Red Chicken Pozole

Warm, rich, and deeply comforting, this Red Chicken Pozole (Pozole Rojo de Pollo) is the ultimate Mexican comfort food in a bowl. Made with tender shredded chicken, hearty hominy, and a vibrant, smoky red chile sauce, it’s a soul-satisfying stew that brings people together around the table.

Whether you’re celebrating the holidays or simply craving a cozy weeknight dinner, this traditional hominy soup is guaranteed to hit the spot.

Also try the pork version: Pozole Rojo.

📖 Family Story

In Durango, pozole is traditionally made with pork, and food is wonderfully hearty. But my family history with this dish goes back to a time of scarcity and resourcefulness.

Growing up, I remember traveling from Los Angeles to Durango, Mexico, and noticing a stark difference in the grocery stores. In the U.S., our shelves were always fully stocked. But in Durango, some shelves were often empty, and I frequently heard store owners kindly tell customers, “Try another store for the item you’re looking for.”

That is how I first tasted Red Chicken Pozole. It was Christmastime, and pozole was an absolute must for the holiday table. However, pork was unavailable at the store that day. Out of necessity, we swapped the pork for chicken. It turned out just as rich, satisfying, and deeply comforting, proving that some of the best culinary traditions are born from making do with what you have.

We are using a whole chicken breast, chicken thighs, and all – chopped up into pieces. Use whatever cut you prefer.

In Mexico, there is NO waste. We use every cut, bone, and inch of the chicken.

Please note that we will be using A LOT of water, and the measuring cup above with water is only there for reference.

🌶️ How To Make The Red Chile Sauce

• Remove the stems from the dried chile peppers.
• Open them up lengthwise and remove the seeds and veins.
• Place in a stock pot and cover with water.
• Bring to a boil. Cover and turn off the stove.
• Let sit the chile soak for 5 minutes, or until pliable.

This chile sauce is very similar to the sauces used in Enchiladas Rojas and Caldo de Camaron.

Discard the water that is used when rehydrating the chiles.

Chiles can collect dust, and you don’t want dirt in your sauce. Use fresh water to make the sauce.

• Blend until smooth.

Make this sauce ahead of time so you won’t spend all day cooking.

What makes this pozole “RED” or “ROJO” is the sauce.

🍗 Cooking the Chicken

• Add the chicken, onion, garlic, bay leaf, and salt in a large stockpot.
• Cover with the liquid. About 2 inches above the chicken.
• Cook for medium heat.

• Once the chicken is cooked, remove everything in the pot except for the broth.
• Strain the chile sauce into the pot.

Use a cooking spoon to strain the sauce into the pot.

Throw away any chile bits that remain in the strainer. That’s the stuff we don’t want to go into our soup.

• Shred the cooked chicken.

The onion, garlic, and bay leaf go into the trash. Remove all the bones and throw those away too.

🍲 Assembling the Soup

• To the chile pot, add the bay leaf, salt, oregano, rinsed hominy, and shredded chicken.
• Give everything a stir.

If you can’t find hominy at your local store, buy it online.

👩🏼‍🍳 Pro Tips for the Best Red Chicken Pozole

• Use the Largest Pot You Can Find: You want plenty of room for all 10 cups of water and the whole chicken so you can generate as much rich, flavorful chicken broth as possible.
• Make It in Stages (The Ultimate Time-Saver): Cooking a whole chicken and making the sauce from scratch can feel like a lot for one day. Break it up! Cook the chicken and make your broth on Day 1. On Day 2, make the red chile sauce and shred the chicken. On the day you want to serve, simply combine everything and let it simmer.
• Never Skip Straining the Chile Sauce: Dried guajillo and ancho chiles can collect dust and grit during drying and shipping. Rehydrating them in fresh water and straining the blended sauce through a fine-mesh sieve ensures a silky-smooth broth completely free of tough chile skins and seeds.
• Customize Your Heat Level: Guajillo and ancho chiles are naturally mild and earthy with a touch of sweetness. If you want a spicier kick, leave a few seeds in the chiles or toss in a couple of dried chile de árbol when blending the sauce.
• Go All-Out on the Toppings: Pozole isn’t just about the soup base—the fresh garnishes make the dish! Set out bowls of shredded cabbage, radishes, diced onions, cilantro, dried Mexican oregano, lime wedges, and tostadas so everyone can build their ultimate bowl.

Ideas for Toppings (or garnishes)

🫙 Storing and Reheating Instructions

Pozole actually tastes even better the next day as the flavors continue to meld together!

• To Store: Place any leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• To Freeze: Pour the cooled pozole into a sealable, freeze-able bag, remove as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn, and freeze for up to 4 months. (Good news: Hominy freezes and thaws exceptionally well!)
• To Reheat: Thaw overnight if frozen. Simmer on the stovetop over medium heat for about 10 minutes until hot, or warm individual portions in the microwave on high for 2 to 3 minutes.

🥄 More Pozole Recipes

• Instant Pot Pozole Verde (Green Pozole)
• Pozole Blanco (White pozole)
• Shrimp Pozole
• Green Chicken Pozole
• Bean Pozole
• Vegan Pozole
• Pork Pozole Verde
• Red Beef Pozole

😋 Hungry for More?

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