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This easy chicken pozole has all the rich, comforting flavors of traditional pozole rojo – savory red chile broth, tender shredded chicken, and hearty hominy – but with the convenience of a slow cooker. It’s the perfect cozy meal for family dinners, hosting, or even a potluck since it can stay warm and ready to serve.
If you love this traditional Mexican dish, then you’ve got to try these other versions – pozole rojo, pozole verde, pozole blanco, and Instant Pot pozole!
A Note from Isabel
Pozole has always been one of those dishes that instantly takes me back to family gatherings and holidays. My mom’s pozole rojo, usually made with pork, was rich, comforting, and always the star of the table.
For me, the real magic of pozole is in the sauce – the deep, flavorful broth made from dried chiles. That combination of earthy, smoky, and slightly sweet flavors gives the soup its heart and soul. In this slow cooker version, I use my homemade red enchilada sauce (packed with dried chiles and a touch of Mexican chocolate) to recreate that same authentic depth of flavor.
This dish is pure comfort and nostalgia for me. And the best part? It all comes together with almost no hands-on time, so I can enjoy a bowl of pozole even on busy weeknights.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chicken breast: Traditional red pozole is made with beef or pork, but I used chicken here for a lighter twist. You could also use boneless skinless chicken thighs.
- Red enchilada sauce: The key ingredient in this pozole is my authentic red enchilada sauce. It’s made from dried chiles, garlic, tomato, and Mexican chocolate that pack the broth with authentic flavors.
- Spices: Chili powder, cumin, garlic, and salt for warmth and savoriness.
- Hominy: You’ll need two large cans of white hominy for this recipe. Yellow hominy also works in a pinch. Make sure to rinse and drain the hominy before stirring it into the pozole.
- Oregano: Adds that signature pozole aroma and flavor. It’s used both in the stew and as a garnish. I always recommend Mexican oregano here, but regular oregano also works in a pinch.
- Toppings: Pozole wouldn’t be complete without all the delicious toppings like shredded cabbage, lime wedges, radishes, diced onions, and chopped cilantro.
(This is an overview of the key ingredients I used and why. See the recipe card below for the full recipe.)
How to Make Easy Chicken Pozole
Load the slow cooker. Add chicken, broth, enchilada sauce, shallot, chili powder, garlic, cumin, and salt. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 5 ½ hours or high for 3 ½ hours.
Shred. Remove the chicken from the pot and shred it with two forks.
Add hominy. Stir the chicken back in along with the hominy and oregano. Cook for another 30 minutes.
Serve. Ladle into bowls and top with cabbage, radishes, cilantro, lime juice, and your favorite garnishes.
Recipe Tips
- Shortcut. If you absolutely don’t have time to make my homemade authentic sauce, you can use your favorite store-bought enchilada sauce. But a word of caution – I don’t recommend it. It truly doesn’t have the same depth of flavor and just isn’t as tasty as the real stuff. If you’re hesitant to make enchilada sauce just for this recipe, I suggest making a double or even triple batch and storing it in the freezer so you can use it again in future recipes like my chicken enchiladas, chicken enchilada soup, or enchilada meatballs.
- Swap the protein. You can use beef chuck roast or pork shoulder for a heartier and more traditional taste.
- Use different hominy. White is classic, but yellow hominy works fine if that’s what you can find.
- Spice it up. Add an extra dried chile de árbol or two to the sauce for more heat.
Serving Suggestions
Serve your slow cooker posole with warm corn tortillas, bolillo bread, or tortilla chips for the full authentic experience. You can also pair it with warm traditional beverages like atole or champurrado during the colder months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Red pozole features a rich red chile broth made from dried chiles like guajillo, ancho, pasilla, or árbol, and usually features proteins like beef or pork. Green pozole features a more tangy broth made from ingredients like tomatillos, cilantro, jalapeños, and usually features chicken. Both are traditional Mexican stews that include hominy and are topped with shredded cabbage, lime juice, onions, radishes, and oregano.
You can adjust the spice level by adjusting the amount of árbol chiles used in the red enchilada sauce. For a milder pozole, you can omit them completely, or for a spicier version, you can add an extra 1-2.
