Published March 20, 2025. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This Chicken Pozole recipe slowly simmers chicken and hominy in a smoky red chile broth and is served with fresh toppings. Simmering this traditional Mexican comfort food low and slow is the key to its deeply satisfying flavors.
My family and I seem to love nothing more in winter than stew packed with meat, vegetables, and a layered broth. Pozole Verde with pork is one of our favorites, but this red chicken pozole is quickly climbing up in the ranks. It’s a comforting, slightly spicy Mexican chicken soup that always warms us.
What is Chicken Pozole?
Pozole (also called posole) is a classic Mexican soup that originated in ancient Mexico. It’s made with different types of meat (usually chicken or pork) and a chile-based broth, although the ingredients and methods can vary from region to region.
Red chicken pozole, in particular, is made with chicken and a bold red chile broth. Dried red chiles (I made my version with ancho and guajillo chiles) are the star of the broth, adding moderate heat and some seriously smoky flavors. There’s also green chicken pozole, which uses tomatillos, green chiles, and cilantro for a fresh, tangy flavor.
Both red and green pozole recipes feature hominy, AKA dried corn. The corn is soaked in an alkaline solution that gives it a chewy texture and allows it to absorb all the rich pozole flavors. Regardless of your version, red and green pozole are a labor of love that offers an unforgettable flavor experience, especially when served with many fresh toppings.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Oil – I used olive oil to sauté the vegetables. Avocado or vegetable oil will work fine if you’re out of olive oil.
- Aromatics – I used yellow onion, garlic, carrots, and celery to build the broth’s deep and savory flavors.
- Chicken – I use a whole roasting chicken because the bones, skin, and meat contribute to a richer, more gelatinous soup stock. Bone-in, skin-on chicken legs work well too.
- Hominy – Canned white hominy is my go-to because it’s easy to find and use. Look for it in the Hispanic foods aisle of most grocery stores or at Latin markets.
- Chiles — Dried chiles are the key to pozole’s smoky, slightly sweet heat. I use ancho chiles (dried poblano peppers) for mild, earthy sweetness and guajillo chiles for a somewhat tangy, fruity heat. You can find these in the Hispanic section of most supermarkets, at Latin grocery stores, or online.
- Seasonings – A bay leaf adds a subtle herbal depth to the stock, while toasted and ground cumin seeds and dried oregano add flavor to the sauce.
- Cilantro – I use the leaves and stems since the stems pack just as much flavor.
- Vinegar — White vinegar’s slight acidity balances the dish’s richness and enhances all the flavors.
How to Make Chicken Pozole
Sauté: First, I sauté the onions, garlic, and carrots in a large 2-gallon pot until browned.
Simmer: I place the whole chicken in the pot along with the celery, bay leaf, and 1 gallon of water. I let it simmer over low to medium heat for about 80 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked and tender.
Toast the chiles: While the chicken is cooking, I toast the dried seeded chiles in a large heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Cover them with water and let them simmer for about 30 minutes until completely softened.
Toast the cumin: I also use this time to toast the cumin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until they’re fragrant. Then, I grind them using a mortar and pestle or spice grinder for a fresh, bold spice.
Strain: Once the chicken is done, I remove it from the pot and set it on a plate to cool. Then, I strain the broth into another large pot, setting aside the strained vegetables (minus the bay leaf). This gives me a clean, rich stock.
Add the hominy: With the strained stock back on the stove, I stir it in and keep it on low to medium heat while I prepare the chile sauce.
Blend: I blend the softened chiles (without their soaking liquid) with 2 cups of the strained stock, the strained sautéed vegetables, toasted cumin, oregano, vinegar, fresh cilantro, and salt until smooth. Then, I pour the sauce into the pot with the hominy and stock.
Shred: By now, the chicken should be cool enough to handle, so I remove the skin, pull the meat from the bones, and shred it with my hands. I stir it back into the pot and let everything simmer together for 20 to 25 minutes.
Finish. Finally, I season the stew with salt and freshly cracked pepper, then squeeze in lemon or lime juice. I serve the hot chicken pozole in bowls with my favorite toppings.
