Chicken Pozole Verde Recipe like the Best Mexican Restaurants

Ingredients

• 4.5 lb Whole Chicken (cut into quarters, neck and backbone removed after cooking)
• 12 cup Water (enough to cover chicken by about 1 inch)
• 1 tablespoon Salt (plus extra to taste at the end)
• 1 teaspoon Black Pepper (ground)
• 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder (granulated garlic)
• 2 teaspoon Cumin (ground (comino))
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 6 Garlic Cloves (peeled; can be popped out of skins by squeezing after boiling briefly)
• 0.33 medium Onion (about one third, diced, added to broth)
• 1 Jalapeño Pepper (whole, added to broth; additional jalapeño optional for salsa)
• 2 Poblano Peppers (roasted, peeled, seeds removed)
• 10 Tomatillos (husked, rinsed, boiled briefly)
• 0.5 cup Cilantro (roughly chopped, added to salsa and as garnish)
• 4 cup Hominy (white, canned) (drained and rinsed)
• 5 Radishes (thinly sliced)
• 3 Serrano Peppers (diced; seeds left for extra heat)
• 2 cup Green Cabbage (shredded across the grain)
• 1 Lime (cut into wedges for squeezing)
• 1 Avocado (sliced just before serving)

Instructions

1. Quarter the Chicken

   Remove the neck and tail, then cut the chicken into quarters: separate the breast, thigh, drumstick, and wing joints. This increases surface area for faster cooking.

   Time: PT15M

2. Start the Broth

   Place all chicken pieces, 1/3 diced onion, 1 whole jalapeño, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder, 2 tsp cumin, and 2 bay leaves into the stock pot. Add water until the chicken is covered by about 1 inch.

   Time: PT10M

3. Simmer the Chicken

   Bring the pot to a gentle boil over medium heat, then reduce to a low simmer. Cook for about 45 minutes, or until the thickest part of the breast reaches 184°F.

   Time: PT45M

   Temperature: medium

4. Roast Poblano Peppers

   Char the poblano peppers over high heat (grill, gas burner, or broiler) until the skins are evenly blackened. Transfer to foil and let steam for 15 minutes.

   Time: PT10M

   Temperature: high

5. Steam and Peel Poblanos

   After 15 minutes, unwrap the foil, peel off the charred skin, remove seeds, and set the roasted flesh aside.

   Time: PT15M

6. Boil Tomatillos

   In a separate saucepan, add the husked tomatillos and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes until the skins split.

   Time: PT5M

   Temperature: high

7. Blend the Salsa Verde

   Combine roasted poblanos, boiled tomatillos, remaining half onion, 1 jalapeño (optional), 6 peeled garlic cloves, cilantro, and a splash of chicken broth in the blender. Pulse a few times then blend until smooth.

   Time: PT5M

8. Shred the Cooked Chicken

   Remove chicken from the broth, let cool slightly, discard skin and bones, then pull the meat into bite‑size chunks using two forks.

   Time: PT5M

9. Combine Soup Base

   Return the salsa verde to the pot with the simmering broth, add 4 cups of drained hominy, and stir. Bring back to a low simmer and cook for 20 minutes to meld flavors.

   Time: PT20M

   Temperature: low

10. Prepare Fresh Toppings

    While the soup simmers, thinly slice radishes, dice serrano peppers, shred cabbage across the grain, chop cilantro, cut lime into wedges, and slice avocado just before serving.

    Time: PT15M

11. Serve

    Ladle hot pozole into bowls, top with radish, serrano, cabbage, cilantro, avocado slices, and a squeeze of lime. Serve with warm corn tortillas on the side.

    Time: PT5M

Nutrition Facts

Calories

350

Protein

22g

Carbohydrates

38g

Fat

12g

Fiber

6g