This Chicken and Hatch Green Chile Pozole is an amazing Mexican soup recipe! A hearty dinner recipe idea for cold weather. Warm chicken soup with corn, peppers, and Hispanic spices.
Season the chicken on all sides with salt and pepper.
4 chicken thighs, black pepper, salt
Add the oil and when the oil is hot, add the chicken skin side down. Do not move and let cook for 3-4 minutes to develop a golden brown color.
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Add the hominy and garlic head to the pot. Fill with water to cover it all, about 5 cups.
45 ounces hominy, 1 head garlic
Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 45-60 minutes. The chicken should be cooked all the way through.
Remove the chicken and set aside until cool enough to handle.
Remove the head of garlic. Peel 6 cloves to use in the salsa and discard the rest.
In a blender, make the salsa by combining the cut tomatillos, peeled garlic cloves, cilantro, cut onion, 8 ounces of the Hatch peppers, and 1 teaspoon salt with 1 cup water. Blend to combine until there is still a little texture or small chunks.
1 head garlic, 1 small yellow onion, 1 pound tomatillos, 12 ounces Hatch green chiles, ½ cup fresh cilantro, 1 teaspoon salt
Pour the green salsa into the pot with the hominy. Add the remaining 4 ounces of green chiles as well.
12 ounces Hatch green chiles
Remove the chicken meat from the bones, shredding into pieces, and discard the bones and skin. Add the chicken to the pot.
Simmer at least 15 minutes. The green salsa will become duller. Add more water if needed to get the consistency you want.
Serve with your favorite toppings.
Notes
Hominy can be found in the Hispanic food section of your grocery store. Sometimes sold in smaller cans around 15 ounces, and sometimes in giant cans around 105 ounces. The quantity of hominy can be approximate based on what you have and find. (A giant 105 ounce can is perfect for two batches! Just rinse and freeze the second portion).
Will provide 6 larger servings or 8 standard servings.
Use any cuts of chicken as desired, but use bone in and skin on for maximum flavor.
Like most soups, this tastes even better the next day!