Easy Mexican Red Pozole with Pork Recipe (2024)

This red pozole with pork recipe features hominy and tender meat in a rich, spicy broth. Served with an array of toppings, this hearty and satisfying classic Mexican dish is perfect for any festive occasion or family gathering.

Over the years, so many of you have asked when I would share my pozole rojo, which is a classic Mexican pork and hominy dish. That day, I'm happy to say, has finally come.

My Green Pozole with Chicken recipe has been a perennial favorite here at Mama Latina Tips, so you might be surprised to know that for me, when, as a child living in central Mexico, pozole meant red pozole with pork first.

In fact, red pozole was so valued as a comfort food and staple in my hometown that a family could go out any night and find it for sale in the calle, which by that I mean from any number of street vendors.

Even so, my grandma would still make it for our family herself, and it smelled so good. I always held my bowl under my nose and breathed it in for a few minutes before taking the first spoonful.

What is Pozole?

Pozole, sometimes spelled posole, is a traditional Mexican soup or stew made with hominy, a type of corn kernel, a meat protein, usually pork, but sometimes chicken, beef or seafood, a spiced broth made with dry or fresh chiles or with no peppers at all. (Yes, that's right, can you believe it?!), topped with fresh vegetables like lettuce, radishes, and onion. In addition, it’s traditionally served with fresh lime juice, oregano, and a tostada on the side.

The word pozole comes from the Náhuatl, pozolli, which means foamy. I'm not exactly sure why, but possibly the broth would foam up a little while the meat cooked.

This traditional Mexican soup is perfect for a large family or any other group gathering. It’s often enjoyed during special occasions like birthdays, baptisms, Las Posadas, anniversaries, New Years, and more. We love it all year round in our house.

RELATED POST: Chilaquiles and Eggs with Guajillo Sauce

Pozole Variations

There are many pozole recipes in Mexican cuisine, but the most popular are red, green, and white. All of them can be prepared with pork, beef, or chicken; what makes them different is the broth.

While pozole blanco or white pozole has no chile peppers in the broth, pozole verde is made with a tomatillo salsa and red posole is made with dried chiles.

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Ingredients and Substitutions

Every family has its own version of red pozole, but most of us agree on the use of dry red chiles in the broth, hominy and lots of toppings. Here are the ingredients and substitutions for this hearty soup.

Meat

This recipe calls for pork shoulder, but you can also use pork butt or pork shanks. Some families use the ribs or pieces of the pig's head. I recommend using a piece of pork with some fat that shreds easily.

Hominy

In my opinion, the hominy is what gives the pozole its traditional texture and flavor. Hominy is dried maize or corn kernels treated with an alkali solution to remove the hulls. This process makes the kernels big, puffy, and delicious.

You can find it in cans in the Hispanic section at supermarkets. Sometimes it's available in bags. I like buying it canned because it's precooked and cleaned.

This is great because when I was a child, before cooking the hominy, we would have to sit at the kitchen table with a bowl in the center and clean each kernel one by one by hand using the tool pictured below.

Now, I usually choose the can that has no preservatives. You can also find hominy online here.

Chile peppers

Dry guajillo pepper is what gives the broth its smoky, rich flavor. If you have spicy food lovers in your family, add a few chiles de árbol for some extra kick.

If you want to add a bit of sweetness, 1-2 ancho chiles will do the trick.

Guajillo chiles are dry and long, with soft, burgundy-colored skin. They are medium to low on the heat scale but full of flavor.

You can find them in the spice aisle of the supermarket or in the produce department. Sometimes you'll find them in a bag, sometimes in bulk. If you prefer shopping online, you can find guajillo peppers, chile de árbol peppers, and ancho peppers here.

Spices

Onion, garlic, salt, and bay leaves provide the base of the broth, but it’s the Mexican oregano that, in my opinion, gives it life! Please don't omit it if you can help it. I use the oregano in the broth but also on top when serving the pozole.

My mom used to tell me, “add the oregano to your bowl to help your digestion,” and while this might be true, this aromatic herb gives a unique flavor to the pozole that makes it hard to describe or explain just how good it is; please take my word for it.

