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Mexican Chicken Pozole Soup

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LIZ DELLA CROCE

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This Mexican chicken pozole soup gets a flavorful twist with classic ingredients like smoky chipotle peppers, chewy hominy, and fresh lime juice.

Crumbling tortilla chips over Mexican chicken pozole soup.

Growing up, my parents would take us on a day trip to Nogales, Mexico located an hour and a half south of Tucson. From the minute we crossed the border, the smell of homemade corn tortillas, fresh cilantro and warm spices would fill the air. It was completely intoxicating and was the start of my lifelong love affair with authentic Mexican food.

I frequently whip up baked corn tortilla chips and my Mexican slaw with honey lime vinaigrette, along with this Mexican Chicken Pozole Soup. It’s an easy, weeknight version of the classic dish. To save time I use rotisserie chicken, but any leftover shredded meat would work including pork or even beef.

Why You’ll Love This Pozole Soup

  • With plenty of toppings to choose from, it’s easy to customize.
  • It’s an extremely flavorful and well-balanced dish,
  • Easy to make ahead, or make in large batches for meal prep!

Ingredients

Labeled ingredients for Mexican chicken pozole.
  • Chicken: Leftover rotisserie chicken, or precooked chicken breast work great.
  • Chipotle peppers: Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce add smokey, rich, spicy flavor to the soup.
  • Green chilis: Adds another level of mild spice to the soup.
  • Garlic: Adds pungent, aromatic flavor and nutty notes.
  • Veggies: Fire roasted diced tomatoes, carrots, onion, red bell pepper, and hominy add substance, vitamins, and flavor to the pozole.
  • Chicken broth: Makes for a flavorful base to the soup.
  • Lime: Lime juice adds a bit of fresh acidity that helps cut through some of the spice.

Change Things Up

  • Use different toppings! I love topping with tortilla chips, cilantro, and sliced radishes. But you can add shredded cabbage, sliced avocado, and cheese.
  • You can use pork or beef instead of chicken as the protein.
  • Use veggie or beef broth instead of chicken broth for a slightly different flavor.

How to Make Mexican Chicken Pozole Soup

Diced onion in bottom of large pot.

Step 1. Dice your onion and add it to the bottom of a large soup pot in some olive oil.

Carrot added to diced onion in the bottom of the pot.

Step 2. Next add your chopped carrots.

Red bell pepper added to pot.

Step 3. Followed by the diced bell pepper.

Using a microplane to grate fresh garlic cloves into pot.

Step 4. Use a microplane to grate the garlic, and add a sprinkle of salt.

Stirring sautéed veggies in the bottom of a large pot.

Step 5. Sauté the veggies until softened.

Adding chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce to veggies in soup pot.

Step 6. Add the chipotle peppers, smoked paprika, and black pepper before adding the chicken broth.

Hominy and diced tomatoes sitting atop soup.

Step 7. Add the shredded chicken, diced tomatoes, and canned hominy.

Green chiles being added to pozole in pot.

Step 8. Add the green chilies and lime juice, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Mexican chicken pozole soup in a white bowl, garnished with radishes and tortilla chips.

Serve garnished with your favorite toppings, then enjoy your Mexican Chicken Pozole Soup!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between pozole and posole?

There is no difference in the finished product. It’s just two different ways of spelling the same dish!

Are there different kinds of pozole?

Authentic pozole has three types, named after the color of the broth from the different chiles. Pozole verde, pozole rojo, and pozole blanco can be made with any types of meat as well.

Is chicken pozole healthy?

Filled with lean protein from the chicken, fiber from the hominy, and various more nutrients and vitamins from other veggies, yes it can be! Especially if you use low-sodium broth.
Mexican chicken pozole soup in a white bowl.

More Mexican Recipes

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For a flavorful and comforting soup the whole family an enjoy, give this Mexican Chicken Pozole a try.

