A classic Mexican stew dating back hundreds of years, this Slow Cooker Chicken Posole is big on flavor! It’s the very definition of hearty, with protein-rich chicken and plenty of tasty veggies to boot.
Table of contents
Slow Cooker Chicken Posole
Soup is one of my favorite things, ever. We eat it year-round – even when it’s hotter than you know what outside!
As you can imagine, I have tons and tons of soup recipes, so though I’ve had this particular Slow Cooker Chicken Posole recipe for years, I don’t know where it originally came from!
And, aside from chili, this chicken posole is my absolute favorite soup! I wish I could thank whoever showed me how to make it or whoever originally wrote the recipe.
I especially love this Slow Cooker Posole because I can throw it all in the crockpot and let it do its thing. It smells ah-mazing, tastes even better, and there is little “work” involved!
But what IS chicken posole? Traditionally, it is made with pork but for this recipe we use chicken. Posole (or sometimes spelled pozole) is a traditional Mexican celebratory dish that’s been enjoyed for centuries, predating not just the Mayflower but even Columbus himself! No wonder it’s been around so long, it’s a fantastic combo of chicken, hominy, veggies, and spice.
Posole is more on the slightly unusual, lesser-known side of Mexican cuisine … but it’s still amazing and completely family friendly! It’s so good, y’all! Enjoy!!
Slow Cooker Chicken Posole: Ingredients & Equipment
For this Slow Cooker Chicken Posole recipe, you will need …
Ingredients
- yellow or white hominy – drained. Hominy comes from maize, and it’s basically the maize kernels treated with alkali. (This is an ancient process called “nixtamalization” and the science is actually SUPER fascinating. Hominy must go through this traditional process or else it’s not as healthy for you.) For those who haven’t had hominy before, it’s super filling and tastes a lot like corn! You can find it at the grocery store from brands like Goya.
- Mexican-style diced tomatoes, carrots, onions – the tasty veggies in this recipe, chopped and diced!
- mild green enchilada sauce – this sauce provides the kick to the posole. If you like super spicy dishes, though, you can go up a level from mild.
- cloves, cumin – your posole spices.
- boneless, skinless chicken breasts – you can also choose to use bone-in chicken parts, like thighs. Adding or keeping the bone in adds flavor! Just remember to take out the skin before the cooking and pull out the bones before serving.
- cilantro and lime wedges – optional toppings/garnishes for your posole.
Equipment
- slow cooker – I use a 4 quart one for this recipe, so anything bigger than that will suffice.
Slow Cooker Chicken Posole: FAQs
Between 4 and 6, depending on serving sizes.
This recipe requires 20 minutes of prep, and 8 hours to cook. BUT, as with all slow cooker recipes, remember those 8 hours are entirely hands-off. It may not be quick, but it’s great if you don’t have the time to stand over a stove!
You can! Just let it cool down to room temperature first, then place it in a firm container. I actually don’t advise using freezer bags, as they might not be sturdy enough to hold the soup. Instead choose something like a Tupperware bowl or a freezer-friendly ceramic container. After that, it’ll last a good while, like, 3 months or so – a good while! Dinner prep has never been so easy.
Other recipes you may enjoy
Slow Cooker Chicken Posole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 can yellow or white hominy, drained 15 oz.
- 1 can Mexican-style diced tomatoes 14.5 oz
- 1 can mild green enchilada sauce 10 oz.
- 2 medium carrots diced
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast halves about 3-4
- chopped cilantro for serving (optional)
- lime wedges for serving (optional)
- tortilla chips for serving (optional)
Instructions
- In a 4-quart or larger slow cooker, combine the hominy, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, carrots, onions, garlic, and cumin.
- Add the uncooked chicken and stir to combine. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.
- Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred. Stir chicken back into the slow cooker.
- Serve posole in bowls. Top with cilantro, if using. Serve with lime wedges and tortilla chips.
Notes
- Pork can be used in place of the chicken if desired.
- If you buy chicken with skin and bones, that's ok! Just be sure to remove the skin and bones before serving.
