Slow Cooker Chicken Posole
This slow cooker chicken posole simmers tender chicken, hominy, and green chiles into a deeply savory Mexican soup that practically cooks itself.
A Bowl of Comfort, Straight From Your Slow Cooker
There is something deeply comforting about a big pot of posole simmering away, filling the kitchen with the smell of roasted chiles, garlic, and slow cooked chicken. This slow cooker chicken posole takes that classic Mexican comfort food and makes it almost effortless. Instead of babysitting a pot on the stove, you let your crockpot do the heavy lifting while you go about your day.
This is a green posole, or posole verde, built on a bright, tangy base of tomatillos and poblano peppers instead of the deep red chile sauce you might be used to. The result is a soup that is savory, a little tart, and layered with just enough heat to keep things interesting.
Before we get cooking, the right tools and ingredients make a real difference here. A good blender is essential for a silky, well blended green sauce, and a reliable slow cooker with a solid low and high setting will make sure your chicken turns out perfectly tender every time. These are the products that genuinely help this recipe shine:
What Makes This Chicken Posole Recipe Special
Most pozole recipes call for a long simmer on the stovetop, which is delicious but not always practical on a weeknight. This crockpot posole solves that problem completely. You blend a handful of fresh ingredients into a vibrant green sauce, pour it over chicken and hominy, and let the slow cooker handle the rest.
The hominy is a non negotiable here. These chewy, corn based kernels are what make posole posole, giving the soup its signature texture and slightly nutty flavor. Canned hominy works wonderfully and saves you the trouble of soaking dried corn overnight.
Chef's Tip: Don't skip roasting or at least softening the poblanos and tomatillos slightly if you have extra time. A quick char under the broiler before blending deepens the flavor of your green posole recipe chicken crock pot style, though it is completely optional if you're short on time.
Tips for the Best Slow Cooker Posole Verde
A few small details go a long way in this recipe:
- Use bone-in thighs for extra flavor, then remove the bones before shredding, if you want an even richer broth.
- Don't over blend the sauce. A quick blend until smooth is all you need. Over processing can make the sauce slightly bitter from the poblano skins.
- Adjust the heat level by controlling how much jalapeno seed you include. Leave them in for a spicier chicken pozole recipe crockpot version, or remove them entirely for a milder soup.
- Salt at the end. Chicken broth varies in sodium, so it is always best to season your posole once everything has finished cooking.
Ready to make it? Here is the full step by step recipe for this crockpot chicken posole:
Slow Cooker Chicken Posole
This slow cooker chicken posole simmers tender chicken, hominy, and green chiles into a deeply savory Mexican soup that practically cooks itself.
Ingredients
- 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
- 2 cans (15 oz each) white hominy, drained and rinsed
- 1 lb tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and quartered
- 2 poblano peppers, stemmed, seeded, and roughly chopped
- 1 jalapeno, seeded for less heat, or leave seeds in for more
- 1 medium white onion, roughly chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 4 cups chicken broth, low sodium preferred
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano, Mexican oregano preferred
- 1 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
- 2 lime, cut into wedges, for serving
- 1 cup shredded cabbage, for garnish, optional
- 4 radishes, thinly sliced, for garnish, optional
Instruction
Place the chicken thighs, hominy, and chopped onion into the bottom of a slow cooker.
In a blender, combine the tomatillos, poblano peppers, jalapeno, garlic, cilantro, cumin, oregano, and 1 cup of the chicken broth. Blend until smooth to create the green posole base.
Pour the blended green sauce over the chicken in the slow cooker, then add the remaining chicken broth and salt. Stir gently to combine.
Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, or on high for 3 to 4 hours, until the chicken is fork tender.
Remove the chicken thighs, shred them with two forks, then return the shredded meat to the slow cooker and stir well.
Taste the posole and adjust salt or lime juice as needed.
Ladle into bowls and top with shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, extra cilantro, and a squeeze of fresh lime before serving.
Equipment
- 6-quart slow cooker
- Blender
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Two forks for shredding
Notes
Serving and Storing Your Posole
Posole is traditionally served with a generous pile of toppings, and that is really where this dish comes alive. Set out shredded cabbage, thinly sliced radishes, chopped onion, extra cilantro, and plenty of lime wedges so everyone can build their bowl exactly how they like it. A warm stack of corn tortillas or tortilla chips on the side rounds out the meal perfectly.
This slow cooker chicken posole also freezes remarkably well. Let it cool completely, then store the broth and shredded chicken in freezer safe containers for up to three months. Add fresh garnishes only after reheating so they stay crisp and vibrant.
Whether you are making this for a cozy Sunday dinner or prepping a big batch for the week ahead, this green posole recipe chicken crock pot method proves that big, bold flavor does not have to mean hours of hands on cooking.
