Holiday Favorite Dish - Chicken Pozole made with love

Making Chicken Pozole is super easy. If you have ever made soup for the winter, then you can make Pozole with no trouble. What is Pozole you ask? It is a hearty Mexican style soup or stew. To start, I cook the chicken with onions, garlic, fresh oregano and chicken broth separately from the hominy. While I am cooking the chicken, I steam the chiles for 15 minutes or until the stem can be removed easily from the body of the Chiles. The Chiles are then placed into the blender and well blended into a smooth sauce. This sauce can be changed by adding different types of dried Chiles, onion, garlic and spices to give a different flavor profile. Once your Chile sauce is well strained into a smooth sauce, add it to the hominy that is cooking separately. The chicken broth and Chile sauce will blend together and make a delicious meal. Don’t forget your garnishes. Choose fresh cabbage, dried oregano seasoning, and a fresh wedge of lime or lemon juice, finely chopped white onions and sliced radishes. Slice your cabbage into fine ribbons or chop finely. Slice large radishes into thin round circles and dice a white onion which will all be used later for garnishing.

I usually cook my Pozole without measuring. I am the type of Mexican-American cook who can cook by sight and taste. So, I highly recommend that you taste the soup as you add ingredients. Here are the ingredients and detailed cooking instructions.

Chicken Pozole with Red Chile

1 whole Chicken cut up approximately 3 to 4 lbs.

1 Can of Hominy (I used Juanita’s 110 OZ or 6 lbs 14 OZ can)

4 large white onions (peeled and cut into halves)

3 dried Guajillo chiles (steamed and seeded)

3 dried California Chiles (Steamed and seeded)

Dried Oregano and fresh

3 small garlic cloves

2 chicken bouillon cubes

Menudo Seasoning-salt, coriander, oregano, the crushed red pepper, and black pepper

1 radish bunch

1 medium size cabbage

Tips and suggestions:

Most Menudo Seasoning include  salt, coriander, oregano, the crushed red pepper, and black pepper read the package before purchasing because not all have the same ingredients. 

Dried Chiles to consider for sauce - California (Mild heat) , Guajillo, New Mexico and Pasilla  and Hatch. 

Garnish options - shredded purple cabbage, shredded lettuce, Sliced Avocado 

Side options - Corn Tortillas, flour Tortillas, Tostadas

Wash the chicken well and place in a stock pot with 12 cups of cold water, (1) coarsely chopped onion, (2) small peeled garlic cloves, (1) chicken bouillon cube, (2) sprigs of fresh oregano and a pinch of dried oregano.  Cook the chicken for 30 minutes.  In a separate stock pot, add the other chicken bouillon cube, (1) coarsely chopped onion, (5) cups of water, the strained stock broth from your cooked chicken, and an extra-large can (6 lb. 14 oz. can) of strained Hominy.  The cooked chicken should be placed in a bowl to be added later. While the hominy is cooking in the chicken stock, let’s work on the Chile sauce. In a separate pot, add 2 cups of water to steam the Guajillo and California chiles for 15 minutes.   While you are cooking the Chiles, get the blender read by adding (1) peeled garlic, (1) coarsely chopped white onion, a good pinch of menudo seasoning and (1) cup of chicken broth from the hominy pot.   Once the chiles are soft, remove the stem and seeds.  Add the steamed and cleaned chiles into the blender and blend until smooth.  After the Chile is blended, use a fine strainer to strain the sauce well before adding to the hominy soup.  Once you have added the Chile sauce to the cooking hominy, stir and bring back to a boil.  Allow the hominy to hard boil for 20 minutes.  The chicken should have now cooled enough to handle to the touch.  Start shredding the chicken and add to the hominy when you are ready to serve to prevent the chicken from being over-cooked.  As an option, you may add or remove the skin of the chicken dependent on your preference.

Pork red sauce Pozole

Don’t forget to garnish your Pozole dish with shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, diced onions and dried seasoning. My family usually adds fresh chopped cabbage and lime juice only. I love to add fresh shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, dried oregano seasoning and finely cut onions along with lemon juice to my hot Pozole. 

We want to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas!!!!