This hearty Mexican pozole rojo is made with tender pork, chewy hominy and a rich chile broth. Dried chiles add layers of earthy, fruity and gently smoky flavor, while fresh cabbage and crisp radishes bring a bright and crunchy contrast.
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About This Recipe
Pozole rojo is a traditional Mexican stew made with tender pork, chewy hominy and a rich red chile broth. It has a few steps, but each one builds another layer of flavor and the result is so worth it!
Cubed pork shoulder is simmered with onion, garlic and bay leaves to build a flavorful broth, then a blend of softened dried chiles, onion, garlic, oregano and cumin is added to make the rich red chile sauce that's stirred right into the pork broth.
Once everything comes together, it’s time for the best part: all the toppings! Garnish the pozole with crunchy shredded cabbage, crisp radishes, fresh oregano and a squeeze of lime. The combination of the rich, savory broth with the crunchy toppings is just so good!
📋 Ingredients
- Pork Shoulder: Pork shoulder, also called pork butt, is ideal for pozole because it has a good amount of fat and connective tissue that becomes incredibly tender during simmering.
- Dried Chiles: The chile sauce uses a combination of dried chiles, each giving a different flavor profile. Remove the stems and seeds before soaking the chiles.
- Ancho: earthy and slightly fruity.
- Guajillo: fruity and mildly sweet.
- Chile de árbol: adds a little heat.
- Onion, Garlic and Bay Leaves: These aromatics are used both in the pork broth, while more onion and garlic are added to the chile sauce.
- Hominy: Hominy is a type of corn with plump, tender kernels and a slightly chewy texture. You can find canned hominy in most grocery stores near the canned beans. Be sure to drain and rinse the hominy before adding it to the pozole.
- Dried Oregano and Cumin: These spices give the chile sauce an earthy, savory flavor. If you have Mexican oregano, you can certainly use it here, but regular dried oregano works well too.
- Pozole Toppings: Have fun with the toppings! Finely shredded cabbage and thinly sliced radishes are classic additions. Diced white onion, avocado, fresh lime juice and oregano are also great additions.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
🍋 Substitutions and Variations
- Use Chicken Instead of Pork: Simmer chicken pieces in the same broth or use leftover cooked shredded chicken and add it toward the end.
- Use Prepared Stock. For an easier, weeknight version, use an already made chicken or vegetable stock instead of making the pork broth from scratch.
- Adjust the Heat. The chile de árbol adds the most noticeable heat. Start with two peppers for a mild level of heat and add more if you prefer a spicier pozole.
- Have Fun with Toppings. In addition to cabbage, add diced white onion, avocado, hot sauce, or crumbled queso fresco. And for a fun side, spread a layer of crema onto crunchy tostadas and take a bite along with spoonfuls of pozole.
⏲️ Instructions
Make the Pork Broth. Simmer the pork in water with onion, garlic and bay leaves until very tender. Skim any foam that rises to the surface for a clear broth.
Finish the Pork Broth. Once the pork is tender, remove the onion, garlic and bay leaves. Leave the pork in the pot while you prepare the chile sauce.
Soften the Dried Chiles. Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chiles, then gently simmer them in water until softened. Reserve the soaking liquid for the chile sauce.
Make the Chile Sauce. Blend the softened chiles with onion, garlic, oregano, cumin and chile soaking water until smooth. Add more soaking liquid as needed.
Add the Hominy and Chile Sauce. Add the chile sauce and drained hominy to the pork and broth. Stir everything together and continue simmering for another 30 minutes.
Serve the Pozole. Ladle the red pozole into bowls and garnish with toppings.
📍 Recipe Tips
- Skim the Broth: As the pork simmers, you'll notice some foam rising to the surface. Use a spoon to skim it off to keep the broth clear.
- Cook the Pork Until Very Tender: The pork should be very tender and easy to pull apart. This can take about 1½ to 2 hours.
- Use the Chile Soaking Water: Don't throw away all of the water used to soften the chiles. Add it to the blender to loosen the chile sauce.
- Strain the Sauce: For an extra smooth sauce, strain the blended chile sauce through a fine-mesh sieve before adding it to the broth. This step isn't necessary if your sauce is already very smooth.
- Make Ahead: Pozole gets even better as it sits and can be made up to 3 days ahead. Store it covered in the refrigerator and gently reheat on the stovetop. If needed, add more broth or water when reheating.
Serving Suggestions
Pozole toppings vary by region and personal preference, so have fun building your bowl.
- Finely shredded cabbage
- Thinly sliced radishes
- Fresh oregano
- Lime wedges
- Diced white onion
- Avocado
- Crumbled queso fresco (not traditional, but a tasty addition)
- Hot sauce or additional chile de árbol for more heat
- Tostadas: Spread a tostada with Mexican crema or sour cream and enjoy it alongside a spoonful of pozole. The combination of crispy tostada with the tangy cream and rich stew is so good!
More Hearty Stews to Try
Pozole Rojo (Mexican Pork Stew with Hominy)
LittleFerraroKitchen.com
Ingredients
For the Pork Broth
- 2 pounds pork shoulder or pork butt cut into 2-3 inch pieces
- 1 yellow onion cut in half
- 1 garlic bulb cut in half
- 2-3 bay leaves
- 8 cups water or enough to cover the pork by about 1 inch
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
For the Chile Sauce
- 5 dried ancho chiles stems and seeds removed
- 5 dried guajillo chiles stems and seeds removed
- 2 chile de arbol optional for heat
- 1 yellow onion roughly chopped
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 cup reserved chile soaking water plus more as needed
- Salt to taste
For the Posole
- 2 15-ounce cans white hominy, drained and rinsed
- Prepared chile sauce
For Serving
- Finely shredded cabbage
- Radishes thinly sliced
- White onion finely diced
- Fresh lime wedges
Instructions
- Make the Pork Broth. Add the pork, halved onion, halved garlic bulb, bay leaves, salt, and water to a large pot. The water should cover the pork by about 1 inch.
