Chicken pozole is a traditional and truly delicious Mexican soup made with hominy, tender shredded chicken or pork, spices, and a rich, flavorful broth. We make our pozole with chicken, onions, garlic, New Mexico chili power, oregano, smoked paprika, three kinds of peppers, tomatoes, tomatillos, and fresh squeezed lime juice, which creates a vibrant, rich, and flavorful soup — perfect for these cold January days!
The name “pozole” is derived from pozolli, the Nahuatl word for hominy—those large maize kernels that are central to any good bowl of pozole. What is hominy you might ask? It is simply corn kernels that have undergone a process called nixtamalization, which is a soaking in an alkaline solution, usually a mineral lime bath. This process loosens the hulls and softens the kernel, allowing the kernels to nearly double in size. But remember, when you buy dried hominy, the kernels are very, very hard, so don’t try biting into them … until you soak them. Dried hominy must be soaked before using, but I usually cheat, and just use canned hominy. This is so much easier and faster when you want to eat your soup pronto.
There are three main types of pozole: red (rojo), flavored with red chiles like guajillo or ancho; green (verde), made with tomatillos, cilantro, and green chiles; and white (blanco), which is more minimalist and focuses on the natural flavors of the chicken and hominy. This recipe is based on the white pozole, but I add diced fresh tomatoes, which gives the soup a reddish color.
We garnish our pozole with lots of fresh toppings like shredded cabbage, thinly sliced radishes, chunks of avocado, lime wedges, cilantro sprigs, and grated cheese, all of which add texture and color to your dish. Then, we roll up a warm tortilla and serve it right in the soup bowl.
If you haven’t had a chance to try our Taco Temptation spice blend, we hope you will because you will love it! It’s the perfect all-in-one seasoning for this soup, but also guacamole, tacos, enchiladas and taco salad! But, in case you don’t have it, please see our note section below the recipe for the best substitution for Taco Temptation.
Chicken Pozole
Equipment
- 1 large soup pot or Dutch oven
Ingredients
Soup Ingredients
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 large red onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 poblano pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 Anaheim chili, seeded and diced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
- 3 tbsp. Taco Temptation
- 1 lb. chicken tenders
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 tomatillos, paper peeled and coarsely chopped
- 4 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped
- 1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes in juice
- 1 14-oz. can yellow hominy, rinsed and drained
- 1 14-oz. can pinto beans, rinsed and drained of juice
- 2 tsp. fresh-squeezed lime juice
Garnishes
- Lime wedgesShredded green cabbageSliced radishesCilantro sprigsAvocado, dicedSharp cheddar cheese, gratedCorn or flour tortillas, rolled up into a tube.
Instructions
- Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Add onions and garlic and sauté until onions are translucent. Add diced peppers (all three types) and Taco Temptation seasoning. Continue to cook over medium low heat to bloom spices and cook the peppers until al dente.
- Add chicken and toss the tenders in the veggie and spice mixture to coat the chicken and cook until slightly browned. Add ½ cup of the broth, cover and reduce heat to low and cook until chicken cooked through. Remove chicken to a cutting board and shred. Return shredded chicken to the pot.
- Add diced tomatoes and diced tomatillos to the pot and stir well. Add canned tomatoes, pinto beans, and hominy. Stir in remaining chicken broth and lime juice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and continue to cook over low heat for about 30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.
- Serve hot with all the garnishes on top and a rolled tortilla.
