Inside: Pozole is a traditional Mexican soup that is full of different flavors, loved by many, and is consumed year-round. *Looking for Pozole Verde? Get the recipe here*
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One of my all-time favorite meals is Pozole. It is especially great on cold winter days when my body is asking for something warm. What better way to do that than with this delicious, and popular Mexican soup.
I have to say though, in Mexico people consume pozole in large quantities during every season of the year. That said, it is especially popular at holiday celebrations in Mexico. It is easy to make and you will love it!
What Is Pozole And How Do You Make It?
Traditionally, Pozole is a pork-based soup. That said, there are other versions – such as Pozole Verde, that are made with shredded chicken. The version I am making today is Pozole Rojo, and it is popular in the whole country, while Pozole Verde, which you can find here, is more popular in central Mexico.
In order to make it, you will need guajillo chiles, which you will prepare by removing the seeds and stem and then boiling in water for 5-7 minutes.
One of the main ingredients that you need to make an authentic Pozole is hominy. In Mexico, it is sold raw, so it takes a little bit extra effort to peel and soak them so that they are soft enough to use.
Fortunately, cooking is a bit easier in today’s day and age and you can buy it ready-to-use at the store. Then, all you have to do is add it to the recipe!
A few years ago my sister-in-law was planning her wedding reception. For the food, she decided to have a soup buffet. She asked me to make pozole because she had tried it before and really liked it. Of course, I agreed, and I thought it was great to be able to include pozole in her reception.
This recipe was a hit at the reception and was gone even before the other popular soups!
The freshness of this recipe is complemented by the crunchy texture from the freshly made tortilla chips and freshly cut radish.
One of the memories that this recipe brings to my mind is how my grandma always ended up giving me tea to calm my stomach because I couldn’t stop eating it. I still have that problem today. Whenever I make Pozole, I keep eating it until it is gone.
I guess you could say that for me, Pozole is irresistible!
Try out this recipe and let me know in the comments below how it turns out. Don’t forget to leave a review!
Other Authentic Mexican Recipes That You Should Try
- Horchata
- Tacos Al Pastor
- Chilaquiles
- Barbacoa Tacos
- Pork Carnitas Tacos
- Shrimp Ceviche
- Flan
- Carne Asada
- Charro Beans
Products You May Need For This Recipe
- Large Stockpot. Usually, when you make this recipe, you make it for a crowd. If that is the case, you will want a large stockpot like this one.
- Hominy. You can usually find this in the Mexican section of the grocery store, but if not, you can buy it online here as well.
Pozole Rojo
Ingredients
- 2 pounds of pork cut into medium sized cubes
- 6 guajillo chiles
- 1 Can of hominy
- 6 cloves of garlic
- 1 tomato
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1/2 onion
- 1 teaspoon of oregano
- 1 teaspoon of cumin
- 2 bay leaves
Accompaniments
- 2 cups Chopped radish
- 8 lime
- 4 cups chopped lettuce
- 40 homemade tortilla chips
- chopped cilantro
- 1 chopped onion
Instructions
- Cook the pork meat in sufficient water (ensuring that the pork is completely covered with an inch or two to spare) with 1 clove of garlic, 1/4 piece of an onion (not diced), the bay leaves, salt and pepper. Set aside 1/2 cup of the broth from cooking the pork.
- Once the meat is cooked through, remove the bay leave, onion, and garlic clove, and add the hominy and bring to a boil for 15 minutes.
- Prepare the guajillo chilies by removing the seeds and stem and boiling in water for 5-7 minutes or until soft. Set aside for the next step.
- Blend the remaining 5 cloves of garlic, the guajillo chilies, the tomato, another 1/4 piece of the onion, the cumin, the salt, the pepper, the 1/2 cup of broth that was set aside in step 1 above, and 1/2 cup of hominy (to thicken the sauce) in a blender until completely blended.
- Once the above mixture is blended, strain the mixture and add the strained liquid to the boiling pot with the pork and water. Season with oregano and add salt to taste.
