Pozole (or posole, which is the older spelling) is a celebratory dish in Mexican cuisine, often served on New Year’s Eve to celebrate. While a soup may not seem like a fancy enough dish for a swanky celebration like New Year’s, just wait till you try this famously delicious dish.

Before you know it, I’d bet you’ll be making this pozole recipe for birthdays, anniversaries, even Christmas! With its bright color, spicy broth, and crunchy toppings, it is a meal fit for a king.

Chicken vs Pork Pozole

If you have made pozole rojo with pork in the past, you might remember it taking a long time. That’s part of why I love this chicken pozole recipe – making pozole rojo with chicken cuts down the cook time required to have a quick dinner on the table. I promise, it’s fast enough for even the busiest of weeknights!

I also use BUSH’S® White Hominy, which is another huge time saver. Many pozole recipes call for dried Hominy, which can increase the cook time to an all-day process. BUSH’S White Hominy is economical enough to use regularly and takes all of the guesswork out of cooking Hominy to perfection.

Per usual, BUSH’S White Hominy is flawlessly prepared and has an excellent flavor.

As a bonus, this chicken pozole recipe requires just five ingredients to make! While it’s certainly more delicious gussied up with toppings, you don’t need to add them to have a hearty and healthy dinner.

Finally, this dinner can be made even faster if you have a batch of this red chile sauce on hand. I’m telling you, that sauce is magical and is not just for enchiladas…Make yourself a big batch ASAP!

What is Hominy?

Hominy is corn kernels (also known as maize) that has been dried and then soaked in an alkaline solution.

If you are from the South, you might already be familiar with Hominy by another name – grits are actually Hominy that has been ground into small, sand sized pieces. Hominy can also be ground down even more finely to create a flour known as masa harina, which is used to make tamal dough, homemade corn tortillas, homemade sopes, and huaraches just to name a few.

While you can purchase whole Hominy in dried form, I highly suggest doing yourself a favor and keeping a few cans of BUSH’S White Hominy on hand for quick weeknight dinners. This red chicken pozole recipe calls for three cans of BUSH’S White Hominy so that you can get dinner on the table in record time.

How to make this easy soup

In a heavy bottomed 6-quart Dutch oven (or caldero) bring water to boil with chicken, onion, garlic, and salt, then lower heat to medium-low for 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.

Shred the chicken into small pieces.

In a large bowl filled with hot water add dried chiles until the chiles have softened about 10 to 15 minutes. Discard liquid.

In a blender combine cooked chicken broth with onions, garlic, and softened chiles with salt and blend. Reserve the remaining chicken broth.

Add the shredded chicken, blended sauce, and White Hominy to the caldero with reserved broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Spoon pozole into soup bowls and let your guests add the garnishes to suit their own taste. Enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions

Posole or Pozole?

Much like the pronunciation of the word tomato (toe-MAY-toe or toe-MAW-toe) controversy, whether you spell pozole with a “z” or an “s” seems regionally specific. However, you spell it, this soup is deeee-licious.

What type of chiles should I use to make this soup?

I used New Mexico chile, but feel free to replace with guajillo or ancho or a combination of both. Learn about chile variety options here: An Introduction to Mexican Chiles.

While it is meant to be a little spicy, you can easily adjust the heat to your liking by adding more or less chile.

What is the best way to serve pozole?

Pozole is best served with traditional toppings such as shredded cabbage, radish slices, diced onion, and dried Mexican oregano. I also recommend that you serve your pozole rojo with tostadas or tortilla chips for some added crunch.

Can I make chicken pozole ahead of time?

This pozole rojo tastes even better the following day. Like most soups or red chile dishes, the flavors of this pozole meld over time. Make the whole soup, refrigerate, and reheat the next evening for best flavor.

This chicken pozole recipe can be refrigerated for up to a week or frozen for up to six months.

If you’re a meal planner, you can also get ahead of schedule by making a big batch of this red chile sauce. Use it as a shortcut for this soup, as well as about a gazillion other recipes like Chile Colorado or Easy Chicken Enchiladas.

This chicken pozole recipe also happens to start with easy poached chicken breast, so feel free to make a double batch on your prep day. Use half to make this yummy soup, and the rest in crispy chicken tacos, easy chicken enchiladas, or chicken mole Just remember to save that broth!

Can I make this soup in an Instant Pot?

I recommend cooking the chicken breast in the Instant Pot first following my Instant Pot option in my shredded chicken recipe. Once the chicken is cooked and shredded, add the broth, red chile sauce, and the White Hominy, Stir. Set the Instant Pot to cook at high pressure for 5 minutes. Release the pressure manually. Meanwhile, prepare the toppings.

Need more dinner inspiration?

Check out these other Delicious and Hearty Soups to Warm the Soul:

• Pork Pozole Rojo
• Chicken Pozole Verde
• Caldo de Pollo
• Caldo de Res
• Instant Pot or Stovetop Chicken Tortilla Soup

If you made this easy weeknight Chicken Pozole Rojo recipe, please comment and rate it below so I know how it turned out for you.

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Photography by Jenna Sparks