This chicken pozole recipe can’t be beat for a hearty meal with a south of the border flair! A Mexican-inspired dish, this one is made with plenty of flavorful spices.
Love the flavor of Mexico? Check out this collection of Mexican dishes!
Making this chicken pozole recipe
Don’t let the long list of ingredients deter you from making this delicious soup. It’s an easy soup to make, and you’ll be rewarded with a rich, brothy meal that will make your mouth happy.
Pozole ingredients
Hominy — pozole — plays the starring role in this hearty soup.
Although pozole is traditionally made with pork, this flavorful version features boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead.
This hearty, classic Mexican soup gets a big boost of flavor from two dried chile varieties: Ancho chiles, the dried versions of the relatively mild poblano pepper, and guajillos chiles, the dried version of the hotter mirasol pepper.
Dried ancho chiles are readily available in most grocery stores. Guajillo chiles can be harder to find.
Large grocery stores may carry both. If you have a Mexican specialty market locally, they will likely have them in stock. These chiles can also be ordered online.
How to serve this dish
Serve this flavorful soup with classic pozole toppings, including sliced radishes, shredded cabbage or lettuce, diced avocado, red onions, and fresh chopped cilantro.
Ingredients
- 3 large dried ancho chilies stems removed and deseeded
- 2 – 3 dried guajillo chilies stems removed and deseeded
- 2 cloves garlic smashed and peeled
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
- ½ medium yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 1¼ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 whole bay leaves
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 25 oz canned hominy with liquid
- 3 – 4 small radishes thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped
- 1 large lime cut into 8 wedges
Instructions
- Place dried chilies and smashed garlic in a small saucepan and add enough water to cover. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until the chilies soften, around 5 -6 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- While the chilies are simmering, heat olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent, around 4-5 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste.
- Add ground cumin, Mexican oregano, smoked paprika, and cinnamon. Stir to combine and cook for 1-2 minutes, or just until the spices become fragrant.
- Add chicken and reduce heat to medium. Cook until lightly browned on all sides, around 2-3 minutes per side.
- Add bay leaves, chicken stock, and hominy. Increase heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a rapid simmer.
- Once simmering, transfer the ancho and guajillo chilies mixture to a blender or a food processor and blend until smooth. Pour chili mixture into the pot and reduce heat to just below medium.
- Partially cover with a lid and cook for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours to
give the flavors more time to develop. - After at least 30 minutes, remove from heat and carefully shred the chicken using two forks while still in the pot. Remove bay leaves and discard.
- Ladle hot soup into individual serving bowls and top with sliced radishes, fresh cilantro, or other desired toppings. Serve immediately with fresh lime wedges for squeezing. Enjoy!
