Chicken pozole rojo
Red chicken pozole with hominy in a rich broth made from dried guajillo and ancho chiles, topped with crunchy cabbage, radish, lime and oregano.
33% of it needs you at the counter
- Hands-on
- 20 min
- Cooking
- 40 min
- Serves
- 6
- Calories
- 315
- Protein
- 35 g
- Per serving
- $2.73
Why this recipe works
Pozole is a Mexican celebration soup of hominy simmered in a chile broth, served with a spread of fresh toppings so everyone builds their own bowl. Pork is traditional; this chicken version, pozole rojo de pollo, is lighter and quicker.
- Toasting the dried chiles for a few seconds before soaking brings out their fruity, smoky flavor; burning them turns the broth bitter, so watch them closely.
- Blending the soaked chiles with onion and garlic and straining the purée gives a smooth, brick-red broth with no tough bits of skin.
- Boneless chicken thighs simmer tender in 25 minutes and stay juicy when shredded, making pozole a weeknight soup instead of an all-day project.
Ingredients
To serve
You will need
- Large Dutch oven or soup pot
- Blender
- Fine-mesh sieve
- Small skillet
Method
Tap a step number to mark it done.
Toast and soak the chiles
Toast the chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for 10 to 15 seconds per side, until fragrant and pliable. Cover with 2 cups of hot water and soak for 15 minutes, until soft.
Blend the sauce
Blend the chiles with 1 cup of their soaking water, the roughly chopped onion, garlic, oregano and cumin until completely smooth. Pour it through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing with a spoon.
Fry the sauce
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chile purée (it will splatter) and cook, stirring, until it darkens slightly and thickens, about 5 minutes.
Simmer
Add the chicken thighs, broth, hominy and salt. Bring to a boil, then cover partly and simmer gently for 25 minutes, until the chicken is tender and 175°F or higher.
Shred and serve
Lift out the chicken, shred it with two forks and return it to the pot. Taste for salt. Ladle into bowls and let everyone add cabbage, radishes, onion, oregano and a squeeze of lime, with tostadas on the side.
Techniques in this recipe
- Chicken and turkey165°F / 74°C
Source: USDA safe minimum internal temperatures. Measure the thickest part, away from bone. Is it done? Safe temperatures
The internal temperatures that tell you chicken, pork, beef, fish and ground meat are cooked safely, and when to pull them early for juicier results.
Read the full guide1. Halve through the root 2. Slice toward the root 3. Cut across Dice an onion
Halve through the root, slice toward it without cutting through, then cut across. The root holds it together, so the pieces come out even.
Read the full guideRolling boil: too hard for most sauces Simmer: small, gentle bubbles Simmer, don't boil
A boil has big, rolling bubbles; a simmer has small bubbles that break gently. Most sauces, soups and stews want a simmer.
Read the full guide
Cook's notes
- Dried chiles burn in seconds. Pull them as soon as they smell toasty; blackened chiles make the whole pot bitter.
- Remove the chile seeds and veins for a mild pozole, or leave a few in for more heat.
- Pozole tastes even better the next day and freezes well for up to 3 months without the toppings.
Nutrition per serving
315 calories
$2.73 estimated cost per serving
Where the calories come from
| Protein | 45% of calories | 35 g |
|---|---|---|
| Carbs | 27% of calories | 21 g |
| Fat | 29% of calories | 10 g |
| Fiber | 5 g | |
| Sodium | 1220 mg |
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients and amounts; not lab-tested. Cost estimated from average US retail prices.
Questions people ask
What is hominy?
Hominy is dried corn treated with an alkaline solution (nixtamalized), which makes the kernels puff up and gives them a soft, chewy texture. Canned white hominy is sold near the canned beans.
Is chicken pozole gluten-free?
Yes. Hominy, dried chiles and chicken are naturally gluten-free. Check the broth label, and serve with corn tostadas.
Can I make pozole with pork instead?
Yes. Use 2½ pounds of pork shoulder in 2-inch chunks and simmer covered for 1½ to 2 hours, until fork-tender, before adding the hominy for the last 20 minutes.
