Mexican Pozole

By
Molly Watson
Molly Watson
An award-winning food writer and cookbook author, Molly Watson has created more than 1,000 recipes focused on local, seasonal ingredients.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 10/11/22
Tested by
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Tested by Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Pork and hominy stew garnished with cilantro leaves and radish slices

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
Prep: 8 mins
Cook: 2 hrs 42 mins
Total: 2 hrs 50 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
571 Calories
34g Fat
26g Carbs
38g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 571
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 34g 43%
Saturated Fat 12g 61%
Cholesterol 136mg 45%
Sodium 1104mg 48%
Total Carbohydrate 26g 9%
Dietary Fiber 5g 18%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 38g
Vitamin C 7mg 35%
Calcium 81mg 6%
Iron 3mg 19%
Potassium 579mg 12%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Pozole is a super easy and amazingly tasty stew made with pork, dried chiles, and hominy. This recipe for the traditional Mexican stew is a pozole rojo and features red chile peppers.

To some, this soup is at its best thanks to the garnishes, which provide balance and flavor in addition to decoration. The stew is simmered for a long time to let the flavor develop. While cooking it on the stove is common, you can cook it in an ovenproof pot (e.g., Dutch oven) in the oven to free up the stovetop.

Pozole is traditionally served with warm corn tortillas to help soak up the savory broth. It's topped with a variety of fresh, flavorful, and crunchy garnishes, including cilantro, scallion, radishes, and green cabbage. Set these and other garnish options on the table and let everyone top their bowl to their liking.

1:18

Click Play to See This Traditional Pozole Recipe Come Together

"This was a tasty dish and a great way to use pork shoulder. I used dried guajillo peppers in the dish. It took about 5 cups of water to cover the pork, and I ended up adding another cup near the end of cooking. Overall, it was a delicious stew." —Diana Rattray

Mexican Pozole Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds pork shoulder

  • 5 to 6 cups cool water, or enough to cover

  • 3 dried red New Mexico chiles, or other large, mild, dried red chiles

  • 3 cloves garlic

  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt, more to taste

  • 6 cups hominy, cooked or canned

  • 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano

  • 1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro, for garnish

  • 1 large thinly sliced scallion, for garnish

  • 3 medium thinly sliced radishes, for garnish

  • 1/2 cup shredded green cabbage, for garnish

  • Lime wedges, for serving, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for pork and hominy stew recipe gathered

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Cut the pork into chunks. Fairly big pieces are traditional, but if you prefer, cut the pork into bite-sized pieces.

    Pork cut into cubes with a large knife on a cutting board

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Put the pork in a large pot and add enough cool water to cover it by about 2 inches (approximately 5 to 6 cups). Bring to a boil, skimming off any foam that forms in the pot.

    Foam being skimmed off from pork cooking liquid with a spoon

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Remove the stem and seeds from the chiles, and peel the garlic. Add the chiles, garlic, and salt to the pork.

    Dried chiles and garlic added to the Dutch oven with the pork

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  5. Reduce the heat to maintain a steady simmer, cover, and cook until the pork is fork tender, about 90 minutes. Alternatively, put the covered, ovenproof pot in a 350 F oven for the same amount of time.

    Pork in deep brown cooking liquid in the Dutch oven

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  6. After the pork has cooked, add the hominy and the Mexican oregano. Continue cooking at a simmer until the flavors blend and the pork is very tender, for another hour. Add additional water, if necessary, to keep the moisture at a good level, return the mixture to a boil and reduce back down to a simmer when needed. Add salt to taste.

    Hominy added to the pork in the Dutch oven

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  7. Serve the pozole in deep bowls.

    Pork and hominy stew in clear cooking liquid served in a deep plate

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  8. Garnish with chopped cilantro, scallion, radish, and green cabbage. If you like, squeeze fresh lime juice on top. Enjoy.

    Mexican pozole garnished with cilantro leaves and radish slices

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Tip

  • If you are using canned hominy, make sure to drain it before adding it to the stew.
  • To cook dried hominy, place 1 cup in a large pot and cover it with cold water. Bring to a boil and add plenty of salt to season it. Reduce heat to maintain a steady simmer, and cook until just tender, about 2 hours. Drain and use as directed in the recipe.
  • Oregano is not the same plant as Mexican oregano but will work as a substitute. Since it's more flavorful, use 2/3 teaspoon dried common oregano in the stew.

Recipe Variation

  • For a more flavorful broth, remove the dried peppers after the first 90-minute boiling time. Chop or puree them with a bit of the water, then add them back into the soup.
  • Another option for extra flavor is to add a pork shank or knucklebone to the pot.
  • Change up the traditional way of serving the stew by adding toasted cumin seeds or slices of avocado with the garnishes.
  • Add a dollop of sour cream or crumble queso fresco on top of the stew if you like.

Is It Pozole or Posole?

Both pozole and posole are accepted spellings for this stew. The name originates from the Nahuatl language. Alternative spellings include pozolé, pozolli, and pasole, though they're not as commonly used. It's thought that pozole means "hominy," but it's also interpreted as "frothy."

What's the Difference Between Pozole Rojo and Verde?

The types of chiles and meat used in the stew distinguish pozole rojo and pozole verde. This pork recipe is for pozole rojo, and the red chile peppers produce a red (rojo) broth. In pozole verde, green chiles (e.g., jalapeños) and tomatillos create a green (verde) broth, and it most often uses chicken.