Step 1: Sauté the aromatics

Start by heating the olive oil in your pot over medium-high heat. Toss in the onions, jalapeños, and poblanos, and sauté for about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. You’re looking for the onions to turn translucent and the peppers to soften up. Next, add the garlic and tomatillos, cooking for another 4-5 minutes until the tomatillos soften and the whole mixture smells amazing. Don’t rush this step—the sautéing builds the base flavor.

Step 2: Blend it all up

Transfer the sautéed mixture to a blender, and pour in about a cup of the chicken broth. Add the cilantro and blend until smooth. You can add a little more broth if things aren’t blending easily, but try to keep it thick for now—you’ll thin it out later.

Step 3: Bring it all together

Pour the green sauce back into your pot, then add the rest of the chicken broth, oregano, cumin, coriander, bay leaf, and salt. Stir it all together until well-combined. Add the chicken pieces and bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Once it starts bubbling, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot partially, and let it simmer for about 30 minutes. This is when the flavors really start to come together.

Step 4: Shred the chicken

After 30 minutes, use tongs to pull the chicken out and transfer it to a plate. Grab two forks and start shredding—this part is super satisfying! Once shredded, return the chicken to the pot along with the hominy. Stir everything together, and let it cook for another 10 minutes to let the hominy absorb some of that delicious broth.

Step 5: Season and finish

Give the pozole a taste and see if it needs a bit more salt, pepper, or a pinch of chicken bouillon if you want extra depth. Let it simmer for another 5 minutes, then remove the bay leaf. And just like that, your chicken pozole verde is ready to serve!