Pozole Rojo

This delicious and authentic Pozole Rojo recipe is the ultimate Mexican comfort food! This Mexican stew features ultra-tender pork and hominy cooked in a rich red chile broth made from dried chiles and features simple but delicious Mexican flavors. Don’t forget to top your bowl with plenty of shredded cabbage, radishes, cilantro, and lime juice.

If you love this traditional Mexican dish, then you’ve got to try these other versions – pozole verde, pozole blanco, and Instant Pot pozole!

Why I Love This Pozole Recipe!

There are a handful of recipes that bring me instant nostalgia, and pozole rojo is one of them.

My family usually makes it around the holidays, alternating between Christmas one year and New Year’s the next. It’s great for feeding a crowd since most of the magic is letting the juicy pork simmer for a few hours in a rich red chile broth, and it’s just so comforting that it’s perfect for that time of year.

Each family has their own variation, but mine likes to add a special ingredient of a small tablet of Mexican chocolate to the red chile broth for extra layers of rich and warm flavor. 

Here’s why I love this recipe pozole recipe so much:

• Rich flavor: The deep, earthy taste of the red chilies used in the broth gives pozole rojo its distinctive, rich, and succulent flavor that’s both spicy and savory.
• Hearty and satisfying: Made with tender pork or beef and hominy, this stew is incredibly filling and comforting, perfect for a hearty meal. My family usually makes it with pork, but you could use beef if you prefer.
• Customizable: You can tailor the spice level to your taste by adjusting the amount of chili peppers or using different types. It’s also delicious with various toppings like shredded cabbage, radishes, lime, and avocado.

What Is Pozole?

Pozole is a traditional Mexican soup or stew made with tender meat and hominy in a savory broth. It’s served year-round but is often eaten at celebrations such as birthdays, weddings, Christmas, New Year’s, and other holidays.

There are many variations of the dish, including some with a red chile broth (known as pozole rojo) and some with a green chile broth (or pozole verde). There’s even a version made with no chiles at all called pozole blanco! All variations are made with hominy and are served with lots of toppings that are meant to be mixed into each individual serving. 

Ingredients in Pozole Rojo

• Dried chiles: You’ll need a mix of guajillo chiles, ancho chiles, and árbol chiles. You can find them in the Hispanic foods aisle of many large grocery stores or a specialty Mexican grocer. If you can’t find them in your area, buying them online is always a great option.
• Hominy: This is often found in the Hispanic foods aisle of your local grocery store or sometimes near the canned corn. If you’ve never used it before, hominy is a type of maize that’s been soaked and treated with lime. The kernels are about triple the size of yellow corn, and they add great maize flavor and texture. I usually use white hominy, but you can also use yellow hominy.
• Pork shoulder: Also known as “pork butt,” this cut of meat is perfect for pozole because it’s super tender, juicy, and shreds easily.
• Broth: I prefer using broth for added flavor. You can use vegetable, chicken, or beef. If you don’t have broth, water will also work in a pinch.
• Spices: Cumin, chili powder, Mexican oregano, salt, black pepper, and garlic add layers of Mexican flavor. 
• Mexican chocolate (optional): This ingredient is optional, but I find that Mexican chocolate adds a little extra depth of flavor that compliments the chiles. It doesn’t make the chile sauce sweet at all. I used Abuelita Mexican chocolate, but you can use any Mexican chocolate you prefer. If you can’t find anything near you, you can find some online.

How to Make Pozole Rojo

Make the chile broth: Add the water and the guajillo, ancho, and árbol chiles to a medium pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, cover, remove from heat, and let soak for 15 minutes. Carefully transfer them and the hot water to a large blender. Add the chili powder, ground cumin, salt, garlic, and Mexican chocolate. Blend for 2-3 minutes until completely smooth. Set aside.

Sear the meat: Season all sides of the meat with the salt and black pepper. Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the pork, and sear the meat on all sides until nicely browned.

Combine and cook: Pour in the red chile broth 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. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a low, cover, and simmer for 2 ½ hours until the pork is fall-apart tender.

Shred: Shred the pork with a fork or tongs (it should fall apart very easily). Taste and season with more salt, if necessary. If the pozole isn’t brothy enough for you, you can also mix in a little more water or broth at this point.

Serve: Top with thinly shredded cabbage, cilantro, lime juice, sliced radishes, diced onions, and dried Mexican oregano.

Serving Suggestions

A comforting bowl of pozole rojo is delicious and filling on its own, but you wouldn’t captivate the full authentic experience without all the delicious toppings. Here are some traditional toppings that are served with pozole:

• Thinly shredded cabbage
• Chopped cilantro
• Dried Mexican oregano
• Freshly squeezed lime juice
• Thinly sliced radishes
• Diced white onions

Instant Pot and Slow Cooker Methods

To make pozole in the Instant Pot, use the ‘Saute’ function to sear the meat, then add in the blended chile sauce, broth, hominy, and Mexican oregano. Close the lid and pressure cook on high for 60 minutes using the manual setting. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes before manually releasing any remaining pressure.

To make pozole in the slow cooker, sear the meat in a large skillet, then transfer to the slow cooker. Add the blended chile sauce, broth, hominy, and Mexican oregano, and slow cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours until the pork is tender and easily shreddable.

Storing and Reheating

• Storing: Allow the pozole to cool, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Keep any fresh toppings, like cabbage or radishes, in separate containers.
• Freezing: Portion pozole into freezer-safe containers or bags, leaving space at the top to allow for expansion. Freeze for up to 3 months for the best flavor.
• Reheating: For refrigerated pozole, reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave in increments, stirring it in between. If frozen, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat, or reheat directly from frozen over low heat on the stovetop, adding a bit of broth if needed. Add fresh toppings just before serving.

More Mexican Recipes

• Birria
• Albondigas Soup
• Pozole Verde
• Tamales
• Chile Colorado
• Chile Verde

If you tried this Pozole Rojo Recipe or any other recipe on Isabel Eats, don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how it went in the comments below! I love hearing about your experience making it!