I recommend using canned hominy for extra convenience; plus, hominy from scratch can be hard to make and find at most grocery stores.
More Easy Mexican Recipes
Easy Chicken Pozole
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into large chunks
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 batch authentic red enchilada sauce (about 2 cups)
- ½ small yellow onion, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 2 (25-ounce) cans white hominy, drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
- For topping: thinly shredded cabbage, cilantro, diced onions, lime wedges, sliced radishes, Mexican oregano
Instructions
- Add the chicken, broth, enchilada sauce, onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, and salt to a large slow cooker. Stir to combine.
- Cover and cook for 5 ½ hours on LOW or 3 ½ hours on HIGH.
- Transfer the chicken onto a large plate or cutting board using a slotted spoon, and shred with two forks.
- Add the shredded chicken back to the slow cooker along with the hominy and oregano. Cover and cook for another 30 minutes.
- Serve the posole in bowls with lime juice, radishes, cilantro, finely shredded cabbage and other toppings.
Notes
- Storing and reheating: Store any leftover pozole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. To reheat, warm it on the stove over medium heat until hot, or microwave individual portions until warmed through. Pozole also freezes well. Just transfer it to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Chicken: Boneless skinless chicken thighs also work.
- Enchilada sauce: If you absolutely don’t have time to make my homemade authentic sauce, you can use your favorite store-bought enchilada sauce. But a word of caution – I don’t recommend it. It truly doesn’t have the same depth of flavor and just isn’t as tasty as the real stuff.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography by Ashley McLaughlin.
This post was originally published in December 2016 and has been updated with new photos and more helpful tips.
Hello. I am a novice cook and head a question on the recipe. In the posole ingredients it lists 1/4 cup chopped cilantro and then cilantro as an optional topping. Is the 1/4 cup for topping also as I do not see anywhere else to add it?
Hi Alexis, Yes you’re totally right! The cilantro is just for topping. I’ve updated the recipe. Thanks so much for your question!
Can you use pork instead of chicken
Absolutely! That would work really well!
I was bold enough to cook this on my own. The aroma has filled my home and I can’t wait to dig in lol, thanks for sharing with me, now time to share with everyone else. Xoxo
Isn’t it the best smell?! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
I made the enchilada sauce last night am and I’m making this posole on Saturday! Can’t wait! Love the addition of chocolate in the sauce!
Thanks so much, Mika! I hope you love it 🙂 The chocolate is like the super secret ingredient, don’t you think?!
Hi Isabel,
I made your pozole today. I used el pato enchilada sauce because… I’m lazy. 🙂
My pozole turned out amazing!!! My family loved it. Next time I am gonna use your enchilada sauce. Thanks for the recipe!!
Hey girl, I totally understand! There’s no shame in using store-bought enchilada sauce. I do it, too! 🙂 I’m so glad you and your family loved it! That makes me so happy. You’re so welcome 🙂
I want to use El Pato sauce too…how many cans should I use?
Hi Miry, it depends how big the can is. If it’s a 28-ounce can, you can just use one. If they’re the smaller 8-ounce cans, I would use 2.5 cans.
This recipe looks absolutely gorgeous! Love your photos too 🙂
Thank you so much! 🙂
gorgeous pictures.. the dish looks amazing..thx for sharing
Thank you so much!
Beautiful photos!! I love Mexican food and this looks right up my alley!
Thanks for the amazing compliment, Elaine! I love taking photos, so I’m so happy to hear that they’re translating well to others. I love Mexican food, too. Obviously, haha. Have you ever had posole before?
This looks like interesting recipe. I love chicken meat and I like spicy food, this I must try to make. Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe with us. I wish you all the best!:)
Marko
It is so cold here in Chicago and this looks like it will warm me right up! Can’t wait to see and try all the different variations!
Thanks, Ellie! It’s snowing here in Pittsburgh and it’s PERFECT for a day like today. I can’t wait to make all the different variations, too. I have a feeling that there will more cold winter days like today in the future, so plenty of time for more posole. 🙂
is it spicy? my husband is Colombian and doesn’t like anything spicy.
It is is a little spicy, yes.