Description
Chicken Pozole is a classic Mexican soup featuring tender shredded chicken simmered in a smoky red-chile broth with hearty hominy. Each bowl is customizable with fresh, vibrant garnishes like radishes, cabbage, and avocado, making it a nourishing, festive meal perfect for gatherings or cozy nights in.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Soup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed
- 2 carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
- 1 whole roasting chicken (4 to 4½ lbs)
- 2 ribs celery, thickly sliced
- 1 bay leaf
- 50 oz canned white hominy, drained and rinsed
- Coarse salt and black pepper, to taste
Red Chile Sauce
- 2 dried ancho chiles, seeded
- 2 dried guajillo chiles, seeded
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 1½ tablespoons dried oregano
- 1 small bunch fresh cilantro (about ⅓ cup with stems)
- 1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar
For Garnishing (Optional)
- Sliced radishes
- Sliced avocado
- Shredded cabbage or lettuce
- Lime wedges
- Diced onion
- Tortilla chips or warm tortillas
Instructions
- Sauté Aromatics: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, smashed garlic, and sliced carrots, sautéing until deeply browned and fragrant, about 10–12 minutes. This builds a strong flavor base for the soup.
- Simmer Chicken and Broth: Add the whole chicken, celery, bay leaf, and enough water (about 1 gallon) to fully cover the chicken. Gently bring to a simmer, and cook for 75–80 minutes, or until the chicken is completely cooked through and tender.
- Strain and Prep Broth: Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside to cool. Strain the broth, discarding all of the solids, then return the clear broth to the pot over low heat. Add the drained hominy at this stage to gently warm it while other components are prepared.
- Prepare Chilies & Spices: Toast the cumin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, then grind finely. Next, toast the ancho and guajillo chiles in the same skillet for 1–2 minutes until pliable and aromatic. Transfer chilies to a bowl, cover with hot water, and soak for about 30 minutes until soft.
- Blend Chile Sauce: In a blender, combine the softened chiles (drained), 2 cups of the reserved chicken broth, the sautéed vegetables, ground cumin, dried oregano, fresh cilantro, vinegar, and a pinch of salt. Blend until the mixture forms a very smooth, thick chile sauce.
- Combine Soup: Pour the blended chile sauce into the pot with the hominy and broth, stirring well. Allow this to simmer together so flavors meld.
- Shred Chicken: Once the chicken is cool enough, shred the meat, discarding skin and bones. Add the shredded chicken back into the pot.
- Simmer & Finish: Simmer the entire soup together for 20–25 minutes, tasting and adjusting salt and pepper as needed to bring flavors into balance.
- Serve & Garnish: Ladle soup into bowls and let everyone customize their pozole with garnishes like sliced radishes, avocado, shredded cabbage or lettuce, lime wedges, diced onion, and tortilla chips or warm tortillas.
Notes
- Using a whole chicken imparts deeper flavor, but you can substitute bone-in chicken thighs if preferred.
- For a spicier broth, add an extra chile or try including a dried chipotle.
- Pozole is excellent for meal prep and tastes even better the next day as flavors develop.
- If you want a lighter broth, skim excess fat before adding the chile sauce.
- Garnishes are a must—they bring freshness and crunch to every bite.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Main-course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (about 2 cups)
- Calories: 360 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 850 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 31 g
- Cholesterol: 87 mg