Authentic Mexican Red Pozole Recipe

I’m excited to share my Pozole Recipe for classic red pozole rojo, a traditional Mexican pork and hominy stew built around a rich, smoky chile base and time-honored techniques.

I grew up around tables where a big pot of red stew pulled everyone close, and this Pozole Recipe still makes me stop and smile. There is something about tender pork shoulder swimming with hominy that feels honest, loud, and a little wild, like a story your abuela starts and never finishes.

I love how simple it looks but how it keeps changing with each spoonful, surprising you with depths you didn’t expect. If you think you know Mexican Soup, try this and you might find a new favorite memory, one that keeps pulling you back for more.

Ingredients

• Pork shoulder: Rich in protein and collagen, makes broth silky, adds savory depth
• Hominy: High in fiber and complex carbs, chewy texture, earthy corn flavor
• Guajillo chiles: Fruity and mildly smoky, give color and gentle heat, vitamin A content
• Ancho or pasilla chiles: Deeply smoky raisin like sweetness, adds dark color and warmth
• Garlic: Boosts savory punch and immune friendly compounds, more aroma than heat
• Onion: Adds natural sweetness and body to broth, has vitamin C and fiber
• Lime: Bright acidic lift, balances richness, adds vitamin C and fresh tang
• Cilantro: Fresh herbal note, tiny vitamins and antioxidants, rough chopped to garnish

Ingredient Quantities

• 3 lb (1.4 kg) pork shoulder, bone in, cut into large chunks (or use 2 lb pork shoulder plus 1 lb pork hocks for extra richness)
• 3 (25 oz or 710 g) cans white hominy, drained and rinsed
• 8 to 10 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 2 to 3 dried ancho or pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 1 large white onion, halved for cooking and 1 small white onion, finely chopped for serving
• 8 garlic cloves, peeled
• 10 cups (2.5 liters) water or low sodium chicken or pork broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano, plus more for garnish
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or other neutral oil
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar or apple cider vinegar, optional to brighten the chile sauce
• 3 cups shredded green cabbage or iceberg, for serving
• 8 to 10 radishes, thinly sliced, for serving
• 3 to 4 limes, cut into wedges, for serving
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped, about 1/2 cup, for serving
• 1 to 2 avocados, diced, optional for serving
• Tostadas or warm corn tortillas, for serving

How to Make this

1. Put the pork shoulder (and pork hocks if using) in a large pot with 10 cups water or low sodium broth, the halved large onion, all 8 garlic cloves, bay leaves, 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano, 2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a boil, skim the foam, then lower heat and simmer gently until the pork is fork tender, about
1.5 to 2 hours. Save the cooking liquid, youll need it for the chile sauce and the stew.

2. While the pork cooks: remove stems and seeds from the guajillos and the ancho or pasilla chiles, then toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat 20 to 40 seconds per side until fragrant but not burned. Toasting brings out flavour, dont overdo it or the sauce will be bitter.

3. Soak the toasted chiles in very hot water for 15 to 20 minutes until soft. Reserve about 1 to 2 cups of the soaking liquid.

4. When the pork is done, remove it to a platter, let cool slightly, shred the meat and discard bones. Keep the pot with the strained broth on low heat. Remove the halved onion and a couple of the cooked garlic cloves from the pot and let cool a bit for the sauce.

5. In a blender combine the softened chiles (trim any black spots), about 1 to 2 cups of the chile soaking liquid or hot pork broth, the cooked garlic you set aside, a piece of the cooked onion, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, and 1 tablespoon vinegar if using. Blend until very smooth. Strain the puree through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl or measuring cup to remove skins and grit. Taste and add a little salt if needed.

6. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat, pour the strained chile sauce in and fry it, stirring, 4 to 6 minutes until it darkens and smells deep and toasty. This step mellows raw chile flavor and gives depth.

7. Pour the fried chile sauce into the pot with the pork broth, add the drained hominy and the shredded pork, bring to a simmer and cook together 20 to 30 minutes so the flavors marry. Check seasoning and add more kosher salt and black pepper as needed; remove bay leaves before serving.

8. Serve hot with bowls of shredded cabbage, thinly sliced radishes, chopped small white onion, lime wedges, chopped cilantro, diced avocado if you want, and extra dried oregano for sprinkling. Offer tostadas or warm corn tortillas on the side.

9. Tips: wear gloves when handling chiles, dont let toasted chiles burn, strain the sauce well so your pozole isnt gritty, and if the broth tastes flat a squeeze of lime or an extra splash of vinegar brightens it up.

Equipment Needed

1. Large stockpot (6 to 8 qt) youll simmer the pork and keep the broth warm
2. Blender or high speed blender for pureeing the rehydrated chiles, watch hot liquids
3. Fine mesh sieve or strainer to remove skins and grit from the chile puree
4. Dry skillet or cast iron pan to toast the chiles gently
5. Medium frying skillet to fry the strained chile sauce
6. Colander to drain and rinse the hominy
7. Chef knife and cutting board for trimming meat, chopping onions, cilantro, etc
8. Tongs or slotted spoon to lift pork and remove bones, plus a ladle to serve the pozole
9. Measuring cups and spoons, plus a few mixing bowls for soaking chiles and holding mise en place

FAQ

Authentic Mexican Red Pozole Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Pork shoulder: swap for pork butt (same thing, just another name); use 1 lb pork hocks plus 2 lb shoulder for extra gelatin and deeper broth; or go with bone-in chicken thighs/legs (3 to 4 lb) if you want a lighter, quicker-cooking pozole.
• White hominy (canned): use dried nixtamalized hominy/mote (soak and simmer longer until tender, about 1.5 to 3 hours); or canned yellow hominy if white isn’t available; frozen pre-cooked hominy also works, just add near the end so it doesn’t fall apart.
• Dried guajillo / ancho chiles: substitute pasilla or New Mexico chiles (similar heat and flavor); use 2 to 3 tablespoons ancho or guajillo chile powder if you can’t rehydrate whole chiles; for smokier heat use 1 or 2 rehydrated chipotles or a bit of chipotle powder, but cut back on quantity.
• Vegetable oil: use rendered pork lard for authentic flavor and mouthfeel; or use canola or avocado oil as neutral, high-heat options; extra-virgin olive oil is ok in a pinch but it’ll change the flavor profile so use less.

Pro Tips

1) Wear gloves when you handle the dried chiles, and toast them super quick until you smell them, not until they go dark or theyll turn bitter. Save some of the soaking liquid or a bit of the pork broth to blend with the chiles so the puree stays silky, not watery.

2) Strain the blended chile through a fine sieve, push it with the back of a spoon, then fry that strained sauce in hot oil until it deepens in color and smells rich. This step makes the raw chile bite disappear, so dont skip it, but keep stirring so it doesnt stick or burn.

3) Let the cooked pork rest a little before shredding, pull out the bones and big fat pieces you dont want, but keep a few fatty bits for richness. If you used pork hocks or more fatty pieces, your pozole will be way more unctuous, so skim only the gross foam not all the flavor.

4) Taste and fix at the end. Chiles mute salt and acid so wait to season fully until the pork and hominy are together. A squeeze of lime or a splash of vinegar brightens it up, and extra oregano at the finish gives that classic punch.

5) Make ahead and serve smart: pozole often gets better after a day, chill it then skim off excess fat and reheat slowly with a little broth. Keep cabbage, radishes, onions and avocado separate so they stay crunchy, and warm your tortillas or crisp tostadas right before serving.