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Mexican Chicken Pozole Soup

4.24 stars average
Liz Della Croce
This chicken pozole soup gets a flavorful twist with classic Mexican ingredients like smoky chipotle peppers, chewy hominy, and fresh lime juice.
PREP: 5 minutes
COOK: 25 minutes
TOTAL: 30 minutes
Pin
Servings4

Ingredients
 

  • 1 medium onion (diced)
  • 2 medium carrots (diced)
  • 1 red pepper (seeded and diced)
  • 3 cloves garlic (grated)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 in chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (seeded and minced)
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 8 cups chicken broth (low sodium)
  • 12 ounces shredded cooked chicken breast (rotisserie works well)
  • 14 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
  • 14 ounce can hominy – drained
  • 4.25 ounce can diced green chilis (drained)
  • 1 juice of lime
  • sliced radishes (diced scallions and minced cilantro – optional garnish to serve)
  • Smoky Baked Corn Tortilla Chips – to serve

Instructions
 

  • Heat a large soup pot over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Add onion, carrots, red pepper, garlic and salt. Cook until veggies begin to soften, 3-4 minutes.
    1 medium onion, 2 medium carrots, 1 red pepper, 3 cloves garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Stir in chipotle peppers, smoked paprika and pepper.
    2 in chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • Pour in chicken broth, shredded chicken, diced tomatoes, hominy, green chilis and lime juice. Bring to a boil then simmer for 20 minutes.
    8 cups chicken broth, 12 ounces shredded cooked chicken breast, 14 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes, 14 ounce can hominy – drained, 4.25 ounce can diced green chilis, 1 juice of lime
  • Garnish with sliced radishes, diced scallions and minced cilantro. Serve with Smoky Baked Corn Tortilla Chips.
    sliced radishes, Smoky Baked Corn Tortilla Chips – to serve

Last Step:

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Liz’s Notes

If you like foods on the mild side, reduce the chipotle peppers to one.

Nutrition

Calories: 148kcal | Carbohydrates: 15.4g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 2.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.5g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 618mg | Fiber: 2.8g | Sugar: 5.9g


4.24 from 13 votes (9 ratings without comment)

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57 responses to “Mexican Chicken Pozole Soup”

  1. Nikki Avatar
    Nikki

    This is more of a caldo(soup, chicken soup) than posole. Posole doesn’t have all those vegatables, it’s just the chicken with harminy (corn) and you eat it with toritillas, lettuce/cabbage, and raddish. Then there is menudo, which is almost the same (different meat) and some don’t put the hominy in.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Yes this is my interpretation of it.. I like to add vegetables to almost everything to bulk up the nutrition. :)

  2. Russell at Chasing Delicious Avatar
    Russell at Chasing Delicious

    My gosh, this looks like a fantastic recipe! I love all the tex-mex I get down here, but I’m always looking for authentic Mexican takes on great dishes. Can’t wait to try this one!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Thank you so much!! Let me know what you think!

  3. Maralyn Woods Avatar
    Maralyn Woods

    I lived in Zihuatanejo for 7 years and every Thursday night was posole night. Some restaurants only opened on Thursday and only served posole. I always went with the pork and green chile then added all the fixings including avocado. I really appreciate your nutritional information as I’m on a sodium restricted diet. Great post, love your blog.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Thank you so much for your nice words!

  4. Phi @ The Sweetphi Blog Avatar
    Phi @ The Sweetphi Blog

    What a beautiful and delicious sounding soup! I love a good soup for dinner and this one looks totally filling!!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      You and me both – I love filling soups!!

  5. Ashley M. | Our Full Table Avatar
    Ashley M. | Our Full Table

    I love how you can customize this soup to whatever you like. This looks delicious!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      I am all about customization :)

  6. Liz Avatar
    Liz

    Nice soup recipe. Thank you, Liz. Have a Great Day!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Thanks Liz – you too!!

  7. Christine from Cook the Story Avatar
    Christine from Cook the Story

    This is a bowl of gorgeous goodness!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      You eat with your eyes right?? :)

  8. Joanne Avatar
    Joanne

    My best friend is from AZ so I have had my fair share of exposure to really good Mexican food! It is shockingly hard to find here in NYC so if I want it, I really have to make it myself. This soup looks so good. You can almost feel the rich flavor combing out of it!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      I hear you on having to make it yourself!! For me, it’s hard to take kids to restaurants these days so I always end up just cooking at home instead. :)

  9. Bri | Bites of Bri Avatar
    Bri | Bites of Bri

    I love, love, love posole! Can’t wait to try this. Thanks, Liz!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      I hope you like it Bri!!

  10. julia Avatar
    julia

    I had posole soup at a restaurant in Chicago recently and fell in love. It really is one of the best soups out there! I am keeping this recipe and will be making it soon!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Isn’t it the best?? Let me know if you try it!