This pozole rojo recipe (posole) is the most comforting Mexican soup loaded with shredded pork and hominy, spiced with mild, vibrant red chilies and lots of toppings to finish.
Mike's Recipe Highlights
Today we are making a big pot of Mexican Pozole Rojo (or Red Posole), my friends. Would you care for a bowl?
If you love soup, this is going to be your new favorite. It is pure comfort in a bowl, and perfect for spicy food lovers who enjoy big, bold flavors.
What Is Pozole?
Pozole is a traditional Mexican soup or stew. It is made with hominy (dried corn kernels) and a stock base made from pork or sometimes chicken, though vegetarian versions can be made.
This is a red posole version of the dish, Pozole Rojo, where a flavorful sauce made from red chilies is added to the soup base.
It takes a bit of time to make it at home, but it's easy to do once you break it down into the following steps:
- Make the Stock.
- Make the Red Sauce.
- Combine.
- Serve and Garnish.
Most of the time is spent waiting for the stock to cook. The rest is mostly chopping and putting it all together.
This is how I like to make mine.
Let's talk about how to make pozole rojo (red posole), shall we?
Recipe Ingredients
For the Stock
- Pork Shoulder. Bone-in preferred for more flavor.
- Ham Hocks. Or use pig's feet or pig's head for more traditional. See the recipe notes section for further discussion for other options.
- Vegetables. White onion, carrots, celery, garlic.
- Bay Leaf.
- Salt.
- Water.
- Canned White Hominy.
For the Salsa Roja
- Guajillo Peppers.
- Ancho Peppers.
- Vegetables. White onion and garlic.
- Seasonings. Dried Mexican oregano, dried thyme, cumin, salt.
- Vegetable Oil. For simmering.
Optional Garnish
- Shredded lettuce or shredded cabbage, sliced radish, chili flakes, chopped cilantro, lime wedges, chopped onion, hot sauce, avocado (as desired). You can use others.
How to Make Pozole Rojo
For the Stock
To a large pot or Dutch oven, add the pork shoulder, ham hocks (or other pork you’re using), onion, carrot, celery, garlic, bay leaves and salt. Pour in the water. It should cover the ingredients completely.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2-2.5 hours, or until the pork is fall apart tender. Cooking time can vary, depending on the amount of pork you're using.
Skim the fatty foam and excess fat that rises to the top of the pot periodically.
Remove the tender pork from the pot and shred it with forks. You can shred it finely or keep it more chunky, to your preference. 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.
For the Salsa Roja
While the pozole stock is cooking, toast the ancho peppers and guajillo peppers in a hot pan 1 minute per side at medium-high heat, or until they puff up slightly and darken in color.
This helps to release the oils from the dried red chiles and develops more flavor in your final red sauce.
Cool, then remove the pepper stems and seeds.
Add the lightly toasted peppers to a large glass bowl with the onion and garlic. Cover with boiling water and soak for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the peppers are very soft.
Transfer the soaked peppers, onion, garlic, Mexican oregano, thyme, cumin, and salt and pepper to a food processor with 1 cup of the soaking liquid. Process until smooth.
Strain the chile sauce into separate bowl. Straining out the solids will result in a smoother sauce.
Some of the tougher bits might remain from processing the sauce, so it is best to remove them, though you don't have to strain if you don't want to.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan to medium heat and add the red sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes to let the flavors develop.
Set aside until ready to use.
Swirl the red sauce into the simmering stock. Add the hominy and reserved shredded pork. Taste and adjust for salt.
Simmer for 10 - 15 minutes more to heat through. You are now ready to serve! Are you getting excited?
Boom! Done! Your pozole rojo is ready to serve. Easy enough to make, isn't it, once you break down the steps? Get your toppings ready!
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.
I find it easier to find ham hocks at my local store, though also consider pork neck, pork shank, or pork ribs.
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.
Canned Hominy can usually be found in the Mexican or International section of your local grocery store.
Storage & Leftovers
This recipe will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. It tastes even better the next day. You can easily reheat it in a pot on the stove over gentle heat.
You can also freeze it for 2-3 months.
Serving Instructions
Serve the pozole rojo into bowls and top with your chosen garnish, or serve the garnish on the side for diners to garnish as desired.
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy this pozole rojo recipe. Mexican red posole is so good! Let me know if you make it. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you, and what toppings you chose for yours.
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 Rojo Recipe (Red Posole)
Ingredients
FOR THE POZOLE STOCK
- 3 pounds pork shoulder bone-in preferred, cut into large 2-3 inch chunks
- 1.5 pounds hamhocks (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
FOR THE SALSA ROJA (Red Sauce)
- 4-5 guajillo peppers 1 ounce by weight
- 4-5 ancho peppers 2 ounces by weight
- 1 small white onion rough chopped
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon cumin optional
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
FOR GARNISH
- Shredded lettuce, sliced radish, chili flakes, chopped cilantro, lime wedges, chopped onion, hot sauce, avocado (as desired)
Instructions
MAKE THE POZOLE STOCK
- To a large pot, add the pork shoulder, ham hocks (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 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.
