Pozole Blanco is a traditional Mexican soup made with pork or chicken and hominy simmered in a white (light colored) homemade broth, delicious and homey. Use this as a base for pozole verde or pozole rojo, but it's great by itself!
Pozole Blanco Recipe (Mexican White Posole)
We're making a big, comforting pot of white pozole in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen, my friends. Grab a chair and a bowl!
Pozole blanco is a delicious soup from Mexico, particularly Guadalajara. It starts with a homemade broth, usually made from either pork or chicken, simmered with white hominy, which is dried corn kernels treated with alkali.
It's a comforting weekend soup, incredibly satisfying, and easy to make if you have the time. It's absolutely worth making the broth from scratch, which makes it unique and truly down home.
This version is made with pork, though you can make it with chicken as well.
Let's talk about how to make pozole blanco, shall we?
Pozole Blanco Ingredients
The full ingredients list with measurements is listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- FOR THE WHITE POZOLE STOCK
- Bone-In Pork Shoulder. You can use boneless, but you'll get much more flavor from bone-in.
- Ham Hocks.
- Pig's Feet. Optional. You can use more ham hocks if you prefer or are unable to find pig's feet, though I highly recommend them for richness of the broth. Look for them at Mexican markets or your butcher.
- Vegetables. White onion, carrots, celery, garlic cloves.
- Seasonings. Bay leaves, salt and black pepper.
- Water.
- White Hominy. You can use dried hominy soaked overnight, or canned hominy.
- FOR GARNISH/SERVING
- Crushed red chilies or chili powder, salsa picante, sliced radish, chopped cilantro or Mexican oregano, lime wedges, chopped red onion, hot sauce, avocado, fried pork rinds (chicharrónes), shredded lettuce, shredded cabbage, tortilla chips (as desired). Some areas swirl in a raw egg before serving.
How to Make Pozole Blanco - the Recipe Method
NOTE: The full instructions are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Add all the pork and vegetables to a large pot with the water and salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 2-3 hours, or until the pork is fall apart tender.
Remove the pork, shred or chop it, then set it aside.
Strain the broth, then simmer it in the same pot with the chopped or shredded pork and hominy until warmed through.
Boom! Done! Your pozole blanco is ready to serve. Easy enough to make, isn't it? Serve the pozole into bowls and top with your chosen garnish, or serve the garnish on the side for diners to garnish as desired.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Ham Hock Alternatives. Traditional pozole is made with either pig's feet or pig's head, due to the collagen content, which adds richness and body to the stock. Consider pork neck, pork shank, or pork ribs as an alternative. You can make this dish with pork shoulder alone. It's still quite delicious.
- Dried Hominy Option. If making your pozole rojo with dried hominy instead of canned, cover with water and soak the dried hominy overnight, then cook it per your packaging instructions before using.
- Make it with Chicken. Chicken pozole is delicious and lower in calories than pork pozole. Simmer the chicken breasts or whole chicken the same way with vegetables, then shred and strain per the recipe.
Storage & Leftovers
Pozole blanco will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. You can enjoy it again by gently warming it in a pot on the stovetop.
You can also freeze it for 6 months in vacuum sealed containers. I freeze larger batches all the time. Works great.
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy this Mexican white pozole recipe. Let me know if you make it. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you, and if you decided to spice it up!
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Pozole Blanco Recipe (White Posole)
Ingredients
- 3 pounds pork shoulder (bone-in preferred) cut into large 2-3 inch chunks
- 1 pound ham hocks
- 1/2 pound pig's feet Or use more ham hocks - see RECIPE NOTES for other options
- 1 large white onion quartered
- 2 carrots rough chopped
- 2 stalks celery rough chopped
- 1 large head garlic peeled
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt to taste
- 4 quarts water
- 3 15- ounce cans white hominy drained and rinsed (or use dried hominy soaked overnight)
FOR GARNISH/SERVING
- Crushed red chilies or chili powder, salsa picante, sliced radish, chopped cilantro or Mexican oregano, lime wedges, chopped red onion, hot sauce, avocado, fried pork rinds (chicharrónes), shredded lettuce, shredded cabbage, tortilla chips (as desired). Some areas swirl in a raw egg before serving.
Instructions
- To a large pot, add the pork shoulder, ham hocks, pig’s feet (or other pork you’re using), onion, carrot, celery, garlic, bay leaves and salt. Pour in the water. It should cover the ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2-2.5 hours, or until the pork is fall apart tender. Skim the fatty foam that rises to the top of the pot periodically.
- Remove the pork from the pot and chop or shred it with forks. Cover the shredded meat and set aside.
- Strain the stock and discard the solids (spent vegetables and any bones). Return the strained stock to the large pot and keep at a simmer.
- Add the hominy and reserved shredded or chopped pork. Taste and adjust for salt.
- Simmer for 10 more minutes to heat through.
- Serve the pozole into bowls and top with your chosen garnish, or serve the garnish on the side for diners to garnish as desired.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Doug Bales says
All the pozole I've had has had green or red chili peppers in the recipes.
Mike H. says
True, but this is *pozole blanco*, a milder version without chili in the base. Heat comes from garnishes like crushed chilies or hot sauce!
Susan E Minger says
This sounds delicious. Question-- could it be made with turkey?
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Susan. Absolutely, this would be great with turkey. Let me know how it turns out! Enjoy.
Cyndi says
Just a question on the hamhock. Is it the smoked kind you find in grocery stores or is this the natural( raw) version. Thank you I’m so wanting to try this.
Mike Hultquist says
Cyndi, I used the one from the grocery store. Works GREAT.