Red Chicken Pozole is a hearty and satisfying Mexican stew. Easier to make than you think, it’s packed with juicy chicken and corn hominy swimming in the most amazing chile sauce.

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A bowl of Red Chicken Pozole topped with shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, and cilantro, surrounded by sliced jalapeños, lime halves, chopped onions, and dried herbs on a rustic wooden table.

Save this Red Chicken Pozole recipe for special occasions. Think Father’s Day, birthdays, Christmas.

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OR, on hot days. Lol! There’s a running joke in the Mexican community. You know you’re Mexican when you eat soup on hot days. 100% true!

I’d eat a large bowl on hot days, cold days, or any day ending with Y.

🐓 Ingredients

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.

🥣 Instructions

Water being poured into a stock pot with raw chicken, onions, and garlic.

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.

How to rehydrate dried chiles

A collage showing how to rehydrate dried chile guajillo and chile ancho.

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 Mexican Menudo and Caldo de Camaron.

What’s the difference between pozole and menudo?
Pozole and Menudo are both Mexican stews. Pozole is traditionally made with pork or chicken and includes hominy. Menudo is made with tripe and might or might NOT include hominy, depending on where you are from in Mexico.

How to make the chile sauce

An empty blender next to the ingredients to make the sauce.

Add the rehydrated chiles, garlic, onion, salt, water to a blender.

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.

A picture of the red chile sauce in a blender.

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.

Is it Pozole or Posole?

Pozole is the proper Spanish spelling for Mexicans. Posole (with an S) is often used in Tex-Mex and border towns. Both spellings refer to this stew.

A collage showing cooked chicken and the red chile sauce being poured into the stock pot with the remaining broth.

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.

Traditionally, red pozole is made with pork as in Pozole Rojo

A collage showing how to assemble the pozole in the pot.

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, try buying it online.

A spoon holding the chicken pozole over a stock pot.

👩🏼‍🍳 Pro Tips

Use the largest pot you can find. You want to make as much chicken broth as possible.
Short Cut Version: Skip this step and instead use leftover chicken and store bought chicken broth.
Plan ahead of time and make everything in stages. For example, cook the chicken one day. Next day, make the sauce. Then the day of, put everything together.

Red Chicken Pozole served in a decorative blue plate and surrounded by the toppings.

🫙 Storing and Reheating Instructions

Storing: Place any leftovers in an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Or, place in a sealable, freeze-able bag, and remove as much air as possible. Then place in the freezer for up to 4 months.
To reheat: Thaw, if frozen. Simmer for 10 minutes. Or in the microwave, on high heat for 2-3 minutes, depending on your microwave.

Ideas for Toppings (or garnishes)

Shredded cabbage
Shredded lettuce
Diced onion
Cilantro
Radishes
Mexican Oregano
Lime Juice
Jalapeno slices
Toasted Chile de Arbol
Avocado

A combination of these toppings (or all of them) is what makes pozole an amazing recipe.

🍲 More Pozole Recipes

Pozole Verde (Green Pozole)
Pozole Blanco (White pozole)
Shrimp Pozole
Vegan Pozole

Red Chicken Pozole is a hearty Mexican hominy stew that is full of robust flavors and completely satisfying. Serve with corn tortillas. It’s Mexican comfort food in a bowl!

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Comments

5 from 17 votes (5 ratings without comment)

Red Chicken Pozole