The short answer: This pozole recipe makes a big, rich pot of red pozole, or pozole rojo, with tender pork shoulder and plump hominy in a smooth chile broth. Simmer chunks of pork shoulder with onion and garlic until tender, blend toasted guajillo and ancho chiles into a red sauce, then stir in the sauce and canned hominy and simmer for 30 more minutes. Serve it with cabbage, radishes, onion, oregano and lime.
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In many Mexican families, pozole is the dish for Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve and big birthday parties, because one pot feeds a crowd and gets better overnight.
Plan on about 30 minutes of hands-on time and 2½ to 3 hours of simmering.
Pozole ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pork shoulder (pork butt) | 3 pounds | Cut into 2-inch chunks, fat trimmed |
| White onion | 1 large | Half for the pot, half for the sauce |
| Garlic | 8 cloves | Divided |
| Bay leaves | 2 | |
| Water or low-sodium chicken broth | 12 cups | |
| Salt | 1 tablespoon | Then to taste |
| Dried guajillo chiles | 6 | Stems and seeds removed |
| Dried ancho chiles | 3 | Stems and seeds removed |
| Chiles de árbol | 1 to 2 | Optional, for heat |
| Ground cumin | 1 teaspoon | |
| Dried Mexican oregano | 2 teaspoons | Plus more for serving |
| Canned hominy | 2 cans (25 ounces each) | Drained and rinsed |
Toppings: shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, chopped onion, lime wedges, cilantro, avocado and tostadas.
Hominy is corn that has been soaked in an alkaline solution so the hulls loosen and the kernels swell, as Britannica explains. It gives pozole its chewy, puffy kernels.
How to make pozole, step by step
- Simmer the pork. Put the pork, half the onion, 4 garlic cloves, the bay leaves, the salt and the water in a large pot. Bring it to a boil, skim off the foam, then cover and simmer for 2 hours, until the pork is tender.
- Toast the chiles. Toast the dried chiles in a dry skillet for about 30 seconds per side, until fragrant, without letting them burn.
- Soak the chiles. Cover the chiles with hot water and soak them for 15 minutes, until soft.
- Blend the sauce. Blend the soaked chiles with the remaining onion and garlic, the cumin, the oregano and 1½ cups of the pork broth until very smooth. Strain it through a sieve for a silky broth.
- Combine. Remove the onion and bay leaves from the pot, then stir in the red chile sauce and the hominy.
- Simmer again. Simmer uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes so the flavors blend. Shred the pork into bite-size pieces in the pot with two forks.
- Season and serve. Taste and add salt, then ladle it into bowls and let everyone add their own toppings.
Pork shoulder is safe at 145°F, the temperature on the FoodSafety.gov chart, but it needs long, gentle simmering, well past that point, to turn tender enough to shred.
Red, green and white pozole
| Type | Broth | Typical meat |
|---|---|---|
| Pozole rojo | Red chile sauce from guajillo and ancho chiles | Pork |
| Pozole verde | Green sauce from tomatillos, green chiles and pepitas | Chicken or pork |
| Pozole blanco | Clear broth, seasoned with toppings | Pork or chicken |
Tips for the best pozole
- Use pork shoulder. Its fat and connective tissue keep the meat juicy during the long simmer. Lean pork loin turns dry.
- Don't burn the chiles. Burned chiles make a bitter broth, so toast them only until they smell fragrant.
- Strain the sauce. Straining removes bits of chile skin for a smooth, restaurant-style broth.
- Make it a day ahead. Pozole tastes even better the next day, and you can lift off the chilled fat from the top.
Make-ahead and storage
Cool the pozole quickly and refrigerate it within 2 hours. It keeps for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator, or up to 3 months in the freezer. Keep the toppings separate and cut them fresh when you reheat the soup.
Plan a pozole night for the holidays
- Holiday Season Bundle, $15.99. Plan the Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve menu, the grocery list and the budget in one set of printables.
- Family Recipe Binder, $6.99. Write down your family's pozole recipe, with the chiles and toppings everyone likes, so it gets passed down.
For more holiday cooking, see our Christmas Eve dinner ideas, chicken tortilla soup, Mexican street corn and soup recipes.
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Frequently asked questions
What is pozole? Pozole is a traditional Mexican soup, or stew, made with hominy, which is dried corn treated with an alkaline solution so the kernels puff up and turn tender. The most common version, pozole rojo, simmers pork in a red chile broth. Pozole verde uses green tomatillos and chiles, and pozole blanco is a clear broth that each person seasons with toppings at the table.
Why do people eat pozole at Christmas and New Year's? Many Mexican and Mexican American families serve pozole at Christmas, on Christmas Eve, for New Year's Eve and on Mexican Independence Day in September. A big pot feeds a crowd for very little money, it tastes even better when it's made a day ahead, and everyone can build their own bowl with toppings. It's also a favorite cure the morning after a late celebration.
What chiles are used in this pozole recipe? This pozole recipe uses dried guajillo chiles for a bright red color and mild, fruity heat, plus dried ancho chiles for a deeper, slightly sweet flavor. Add one or two dried chiles de árbol if you like it spicy. Toast the chiles briefly, soak them in hot water, and blend them with garlic, onion and a little broth to make the red sauce.
Can I use canned hominy for pozole? Yes, canned hominy works very well for pozole and saves hours, because dried hominy must soak overnight and simmer for a long time. Use two 25-ounce cans, or about 6 cups, drained and rinsed. Add the hominy for the last 30 minutes of cooking so it heats through and absorbs the chile broth without falling apart. Both white and yellow hominy are fine.
Can you make pozole in a slow cooker or Instant Pot? Yes, you can make pozole in a slow cooker or an Instant Pot. In a slow cooker, add the seared pork, red chile sauce and broth and cook on low for 8 hours, then add the hominy for the last hour. In an Instant Pot, cook the pork and sauce on high pressure for 45 minutes and let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes. Stir in the hominy and simmer it on the sauté setting for 10 minutes.
What are the best pozole toppings? The classic pozole toppings are thinly sliced green cabbage or shredded lettuce, sliced radishes, chopped white onion, dried Mexican oregano, lime wedges and crushed chile or chile flakes. Many families also add diced avocado, chopped cilantro and crispy tostadas on the side. Set the toppings out in small bowls so everyone can build their own bowl of pozole.
Sources
- Safe minimum internal temperatures (FoodSafety.gov) foodsafety.gov
- Hominy (Encyclopaedia Britannica) britannica.com