Chicken Pozole is a hearty and healthy Mexican-style soup that’s super easy make and full of flavor. It’ll warm you up from the inside out during these chilly winter months.

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What is Pozole (or Posole)?

Pozole is a traditional Mexican soup made with hominy and meat (chicken in this case). There are many ways to prepare pozole, but every variation includes hominy cooked in broth. Pozole is typically a celebratory dish throughout Mexico and commonly served on New Year’s Eve to celebrate the new year. The red chilis used in this version of Chicken Pozole are actually quite mild which makes this soup super kid-friendly as well!

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Ingredients to Make Chicken Pozole

  • Ancho Chilis: The ancho chili pepper is the sweetest and mildest of all dried Mexican chili pepper types. Large and triangular in shape this is the dried version of the poblano chili and the most common dried pepper in Mexico.
  • Guajillo Chilis: The dried form of mirasol chilis and one of the most common peppers in Mexico behind ancho chilis. Guajillo chilis are mainly added to recipes for their unique flavor profile rather than spice level
  • Hominy: What is hominy? Hominy comes from yellow or white maize, also known as field corn. Dried hominy kernels are soaked in an alkali solution of lye or slaked lime. This process, called nixtamalization, removes the hull and germ, making the corn easier to grind and cook with. Hominy can be ground down very finely to create a flour known as masa harina, which is used to make dishes such as tamales, corn tortillas, sopes, and huaraches just to name a few.
  • Chicken: You can’t have chicken pozole without chicken! Using bone in chicken and simmering along with onions, garlic, bay leaves and cilantro makes for the most flavorful broth.

Why I Love Chicken Pozole

There are many reasons to fall in love with Chicken Pozole! I love this recipe because, first of all, it’s super easy. There’s really only about 30 minutes of hands-on cooking. Secondly, it’s a super flavorful, hearty soup that could fill anyone’s desire for a cozy dish. A bowl of this during the winter months is truly unbeatable. Watch out Chicken Noodle Soup! First time trying Pozole? Personalize it. Any dish that encourages adding as many toppings as you could dream of, is a-okay in my book. I served it alongside chopped onion, cilantro, sliced radishes, sour cream and squeezed lime wedges and it was delicious. Making it a DIY experience encourages the fun factor.

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More Mexican Inspired Dishes

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Next time you’re looking for a cozy soup that packs a ton of flavor, go for this Chicken Pozole. Let me know what you think in the comments or tag me on Instagram if you make it!

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Chicken Pozole

This comforting, hearty Mexican style soup is full of flavor and will warm you up from the inside out.
3 from 19 votes
Servings: 6
Author: Catherine McCord
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes

Ingredients  

  • 1 2 ounce bag dried Guajillo chilis
  • 2 pods dried ancho chilis
  • 2 medium yellow onions, cut in half
  • 3 pounds chicken bone in, skin on (wings, thighs, breasts and/or legs)
  • 1 head of garlic
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 bunch cilantro, leaves and stems
  • 1 tablespoon kosher or sea salt
  • 2 25 ounce cans hominy, rinsed and drained
  • olive oil
  • Serve with: tostadas, sliced radish, chopped cilantro, diced onions lime wedges, Mexican crema and/or sour cream

Instructions 

  • Place the chiles in a small pot of water, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes or until chilis are softened.
  • Allow the chilis to cool to the touch and remove the seeds and stems with a sharp knife.
  • Place the chilis and 1/2 cup water from the pot into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.
  • Place the chicken in a large stock pot with a the halved onions, garlic (unpeeled), bay leaves and 1 cup cilantro (stems and leaves). Cover with cool water. Cover with lid, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 35-40 minutes.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium heat, cover the bottom with a thin layer of olive oil and warm for 1-2 minutes. Pour in the chili puree and cook for 8 minutes or until it reduces and becomes darker in color and thickens.
  • Remove the chicken, cilantro, onion and bay leaf from the pot. Cool the chicken, remove the skin, bones, shred the chicken and add the meat back into the soup.
  • While the chicken is cooling, pour the chili puree, hominy and salt into the soup and simmer uncovered for 30-45 minutes. The longer you simmer, the thicker is will become.
  • Serve topped with additional chopped cilantro and other desired toppings.
Did you make this recipe?Mention @Weelicious or tag #weelicious!

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