Description
This Red Chicken Pozole Soup is a traditional Mexican stew featuring tender shredded chicken simmered in a rich, smoky red chile broth with hominy. Garnished with fresh cabbage, radishes, avocado, lime, cilantro, and crunchy tortilla chips, this hearty soup offers vibrant flavors and comforting warmth, perfect for gatherings or a nourishing meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken thighs (bone-in, skin removed)
- 1 large onion, quartered
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons salt (divided)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 3 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 6 cups chicken stock (plus more for thinning if needed)
- 1 large can (25 oz) white hominy, drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 lime, juiced
Garnishes
- Shredded cabbage
- Diced radishes
- Diced avocado
- Lime wedges
- Chopped cilantro
- Tortilla chips
Instructions
- Cook the Chicken: In a large pot, combine the chicken thighs, quartered onion, peeled garlic cloves, bay leaves, 1 teaspoon salt, and black pepper. Cover the ingredients with water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 25 to 30 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked. Remove the chicken from the pot and allow it to cool, then shred it using two forks. Strain the broth and set it aside.
- Toast the Chiles: Heat a dry skillet over medium heat and toast the guajillo and ancho chiles for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant, taking care not to burn them. Remove from heat and soak the toasted chiles in hot water for 15 minutes to soften.
- Prepare Chile Sauce: Transfer the softened chiles to a blender. Add 1 cup of the reserved chicken stock, cumin, oregano, and lime juice. Blend until smooth. To ensure a silky texture, strain the chile sauce through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl or pot.
- Cook the Pozole Base: Heat olive oil in the large pot over medium heat. Add the strained chile sauce and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to enhance the flavors. Pour in the reserved chicken broth, the remaining chicken stock, and the drained hominy. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Combine and Simmer: Add the shredded chicken back into the pot and simmer the pozole for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld. Taste and adjust seasoning by adding the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt or more as needed.
- Serve and Garnish: Ladle the hot pozole into bowls and serve with an array of garnishes such as shredded cabbage, diced radishes, diced avocado, lime wedges, chopped cilantro, and crunchy tortilla chips for added texture and flavor.
Notes
- For a spicier pozole, add a few dried arbol chiles or a pinch of cayenne when blending the chile sauce.
- Removing the skin from chicken thighs reduces fat and keeps the broth clear.
- Leftover pozole tastes even better the next day as flavors deepen.
- You can substitute chicken thighs with pork shoulder for a traditional pork pozole variant.
- Adjust the thickness of the soup by adding more chicken stock or water if it becomes too thick during simmering.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
