Easy Pozole Recipe

A comforting pozole rojo made with tender pork shoulder, white hominy, and a smooth sauce from guajillo and ancho chiles. Serve it with fresh toppings so everyone can build a bowl to taste.

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Prep Time 25

Cook Time 1

Total Time 2

Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

Pozole

2 tablespoons Neutral oil, such as vegetable or avocado oil
2 pounds Boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1½-inch pieces
1 medium Medium yellow onion, finely chopped
5 cloves Garlic cloves, minced
8 cups Low-sodium chicken broth
2 25-ounce cans White hominy, drained and rinsed

Chile Sauce

4 chiles Dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
2 chiles Dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
2 cups Hot water for soaking the chiles

Seasoning

1 teaspoon Ground cumin
1 teaspoon Dried Mexican oregano
2 leaves Bay leaves
1½ teaspoons, plus more to taste Kosher salt
½ teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper

Finishing

1 tablespoon, optional Apple cider vinegar or fresh lime juice

Garnishes

As needed Thinly sliced green cabbage or lettuce
As needed Sliced radishes
As needed Diced white onion
As needed Fresh cilantro
As needed Lime wedges
As needed Dried oregano
As needed Sliced avocado
As needed Chopped jalapeño or another fresh chile
Optional Tostadas

Method

Step-by-Step

Toast the stemmed and seeded guajillo and ancho chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for 20–30 seconds per side. Keep them moving and do not let them blacken, since burned chiles can make the broth bitter.
Place the toasted chiles in a bowl and cover them with the 2 cups of hot water. Let them soak for 15–20 minutes, until soft and pliable.
Blend the softened chiles with about 1 cup of their soaking liquid, the garlic, cumin, Mexican oregano, and a pinch of salt. Pour the puree through a fine-mesh sieve to remove tough chile skin and seeds.
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot. Season the pork with salt and black pepper, brown it in batches, and transfer each batch to a plate so the pieces sear instead of steam.
Add the chopped onion to the same pot and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring until softened. Add the strained chile sauce and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Return the browned pork to the pot, then pour in the chicken broth and add the bay leaves. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat, cover partially, and simmer for about 1–1½ hours.
Add the drained and rinsed hominy during the final 30–45 minutes of cooking. Continue simmering until the pork is fork-tender and the hominy is hot and plump.
Remove the bay leaves and taste the broth. Adjust the salt, then add the apple cider vinegar or lime juice if the soup needs a little extra brightness.
Ladle the pozole into bowls and serve the cabbage, radishes, onion, cilantro, lime, oregano, avocado, jalapeño, and tostadas separately. Let each person add the toppings they enjoy.

Notes

For a faster version, replace the pork with 2 pounds of boneless chicken thighs or breasts. Simmer the chicken for approximately 25–35 minutes, shred it, and return it to the soup with the hominy. Pozole often tastes even better after resting overnight; add a little broth when reheating because the hominy absorbs liquid.