Slow Cooker Chicken Posole

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.

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 & Substitutions

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.

Slow Cooker Chicken Posole: FAQs

Other recipes you may enjoy

• Mexican Pot Roast with Borracho Beans
• Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Chicken
• Instant Pot Mexican Queso
• Mexican Chicken & Corn Chowder
• Easy Slow Cooker Pork Chops

4.62 from 50 votes

Servings: 6 servings

Slow Cooker Chicken Posole

By Jamie Sherman

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.

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 8 hours hrs

Total: 8 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

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Equipment

• ladle
• rubber spatula or wooden spoon
• Lock N’ Lift Manual Handheld Can Opener with Locking Mechanism
• cutting board
• knife
• Crockpot 8 Quart Slow Cooker with Auto Warm Setting and Cookbook, Black Stainless Steel
• slow cooker liners

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 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)

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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

Calories: 242kcal, Carbohydrates: 23g, Protein: 28g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 73mg, Sodium: 892mg, Potassium: 736mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 3903IU, Vitamin C: 12mg, Calcium: 56mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Originally published on September 1, 2012. Updated on August 14, 2022.