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    November 23, 2023

    Turkey Pozole Rojo

    This spicy, warming turkey pozole rojo soup is a flavorful way to use all of your turkey leftovers. Easy, and warming, it’s perfect palate-awakener for the day after Thanksgiving.

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    a bowl of homemade turkey pozole rojo topped with seasoned cabbage, avocado, cilantro, radishes, and lime juice.
    Photography by Gayle McLeod

    More ways to use Thanksgiving leftovers

    What To Do With Leftover Turkey? Make This Turkey Pozole

    This time of year the rich flavors of pozole rojo call to us. Ancho and guajillo chiles, combined with all that leftover turkey, make our easy pozole recipe a surefire way to get through the turkey doldrums. After you’ve feasted on Roast Turkey or Spatchcock Turkey, it’s time to turn it into a cozy pot of pozole (or our Turkey Noodle Soup!).

    a bowl of homemade turkey pozole rojo topped with seasoned cabbage, avocado, cilantro, radishes, and lime juice.

    The Best Leftover Turkey Pozole Recipe

    Don’t stop at the pozole de pavo! While everyone is milling around the kitchen, keep the feast going and serve it with our Guac, Homemade Salsa, Butternut Squash Quesadilla, and some refreshing Agua Fresca.

    turkey, turkey stock, chiles, onion, garlic, spices and hominy in prep bowls to make turkey pozole rojo

    Ingredients For Our Post Turkey Day Posole

    • Shredded cooked turkey

    • Canned Mexican hominy

    • Peppers: dried ancho chiles, dried guajillo chiles

    • Chicken stock

    • Dried oregano (preferably Mexican oregano) cumin, bay leaves

    • Kosher salt, olive oil

    • Yellow onion, garlic cloves

    chiles cut open and deseeded on a baking sheet
    hot water being poured over dried chilis in a skillet
    chiles soaking in hot water
    soaked chiles, soaking liquid and garlic in a blender

    How to Make Pozole and Use Up Leftover Turkey

    1. Sauté onions in oil.

    2. Toast the chilies, then make a garlic and chili mixture in a high speed blender. Add the blended chilis, chicken stock, cumin, oregano, bay leaves and salt along with some stock (maybe you’ve made your own turkey stock) into your favorite soup pot.

    3. Simmer! And while the soup simmers, whip up the cabbage slaw. This is also a good moment to shred your leftover turkey. Use dark meat, light meat—whatever is left! If you're not using leftover turkey, you can also just use shredded chicken—either way, this soup will be delicious.

    4. Add the the hominy and the turkey and continue to cook until the turkey is warmed through and the hominy has absorbed the broth, and simmer a little longer.

    5. Serve with all the goodies–seasoned cabbage, avocado, cilantro, radishes, and lime juice.

    P.S. If you'd like to make this easy pozole even easier, you can make this recipe using a slow-cooker. Just toss everything to your Crock-Pot and cook on high for four hours.

    soaked chiles, soaking liquid and garlic mixed together in a blender
    onions, blended chiles, stock, cumin, oregano, bay leaves and salt in a soup pot
    turkey added to a soup pot with onions, blended chiles, stock, cumin, oregano, bay leaves and salt
    homemade turkey pozole rojo in a soup pot

    How to Store Leftover Soup + Tips

    a bowl of homemade turkey pozole rojo topped with seasoned cabbage, avocado, cilantro, radishes, and lime juice.

    More Great Leftover Turkey Recipes From The Modern Proper

    Turn Those Turkey Leftovers Into Pozole Rojo

    For more recipe inspiration, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest or order our cookbook. We love when you share your meals. Tag us on Instagram using #themodernproper. Happy cooking!

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    Turkey Pozole Rojo

    Updated on November 23, 2023

    • Serves: 8
    • Prep Time:  20 min
    • Cook Time:  1 hr
    • Calories: 406
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    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
    • 1 large yellow onion, diced
    • 7 garlic cloves, smashed
    • 4 large dried ancho chiles
    • 4 large dried guajillo chiles
    • 8 cups turkey or chicken stock
    • 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano, preferably Mexican oregano
    • 2 teaspoons cumin
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
    • 2 (28-ounce) can Mexican hominy, drained and rinsed
    • 4-6 cups shredded cooked turkey (or chicken or pork)
    • Seasoned cabbage (see recipe below), for serving
    • Avocado, diced, for serving
    • Cilantro leaves, for serving
    • Radishes, thinly sliced, for serving
    • Fresh lime juice, for serving
    • Tostadas, for serving

    Seasoned Cabbage

    • 3 cups finely shredded cabbage
    • 1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
    • 3 tablespoons white vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

    Method

    1. Cut open the dried chiles with kitchen scissors or a knife and discard the seeds. Heat a large dry skillet over medium-high heat. Toast the chiles, moving them occasionally, for 4 minutes. (See Note)

    2. Cover the chiles with 2 inches of water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, then turn the heat off and let the chilis soak until softened, about 15 minutes.

    3. Add chilies and garlic along with 1 ½ cups of the cooking liquid to a high speed blender and blend until smooth.

    4. Make the seasoned cabbage. In a medium bowl, combine cabbage, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper and toss until combined.

    5. Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Once the oil is glistening, add the onions and cook until translucent, 4-5 minutes.

    6. To the same pot over medium heat, add the blended chilis, chicken stock, cumin, oregano, bay leaves and salt. Increase the heat to high and bring to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes.

    7. Stir in the hominy and the turkey and continue to cook until the turkey is warmed through and the hominy has absorbed the broth, 20 minutes more. Taste and adjust season with salt.

    8. Serve the pozole in bowls topped with seasoned cabbage, avocado, cilantro, radishes, and lime juice.


    Note: If you would like to use a Crock-Pot for this recipe, just use cubed raw meat instead of pre- cooked. Add everything to the Crock-Pot at the same time and cook on high for 4 hours.

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories406
    • Protein8 g
    • Carbohydrates47 g
    • Total Fat6 g
    • Dietary Fiber13 g
    • Cholesterol0 mg
    • sodium1800 mg
    • Total Sugars23 g

    Turkey Pozole Rojo

    Questions & Reviews

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    • Meg

      So good and simple. I appreciated using a cabbage topper instead of chips and sour cream. It’s much lighter of a soup. A perfect weeknight meal.

      Thanks Meg, we are so happy you loved it!

    • Jenn

      This was a huge hit with my family! I used shredded chicken and we all loved it.

      Thank you Jenn, we are so glad you loved it!