How to Serve Pozole

Serving the pozole is fun as your guests or family can serve themselves and customize their toppings. Here are some of the traditional garnishes:

• Lettuce. But not just any. Iceberg is the favorite. Iceberg lettuce is crunchy and won't wilt as fast as other varieties. Some families prefer white cabbage. You can substitute with Romain lettuce.
• Chopped white onion. This variety of onions adds a little bit of sharpness and sweetness that is needed to balance the rich broth.
• Radishes. For texture and to add another level of flavor.
• Lime juice. Freshly squeezed, please!
• Oregano. For all the reasons I listed above.
• Salsa. If you want your pozole spicier.
• Tostadas. The favorite way we eat pozole in Mexico. Think of the tostada as your bread.

How to Store and Reheat Pozole

First I need to tell you something very important. Preparing this traditional soup one day in advance allows all the ingredients to come together as one. Of course, it's delicious the day you prepare it, too, but if you can plan and make it the day before, you will give your family and your guests an extra wonderful taste experience.

Let the pozole cool down completely before you transfer it to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Also pozole freezes extremely well, up to 6 months.

My favorite way to reheat it is in a pot on the stove, but you can also use the microwave.

If you make your own red pozole with pork, snap a photo and share it with us on social media using the #mamalatinatips hashtag. I’d love to see it and have the chance to share it as well.

Let's make it.

If you make your ownred pozole with porkbe sure to snap a photo and share it with us on social media using the#mamalatinatipshashtag. I’d love to see it and have the chance to share it as well.

Mexican Red Pozole Recipe with Pork

Makes approx. 18 bowls (9 L or 36 cups)

Prep time: 18 minutes – Start to finish: 2 hours 35 minutes

Ingredients

For the broth

• 4-5 pound pork shoulder with at least one large bone and some skin, washed and cut into 4-inch squares. It's ok to leave bones with some meat on them.
• 6 1/2 quarts of cold water + 3 cups
• 3 bay leaves
• 15 cloves of garlic, peeled, divided
• 1 large white onion, peeled, divided
• 8 guajillo peppers
• 6 dried chiles de arbol * (optional)
• 1 (6 lb 9 oz) can of hominy
• 2 tablespoons dried Mexican oregano
• 4 tablespoons salt

For garnish

• 2 heads of iceberg lettuce
• 2 bunches of radishes
• 2 white onions
• 8 limes or lemons
• 2 bags of tostadas

Utensils

• Large pot
• Cutting board
• Knife
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Blender o food processor
• Colander
• Can opener
• Pozole bowls

* A note about chiles: chiles guajillos give a smoky flavor to the broth but are not spicy-hot. If you like spicy-hot pozole, I would recommend either adding chiles de árbol (you can add as many as you like, I would start with 6), or preparing a spicy chile de árbol salsa and adding it to your bowl at serving.

Process

Cook the Meat

Place meat into a large stockpot or Dutch oven, pour in 4 1/4 quarts of water, bay leaves, 6 garlic cloves, and half an onion. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.

Then, lower the temperature to medium-low heat and let it simmer for 1 – to 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is cooked and tender.

While the meat is cooking, prepare the sauce, clean the hominy, and prep the garnishes.

Make the Red Sauce

Pour 3 cups water into a separate pot to boil.

Remove stems and seeds from guajillo peppers and chiles de árbol (if using them). Don't be afraid to cut them in half or in pieces if it is easier. Put them in a deep bowl and add the rest of the garlic cloves and onion.

Pour the 3 cups of boiling water over them, cover and let them rest for at least 30 minutes or until the chiles are soft and completely rehydrated. You can leave them in the water until you are ready to make the salsa.

Transfer the hydrated chiles, garlic, and onion with the water they soaked into a blender or food processor. Add oregano and salt and mix until smooth. Strain and set it aside.

Wash the hominy kernels well and drain them in a colander.

Prepare the Garnishes

Wash and slice the lettuce and radishes. Chop onions. Cover them and leave them aside.

Crush the oregano in a bowl, and prepare a spicy salsa, if you prefer.

Wash the limes but don't slice them until you serve the pozole.

RELATED POST: Mexican Coleslaw with Guajillo Chiles

Finish the broth

When meat is cooked, remove it from the broth with a slotted spoon, but leave the bones in the pot. Remove the bay leaves and any pieces of onion and garlic you find, but don't stress too much if you cannot get them all out. Shred the pork.

Add hominy, sauce, shredded pork and the other 2 quarts of water, and stir with a large spoon. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Then, uncover it, lower the temperature to medium-high and simmer for another 20 minutes. Let it rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Top each bowl of pozole with mounds of lettuce, chopped onion, sliced radishes, crushed oregano, and serve with lime wedges and tostadas on the side.

Buen provecho!

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