- Let boil 15 minutes longer.
- Serve hot, topped with chopped lettuce, onions, radishes, and a few drops of lime and finally the homemade tortilla chips
We made this tonight, and it was SO good! So much flavor, we loved it! Miss you!!
Mexicans don’t use lettuce or a tomato, and we use more then guajillo chiles in our pozole. This is NOT authentic!
Hi Susana, I am a Mexican and spent the first 23 years of my life there, and this IS how we made it growing up. The great thing about Mexican food is that there are different varieties depending on where you are from, and this is how I make it and enjoy it and it definitely is authentic. I’m sure you enjoy your way of doing it, but that doesn’t mean that other methods are any less authentic. Saludos!
I come from an all Mexican family and we all add lettuce to our Posole or Menudo.
I love it when someone from a large and diverse country insists that there is only one way to cook something and if it isn’t their way, it’s not authentic. FFS
I am taking a Spanish college course, and one of my assignments this week is to find a traditional Hispanic recipe to write out and share with the class. This is the recipe I chose, because it looks so good and authentic. I would love to be able to try it someday, too! Thank you for sharing it!
Hey dear, Thanks a lot for sharing such great stuff on delicious recipes. You will be thrilled to hear that we have added this “Mexican Pozole Recipe” in our Mexican food menus at our renouned Arabic Restaurant in Malaysia. It has got more 5-star reviews from most of the visitors who have visited our restaurant. We are very grateful to you for this fantastic recipe idea.
I made tacos and posole and my boyfriend ,who grew up with Hispanic cook said they were both wonderful! Thank you for the help in teaching me to cook.
Oh and btw I used lemon instead of lime, used lettuce and made pico de gilo , not sure how to spell that lol, and didn’t use tomato at all other then in pico. I’ve also used cabbage instead and that works great as a crunch. Cilantro is also great with the tacos and as add on top of soup !
Yes we use cabbage too. Thanks for the recipe.
Excellent recipe!
Where is the red chile? One tomato does make make Rojo?
easy tastes great
What size can of Hominy?
Based on the amount of pork/water used, it has to be a 25 ounce can of hominy.
This wonderful pozole rojo recipe makes the BEST pozole I’ve ever had. I served this at different parties and dinners and it is a universal culinary success. Every last ounce to eaten, and most want the secret recipe!! My father learned to cook Mexican food beginning when he was a little child and cooked a wide variety of Mexican foods all life long. This recipe is similar to his and I can hear him delighting over this one. Great Pozole!!
What size can of hominy?
Based on the amount of pork/water used, it has to be a 25 ounce can of hominy.
The only thing I would recommend changing is instead of using lettuce, use shredded cabbage because it won’t wilt in the hot soup and gives it some crunch.
This recipe is so delicious, thank you for sharing! I have now made it 3 times for the family, and everybody keeps begging for more. This has now become a staple in the rotation of meals we make. Thank you thank you! 🙂
I believe that the size can of hominy depends on your own preference. Some people like more hominy and some less, so it’s all up to you.
sorry new here and come from mexican family and everyone makes it different but how long do i cook the pork for? and i second on the cabbage instead of lettuce
Excellent flavour. Just like my Tia in Mexico used to make!
I added a couple arbol peppers for heat towards the last 15 minutes of cook time and it made a big difference. Before, the guajillo chiles seemed a little flavorless and it may have been my fault for cooking them too long to soften them. Also, I didn’t strain the blended mixture, I just dumped it in. So far, I’m happy with it. Thanks for the recipe!
I was wondering what cut of pork to use for this recipe. At the moment, pork sirloin chops, pork shoulder picnic roast, and pork cushion meat is on sale but I’m not sure which is good for this recipe? Thank you so much for sharing your authentic recipe <3
Hi Erica! I always us pork loin, but you can always try with a different cut and should still have good results. Something lean is best for this recipe. Good luck!