Pozole Rojo Express con Pollo
El Fin de Semana y Tradiciones
There is a profound maternal ingenuity in Mexican home cooking, a brilliant pragmatism that refuses to sacrifice soul for the sake of the clock. This express pozole trades hours of simmering tough pork for bone-in chicken, leveraging standard kitchen equipment to conjure the deeply comforting, restorative broth of a weekend ritual on a random Tuesday. The real secret lies not in the simmering, but in the sear—frying the chile adobo to coax out an earthy depth that instantly tastes like home.
Before you start
Clean and seed the dried chiles.
Wipe the dusty exterior of the chiles with a damp towel, snap off the stems, and aggressively shake out the seeds to prevent a bitter, gritty broth.
Rinse the hominy.
Canned hominy is completely acceptable, but it must be rinsed under cold water until the water runs clear to wash away the starchy, metallic canning liquid.
Ingredients
- bone-in skin-on chicken pieces3 lb
- water4 qt
- white onion1 large
- head garlic1 large
- bay leaves3 med
- kosher salt1 tbsp
- dried Guajillo chiles6 med
- dried Ancho chiles2 med
- Mexican oregano1 tbsp
- neutral oil1 tbsp
- canned white hominy29 oz
- green cabbage1/2 med
- radishes1 bunch
- limes2 large
- corn tostadas12 med
Method
- 01
Boil and skim the chicken.
Place the chicken, half the onion, the unpeeled garlic half, bay leaves, and salt in a large pot, cover with the water, and bring to a boil. Skim off the grayish foam during the first 10 minutes to ensure a pristine broth, then simmer for 35 minutes until the chicken is tender.
- 02
Hydrate the dried chiles.
While the chicken simmers, boil the cleaned Guajillo and Ancho chiles in a small pot of water for 10 minutes until soft and pliable.
- 03
Blend the adobo.
Transfer the softened chiles to a blender with a quarter of the white onion, the three peeled garlic cloves, a teaspoon of oregano, and a cup of the simmering chicken broth, blending on high until completely smooth.
- 04
Shred the cooked chicken and clear the broth.
Remove the tender chicken to a cutting board to cool, and use a slotted spoon to fish out and discard the spent onion, garlic head, and bay leaves from the broth. Shred the cooled chicken meat, discarding the bones and skin.
- 05
Fry the adobo sauce.
Heat the neutral oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, set a fine-mesh strainer over the pan, and pour the blended chile puree directly through it into the hot oil. Discard the tough skins left in the strainer, and let the sauce sizzle and fry for 5 to 7 minutes until it deepens to a rich brick-red.
- 06
Marry the stew.
Pour the fried adobo, shredded chicken, and rinsed hominy back into the cleared chicken broth. Simmer everything together for 15 minutes, tasting aggressively for salt, as the starchy corn requires heavy seasoning.
- 07
Serve with the traditional garnishes.
Ladle the hot pozole into deep bowls and present them alongside a communal platter of shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, diced onion, crushed oregano, and lime wedges, letting everyone build their own perfect bowl.
Notes
Do not fear the canned hominy.
While traditional pozole requires soaking dried cacahuazintle corn in mineral lime, modern Mexican mothers rely on canned hominy for weeknight dinners; simply rinse it thoroughly so it acts like a sponge for the rich broth.
Never skip frying the adobo.
Pouring raw, blended chiles into a soup results in a flat, bitter liquid. Searing the strained sauce in hot oil caramelizes the sugars and toasts the flavors, instantly providing the illusion of a soup that has simmered all day.
From Cook Mexican in America.