This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Making Pozole just got easier! This Instant Pot Pozole recipe is so user friendly, you’ll have this delicious, flavorful stew ready in one hour. Don’t forget to top it with shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, fresh lime juice, and a sprinkle of Mexican oregano!
Pozole is a popular staple recipe in Mexican cuisine, but it can seem intimidating to try to make if you’re not familiar with it. It’s typically made on the stovetop, but I adapted my pozole rojo recipe so that it can be made in the pressure cooker.
And let me tell you, it’s so good, this may be the only way I make pozole from now on!
This Instant Pot Pozole recipe makes it totally user friendly and easy! Plus it cuts the cooking time in half.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- white hominy
- pork shoulder
- dried chiles – guajillo, ancho, and arbol
- seasonings – chili powder, ground cumin, dried Mexican oregano (or regular oregano), salt, black pepper, and garlic
- Mexican chocolate – optional, but I highly recommend it!
- broth
How to make Instant Pot Pozole
1. Make the chile sauce: Place the chiles in boiling water and cover, letting them soak and soften for about 10 minutes.
Transfer the softened chiles and the hot water into a large blender. Add the salt, chili powder, ground cumin, garlic, and Mexican chocolate. Blend for 2-3 minutes until its completely smooth. Set this aside for later.
2. Sear the pork: Cut the pork into large chunks and season with salt and pepper on all sides. Sear them in the Instant Pot by using the saute function. When hot, add 1 tablespoon of oil and 3 or 4 pieces of meat.
Brown the meat on all sides. When browned, transfer to a plate and set aside. Continue working in small batches until all the pork is browned.
3. Combine: Next, transfer all the meat back into the Instant Pot and turn it off.
Pour in the red chile sauce and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to loosen all the crispy brown bits.
Stir in the broth, hominy, and dried oregano, and combine.
4. Set it and forget it: Close the lid of the Instant Pot and move the valve to the sealing position. Press the Manual or Pressure Cook button to high pressure, then adjust the +/- buttons until the time reads 45 minutes. When finished cooking, carefully move the valve to the venting position and release the pressure. Remove the lid.
5. Shred the pork: Shred the pork with a fork or spatula. Stir to combine all the ingredients, taste, and add salt if needed. Serve with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Toppings for Pozole
You can’t forget the great toppings! Here are some of my favorites:
- Shredded cabbage: This adds great texture and crunch.
- Sliced radishes: Radishes add texture, brightness, and a little heat.
- Lime juice: I always add a squeeze of lime juice to add some citrus and great flavor.
- Mexican oregano: For some extra flavor! Mexican oregano has a stronger flavor than regular oregano and is much more fragrant.
- Diced onion: Diced onion also adds great flavor and crunch.
MORE Instant Pot Recipes
Instant Pot Pozole
Ingredients
For the chile sauce
- 3 cups water
- 5 guajillo chiles, rinsed and seeds removed
- 3 ancho chiles, rinsed and seeds removed
- 2 árbol chiles, rinsed (seeds removed if you want a mild spice level)
- 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 cloves garlic
- 8 grams Mexican chocolate (about ⅛ disc)
For the pozole
- 2 ½ pounds pork shoulder, cut into large 4-inch chunks
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 4 cups broth (chicken, vegetable, or beef)
- 3 (15-oz) cans white hominy, drained and rinsed (about 4 cups)
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano (Mexican oregano preferred)
Suggested toppings
- thinly shredded cabbage, diced white onions, lime wedges, dried Mexican oregano, cilantro, thinly sliced radishes, avocado
Instructions
- Prepare the chile sauce: In a small pot over high heat, bring the water to a boil. Remove it from the heat and add in the dried chiles. Cover and let the chiles soak for 10 minutes.
- Carefully transfer the softened chiles and the hot water into a large blender. Add the salt, chili powder, ground cumin, garlic, and Mexican chocolate. Blend for 2-3 minutes until completely smooth. Set aside.
- Prepare the pozole: Season all sides of the meat with the salt and black pepper.
- Press the saute button on the Instant Pot. When hot, add 1 tablespoon of oil and 3 or 4 pieces of meat. Brown the meat on all sides, flipping every 60 seconds. When browned, transfer to a plate and set aside. Continue working in batches until all the meat is browned.
- Transfer all the meat back into the Instant Pot and turn it off. Pour in the red chile sauce and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to loosen all the brown bits. Stir in the broth, hominy, and dried oregano and combine.
- Close the lid of the Instant Pot and move the valve to the sealing position. Press the Manual or Pressure Cook button to high pressure, then adjust the +/- buttons until the time reads 45 minutes.
- When finished cooking, carefully move the valve to the venting position and release the pressure. Remove the lid.
- Shred the pork with a fork or spatula (it should fall apart very easily). Taste and season with more salt, if necessary.
- Serve with toppings such as finely shredded cabbage, cilantro, lime juice, thinly sliced radishes, diced onions, and dried Mexican oregano.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I don’t have an Instant Pot, so I’m going to try this in a slow cooker. That way, the family can smell it all day!
Made this today and it tastes incredible! It was also really easy and fast to make it in the instant pot. Will definitely be making this again — thank you!
As a New Mexico native I love pozole. This one is right near the top for my taste’
Hi Isabel and friends, some of your students make the chile sauce/enchilada sauce and freeze it. Can you let me know the measurement (cups) that I need for this recipe?
Thanks
Hi Mikel! I would say about 3-4 cups.