One of my favorite Mexican food recipes is chicken pozole soup. You can use any type of meat but it is traditionally made with pork and served during New Year's Eve and other celebratory events. Let me show you how to make pozole with chicken.
I made my pozole with chicken because that’s what I had on hand. The trick is to not boil the meat so you have a nice clear broth. You want to gently simmer the broth so it cooks the meat slowly and it becomes tender. This is the same recipe you would use for Menudo, which uses tripe.
What is pozole made of
This pozole soup recipe has the main ingredients of chicken, hominy, and consomme. Consomme is a clear soup created by intensely rich stock, and that has been clarified. One of the easiest ways to create a consomme if you do not have the time to clarify it is by simply simmering your ingredients. By simmering, you gently cook your ingredients. Boiling food can create unnecessary particles in your soup and make it appear dirty.
🍽 Equipment
I would consider this a one-pot meal because all we will really use is a regular stockpot. Of course, you have your usuals:
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- cutting board
- sharp knife
🥘 Ingredients
The preparation of this pozole soup recipe is pretty simple.
For the Pozole: You’ll need canola oil, onion, 5 cloves of garlic, 2 pounds of chicken, water, stock or broth, hominy, oregano, salt, pepper, cumin, and chili powder.
Garnish (optional): onion, lime wedges, oregano, cilantro, shredded cabbage, radish, corn tortillas, salsa
🔪 Instructions
We’re going to work with the vegetables for the pozole first.
- Dice Onions, setting half aside for garnish and mince the garlic.
- Take the meat and cut into bite-size pieces, about 1-inch cubes.
- Heat the oil in the stockpot. Add the onion and garlic and sweat.
- Stir in the oregano, cumin, and chili powder.
- Add your cubed meat and enough water to cover the meat.
- Simmer for 45 minutes.
- Add salt, pepper, and stock.
- Simmer for an additional 60 minutes. Meat should be nice and tender.
- Add drained hominy and cook an additional 15 minutes.
- Taste, adjust salt and pepper if needed. You may also add additional stock if necessary.
🍴Garnish and serve with pozole
- 3 or 4 thinly sliced radishes
- Use remaining onion from pozole prep
- 4 Limes, wedged
- 1 ½ tablespoons Oregano
- ¼ bunch Cilantro, chopped
- 1 cup Cabbage, shredded
- Corn tortillas, warmed
- Salsa
The above items are optional. You don't have to use each one. My preference is oregano, lime, onion, cilantro, and salsa. Serve and enjoy!
📖 Recipe
Chicken Pozole
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Canola Oil
- 1 cup onion
- 5 cloves garlic
- 3 tablespoons Oregano
- 1 tablespoon Cumin
- 1 tablespoon Chili powder
- 2 pounds Pork or chicken, cubed into 1 inch pieces
- 4 cups Water
- 3 cups Stock (vegetable, pork, chicken, or beef)
- 1 29 ounce Can of hominy, drained
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon Ground black pepper
For Garnish (optional items)
- 3 or 4 Radishes, sliced thin
- onion
- 4 Limes, wedged
- 1 ½ tablespoons Oregano
- ¼ bunch Cilantro
- 1 cup Cabbage, shredded
- Corn tortillas, warmed
- Salsa
Instructions
- Heat oil in stock pot
- Add onion and garlic and sweat
- Add oregano, cumin, chili powder and stir
- Add meat and water, just to cover. Simmer 45 minutes
- Add stock, salt and pepper. Simmer for an additional 60 minutes. Meat should be nice and tender
- Add drained hominy and cook for 15 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper if necessary. You can also add more stock if necessary.
Donda Gorton says
Added a can of green chilis as well, and loved it! I was searching for this recipe since returning from Cancun and this brought me right back there!
Joe Morales says
I'm so glad you liked it! I made a couple of different versions in the last couple of months. I think green chilis sound wonderful! I'll need to try that one too!