- Bring the broth to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a low simmer. As the broth cooks, skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Continue simmering until the pork is very tender and easily pierced with a fork, about 1½ to 2 hours.
- Once the pork is tender, remove and discard the onion, garlic, and bay leaves.
- Make the Chile Sauce. While the pork is cooking, prepare the chiles. Remove the stems and seeds from chiles and place them in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10–15 minutes, until the chiles are softened.
- Transfer the softened chiles to a blender, along with the chopped onion, garlic cloves, dried oregano, cumin, and 1 cup of the reserved chile soaking water. Blend until completely smooth, adding a little more chile water as needed to create a smooth, pourable sauce.
- Combine the Posole. Once the pork is tender, remove the aromatics from the broth and pour the chile sauce into the pot with the pork and broth. Stir well to combine.
- Add the drained and rinsed hominy and bring the posole to a gentle simmer.
- Simmer and Finish. Continue simmering for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, allowing the pork, hominy, chile broth to come together. Taste and adjust the seasoning with additional salt as needed.
- Serve. Ladle the hot posole into bowls and garnish with plenty of shredded cabbage, sliced radishes and other toppings.
Notes
- Skim the broth: Skim off any foam that rises to the surface for a clear broth.
- Save the chile water: Use the chile soaking water to loosen the sauce as needed.
- Strain if desired: For a smoother sauce, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve before adding to the broth.
- Make ahead: Pozole can be made up to 3 days ahead. Reheat gently and add a splash of stock or water if needed.
Cheyanna Pavey says
Hello Samantha I been looking for a good pozole recipe and this one seems to be the one to catch my attention I been craving Pozole never made it but my dad use to make it for me and his wasn't spicy and that's how I liked I don't mind some kick but for me spicy isn't my thing so I was curious. Is this spicy? Like what would you say on say on a scale from 1-10 please let me know I really want to try this! Take care
Angie K White says
Just made this and I do have to say, it's really fantastic!! Authentic, seasoned perfectly and very flavorful...thank you for sharing!
Samantha says
Thank you so much Angie!!
Danny says
Just want to say thank you so much for this recipe .. I made it exactly as written, and it was awesome .. Brought me back to when I was younger and my friends family would make this for New Year’s Eve .. Thank you again ?
Samantha says
Makes me so happy!! Thanks for sharing Danny!!
Jessica says
I love pozole and i couldn't remember how my mother n law in Mexico made it exactly. Then i found your recipe and that was it, i knew it was going to be great! The only thing different that i did and that's only cause my mother n law did was add cumin and cloves ooh and i also used chile cascabel instead. I love these peppers and i don't think they're spicy, they just have a lovely taste and flavor to them!!! But I can't Thank You enough for your recipe, it was AMAZING!!!! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!! LOL.
Samantha says
Jessica, I LOVE that you added cumin and clove!! I'm definitely going to add that next time I make it..which will be soon since I've been craving a good soup!! Yayyy so glad you liked it :))
Danny B says
Great recipe . The taste is very authentic ..
I was looking for a good recipe for pozole and have definitely found it .. Everyone has different ways of garnishing , but the main dish itself is awesome .. Again, thank you for a great recipe 🙂
Teresa says
This looks delish! How much water would estimate you start out with cooking the pork? Thanks so much!
Samantha says
Hi Teresa! I put enough water to it just coveres the pork and aromatics. You can cut up the pork too and not leave it in a huge piece like I did..haha
sabrina says
I just made your recipe!! Very easy!! I added a little cumin to when the meat was cooking.. But it turned out Very delicious!! I usually make pozole verde! This is a keeper! Thank you!!
Samantha says
Thanks Sabrina! I haven't made the green pozole yet but now i can't wait!! Any tips? 🙂
V says
Yeah, we have never used any type cheese. Wanted to note we add diced tomatoes, diced onion, diced radishes, chopped lettuce and lemon for the fixins. I make it just using chili powder and spices, but, your recipe sounds good.
Samantha says
Thanks for the comment!! I think cheese is a nice touch..lol And love the addition of tomatoes and lettuce!!
valentina says
I created this recipe almost to the letter except I did not have ancho chile, just guajillo. I roasted the chicken, too, after deboning it, so that the stock could boil and not make the chicken too overcooked. Thank you so much! This is better tasting than the Rick Bayless pozole he has on his site.
Samantha says
Love the idea of roasting the chicken!!
Kara says
If we use chicken do we still allow it to simmer for two hours to make the stock? Wouldnt chicken take less time than pork? I cant wait to try this!!!!
Samantha says
Hi Kara! So sorry I didn't reply sooner as we're in the process of moving!! I agree with you, the chicken should take less depending if its a a whole chicken or parts. I would boil chicken with other aromatics and then reduce to a simmer until fully cooked through, about 45-1 hour or so? Then remove chicken, shred, make rest of the soup and then add chicken back in! I think it will be delicious!! Also when making the stock, be sure to skim off any "foam" that accumulates from the bones. Have fun!
Liz Rodriguez says
OMG......LOVE THIS RECIPE..........I've always wanted to know how to make Red Pozole. I've tried it from different places both red and green pozole and from two good friends of mine. But there was always flavor missing!! Now I know and I'm glad you shared your recipe. I will definitely make this soon and I'll let you know how it comes out!!
Samantha says
Hi Liz! Please let me know how it comes out 🙂