1 cup spinach chopped
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1/4 white onion chopped
  • 1 serrano chile
For the Hominy
  • 1 can 25 oz hominy drained and rinsed
For Serving & Garnish
  • white onion finely chopped
  • radishes thinly sliced
  • green cabbage thinly sliced
  • Mexican oregano or Mediterranean Oregano
  • Red chile flakes or salsa
  • lime wedges

Method
 

For the Chicken
  1. Add the chicken breast, salt, garlic, and onion to a large pot. Fill the pot with water to cover the ingredients.
  2. Bring the pot to a simmer over medium high heat.
  3. Lower the heat to the lowest setting and cover. Simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes or until internal temperature of chicken reaches 165°F.
  4. Once the chicken is fully cooked, remove it from the pot.
  5. Let the chicken cool down for about 10 minutes.
  6. Strain the remaining chicken broth into a bowl. 
  7. Return the broth back into the pot.
  8. Shred or cut the chicken into bite size pieces.
For the Green Salsa
  1. While the chicken is simmering, place the serrano chiles and tomatillos in a pot. Fill with water to cover them.
  2. Bring the pot to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until tomatillos change color to a dull green.
  3. Remove the chiles and tomatillos from the pot and transfer to a bowl. Reserve half a cup of the cooking liquid.  Let the tomatillos and chiles cool down for about 10 to 20 minutes.
  4. Once cool, transfer the chiles, tomatillos, 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking liquid, garlic, onion, cilantro, parsley, and spinach
  5. Blend until smooth.
  6. Add the oil to a large skillet and turn the burner on to medium heat.
  7. Preheat the oil for about 5 minutes or until oil is shimmering.
  8. Add the green salsa to the skillet and simmer on medium to medium-low heat for about 10 to 15 minutes. Add salt to taste once the sauce is simmering steadily. The sauce will thicken and change color. Stir occasionally so sauce doesn’t stick to the skillet. 
Make the Soup
  1. Return the chicken to the pot and add the hominy.
  2. Bring the pot to a boil over medium-high heat and then lower to a simmer at medium heat.
  3. Stir the green salsa to incorporate into the soup.
  4. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes to let the flavors come together.
  5. Taste for salt and adjust if necessary.
  6. Serve pozole in soup bowls and place finely chopped onion, thinly sliced cabbage, thinly sliced radish, oregano, dried chile flakes or salsa, and limes at the table. Let your guests garnish their bowl of pozole as they like and enjoy!

Notes

  1. Strain the broth after cooking the chicken, there will be some foam left behind from cooking the chicken. This will make the broth taste and look cleaner.
  2. You can also use other cuts of chicken like thighs. Chicken thighs will take longer to cook. Make sure these reach an internal temperature of at least 175°F. For extra tender fall apart chicken thighs, the internal temperature should be at 185°F or even up to 195°F.
  3. It's important to not let the water come to a boil when cooking the chicken. If it does, it could make the chicken tough and dry. Make sure to bring water to a gentle simmer when cooking the chicken. The water should be between 160°F to 180°F. Once you are within this temperature, lower the heat to the lowest setting and cover the pot.
  4. Check the chicken breast after 10 minutes. If they are not done yet, keep cooking until the internal temperature of the chicken is at 165°F.
  5. Make sure the salsa is blended to a smooth consistency. Blend on medium to high speed for a smooth sauce.
  6. Before adding the salsa the the broth you can strain it if desired, for a more fine texture.