Mexican Pozole Recipe

Top view of a bowl of Mexican pozole soup

5 from 2 reviews

Mexican Pozole or Pozole Rojo is a flavorful soup with tender pork and hearty hominy in a rich and bold spiced broth. This Red Pozole recipe is easy to make and filled with authentic Mexican flavors!

Course Dinner, Soup

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword Mexican Pozole, Posole, Pozole Rojo, Red Pozole

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1 35

Total Time 1 50

Servings servings

Calories 258kcal

Author Chef Kathy McDaniel

Ingredients

For The Red Chile Paste

3 dried ancho chile peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped
2 dried guajillo peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 tomato, coarsely chopped
1 cup chicken broth
½ cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon ground cumin

For The Soup

2 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast, pork butt or Boston butt
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil, canola or vegetable oil
1 large onion, diced
6 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon dried oregano
3 bay leaves
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
4 cups chicken broth
2 15-oz. cans white hominy, drained and rinsed

Toppings (optional)

Thinly sliced cabbage, thinly sliced radishes, chopped avocado, chopped onions, chopped cilantro, lime wedges.

Instructions

To Make The Red Chile Sauce

In a small saucepan over medium heat, place the chiles, tomatoes, broth, onions, apple cider vinegar, garlic and cumin. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 3 minutes. Cover, remove from the heat and let it stand for about 15 minutes.
In a blender, process the chile mixture on high until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Set aside.

To Make The Soup

Trim the excess fat from the pork and cut into 3/4-inch cubes. See Note #1
Season the pork with salt and ground black pepper. In a pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Sear the pork stirring occasionally for about 6 minutes or until golden brown. Brown the pork in batches, if needed, to prevent overcrowding the pot. Add additional oil, if needed. Remove the meat from the pot and transfer to a plate.
Add the onions to the pot and saute, stirring frequently until the onions become tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for about a minute. Return the meat and any collected juices to the pot.
Stir in the red chile puree and cook, stirring a few times for about 2 minutes. Stir in the rest of the soup ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low heat and simmer covered, stirring occasionally, for 75 to 90 minutes, or until the pork becomes tender and the soup is slightly thickened (See Note #2).
Stir and season to taste with salt and ground black pepper. Remove soup from the heat and discard the bay leaves. Serve with desired toppings.

Notes

You can cut the meat into chunks that are 1/2-inch to 1-inch in size according to your preference. I like smaller chunks for my soup so I usually do 1/2 inch!
Cooking times will vary depending on the size of the meat chunks. 1-inch chunks usually cook in about 90 minutes.
You can use dried chile de arbol to make this soup. Just keep in mind that chile de arbol is spicier than dried guajillos and dried ancho chili peppers.
You can keep pozole stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. Reheat on the stove top or in the microwave.
Posole freezes well. Cool completely and store in freezer-safe resealable bags or airtight containers. I prefer storing the soup in smaller portions. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat on the stove top or in the microwave.

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