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Pozole

This Mexican POZOLE recipe is a hearty soup with hominy and tender pork in a mild red chile sauce, garnished with crunchy fresh toppings.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs
Total Time
2 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 8
Calories: 401 kcal
Course: Main Course , Soup
Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

  • 5 lb pork shoulder or butt roast*
  • 10 cloves garlic , divided
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 yellow onion , quartered
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 3 tablespoons better than bouillon chicken flavor , or chicken bouillon granules
  • 6 dried gaujillo chiles*
  • 6 dried ancho chiles*
  • 1-3 dried chiles de arbol , optional, for spicier/hotter soup*
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 8 oz can tomato sauce
  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar
  • 2 25oz cans white hominy , drained and rinsed
  • salt and pepper , to taste
For topping:
  • thinly shredded cabbage (required)
  • diced yellow or white onion (required)
  • fresh cilantro (required)
  • Lime wedges (required)
  • avocado (optional)
  • A few thinly sliced radishes (optional)
  • Warm corn or flour tortillas , for serving

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Cut pork roast into 1 inch cubes, trimming and discarding any big pieces of fat. Add to a large stock pot with enough water to cover the meat by around 2 inches (8-10 cups water). Bring pot to a boil. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface.
  2. Add to the pot one quartered onion, 5 whole garlic cloves, bay leaves, 2 teaspoons salt and chicken bouillon and simmer for 1 ½ hours.
  3. Meanwhile, remove seeds and veins from chilies and add to a small pot with enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
  4. Use a slotted spoon to spoon the chilies into a blender. Add 1 cup liquid rom the saucepan that boiled them, along with 5 peeled garlic cloves. Blend well until smooth.
  5. Discard any remaining water from the small saucepan that cooked the chilies. Add 2 tablespoons oil to it over medium heat. Pour the blended chilies mixture through a fine mesh strainer into the pot and cook for 10 minutes over medium low heat, stirring often.
  6. From the stockpot with the meat, remove bay leaves, onion, garlic cloves, and neck bones (if used). Pour in the chili sauce mixture, tomato sauce, oregano, cumin, white vinegar, and hominy. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a slow boil and then simmer for 30 minutes, or until pork is very tender.
  7. Taste and adjust seasonings (add more salt, chicken bouillon paste or oregano, to taste).
  8. The toppings added really make or break the soups end result! Ladle soup into bowl and top with a handful of shredded cabbage, chopped onion, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. You could also top with avocado and thinly sliced radishes. Serve with a tortilla on the side.

Notes

  • Pork: I usually buy closer to an 8lb roast because I end up cutting so much fat off it. Traditional pozole also includes pork bones cooked with the meat in the stock (i.e. pig neck, hock, or feet bones), which I highly recommend. The bones are very inexpensive and add great flavor to the broth. Discard them at the same time that you discard the onion and bay leaves.
  • Pork Substitutes: You can make pozole with beef chuck roast and beef bouillon instead of pork and chicken bouillon. Or use bone-in chicken thighs, but only cook the chicken for about 30 minutes to an hour, until tender. (Chicken is typically used in Pozole Verde, and Pork is traditional for Pozole Rojo).
  • Chilies: you can find the dried chilies in the Mexican aisle at the grocery store or online. OR, for a "cheater" version, skip the step of boiling and blending the chilies and substitute one 28 ounce can Las Palmas Red Chile Sauce (NOT enchilada sauce!), in place of the chilies and tomato sauce.
  • Spice level: This soup is pretty mild in spice/heat, (my young kids eat it!) as the guajillo and ancho chilies are not very spicy. If you’d like to add more spice, add arbol chilies, or simply season with crushed red pepper flakes or hot sauce at the end.
  • Instant Pot Pozole: Add pork, water, onion, garlic, bay leaf, salt and buollion to the instant pot and pressure cook for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the chile sauce according to instructions. Once timer is up on instant pot, strain the broth (discarding onion, bay leaf, etc) and return broth to the pot. Add chile sauce, remaining seasonings and hominy. Pressure cook for 10 more minutes.
  • Slow Cooker Pozole: Cook broth in slow cooker on low for 6-7 hours. Strain the broth (discarding onion, bay leaf, etc) and return broth to the pot. Make and add red chile sauce, hominy and remaining ingredients and cook on low for 1-2 more hours. 
  • Make Ahead Instructions: Pozole can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for about a week. The toppings are best prepared fresh but the sliced radishes can be stored wrapped in moist paper towels or in water. Shredded cabbage can be kept from browning by tossing it thoroughly in lime juice.
  • Freezing Instructions: Once cooled, pozole can be stored in freezer-friendly containers or freezer bags for several months. Remove as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn. Thaw in the fridge overnight, and warm over low heat.

Nutrition Information

Calories 401kcal (20%) Carbohydrates 25g (8%) Protein 38g (76%) Fat 18g (28%) Saturated Fat 5g (25%) Polyunsaturated Fat 3g Monounsaturated Fat 8g Trans Fat 0.01g Cholesterol 116mg (39%) Sodium 898mg (37%) Potassium 1261mg (36%) Fiber 9g (36%) Sugar 14g (28%) Vitamin A 7814IU (156%) Vitamin C 15mg (17%) Calcium 63mg (6%) Iron 5mg (28%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 401

% Daily Value*

Calories 401kcal 20%
Carbohydrates 25g 8%
Protein 38g 76%
Fat 18g 28%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g 18%
Monounsaturated Fat 8g 40%
Trans Fat 0.01g 1%
Cholesterol 116mg 39%
Sodium 898mg 37%
Potassium 1261mg 27%
Fiber 9g 36%
Sugar 14g 28%
Vitamin A 7814IU 156%
Vitamin C 15mg 17%
Calcium 63mg 6%
Iron 5mg 28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.