Chicken Pozole Verde {Easy, Healthy, Gluten-free Recipe}
An easy simplified version of Chicken Pozole Verde (Green Pozole). A comorting healthy Mexican stew, with chunks of chicken and hominy in a green chile broth! This Pozole is made on the stove all in one pot! But, you can also make it in the Instant Pot or Crock Pot (see notes).
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb tomatillos, peeled and rinsed, cut in half
- 1 large onion, roughly chopped (white or yellow onion)
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 Anaheim pepper, seeded and roughly chopped *see notes
- 2 poblano peppers, seeded and roughly chopped
- 1 jalapeño or serrano pepper, seeded and halved (optional, for added heat)
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- 6 cups chicken broth (I used reduced sodium chicken broth)
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces (chicken thigh, chicken breast or combo of both works)
- 1 can Mexican hominy, rinsed and drained, (25-30 ounce can)
- 1.5 teaspoon salt more or less to taste
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
Optional Garnishes:
- chopped cilantro, thinly sliced radishes, lime wedges, sliced or diced avocados, sliced jalapeños, shredded cabbage, diced onion
Instructions
- Add 1 cup of the chicken broth, tomatillos, onion, garlic, all of the peppers, and cilantro to a high-speed blender, and blend until smooth. If blender starts getting too full, blend some of it down first to make space for the rest of it. (I use a Vitamix. See notes if you are using regular blender.)
- Heat olive oil in a Large Stock Pot or Dutch Oven, over medium-high heat.
- Pour the sauce into the hot pot, and cook about 5-10 minutes, occasionally stirring.
- Add in the remaining chicken broth, chicken pieces, hominy, salt, cumin, and oregano. Stir, and bring to a simmer.
- Reduce heat to medium, and simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. (Use this time to prep any garnishes you will be using.)
- Do a taste test and add more salt if needed (I added 1 teaspoon more).
- Serve with lime wedges, optional garnishes, and a side of tostadas or corn chips if desired.
Video
Notes
Peppers:
- If you can't find Anaheim peppers you can just use another Poblano pepper.
- If you would like to increase spice level, add the jalapeño or serrano. I usually leave it out to keep it kid-friendly, then just top our own bowls with fresh sliced jalapeños!
Blender:
I used a Vitamix which makes a smooth green chile sauce in less than a minute! If you are using a regular blender it may not come out as smooth, but it will still work! Just stop to move things around if they get stuck, or about every minute, until desired consistency is reached.Alternative Cooking Methods
Chicken Pozole Verde can also be cooked in the Instant Pot or Crock Pot. You just need to reduce the amount of chicken broth for the Instant Pot, since it doesn't cook any liquid down.Instant Pot Instructions:
Reduce amount of chicken broth in the recipe to 4 cups (instead of 6 cups).- Add 1 cup of the chicken broth, tomatillos, onion, garlic, all of the peppers, and cilantro to a high-speed blender, and blend until smooth. If blender starts getting too full, blend some of it down first to make space for the rest of it. (I use a Vitamix. See notes if you are using regular blender.)
- Heat olive oil in the insert of the Instant Pot on high "saute" setting.
- Pour the sauce into the hot pot, and cook about 5-10 minutes, occasionally stirring.
- Add in the remaining chicken broth, chicken pieces, hominy, salt, cumin, and oregano. Stir to combine.
- Close the lid and set the valve to “sealing”.
- Turn the Instant Pot on “Manual” mode for 15 minutes (or pressure cook on “HIGH”). (Use this time to prep any garnishes you will be using.)
- Once done, allow a 10 minute natural release (meaning: leave it alone!), then set the valve to “venting”.
- Do a taste test and add more salt if needed (I added 1 teaspoon more).
- Serve with lime wedges, optional garnishes, and a side of tostadas or corn chips if desired.
Crock Pot Instructions:
- Add 1 cup of the chicken broth, tomatillos, onion, garlic, all of the peppers, and cilantro to a high-speed blender, and blend until smooth. If blender starts getting too full, blend some of it down first to make space for the rest of it. (I use a Vitamix. See notes if you are using regular blender.)
- Heat olive oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat.
- Pour the sauce into the hot pot, and cook about 5-10 minutes, occasionally stirring.
- To the Crock Pot insert: add in the blended sauce, the remaining chicken broth, chicken pieces, hominy, salt, cumin, and oregano. Stir to combine.
- Close the lid, and cook on LOW for 5-6 hours, or on HIGH for 2-3 hours.
- Do a taste test and add more salt if needed (I added 1 teaspoon more).
- Serve with lime wedges, optional garnishes, and a side of tostadas or corn chips if desired.