Red Chicken Pozole (Pozole Rojo de Pollo)
Red Chicken Pozole (Pozole Rojo de Pollo) is made with tender shredded chicken and hominy simmered in a rich broth made with New Mexico red chiles or guajillo chiles. Serve it with cabbage, radishes, onion, Mexican oregano, lime, and crispy tostadas.
Servings: 12
Equipment
Ingredients
- 10 cups water
- 2 pounds chicken breasts
- 1 small white onion quartered
- 2 garlic cloves peeled
- 2 teaspoons salt divided, plus more to taste
- 8 dried New Mexico or guajillo chiles rinsed, stemmed, and seeded
- 3 (15.5-ounce) cans white hominy drained and rinsed
- 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano plus more for serving
For Serving:
- Shredded green cabbage
- Thinly sliced radishes
- Mexican oregano for serving
- Lime wedges
- Diced white onion
- Tostadas
Instructions
- Cook the chicken. In a 6-quart caldero or large stockpot, combine the water, chicken, onion, garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a plate and reserve the cooking liquid, onion, and garlic.
- Soften the chiles. While the chicken cooks, place the dried chiles in a large bowl and cover with hot water. Soak for 10 to 15 minutes, or until softened. Drain and discard the soaking liquid.
- Shred the chicken. Once cool enough to handle, shred the chicken into bite-size pieces.
- Make the red chile sauce. Transfer the softened chiles, cooked onion, and garlic to a blender. Add 1 teaspoon salt and just enough of the reserved chicken cooking liquid to blend smoothly without overfilling the blender. Blend until smooth.
- Simmer the pozole. Return the shredded chicken to the pot with the red chile sauce, hominy, 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano, and the remaining reserved chicken cooking liquid. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Taste and season with additional salt as needed.
- Serve. Ladle the pozole into bowls and let everyone add shredded cabbage, radishes, diced onion, Mexican oregano, and fresh lime to taste. Serve with crispy tostadas on the side.
Video
Notes
- Chile Options: I typically use New Mexico red chiles, but dried guajillo chiles are a great substitute. New Mexico chiles have an earthy red chile flavor, while guajillos add beautiful color and mild heat.
- Mexican Oregano: Crush the oregano between your palms before adding it to the pot to release its aroma. Add more at the table, if desired.
- Short on Time? You can use shredded rotisserie chicken instead of cooking raw chicken. Add it to the pot with the red chile sauce and hominy and simmer as directed.
- Hominy Tip: Canned white hominy saves time and works beautifully in this recipe. Drain and rinse it before adding it to the broth.
- Make Ahead: This pozole tastes even better the next day as the red chile broth has time to develop.
- Nutrition information does not include toppings.
Nutrition
Calories: 98kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 489mg | Potassium: 338mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 647IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg