This chicken pozole verde recipe puts a whole bird to work, making a fragrant broth and plenty of tender shredded meat in one go. Roasted tomatillos and a mix of green chiles give the Mexican stew its tang and heat; a final swirl of cilantro purée adds fresh flavor and turns the whole pot brilliantly green.
The tomatillos and peppers roast while the chicken simmers. Toasting the canned hominy—a tip from Test Kitchen alum Rick Martinez—gives it a flavor “almost like a corn nut.” But if that’s one step too many, skip it—the stew will still be awesome.
Set out red onion, cilantro, dried oregano, and lime wedges, and let everyone load up their own bowl. Add avocado for creaminess, or shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, and crushed tortilla chips for crunch.
Watch Rick make pozole verde
Pozole verde FAQ
What kind of hominy should I use?
Canned white or golden hominy works here. These plump, chewy corn kernels give the stew its hearty texture. Dried hominy needs to be cooked separately before adding it to the pot.
What is Mexican oregano?
Mexican oregano is a different herb from Mediterranean oregano, with floral, citrusy notes and a hint of anise. We prefer it in this pozole, but regular dried oregano works too.
Do I need chicken stock?
No. The whole chicken simmers in water with onion, garlic, and spices to make the broth. Before adding the shredded chicken and cilantro purée, taste the broth and season with salt and pepper.
Can I make pozole verde ahead or freeze it?
Yes. Cook the chicken up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate it in its broth, then finish the recipe when you’re ready to serve. You can also freeze the finished pozole. Take Rick’s advice and stash a quart for your next weeknight dinner emergency.
Recipe information
Total Time
1 hour 45 minutes
Yield
6–8 servings
Ingredients
¼
1
6
2
1
½
1
4
2
3
1½
2
2
½
Need to make a substitution?
Preparation
Step 1
Heat ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium. Cook 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped, and 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, seasoning with kosher salt and stirring occasionally, until very tender, 12–15 minutes. Add 2 tsp. ground coriander, 1 tsp. ground cumin, and ½ tsp. dried oregano, preferably Mexican, and cook, stirring constantly, until very fragrant, about 1 minute.
Step 2
Place one 3½–4-lb. whole chicken in pot and pour in 12 cups water. Bring to a simmer and cook chicken, uncovered and reducing heat as needed to maintain a very gentle simmer (and turning once or twice if it isn’t completely submerged), until cooked through and legs wiggle easily in their joints, 40–50 minutes.
Step 3
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425°. Spread out 4 poblano chiles, 2 Cubanelle peppers or 2 more poblano chiles, 3 serrano chiles, and 1½ lb. tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed, on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast, tossing once or twice, until chiles and peppers are browned and collapsing and tomatillos are tender, 30–40 minutes. Let cool.
Step 4
Transfer chicken to a cutting board; set broth in pot aside. Let chicken sit until cool enough to handle. Pull meat from bones and shred into bite-size pieces; discard chicken skin and bones.
Step 5
Split open chiles and peppers; remove stems and seeds and discard. Remove any skin that can be easily peeled off and discard. Transfer chiles and peppers to a blender and add tomatillos; reserve baking sheet. Blend until smooth. Stir chile purée into reserved broth and bring to a simmer. Reserve blender.
Step 6
Spread out two 15-oz. cans golden or white hominy, rinsed, in an even layer on reserved baking sheet and roast, tossing halfway through, until very fragrant and hominy around edges of baking sheet are just beginning to brown, 12–18 minutes. Scrape into pot with broth.
Step 7
Season broth with salt and freshly ground black pepper and simmer, uncovered, until flavors come together and broth is rich tasting, about 20 minutes. Ladle ½ cup broth into reserved blender. Add 2 cups cilantro leaves with tender stems and purée until smooth and very bright green, at least 1 minute. Add chicken to broth and cook until heated through, then stir in cilantro purée. Taste posole and season with more salt if needed.
Step 8
Divide posole among bowls. Top with ½ small red onion, thinly sliced, and more cilantro leaves and dried oregano. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing over.
Do Ahead: Chicken can be cooked 3 days ahead. Let cool in broth; cover and chill.
Editor’s note: This recipe was first published in 2017 as ‘Posole Verde With Chicken’; it has been updated for style. Head this way for more hearty soup recipes from Epicurious →