This Mexican POZOLE recipe is a brothy, hearty soup built on a base of hominy and tender pork or chicken, flavored with a homemade red chile sauce and garnished with shredded cabbage and thinly sliced radishes. It’s also known as Pozole Rojo.
Talk about Mexican soul food; you can’t get more quintessential than Pozole! This is a Mesoamerican dish and was an Aztec favorite long before Columbus ever sailed the ocean blue. There are even restaurants specializing in it, called pozolerías! It was one of the first real Mexican dishes I fell in love with while living in Puebla, Mexico. Various cooks in Mexico shared their methods with me, and this is my version, created using the ingredients I’m able to find at my local grocery store. Everyone makes it their own by sprinkling on their favorite crunchy, fresh and aromatic toppings before digging into this steamy bowl of yumminess.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: 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.
To Freeze: 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.
How to make Pozole:
Trim and cube the pork.
Make Broth: In a stockpot, bring pork and water to a boil. Skim off any foam that rises to the top and then add onion, garlic, bay leaves, salt and chicken bouillon. Simmer for 1 ½ hours.
Meanwhile, boil chilies (deseeded and deveined) in a saucepan with water for 15 minutes and set aside.
Blend the chilies and a few cloves of garlic in a little of the chilie’s cooking water.
Empty the chili saucepan, add a little oil and strain chili mixture back into pan. Simmer for 10 minutes.
From stockpot, strain out aromatics (bay leaves, onion, garlic cloves, and neck bones if used).
Add remaining ingredients to stockpot and simmer for 30 minutes. (Chili sauce mixture, tomato sauce, oregano, cumin, white vinegar, hominy, plus salt and pepper to taste)
Ladle soup into bowls, apply toppings: Shredded cabbage, chopped onion, fresh cilantro, a squeeze of fresh lime juice, plus, optionally, avocado and thinly sliced radishes. Serve with warm tortillas. Also make sure to try my Pozole Verde!
- Spice level: This pozole is pretty mild (my young kids eat it!) as the guajillo and ancho chilies are not very spicy. If you like more spice, add árbol chilies, or simply season your portion with crushed red pepper flakes or hot sauce at the end.
- 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 this pozole, Pozole Rojo).
- 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.
Red Pozole – Meaty Mexican Bone Broth & Hominy Soup/Stew – Food Wishes
FAQ
What is pozole broth made of?
What was pozole originally made out of?
Is pozole broth good for you?
Is menudo broth the same as pozole?
What is in a pozole recipe?
This pozole recipe uses dried oregano (but Mexican oregano is more traditional if you can find it), cumin for a warm flavor, bay leaves, sea salt (or kosher salt), and black pepper. You can also add ground coriander and/or smoked paprika if you like.
What is pozole soup?
What Is Pozole? Pozole is a brothy, hearty Mexican soup made with hominy and meat, such as beef or pork, or seafood or vegetables.
What is pozole based on?
Pozole is a traditional Mexican stew defined by its rich, dried chile-infused broth, namesake hominy, and slow-cooked meat–in this case tender cubes of pork shoulder. This recipe is based on one average-sized pork shoulder and makes a large batch, which is great for company or the freezer.
What is Mexican pozole made of?
Authentic Mexican pozole (posole) is a hearty and comforting stew made with pork and hominy in a flavorful red chile broth. Top your bowl with shredded cabbage, radishes, cilantro, lime, and avocado! What is pozole? There’s nothing better than a warm bowl of pozole and some corn tortillas or tortilla chips on the side.