Chicken Pozole

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This is our quick (30-minute) take on Chicken Pozole, complete with hominy, shredded chicken, a delicious seasoned broth and loads of tasty toppings! While an authentic Mexican Chicken Pozole recipe can take hours to make, this recipe can be on the table in 20-30 minutes!

Course Dinner, Soup

Cuisine Healthy, Mexican

Keyword Chicken Pozole, Chicken Pozole recipe, pozole recipe chicken

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings -6 servings

Calories 425kcal

Author Chelsea Lords

Cost $9.12

Ingredients

2 (4 oz. EACH) cans mild diced green chiles (Note 1)
4 cups good chicken stock (like Swanson), separated use
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (olive oil works too)
2 tablespoons all-purpose, white flour
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon each: garlic powder and dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
Fine sea salt & pepper
1 can (15.5 oz.) golden hominy, (or 1-1/2 cup frozen corn)
1 can (15 oz.) black beans
1 dried bay leaf
1-1/2 cups cooked shredded chicken (Note 2)
Optional: 1/4 cup finely diced cilantro
Toppings of choice: good corn tortilla chips, fresh lime, ripe diced avocado, fresh cilantro, shredded cabbage or lettuce, thinly sliced radishes, diced (raw) white, yellow or red onion, crema, cotija cheese (Note 3)

US - Metric

Instructions

BLEND: Add both cans of green chiles (along with any liquid in cans) and 1 cup chicken stock to a blender. Blend until smooth and set aside.
SPICES: Add 2 tbsp oil to a large pot over medium heat. Sprinkle in 2 tbsp flour and spices (1 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp each of garlic powder and dried oregano, 1/4 tsp onion powder, 3/4 tsp chili powder, plus salt & pepper to taste--I add 3/4 tsp salt & 1/4 tsp pepper). Whisk until mixture beings to simmer and bubble up. Continue cooking and whisking constantly for about 1-2 minutes to toast spices.
SOUP BASE: Gradually pour in the blended mixture, whisking constantly, until completely integrated. Allow sauce to come back to a simmer and stir until nicely thickened. Add in drained and rinsed hominy, drained and rinsed black beans, remaining 3 cups chicken stock and bay leaf. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
FINISH SOUP: After 10 minutes, stir in the shredded chicken to briefly warm through. Remove from heat and stir through the optional cilantro. Remove bay leaf and discard. Taste and adjust seasonings to preference.
TOPPINGS: While the soup is simmering, prepare any toppings you'd like. Remove soup from heat and ladle into bowls. Add desired toppings to individual bowls and enjoy immediately. Store any leftover soup and toppings separately!

Video

Notes

Note 1: Green chiles: We love using fire-roasted chiles (more flavor with no extra effort). If you prefer less heat be sure to pick mild, not medium or hot. We need 2 (4-oz each) undrained cans for this recipe.

Note 2: Chicken: In order for this recipe to be ready in about 20-30 minutes, we rely on a big shortcut: already cooked, seasoned, and shredded chicken. Prep it earlier in the week or use a shredded rotisserie chicken from the store. If you want to cook raw chicken for this recipe (in the same pot the soup is prepared in), here's how to do that:

Season chicken: Use 1 pound (2 medium-sized) of boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Cut chicken breasts in half widthwise to make four thinner filets. Use a meat mallet/frying pan/your fist to give each piece a quick pound (Don't flatten chicken; we just want all the pieces fairly even in thickness). Season both sides. (I add 1/4 teaspoon of salt & pepper per side).
Cook chicken: Add 2 tbsp oil to a large, wide, heavy-bottomed pot (same one you'll use for soup). As soon as the oil is hot, add the seasoned chicken pieces in one layer. Cook for about 3-4 minutes per side or until chicken is cooked through (registers 160 degrees/juices run clear); remove to a plate and tent with foil and rest for about 5 minutes before thinly slicing or dicing or shredding with 2 forks. Don't wipe/wash out the pan, but continue on with step one of the recipe.

Note 3: Toppings: Pozole is all about the toppings! It's intended to have plenty, so add your favorites and don't skimp here! Our "must-haves": tortilla chips or strips, lime wedges, raw diced yellow onion, cotija, and lots of ripe diced avocados!

Nutrition