Pozole Rojo de Pollo (Red Pozole with Chicken) is a delicious dinner recipe that you can easily make at home! This Mexican dish is known for its flavorsome combination of chicken, chilies, and hominy. Pozole is typically prepared with a red broth and can be served as both an appetizer and a main dish.
Whether you’re looking for something to serve your family or just want to try something different, this hearty dinner will fill everyone’s bellies with happiness! Don’t believe me? Try it for yourself!
Pozole Rojo de Pollo makes for an incredibly flavorful dinner.
Pozole Rojo de Pollo makes for an incredibly flavorful dinner that's sure to become a favorite. This recipe is packed with a medley of flavors including spicy, smoky, and acidic thanks to the use of chiles, oregano, garlic, and lime. It's then finished off with cilantro and avocado adding crunch and creaminess to the dish. If you're looking for something tasty yet simple-enough to make in under an hour, this pozole recipe is just the thing - you'll be blown away by how flavorful it is!
This was inspired by my other recipe on this site, and pairs well with this amazing sidedish recipe.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes (or up to 4 hours)
Serves: 4
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Ingredients needed to make Pozole Rojo de Pollo
3 large dried ancho chilies, stems removed and deseeded
2-3 dried guajillo chilies, stems removed and deseeded
2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
2 T. extra virgin olive oil, divided
½ medium yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
1¼ t. ground cumin
1 t. dried Mexican oregano
½ t. smoked paprika
¼ t. ground cinnamon
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 whole bay leaves
4 c. chicken stock
1 25-oz. can hominy, with liquid
3-4 small radishes, thinly sliced
3 T. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 large lime, cut into 8 wedges
Instructions for making Pozole Rojo de Pollo
- 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!
Variations
Nothing beats a big bowl of pozole for dinner - and making variations to the classic Pozole Rojo de Pollo recipe can be a delicious way to switch up your typical weeknight meal. Whether you’re adding some extra vegetables for a healthier twist or giving it some smoky flavor with ancho chili peppers, variations to the classic pozole dish can be a great way to refresh your dinnertime routine and create unforgettable experiences at home. Try something new with variations on this Mexican favorite tonight!
Storage
Whether you made a full meal of pozole rojo de pollo for dinner or just cooked a batch to have on top of salads throughout the week, storage is an important step. If stored correctly in an airtight container in the refrigerator, this delicious recipe can be safely enjoyed up to 3 to four days post-cooking. So feel free to make this delightful Mexican dish as much as you want and savor every last bit without worrying about storage!
Top tip
Here are a few key pointers that will help you create this mouth-watering dish.
First off, ensure you have all the necessary ingredients on hand (like chicken, maize, hominy and guajillo chiles), as this will save a lot of time when prepping your dinner.
Make sure your vegetables are cut uniformly in size prior to cooking, as this will ensure they are evenly cooked when everything is simmered together in the pot.
Finally, top off your pozole with classic garnishes like chopped lettuce and onion, radish slices, and cilantro leaves just before serving - it'll definitely up the flavor profile of your lovely dish!
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with [this recipe]:
Pozole Rojo de Pollo
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4
Description
Pozole Rojo de Pollo (Red Pozole with Chicken) is a delicious dinner recipe that you can easily make at home! This Mexican dish is known for its flavorsome combination of chicken, chilies, and hominy.
Ingredients
Ingredients:
3 large dried ancho chilies, stems removed and deseeded
2-3 dried guajillo chilies, stems removed and deseeded
2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
2 T. extra virgin olive oil, divided
½ medium yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
1¼ t. ground cumin
1 t. dried Mexican oregano
½ t. smoked paprika
¼ t. ground cinnamon
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 whole bay leaves
4 c. chicken stock
1 25-oz. can hominy, with liquid
3-4 small radishes, thinly sliced
3 T. 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!
Notes
Although pozole is traditionally made with pork, this flavorful version features boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead. This brothy, flavorful soup is perfect served with classic pozole toppings, including sliced radishes, shredded cabbage or lettuce, diced avocado, red onions, and/or fresh chopped cilantro.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 45 min