Authentic Pozole Recipe

I’m sharing my Authentic Mexican Soup of tender pork and hominy in a deep red chili broth, rich, robust, and packed with savory flavor, and it freezes beautifully for busy nights.

I grew up around pozole and I still chase that deep, surprising punch it gives. This pozole rojo is pork and hominy in a red chili stew that’s rich, robust and full of unexpected layers.

I use pork shoulder so the meat just falls apart and plenty of hominy so each spoon has chew and grit. It’s bold not polite and you’ll wanna taste it slow, to catch the little changes in the broth as it simmers.

For me this is a Traditional Mexican Dinner and an Authentic Pozole Recipe Mexican that always makes people ask for seconds.

Ingredients

• Pork shoulder: Big protein and fat source; makes the broth rich and silky.
• Hominy: Nixtamalized corn, starchy carbs and some fiber, gives hearty chew and body.
• Guajillo and ancho: smoky fruity heat, adds color, depth and mild spice.
• Garlic: Pungent aromatics that mellow with cooking, boosts savory depth and warmth.
• Onion: Sweet and savory when simmered, builds broth body, adds subtle caramel notes.
• Cabbage, radish, cilantro give crunch, fiber, vitamin C and bright herbal lift.
• Lime and a splash of vinegar bring bright acid to balance the richness.

Ingredient Quantities

• 3 to 4 lb pork shoulder (Boston butt), trimmed and cut into 2 inch chunks
• 1 lb pork neck bones or pork hock (optional but adds good flavor)
• 10 cups water, or enough to cover the meat
• 8 garlic cloves, divided
• 1 large white or yellow onion, halved
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 (15 oz) cans hominy, drained and rinsed (about 3 cups) or about 4 cups cooked hominy
• 8 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
• 3 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
• 2 tbsp neutral oil (vegetable or canola) for toasting/blending chiles
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
• 1 tbsp white vinegar or apple cider vinegar (small splash brightens the broth)
• Garnishes: 1 small head green cabbage or iceberg, thinly shredded
• Garnishes: 6 to 8 radishes, thinly sliced
• Garnishes: 1 small white onion, finely diced
• Garnishes: 4 to 6 limes, cut into wedges
• Garnishes: 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• Garnishes: dried oregano and crushed red pepper flakes for sprinkling
• Optional for serving: avocado slices and tostadas or warm corn tortillas

How to Make this

1. Trim and cut the pork shoulder into 2 inch chunks; pat dry and season lightly with a pinch of the kosher salt and the black pepper. Heat a large heavy pot over medium high and add about 1 tablespoon of the neutral oil. Brown the pork in batches so it gets a good crust, also brown the pork neck bones or hock if using, then return all meat to the pot.

2. Add about 10 cups of water or enough to just cover the meat, the large onion (halved), 6 of the garlic cloves, the 2 bay leaves, 2 tsp kosher salt, and the black pepper. Bring to a boil, skim off any foam, then reduce to a low simmer. Partially cover and cook until the pork is mostly tender, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, adding water if needed to keep meat covered.

3. While the pork simmers prepare the chiles: remove stems and seeds from the guajillo and ancho chiles. In a small skillet heat the remaining oil briefly and toast the chiles 10 to 20 seconds per side until fragrant but not burned, then transfer to a bowl and cover with very hot water to soak 15 to 20 minutes. Save some of the soaking liquid.

4. Put the softened chiles, the 2 reserved garlic cloves, 1 tsp ground cumin, and 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano into a blender with a few tablespoons of the chile soaking liquid or some of the pork broth and blend until smooth. If your blender is small do it in 2 batches. Add a little more liquid if it’s too thick.

5. Strain the chile puree through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing with the back of a spoon to get all the flavor while leaving skins and any grit behind. Don’t skip straining, it makes the broth silky.

6. When the pork is tender, fish out and discard the halved onion and bay leaves. Add the drained hominy to the pot, then pour in the strained chile sauce. Stir to combine, add the tablespoon of vinegar, then simmer uncovered for another 30 minutes so the flavors marry and the hominy absorbs the broth.

7. Check seasoning and texture: taste and add more kosher salt if needed, a pinch more black pepper, or a little crushed red pepper if you want heat. If the pork pieces are large shred some with forks right in the pot or remove, shred, and return to the soup.

8. Let the pozole rest off the heat for 10 minutes before serving so it settles. Pozole thickens as it cools; add a splash of hot water or broth if it’s too thick when reheating.

9. Serve bowls with shredded green cabbage, thinly sliced radishes, finely diced small white onion, fresh cilantro, lime wedges, a sprinkle of dried oregano and crushed red pepper flakes, and optional avocado slices and tostadas or warm corn tortillas. Leftovers freeze great in portions for up to 3 months, reheat gently on the stove.

Equipment Needed

1. Large heavy pot, about 6 to 8 quarts, for browning and simmering the pork
2. Cutting board and a sharp chef’s knife for trimming and cutting the pork into 2 inch chunks
3. Tongs and a slotted spoon for turning meat and skimming foam
4. Small skillet for toasting the dried chiles and a heatproof bowl to soak them
5. Blender or food processor to puree the chiles, do it in batches if your blender is small
6. Fine mesh sieve plus a spoon or rubber spatula to press and strain the chile puree
7. Measuring cups and spoons and a tablespoon for the oil and vinegar
8. Colander to drain and rinse the hominy and a ladle for serving

FAQ

Authentic Pozole Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Pork shoulder (3–4 lb): swap for bone-in pork butt or pork picnic roast — same fattiness and flavor; or use 6–8 bone-in dark chicken thighs if you want chicken pozole, youll cut cook time and get a lighter broth.
• Pork neck bones or hock: use 1 lb smoked ham hocks for extra smokiness; or just add another pound of pork shoulder if you dont have bones, broth will be a bit less gelatinous.
• Hominy (canned): use dried hominy that’s been soaked and simmered until tender (traditional, but takes hours); frozen hominy works too; in a pinch canned white corn, though texture and taste wont be the same.
• Dried guajillo/ancho chiles: substitute pasilla or New Mexico chiles, or for smokiness add 1-2 chipotles in adobo or 1 tsp smoked paprika plus a mild chile; always toast and rehydrate before blending for best color and flavor.

Pro Tips

– Brown the pork in batches so it actually gets a crust, don’t crowd the pan or it will steam instead of sear. Use the browned bits stuck to the bottom to deglaze with a splash of the simmering broth later, that’s where a lot of the flavor lives.

– Toast chiles only until fragrant, not dark brown, then soak them and save some of the soaking liquid. If your blender stutters add small amounts of that liquid instead of water so you keep the chile flavor strong.

– Strain the chile puree through a fine sieve and press it well, but keep an eye on grit from the skins. Skipping the sieve makes the broth grainy, and nobody wants that.

– Add the vinegar at the end and taste for salt before serving, vinegar brightens the whole pot. If it tastes flat a little more salt or another squeeze of lime will wake it up, don’t be shy.

– Let the pozole rest off the heat for 10 minutes so it firms up and the flavors meld, and shred big pieces of pork right in the pot if you want less mess. Leftovers get better after a day, and they freeze great in portions, just thin with hot water when reheating.