Red Chicken Pozole
This Pozole Rojo de Pollo Recipe is the coziest bowl to warm up to on cold fall and winter nights. Made with tender chicken, hominy, guajillo chiles, and dried ancho chile peppers. This pozole is mildly spicy, rich, full of wonderful color, and so delicious. Top each bowl of soup with plenty of thinly sliced cabbage, fresh cilantro, lots of minced onions, and crispy radishes! Great on its own, but even better with a side of homemade tortillas. Yum!
prep time
30 minutes
cook time
1 hour / 0 mins
Ingredients
For the chicken and broth:
4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
1 large white onion, sliced
6 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons kosher salt
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano (or Mediterranean oregano)
For the soup:
2 (25-ounce) cans white hominy, drained and rinsed
4 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
4 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
1 large white onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 whole cloves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
To garnish:
Thinly sliced radishes
Minced white onion
Lime wedges
Thinly sliced green cabbage
Dried Mexican oregano
Chopped cilantro
Cubed avocado
Warm corn tortillas
4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
1 large white onion, sliced
6 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons kosher salt
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano (or Mediterranean oregano)
For the soup:
2 (25-ounce) cans white hominy, drained and rinsed
4 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
4 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
1 large white onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 whole cloves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
To garnish:
Thinly sliced radishes
Minced white onion
Lime wedges
Thinly sliced green cabbage
Dried Mexican oregano
Chopped cilantro
Cubed avocado
Warm corn tortillas
Directions
Cook the chicken. Combine chicken, sliced onion, 6 garlic cloves, salt, bay leaves and oregano in a large soup pot. Cover with water by 2-inches and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Simmer until tender. Skim off any foam, lower the heat to a simmer, and cover. Cook until chicken is very tender, about an hour.
Blanch the hominy. Fill a 6-quart pot halfway with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling add the hominy and let the water return to a boil. Drain and rinse once more with cold water. Set aside.
Toast and soak chiles. Meanwhile, place chiles in a dry cast iron frying pan or comal and toast on all sides over medium heat until darker in color and fragrant. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Transfer toasted chiles to the boiling water. Remove from heat and let soak until soft, about 30 minutes.
Make sauce. Drain chiles (saving the water) and place in a blender. Add chopped onion, garlic, cumin, cloves, and salt, and about 1/2 cup of the chile soaking liquid. Blend on high until smooth (you may need to add more soaking liquid to get the blender moving). Set aside while you shred the chicken.
Shred the chicken. Once chicken is tender and easily pulls away with a fork, remove it from the broth to a large plate or baking sheet and set aside to cool. Once chicken is cool enough to handle, shred into bite-sized pieces, removing any skin or fat or bone.
Strain broth. Set a strainer over a large bowl or pot big enough to hold the broth. Strain broth into the bowl, discard the solids and wash out the pot you cooked the chicken in.
Fry the sauce. Heat the oil in the pot you used to cook the chicken in over medium-high heat. Carefully pour the chile sauce into the hot oil (it will splatter) and lower heat to medium-low. Stir until sauce is fragrant and fried, about 5-15 minutes.
Finish soup. Return shredded chicken to the pot with the sauce. Add broth and hominy and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 30-45 minutes to meld the flavors. Taste and add more salt if needed.
Serve. Ladle into big bowls and serve with as many of the garnishes as you'd like and warm corn tortillas for dipping.
Notes:
Make-ahead and Freezing: Pozole can be made up to 5 days in advance. Let cool completely then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate. It can also be frozen for up to 6 months. Let thaw overnight in the fridge then warm on the stove or in the microwave.
Hominy: Blanching the hominy is an optional step but I think it gets rid of that funky flavor that it sometimes has from the can.
Crock-Pot Pozole Instructions: To make slow cooker pozole, follow step 4 and 5 to make the chili mixture in a blender or food processor. Add the chili paste, chicken, hominy and 8 cups store bought chicken broth to a large slow cooker. Cover and cook for either 6-8 hours on low, or 4-5 hours on high, until the chicken shreds easily with a fork. Remove the chicken and shred. Return to the slow cooker and serve with the garnishes.
Instant Pot Pozole Instructions: To make pressure cooker pozole, follow step 4 and 5 to make the chili mixture in a blender or food processor. Add the chili paste, chicken, hominy and 8 cups store bought chicken broth to an Instant Pot. Cover and pressure cook on high for 30 minutes, followed by a quick release. Then remove the chicken and shred. Return to the slow cooker and serve with the garnishes.
Simmer until tender. Skim off any foam, lower the heat to a simmer, and cover. Cook until chicken is very tender, about an hour.
Blanch the hominy. Fill a 6-quart pot halfway with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling add the hominy and let the water return to a boil. Drain and rinse once more with cold water. Set aside.
Toast and soak chiles. Meanwhile, place chiles in a dry cast iron frying pan or comal and toast on all sides over medium heat until darker in color and fragrant. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Transfer toasted chiles to the boiling water. Remove from heat and let soak until soft, about 30 minutes.
Make sauce. Drain chiles (saving the water) and place in a blender. Add chopped onion, garlic, cumin, cloves, and salt, and about 1/2 cup of the chile soaking liquid. Blend on high until smooth (you may need to add more soaking liquid to get the blender moving). Set aside while you shred the chicken.
Shred the chicken. Once chicken is tender and easily pulls away with a fork, remove it from the broth to a large plate or baking sheet and set aside to cool. Once chicken is cool enough to handle, shred into bite-sized pieces, removing any skin or fat or bone.
Strain broth. Set a strainer over a large bowl or pot big enough to hold the broth. Strain broth into the bowl, discard the solids and wash out the pot you cooked the chicken in.
Fry the sauce. Heat the oil in the pot you used to cook the chicken in over medium-high heat. Carefully pour the chile sauce into the hot oil (it will splatter) and lower heat to medium-low. Stir until sauce is fragrant and fried, about 5-15 minutes.
Finish soup. Return shredded chicken to the pot with the sauce. Add broth and hominy and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 30-45 minutes to meld the flavors. Taste and add more salt if needed.
Serve. Ladle into big bowls and serve with as many of the garnishes as you'd like and warm corn tortillas for dipping.
Notes:
Make-ahead and Freezing: Pozole can be made up to 5 days in advance. Let cool completely then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate. It can also be frozen for up to 6 months. Let thaw overnight in the fridge then warm on the stove or in the microwave.
Hominy: Blanching the hominy is an optional step but I think it gets rid of that funky flavor that it sometimes has from the can.
Crock-Pot Pozole Instructions: To make slow cooker pozole, follow step 4 and 5 to make the chili mixture in a blender or food processor. Add the chili paste, chicken, hominy and 8 cups store bought chicken broth to a large slow cooker. Cover and cook for either 6-8 hours on low, or 4-5 hours on high, until the chicken shreds easily with a fork. Remove the chicken and shred. Return to the slow cooker and serve with the garnishes.
Instant Pot Pozole Instructions: To make pressure cooker pozole, follow step 4 and 5 to make the chili mixture in a blender or food processor. Add the chili paste, chicken, hominy and 8 cups store bought chicken broth to an Instant Pot. Cover and pressure cook on high for 30 minutes, followed by a quick release. Then remove the chicken and shred. Return to the slow cooker and serve with the garnishes.
