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Un tazón hondo de pozole verde con pollo y maíz, decorado con rábano y aguacate, destacando el color intenso del caldo de tomatillos asados.

Smoky Pozole Verde

Victoria Sandra
A deeply comforting and authentic Pozole Verde recipe featuring a smoky, tangy green sauce from charred tomatillos and jalapeños, tender hominy, and savory chicken. Perfect for sharing!
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 47 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 17 minutes
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 12 servings
Calories 520 kcal

Equipment

  • Large stockpot
  • Large pot
  • Baking sheet
  • blender
  • Saucepan

Ingredients
  

For the white pozole:

  • 1 pound dried hominy, rinsed
  • 1 head garlic
  • 2 whole chickens or about 6 pounds, cut up in serving pieces, rinsed
  • 1 onion
  • A couple fresh cilantro sprigs
  • 1 tablespoon kosher or coarse sea salt

For the green pozole sauce:

  • 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, lightly toasted
  • 1 pound tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed
  • 1 to 2 jalapeños, stemmed
  • 1 fresh large leafy stem of epazote or 5 sprigs cilantro
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1/3 cup onion, coarsely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
  • Freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

For the garnishes:

  • 5 to 6 limes, cut in half
  • 10 radishes, rinsed, halved and thinly sliced
  • 1 head of romaine lettuce, rinsed, drained and thinly sliced
  • 4 tablespoons onion, finely chopped
  • 1 Mexican avocado, halved, pitted, meat scooped out
  • Piquín chile or a Mexican mix of dried chiles, ground
  • Dried oregano, crumbled
  • Tostadas or totopos

Instructions
 

Cook the Hominy and Chicken

  • Place the rinsed dried hominy in a large stockpot, cover with at least 3 inches of cold water, and add the whole head of garlic (with loose outer layers removed). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer gently, uncovered, for about 3 hours until kernels are tender and blossomed. Do not salt the water.
  • While the hominy cooks, place the chicken pieces in a separate large pot, cover with water by 1 inch, and add the onion, cilantro, and 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the chicken is cooked through, 30-40 minutes. Strain the broth and set it aside. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove skin and bones, and shred the meat.

Char and Blend the Green Sauce

  • Set your broiler to high. Arrange the tomatillos, jalapeños, 3 unpeeled garlic cloves, and 1/3 cup onion on a baking sheet. Broil for 5-7 minutes until the tops are blackened in spots. Turn the vegetables and broil for another 3-5 minutes until the other side is charred.
  • In a blender, pulse the toasted pumpkin seeds until finely ground. Add the charred tomatillos, jalapeños, peeled charred garlic, charred onion, epazote (or cilantro), 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup of the reserved chicken broth. Blend until the sauce is completely smooth.

Cook the Sauce and Build the Soup

  • Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Carefully pour in the blended sauce (it may sputter). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15-18 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens and deepens in color.
  • Once the hominy is tender, drain any excess water. Add the reserved chicken broth, shredded chicken, and the cooked green sauce to the pot with the hominy. Stir well and simmer gently for 30 more minutes for the flavors to meld. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
  • Ladle the hot pozole into bowls. Serve immediately, allowing everyone to add their own garnishes like fresh lime, radishes, lettuce, onion, avocado, ground chile, oregano, and tostadas.

Notes

Storage: Store leftover pozole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Keep garnishes separate. The soup can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat until hot. Avoid boiling to preserve the texture of the chicken.
Pro Tip: This pozole tastes even better the next day as the flavors have more time to meld together.
Cooking Tip: Do not salt the dried hominy while it cooks; add salt only after it has become tender. This ensures the kernels soften properly.
Variations: For a pork version, use 4-5 pounds of bone-in pork shoulder instead of chicken. To control the spice level, remove the seeds and veins from the jalapeños for a milder soup.
Nutrition information is estimated based on common ingredients and serving sizes and may vary.

Nutrition

Calories: 520kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 35gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 110mgSodium: 950mgPotassium: 800mgFiber: 8gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 3IUVitamin C: 25mgCalcium: 8mgIron: 15mg
Keyword chicken soup, hominy, pozole
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