Description
Green Chile Chicken Pozole is a traditional Mexican stew featuring tender shredded chicken, roasted green chiles, and hearty hominy simmered in a flavorful broth with aromatic spices. This comforting dish offers a perfect balance of mild heat and deep smoky flavor, making it an ideal meal for chilly evenings or gatherings. Garnished with fresh toppings and bright lime juice, it delivers a nourishing, delicious experience that warms the soul.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 4–6 fresh or roasted green chiles, peeled and chopped
- 2 pounds boneless chicken thighs or breasts
- 3 cups hominy (canned or soaked dried)
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano (fresh or dried)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 lime, juiced
Instructions
- Prepare the Green Chiles: Roast or sauté the fresh green chiles until their skins blister and the flavors deepen. Peel off the skins and finely chop the chiles to release their smoky, mild heat into the stew.
- Cook the Chicken: In a large pot, simmer the boneless chicken thighs or breasts with chopped onion, minced garlic, and chicken broth until the chicken is tender and cooked through, about 30-40 minutes. Remove the chicken and shred it finely with forks.
- Combine Ingredients: Return the shredded chicken to the pot. Add hominy, chopped green chiles, ground cumin, oregano, and season with salt and pepper. Stir everything together and let the stew simmer gently for at least 20-30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
- Final Taste and Adjustments: Just before serving, squeeze fresh lime juice into the stew to brighten the flavors. Adjust salt, pepper, or other spices to your preference for a perfectly balanced taste.
- Serve: Ladle the pozole into bowls and offer classic garnishes such as shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, chopped onions, fresh cilantro, avocado slices, lime wedges, and sour cream or crema on the side.
Notes
- Roasting the green chiles intensifies their smoky flavor and adds depth to the stew.
- Using bone-in chicken initially provides a richer broth, then shred the meat and remove the bones before combining.
- Canned hominy is convenient, but soaking and cooking dried hominy delivers better texture and flavor.
- Simmer the stew low and slow to develop layered, complex flavors.
- Don’t skip adding fresh lime juice at the end—it balances the richness and brightens the dish.
- This recipe is easily adaptable for vegetarian versions by substituting chicken with mushrooms or jackfruit and using vegetable broth.
- You can increase heat by adding jalapeños or serrano peppers or incorporate chipotle powder for smoky spice.
- Leftovers store well refrigerated for up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 700mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 85mg