Description
Classic Mexican Pozole is a traditional and hearty soup featuring tender pork shoulder or chicken, hominy, and a savory broth infused with smoky chilies and earthy spices. This comforting dish brings authentic Mexican flavors to your table, perfect for gatherings or any season.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 4 cups canned or pre-cooked hominy, rinsed and drained
- 2 lbs pork shoulder or chicken (preferred cuts: pork butt or bone-in chicken thighs)
- 1 large onion, roughly chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 3–4 guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 2–3 ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Juice of 1 fresh lime (added before serving)
Optional Toppings
- Shredded cabbage or lettuce
- Thinly sliced radishes
- Diced onions
- Fresh avocado slices
- Chopped cilantro
Additional for Variations (optional)
- Chipotle or serrano chiles (for extra spice)
- Tomatillos and jalapeños (for green pozole)
- Mushrooms, jackfruit, or roasted vegetables (for vegetarian version)
Instructions
- Prepare the Hominy: Rinse the canned or pre-cooked hominy thoroughly under cold water. Drain well and set aside to ensure the kernels are clean and ready to absorb the broth.
- Toast and Soak the Chiles: Lightly toast the guajillo and ancho chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, turning occasionally until fragrant but not burnt. Remove from heat and soak the chiles in hot water for about 15 minutes until softened.
- Make the Chile Sauce: Blend the softened chiles along with garlic cloves, a portion of the onion (about half), and some broth taken from the cooking pot or water until smooth and silky to create the chile sauce that infuses flavor into the pozole.
- Cook the Meat: In a large pot, combine the pork shoulder or chicken with the remaining onion, the bay leaves, garlic cloves, and enough water to cover the meat. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for 1.5 to 2 hours (or until meat is tender and shreds easily). Remove the meat and shred it using two forks, discarding bones if applicable. Reserve the broth.
- Combine and Simmer: Add the shredded meat, hominy, and chile sauce back into the pot with the reserved broth. Stir well and let simmer for 30 to 45 minutes so all the flavors meld together beautifully.
- Season and Serve: Season the pozole with salt and pepper to taste. Just before serving, stir in fresh lime juice to brighten the flavors. Serve hot with optional garnishes on the side.
Notes
- Use fresh dried chiles (guajillo and ancho) instead of ground chile powders for best flavor.
- Simmer slowly to tenderize the meat and deepen the broth’s complexity.
- Do not skip adding fresh lime juice just before serving — it balances and lifts the richness.
- Pozole tastes even better the next day after flavors have melded.
- Offer a variety of toppings to customize each bowl to personal taste.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for 3-4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
- A slow cooker can be used to cook the meat for deeper flavor with less hands-on time.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Category: Soups & Stews
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 650mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 80mg