MAKE THE SALA ROJA (RED SAUCE)
- While the pozole stock is cooking, toast the ancho peppers and guajillo peppers in a hot pan 1 minute per side, or until they puff up slightly and darken in color. This helps to release their oils.
- Cool, then remove the stems and seeds.
- Add the lightly toasted peppers to a large glass bowl with the onion and garlic. Cover with very hot water and soak for 20 minutes, or until the peppers are very soft.
- Transfer the soaked peppers, onion, garlic, Mexican oregano, thyme, cumin, and salt and pepper to a food processor with 1 cup of the soaking liquid. Process until smooth.
- Strain the sauce into separate bowl.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan to medium heat and add the red sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes to let the flavors develop. Set aside until ready to use.
FINISH THE POZOLE ROJO
- Swirl the red sauce into the simmering stock. Add the hominy and reserved shredded pork. Taste and adjust for salt.
- Simmer for 10 more minutes to heat through.
FOR SERVING
- Serve the pozole rojo into bowls and top with your chosen garnish, or serve the garnish on the side for diners to garnish as desired.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Cookbook Recommendation
If you enjoy Mexican cuisine, I recommend the following cookbooks, which I used to adapt this recipe. It has a lot of great recipes.
- Mexico: The Cookbook (affiliate link, my friends!)
- Made in Mexico: The Cookbook, by Danny Mena (affiliate link, my friends!)
- Authentic Mexican, by Rick Bayless (affiliate link, my friends!)
cindy ramirez says
I want to try this but without the pork, subbing chicken instead. I don't eat pork, but I do love posole and this looks delicious. Your recipes I have tried always come out amazing!
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Cindy. Yes, this will work great with chicken. I have a recipe here you can work with that uses chicken: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/chili-pepper-recipes/soups-salads-stews/classic-mexican-chicken-posole/
Kris says
Made this last night. sooooo good! I'm thinking about making a batch of the red sauce and sticking it in the freezer since that is the most time consuming part of this recipe. (cooked the pork in the InstantPot for 35mins) Should I simmer it before or after I stick it in the freezer? Or does it even matter?
Mike H. says
Kris, you can do both, but I think it’s best to simmer the red sauce before freezing, as this allows the flavors to meld and ensures it’s ready to use when thawed.
Kris says
thank you 🙂
Ramona Hovey says
Made this today and it turned out fabulous. Beautifully rich broth. I used the ham hocks, pork shoulder cubes I had in the freezer and the last pound of venison stew meat I needed to get out of my freezer. Followed everything else exactly and the taste was great.
Mike H. says
Happy to hear it, Ramona! And thank you for the review.
June says
you don't mention when to add the hominy.
great recipe, I now make it often not just special events.
Mike Hultquist says
June, the step to add the hominy is clearly listed under "Finish the Pozole Rojo" in step 1, when you add the reserved shredded pork. You must have missed it. Glad you like it.
Carolyn says
Turned out great!
Mike Hultquist says
Great!
Laura says
Hi Mike,
This is the second time I made this pozole, as we really enjoyed it the first time, and it came out even better the second time!
When COVID hit, I was forced to cook because my husband and I used to eat out all the time. I was living in Houston, and we were close to some outstanding restaurants, some within walking distance. Anyhow, I didn't realize this pozole was going to be as labor intensive as it was (at least for me - definitely still a novice cook), but it was soooo worth it!
Because my local grocery store didn't have any guajillo peppers, the store clerk suggested cascavel peppers. He didn't know how hot they were, but he said he thought they were quite flavorful. Also, they were out of canned white hominy, but they did have canned golden yellow hominy so I used five 15 oz cans, as we love hominy. The first time I had made it, I decided I'd add extra hominy the next time. Lastly, I added a dozen chili de arbol peppers to the mix, and I think they helped to increase the heat a bit. Anyhow, my family thought it was outstanding, and have already asked when I'll be making it again!
My question is this: if I want to have more broth, would I add more water when I'm initially cooking the meat and vegetables rather than simply just covering those items in the large pot? Honestly, I love the flavor the meat gives it, but I totally would be fine with the broth and the hominy. 🙂
Thanks for your great recipies?
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Laura! Yes, you can add more water when cooking the stock so it takes on that flavor. However, if in a pinch, you can add something like pre-made chicken stock after if you need to, even a bit of water. I appreciate it!
Meka says
When you say ham hocks are they smoked?
Mike Hultquist says
You can use smoked or unsmoked, Meka. I love the flavor addition of smoked. Enjoy!
Lori says
Is the oregano powdered or just whole dried?
Mike H. says
You can use either, Lori. It is ultimately a matter of personal preference.
Tiffany says
How much salsa rojo does this make? I want to try but with my salsa and I’m trying to figure out how much to make.
Mike Hultquist says
Tiffany, it should make about 2 cups. Also, I have a different Salsa Roja Recipe here: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/chili-pepper-recipes/sauces/salsa-roja-mexican-red-table-sauce/