Chef Tips + Notes
No batch of chicken pozole should be rushed. To develop its layers of complex flavors, I highly recommend simmering the shredded chicken low and slow for around 25 minutes to extract its rich, savory flavors.
- Don’t skip toasting the dried chiles. This step is crucial for bringing out their smoky, earthy depth. Be careful not to burn them, as this can make the broth bitter.
- Adjust consistency if needed: If your pozole is too thick, add a splash of water or extra stock. If it’s too thin, let it simmer a little longer, uncovered.
- To make pozole rojo with pork instead, the best cut is pork shoulder. It has just the right amount of fat and connective tissue, which breaks down during cooking to create a rich, flavorful broth.
Serving Suggestions
No bowl of chicken pozole is complete without toppings. I love to load mine up with shredded cabbage (or lettuce), thinly sliced radishes, diced onion, avocado slices, and a squeeze of lime.
You can use sliced or pickled jalapeños, crumbled queso fresco or cotija cheese, or even a drizzle of avocado crema for some creaminess and tang. Most importantly, ensure you have tortilla chips or warm flour tortillas on the side for scooping.
As for sides, I usually do frijoles de la olla (pot beans) and arroz blanco (Mexican white rice) to round out this close-to-authentic Mexican meal.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: You can make the broth and chile sauce a day or two in advance and store them separately in the fridge.
How to Store: Transfer the cooled pozole to an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 5 days. It also freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw the leftovers overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
How to Reheat: Warm the leftovers on the stovetop over medium heat until hot, stirring occasionally.
More Mexican-inspired soups and stews
- Homemade Tortilla Soup Recipe
- Mexican Picadillo Recipe
- Carne en su Jugo (Meat in its Juices)
- Homemade Beef Birria Consomé Recipe
- Creamy White Chicken Chili Recipe
Chicken Pozole
Ingredients
For the Soup:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 peeled and roughly chopped large yellow onion
- 4 smashed garlic cloves
- 2 peeled and thickly sliced medium to large-sized carrots
- 1 4 to 4 1/2 pound roasting chicken
- 2 thickly sliced ribs of celery
- 1 bay leaf
- 50 ounces or 4 cups canned white hominy, drained and rinsed
- 2 seeded dried ancho chiles
- 2 seeded guajillo chiles
- 1 tablespoon of cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar
- 1 ½ tablespoons dry oregano
- 1 small bunch of fresh cilantro and stems, about 1/3 cup
- coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
For the Optional Toppings:
- sliced radishes
- peeled, seeded, and sliced avocado
- thinly sliced green cabbage or iceberg lettuce
- lime wedges
- small diced yellow onion
- tortilla chips
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a large 2-gallon pot and heat over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, and carrots, gently season with salt, and sauté for 10 to 12 minutes or until browned.
- Next, add the whole chicken, celery, bay leaf, and 1 gallon of water. Simmer over low to medium heat for 75 to 80 minutes or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked through.
- Carefully remove the chicken from the pot and set it to the side on a plate. Strain the stock into a separate large pot and put the strained vegetables, minus the bay leaf, to the side.
- Add the hominy to the pot with the strained stock and heat over low to medium heat.
- While the chicken is cooking, add the seeded chiles to a large cast-iron or carbon steel pan and cook them over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, pressing down on each chile for a few seconds at a time using a spoon or spatula.
- Cover them entirely in water and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes or until softened.
- In addition, optionally toast the cumin seeds in a medium-sized skillet over low to medium heat while constantly stirring until very fragrant, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Transfer the seeds to a mortar and pestle or spice grinder and grind until finely ground.
- Once the chicken is done cooking and strained, add the veggies to a blender with 2 cups of strained stock, softened chiles (not the liquid), cumin, oregano, vinegar, cilantro, and salt, and blend until smooth. Add it to the pot with the stock and hominy.
- At this point, the chicken should be cool to the touch. Remove the skin, pull the meat away from the bones, and shred it with your hands. Add it to the pot and cook for 20 to 25 minutes to marry the flavors.
- Finish with salt and an optional hint of half lemon or lime juice. Serve with optional toppings.
Chicken Pozole