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Hand squeezing fresh lime into a bowl of Chicken Pozole Verde topped with cabbage, radish, and cilantro.

Chicken Pozole Verde (Green Chicken Pozole)

Belinda Gonzalez
Pozole verde de pollo is a traditional Mexican hominy soup made with tender chicken and a vibrant green broth of tomatillos, green chiles, and fresh herbs like cilantro and epazote. This comforting Guerrero style stew is thickened with ground pumpkin seeds and served with crisp toppings (lettuce, radish, onion, avocado) and a squeeze of lime for a festive, flavor packed meal. It’s an authentic dish that brings together Mexican history, culture, and cuisine in one hearty bowl.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 10

Equipment

Ingredients
  

Chicken and Broth

  • 7 pounds chicken leg quarters and bone-in breast
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 16 –18 cups water enough to fully cover chicken
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 yellow onion halved
  • 1 head garlic halved
  • 1 tsp salt or to taste
  • ½ –1 tsp black pepper or to taste
  • 1 tsp garlic powder or to taste

Salsa Verde

  • 1 pound milpero tomatillos husks removed
  • 3 poblano peppers
  • 2 –3 jalapeños
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • ¼ yellow onion
  • ½ bunch cilantro
  • 2 sprigs fresh epazote optional but traditional
  • ½ tsp cumin seeds
  • 2 tsp Mexican oregano
  • 3 tbsp raw pumpkin seeds pepitas
  • 2 cups chicken broth reserved from cooking the chicken
  • 4 whole cloves
  • ½ tsp peppercorns
  • Salt to taste

Pozole Base / Combine Pozole

  • 1 110 oz can white hominy, drained and rinsed well
  • Salt and chicken bouillon to taste

Suggested Toppings

  • Fresh lime wedges
  • Tostadas
  • Chopped onion
  • Fresh cilantro
  • Mexican oregano
  • Spicy salsa or salsa macha
  • Chicharrones
  • Avocado slices
  • Shredded cabbage or lettuce
  • Radishes

Instructions
 

Cook the Chicken

  • Season the chicken generously with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
    Hand sprinkling seasoning over raw chicken pieces on a tray.
  • Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
    Olive oil being poured into a large white pot on the stove.
  • Add the chicken pieces and brown them lightly on all sides.
    Chicken pieces browning in a pot with visible seasoning.
  • Pour in enough water to fully cover the chicken.
    Water being poured into a pot to cover the browned chicken.
  • Add the bay leaves to the pot.
    Hand dropping bay leaves into a simmering pot of broth.
  • Add the halved onion and garlic cloves.
    Onion pieces and garlic cloves being added to the broth.
  • Season the broth with salt or chicken bouillon to taste.
    Hand sprinkling salt into the pot of simmering broth.
  • Skim off any foam that rises to the surface as the broth begins to boil and then simmer the chicken until fully cooked and tender.
    Spoon skimming foam from the top of simmering chicken broth.
  • When chicken is done, remove from the pot and put aside to shred.
    Chicken being removed from steaming pot.
  • Remove the onion, garlic, and bay leaves from the broth, and skim any remaining foam so the broth is clean before adding the hominy and green sauce.

Cook the Tomatillos

  • Add the tomatillos to simmering water.
    Tomatillos being poured into a pan of simmering water.
  • Cook the tomatillos until they turn pale yellow-green and tender, then drain and set aside.
    Ladle lifting tender, pale green tomatillos from simmering water.

Prepare the Salsa Verde

  • Roast the poblano and jalapeño peppers directly over the flame until the skins are blistered and charred.
    Tongs holding a poblano pepper over an open flame while it blisters.
  • Place the roasted peppers into a sealed container or plastic bag and let them steam for 20–30 minutes so the skins loosen.
    Roasted peppers being placed into a plastic bag to steam.
  • Continue roasting any remaining peppers until evenly charred.
    Charred jalapeños roasting directly over a burner.
  • Add pumpkin seeds to a dry pan and toast over medium heat until lightly golden and fragrant.
    Pumpkin seeds being poured into a dry pan for toasting.
  • Peel the charred skins off the steamed peppers.
    Removing char from Poblanos
  • Remove the stems, seeds, and membranes from the peppers, then slice them.
    Knife scraping seeds and membranes from a cleaned poblano pepper.
  • Add the cleaned peppers to the blender.
    Cleaned roasted peppers placed inside a blender jar.
  • Add the cooked tomatillos to the blender.
    Cooked tomatillos being added to the blender with peppers.
  • Add the onion, garlic, cilantro, oregano, cumin seeds, whole cloves, peppercorns, chicken bouillon, and toasted pumpkin seeds.
    Adding pepitas + seasonings
  • Add cilantro
    Fresh cilantro being added to a blender with tomatillos and peppers.
  • Add 2 cups of reserved chicken broth and blend until smooth.
    Adding reserved chicken broth to the blender to help blend the green salsa for pozole verde.
  • Pour the blended green sauce into a pot with a little oil and bring it to a gentle simmer.
    Blended green tomatillo and pepper sauce being poured into a pan to simmer for pozole verde.
  • Add the fresh epazote sprig to the simmering sauce so it can infuse its flavor, then remove it after simmering.
    Fresh epazote sprig being added to a pot of simmering green sauce.
  • Simmer the sauce until it deepens in color and thickens slightly.
    Simmered salsa verde in a pan with a spoon lifting the thickened green sauce for pozole verde.

Combine Pozole

  • Pour the simmered green sauce into the pot with the broth and hominy.
    Blended green salsa being poured into the pot of broth and hominy.
  • Season the pozole with bouillon or salt to taste.
    Chicken bouillon powder being sprinkled into the simmering green pozole.
  • Add the shredded chicken back into the pot.
    Shredded cooked chicken being poured into the pot of green pozole.
  • Stir everything together and let it simmer gently for about 15 minutes so the flavors blend.
    Pot of pozole verde simmering with chicken and hominy.
  • Check the hominy to ensure it is plump and tender.
    Wooden spoon lifting hominy and chicken from the finished pozole verde.

Serve

  • Ladle the pozole into bowls.
    Ladling pozole into serving bowls.
  • Top with shredded cabbage.
    Hand placing shredded cabbage on top of pozole verde.
  • Add sliced radishes.
    Hand placing sliced radishes over pozole verde.
  • Add chopped cilantro.
    Hand sprinkling chopped cilantro onto pozole verde.
  • Finish each bowl with a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Serve hot and enjoy.
    Hand squeezing fresh lime juice over pozole verde with toppings.

Notes

Notes:

  • Chicken Alternatives: Traditional pozole verde uses pork shoulder. You can easily substitute pork for chicken if desired.
  • Tomatillos: Milpero tomatillos are smaller and slightly sweeter.
  • Epazote: Fresh epazote adds authentic flavor, but it can be omitted if not available. Don't blend. Add Epazote when you begin to simmer. 
Enjoy your flavorful homemade Chicken Pozole Verde!
Keyword Chicken, chicken pozole verde, mexican stew, pozole, pozole recipe, salsa verde pozole, salsaverde
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