Spoon Simple
Pozole Rojo
A soul-warming hominy and pork soup with a rich red chile broth, simmered until the meat falls apart. Traditionally served on celebrations — top with shredded cabbage, radishes, and a squeeze of lime.
Prep 25 min
Cook 2h 30m
Total 2h 55m
Serves 8
Ingredients
Step 1 — Cook the pork and broth
- 2 lbs pork shoulder (cut into chunks)
- 1 lb pork neck bones or spare ribs (optional, for depth)
- 2 cans (29 oz each) hominy (drained and rinsed)
- 1 medium onion (halved)
- 6 garlic cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 10 cups water or chicken broth
Step 2 — Make the red chile sauce
- 6 dried guajillo chiles (stemmed and seeded)
- 2 dried ancho chiles (stemmed and seeded)
- 3 garlic cloves
- ½ medium onion
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
Step 3 — Garnishes
- 2 cups shredded green cabbage
- 1 cup radishes (thinly sliced)
- ½ cup diced white onion
- Fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Dried oregano
- Tostadas or tortilla chips
Instructions
- 1
Simmer the pork
In a large pot, combine pork, onion, garlic, bay leaves, oregano, salt, and water. Bring to a boil, skim foam, then simmer covered 1½–2 hours until pork is very tender. Remove pork, shred, and set aside. Strain broth and return to pot.
- 2
Make the chile sauce
Toast dried chiles 30 seconds per side in a dry skillet. Soak in hot water 20 minutes until soft. Blend chiles with soaking liquid, garlic, onion, cumin, and oregano until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh sieve.
- 3
Finish the pozole
Stir chile sauce and hominy into the broth. Simmer 30 minutes. Add shredded pork and season to taste. Ladle into bowls and serve with cabbage, radishes, onion, cilantro, lime, and tostadas on the side.
Nutrition per serving: 380 cal · 32g protein · 28g carbs · 16g fat · 5g fiber
For informational purposes only. Not medical or dietary advice. Verify ingredients for allergens, cooking times, and safe internal temperatures before serving.