- Change things up! Red enchilada sauce can be used in place of the green enchilada sauce.
Nutrition
Please note that the nutritional information listed on this page is an estimation based on the products I used. Ingredients and nutritional information can vary significantly between brands. Always be sure to read labels. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Likewise, recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them.
Originally published on September 1, 2012. Updated on August 14, 2022.
Yum! I love soup in the fall & winter months!
This soup sounds delish, Jamie! Thanks so much for linking it up to Marvelous Mondays! 🙂
I love love love posole!! I can't wait to try this recipe and it is a slow cooker recipe to boot? AWESOME!! Thank you for sharing on Manic Monday!
Perfect for fall! If our temperatures ever start dropping here in South Florida : )
Thanks for sharing at Mealtime Monday!
Kaylee
http://www.couponingncooking.com
Soup is good ANYTIMEof the year,as long as you have some good bread to go with it.
I'm with you, I love soup and could eat it all the time. I also love latin dishes, this sounds and looks for yummy! The temps are perfect to start thinking about soup again, we had some last week since it cooled off. I'll be trying this one too! Thanks for sharing your creative inspiration with Sunday’s Best – you helped make the party a success!
So I couldn't help it–I read about the rituals surrounding this soup. I'll take chicken, thanks!
My dad loves hominy. I think he would like this soup. Will have to make it for him when he comes to visit. Thank you for sharing with See Ya In the Gumbo.
This sounds great! I love soups like this. Thanks so much for sharing at Must Try Monday.
This contains all of of my favorite ingredients I will have to give this a try 🙂 thanks for sharing!
Great posole recipe. I have a link party on Wednesdays, and I would love it if you would link this and any other posts. It is called Wednesdays Adorned From Above Link Party. It runs from Wednesday to Sundays.
http://www.adornedfromabove.com/2012/09/simple-anti-aging-moisturizer-and.html
I hope to see you there. I am your newest follower, and I would love for your to follow me also. Have a great Day.
Debi Bolocofsky
Adorned From Above
http://www.adornedfromabove.com
This will be perfect for a chilly evening. And I love hominy! I am pinning this one for sure. Thank you for sharing at Foodie Friends Friday. Don't forget to come back on Sunday to vote for your three favorites.
Yum this looks so good. I'll definitely be pinning it. I am a follower of your blog on Facebook and would love if you could pop over to my new blog http://sarahsaturdiy.blogspot.com/ and share the blog love!
What an excellent stew to come home to… thanks for sharing it on foodie friday.
Love this looks so good! You are featured at Heavenly Treats Sunday, make sure to come over tomorrow and get your button!
Jamie, it is sure that time of the year when we start to really enjoy those great stews in our slow cookers. I love your recipe! Hope you are having a fabulous weekend and thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
Looks yummy! Pinned for future reference 🙂
This looks wonderful! Hope your weekend is going well. Thanks for sharing such a great dish on Southern Sundays! Come back soon.
Hi Jamie! I will be featuring this soup on my blog today! Thanks for sharing on Marvelous Mondays. 🙂
Julie
This looks so good. I am trying to embrace the idea of fall and delish soups like this help. Thanks so much for sharing on Tout It Tuesday. Hope to see you this week!
Thank you so much for linking up last week at Recipe Sharing Monday. The new link party is now up and I'd love it if you joined us again. Have a great week!
Ohhhhhhhhh my gosh that looks so good! And I love slow cooker recipes, I'm so pinning this!
What a warm delicious dish!! Thanks so much for linking up to Tasty Thursdays on The Mandatory Mooch!! I hope you will link up again. The party will be live tonight. http://www.mandatorymooch.blogspot.com
Thanks, Nichi
Yum, Always looking for new crock pot recipes. I can’t wait to try the recipe. Thanks so much for linking up last week to Creative Thursday. Can’t wait to see what you have for this week’s party! Have a great week.
Michelle
Hey Jamie,
This looks so good. I love posole. I have never made it with chicken before. I am going to have to try this. Thank you so much for sharing with Wednesdays Adorned From Above Link Party last week. This weeks Link Party is opened at
http://www.adornedfromabove.com/2012/09/reeses-smore-brownies-and-wednesdays.html
from Wednesday until Sunday.
