Description
This hearty Chicken Pozole is a traditional Mexican stew featuring tender roasting chicken simmered with aromatic vegetables, hominy, and dried chiles. The dish is richly flavored with toasted cumin, oregano, and fresh cilantro, resulting in a comforting, satisfying meal perfect for sharing. Served with fresh toppings like radishes, avocado, cabbage, lime, and tortilla chips, this pozole combines deeply layered flavors and textures for a truly authentic experience.
Ingredients
Broth and Meat
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed
- 2 medium to large carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
- 1 roasting chicken, 4 to 4 1/2 pounds
- 2 ribs celery, thickly sliced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 gallon water
- Coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
Hominy and Chilies
- 50 ounces (4 cups) canned white hominy, drained and rinsed
- 2 dried ancho chiles, seeded
- 2 dried guajillo chiles, seeded
Spices and Seasonings
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 1 ½ tablespoons dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar
- 1 small bunch fresh cilantro with stems (about 1/3 cup)
Optional Toppings
- Sliced radishes
- Peeled, seeded, and sliced avocado
- Thinly sliced green cabbage or iceberg lettuce
- Lime wedges
- Small diced yellow onion
- Tortilla chips
Instructions
- Sauté Vegetables: Heat the olive oil in a large 2-gallon pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, smashed garlic, and sliced carrots. Season gently with salt and sauté for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally until vegetables are browned and aromatic.
- Cook Chicken: Add the whole roasting chicken, sliced celery, and bay leaf to the pot. Pour in 1 gallon of water. Bring to a simmer over low to medium heat and cook for 75 to 80 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked and tender.
- Strain Stock: Carefully remove the chicken from the pot and place it on a plate. Strain the broth into a separate large pot, removing and discarding the bay leaf. Set the strained vegetables aside for later use.
- Heat Hominy: Add the drained and rinsed hominy to the pot with the strained stock and warm over low to medium heat.
- Toast Chilies: Place the seeded ancho and guajillo chiles in a large cast-iron or carbon steel pan over medium heat. Toast the chiles for 2 to 3 minutes, pressing down gently with a spoon or spatula periodically to release flavor.
- Simmer Chilies: Cover the toasted chiles completely with water and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes until softened.
- Toast and Grind Cumin: In a medium skillet, toast the cumin seeds over low to medium heat, stirring constantly for about 4 to 5 minutes until fragrant. Transfer to a mortar and pestle or spice grinder and grind finely.
- Prepare Chile Mixture: Once the chicken is cooked and cooled, combine the reserved vegetables (except bay leaf), 2 cups of strained stock, softened chilies (excluding soaking liquid), ground cumin, oregano, vinegar, cilantro, and salt in a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Combine and Simmer: Pour the blended chile mixture into the pot with the stock and hominy. Stir to combine.
- Shred Chicken: When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and shred the meat from the bones by hand. Add the shredded chicken back into the pot. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes to blend flavors.
- Finish and Serve: Season the pozole with additional salt and an optional squeeze of lime or lemon juice. Serve hot with optional toppings such as sliced radishes, avocado, cabbage, diced onion, lime wedges, and tortilla chips.
Notes
- Toast the chiles carefully to avoid burning, as burnt chilies can impart bitterness.
- Using a whole roasting chicken provides excellent flavor, but chicken parts can be substituted if preferred.
- Hominy can be found canned in Latin or international grocery stores; drain and rinse before use.
- The blending step helps create a rich, smooth broth that integrates the chile flavors deeply.
- Toppings are essential for adding texture and freshness; customize according to personal preference.
- Leftovers keep well refrigerated for 3-4 days and often taste even better the next day.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
