We like toasting the canned hominy to concentrate and develop its flavor, but if that’s one step too many, it will still be awesome!
Recipe information
Yield
6–8 servings
Ingredients
¼
1
6
2
1
½
1
1½
4
3
2
2
2
½
Preparation
Step 1
Heat oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium. Cook yellow onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, until very tender, 12–15 minutes. Add coriander, cumin, and ½ tsp. oregano and cook, stirring constantly, until very fragrant, about 1 minute.
Step 2
Add chicken and 12 cups water. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered and reducing heat as needed to maintain a very gentle simmer, until chicken is cooked through (if it isn’t completely submerged, you can turn it once or twice) and legs wiggle easily in their joints, 40–50 minutes. At this point, you can let chicken and broth cool, then chill overnight.
Step 3
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425◦. Spread tomatillos, poblano chiles, serrano chiles, and peppers on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast, tossing once or twice, until tomatillos are tender and peppers are browned and collapsing, 30–40 minutes. Let cool.
Step 4
Transfer chicken to a cutting board, reserving broth, and let cool until easy to handle. Remove meat from bones and shred into bite-size pieces. Discard bones.
Step 5
Split open chiles and peppers and discard stems and seeds. Discard any skin that can be easily peeled off; otherwise, just leave it on. Reserve baking sheet. Purée tomatillos, chiles, and peppers in a blender until smooth. Stir purée into broth and bring to a simmer.
Step 6
Spread hominy in an even layer on reserved baking sheet and roast, tossing once, until lightly toasted, very fragrant, and just beginning to brown around edges of baking sheet, 12–18 minutes. Scrape into pot with broth.
Step 7
Simmer broth, uncovered and seasoning with salt and pepper as needed, until flavors meld and broth is rich tasting, about 20 minutes. Ladle ½ cup broth into blender. Add 2 cups cilantro and purée until smooth and very bright green, at least 1 minute. Stir chicken into broth and heat through, followed by cilantro purée. Season with salt, if needed.
Step 8
Divide posole among bowls. Top with red onion and cilantro and serve with lime wedges alongside.
Step 9
Do Ahead: Chicken can be cooked 3 days ahead; cool in broth, cover, and chill.
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Reviews (87)
Back to TopI made this tonight, and I was not impressed. It turned out very bland, and just blah. I followed the recipe and added salt at the end, a lot. I usually season with salt and pepper along with way with a recipe, but this didn't recommend seasoning until the end. I ended up adding cheese and tortilla chips to give it a little more flavor.
S. Cassalia
Houston, TX
1/15/2024
I am always surprised when Bon Appétit publishes (rarely of course) a recipe that falls a bit short of authentic. For me authenticity of your recipes is one of their finest qualities. In this instance, hominy is a cousin to posole but they are not the same. They are made from different types of corn. Hominy is primarily made from dent corn. Posole is traditionally made from flint corn. Posole and hominy are prepared in the same way--nixtamalzation--by soaking the dried corn in a bath of lime before cooking. The difference in finished product is remarkable. Traditional posole has more tooth than hominy and a distinctly different taste. I love hominy and other traditional Southern dishes but posole requires flint corn and is best when produced from heirloom varieties like Cacahuazintle. Traditional posole is widely available frozen in Mexican markets. You can buy dried posole online and cook like dried beans before use. You can also buy heirloom flint corn and nixtamalize it yourself. It adds a day of planning but only about half-an-hour is hands on. The results are worth it. I know that not everyone will care to use authentic posole or may not want to put in the effort. However, your usual approach is to put the information out there and let the reader choose the way to prepare the dish. While I prefer New Mexico posole I have made this recipe (with traditional posole) many times along with many other version including vegan mushroom posole. We use different chiles in NM but the overall result is quite similar. This dish is delicious as written but like most I tend to tailor a recipe to my my and my family's tastes.
Richard
Albuquerque, NM
1/13/2024
This soup changed my brain chemistry - it's all I think about since making it. I'm literally eating leftovers as I type this. As Rick says in the video it's "steppy" but in a totally satisfying way that makes you feel like you've put some solid love and attention into it. It's also a great excuse to go talk to like 5 different local merchants on your shopping trip and make a (very joyful) day out of it if you choose to go that route! Some little tips I have after making it a couple times - I go a little heavier on the spices, the second time I made it I doubled them and it turned out great. I also made a quick/lazier version when I was craving it on a worknight and subbed in rotisserie chicken, chicken stock and went sacrilegious mode and didn't toast the hominy (SORRY, RICK!) and it was just as delish. I serve it with: lime, corn chips, the red onions in a teeny dice, avocado, jalapeno, Cholula verde and mf'ing PORK RINDS. Truly a soup I dream about. One of the best things I've eaten to come out of my own kitchen! Just want to say hey to all my friends who are reading this after I told them 1000 times to make it! HI!
Anonymous
Toronto, ON
10/23/2023
This is one of our favorite comfort meals for a few years now, I get so excited for tomatillo season! It coincides with Cubanelle and sweet corn season here - I've wondered about adding corn to this recipe or if that would be too much with the hominy? We hand crumble some tortilla chips in for some texture. I get my dried hominy from Rancho Gordo, game changer. Double the recipe and freeze for later enjoyment, a perfect treat for busy nights! Or lunches...breakfasts...ohhhhh an egg on top?!? nom nom nom
Gidget
Jacksonville, FL
7/22/2023
Caroline in Ottowa (and others) - if you're still struggling to find fresh tomatillos, you can substitute Salsa Verde as it typically contains tomatillos. I've done this quite often, sometimes adding fresh tomatillos if available, sometimes not. We can even get Fire Roasted Salsa Verde which is even better.... Speeds up the process, and still tastes amazing!
Gary the Magnet Guy
Hot Springs Village, AR
11/30/2022
I'be made this several times -- definitely a go-to for a small group. One variation I've used is substituting slow-smokeded chicken for the uncooked bird and homemade stock for the water. The slight smoke flavor melds nicely with the rest, no doubt, with long summer. Great dish!
Todd Dills
Nashville TN
11/20/2022
I love it!❤️. It is simple to make and very pleasant change of pace.
Sandra Scruggs
El Paso, Texas
3/24/2022