Hope to see you there.
Debi Bolocofsky
Adorned From Above
http://www.adornedfromabove.com
Thanks so much for joining in with this week's Say G'day Linky Party! This looks amazing. I have just pinned this yummy recipe!
Hope to see you again this Saturday.
Best wishes,
Natasha in Oz
This sounds so good!! Again another recipe I can't wait to try once it's cooler!! Pinning 🙂
Thanks for sharing this at Mom's Test Meal Mondays!
No other liquid? No chicken broth?
Nope! No water or chicken broth needed.
This looks great!
Thanks for joining us at Saturday Dishes, Pinned to Saturday Dishes board ~ Paula
Thanks for linking to Saturday Dishes. I have featured you today and hope that you'll return with a great mother's day dish, for the link up. -Savannah @ HammockTracks
Hi, Jamie! I've never made posole, but I think I need to give it a shot. This looks delicious, and I love that it's done in the slow cooker! Your photos are beautiful, as always. 🙂 Pinned and tweeted!
Looks delicious! I have a feeling my family will like this one a lot! Pinning!
This looks delicious, Jamie. Slow cooker meals are the best! We eat soup when it is hot outside, too, but thankfully our temps are coming down so it can officially be soup season! 🙂
It looks amazing! And I love using my slow cooker for meals. Thanks for sharing with Foodie Friends Friday. Hope to see you again next week!
This soup looks delicious, and perfect for this transition from summer to fall!
I love this soup combo and I promised myself I'd start using my crock more often. Pinned to our board and personally as well. I've personally followed and liked you too. Thanks for sharing at #theWeekendSocial. I hope to see you again Thrusday 9:00 PM EST. http://www.theKitchenChopper.com
YUM O YUM! Soup is such great comfort food. Thanks so very much for sharing with us at Weekend Potluck!!
I made my first posole this summer. You are so right, it is great any time of year. Terrific recipe. Pinned.
You're Posole looks DELICIOUS, Jamie!! I'm so inspired to make some this weekend. YUM! #pinned Thank you for sharing at #FoodieFridays! Stop by tonigh to see if you were featured.
I tried this today and it was sooo good. I'm so glad I saw it on Pinterest!
Are supposed to drain the hominy? Because the recipe seems a little short on liquid to be a soup
Yes, drain the hominy! I assure you, there will be plenty of liquid! 🙂
This recipe looks amazing. I will indeed make it, but first I have to get over the history lesson shared. Uugghh! We really didn't need to know that bit of information. I am from New Mexico and we would use red chile in place of the "enchilada sauce" or even green chile. Delicious! Which ever you choose I am sure it's gonna wonderful. Thanks for sharing.
One of my favorite meal! I add some avocado when I serve it. It's perfect! Thank you so much!
Made this for dinner last night. It was easy and delicious. Everyone just loved it! Thanks for sharing this recipe.
These look great, but I think my favourite is the ELEPHANT STEW HE HE
If you want to talk about tradition, the traditional chilies used for Posole is chili Ancho. Enchilada sauce does have a very distinctive flavor, but is not made from those. If you want to be authentic & correct, you NEVER use enchilada sauce in soups (unless you prefer enchilada soup). It's a lot of work to make the red sauce from scratch (using the proper peppers, ingredients, and a blender), but it's worth it. Otherwise you can buy frozen red chili sauce found in the frozen section of your grocery store. It's much easier, and it will do the soup much more justice. Thank you for posting the recipe. P.S. I do like the addition of the tomatoes. Not traditional, but a good touch.
I made this and it was really good in my opinion, but my husband didn't like it because you don't use enchilada sauce to make Posole….he is mexican and so I told him make it yourself next time and of cours that won't happen….
Is there a reason for the green enchilada sauce? I don’t care for the green. Can I use red enchilada sauce instead?
You can replace it with the red enchilada sauce! The flavor will vary slightly, though.