Instant Pot Chicken Posole
A cross between a soup and a stew, posole is a classic slow-cooked Mexican dish that combines hominy (alkali-treated dried corn) and chicken or pork. In this simplified but equally delicious version, using an Instant Pot, as well as canned hominy, significantly speeds up the cooking time.
Ingredients
- 2 lb. (1 kg) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 jalapeño chile, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 can (25 oz./780 g) hominy, drained and rinsed
- 4 cups (32 fl. oz./1 l) chicken broth
- 6 tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed and coarsely chopped
- Juice of 1 lime
- Fresh cilantro leaves for garnish
- Avocado slices for garnish
- Lime wedges for garnish
Directions
Season the chicken breasts generously on both sides with salt and pepper. In an Instant Pot set to “sauté,” warm the olive oil. In batches, sear the chicken, turning once, until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
Add the onion to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, chile, oregano, cumin, 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the hominy, chicken broth and tomatillos to the pot and stir to combine. Return the chicken to the pot.
Cover the pot with the lid, lock the lid into place and turn the valve to “sealing.” Set the Instant Pot to cook at high pressure for 20 minutes.
When the pressure cooking is complete, turn the valve to “venting” to manually release the steam. When the steam stops, carefully remove the lid and transfer the chicken to a large bowl. Use 2 forks to shred the chicken into bite-size pieces. Return the chicken to the pot, add the lime juice and stir to mix. Season with salt and pepper.
To serve, ladle the soup into individual bowls. Garnish with the cilantro, avocado and lime wedges, and serve immediately. Serves 6.
Adapted from Williams Sonoma The Instant Pot Cookbook (Weldon Owen, 2017)