Ultimate Pozole Rojo
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One of the most iconic Mexican dishes, this “ultimate” Pozole Rojo recipe is PACKED with deliciously bold and robust flavors that will absolutely WOW your taste buds! A great make-ahead dish, the flavors only get better over time!
What is Pozole Rojo?
Pozole in Mexico is like chicken noodle soup in the United States – it’s a dish so engrained in our culture, traditions and way of life that it’s practically indispensable at the family table. Imagining life without it is, well, unimaginable. And on a cold and drizzly day or in the midst of feeling under the weather and needing some nutritious comfort, you just can’t beat a hot bowl pozole rojo.
One of Mexico’s most iconic and popular dishes, pozole (some spell it posole) is served in Mexican restaurants worldwide. This traditional stew is popular in three varieties: Blanco (white) , Verde (green) and Rojo (red). As the names suggest, pozole verde is made with a green sauce (and usually chicken), pozole rojo is made with a red sauce, and pozole blanco is made without either green or red sauce. What I’m sharing with you is a pozole rojo recipe that incorporates a sauce made from roasted red chiles and garlic and has a depth of flavor that is simply unforgettable.
Pozole is the Spanish word for “hominy”. Hominy are dried maize/corn kernels that have gone through a process called nixtamalization in which the dried kernels are soaked in lime to soften the outer hulls. The kernels are then washed and the hulls are removed, leaving them nice and chewy. Hominy has been a staple food throughout Mexico for centuries. In fact, this famous pozole stew dates back to pre-hispanic times to the Aztecs.
Tips for Making the BEST Pozole Rojo
The flavor of this pozole rojo is especially rich and robust from the addition of the homemade roasted red chile sauce, the smoked paprika and the addition of masa harina for an extra boost of delicious corn flavor that the hominy alone can’t provide. Your taste buds will be WOWED!
An absolute key to making the ultimate pozole roja is making your own authentic red chile sauce. Don’t even think twice about it. Just make it. You’ll be so glad you did. Grab my recipe for the most incredible authentic Enchilada Sauce.
One of the things I really love about this pozole rojo is that it keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days, giving you plenty of time to enjoy the leftovers. And the flavor only gets better! What I also love is that it freezes well, so I’ll often make a double batch to have convenient ready-to-go meals on hand. I’m confident you’re going to love this pozole rojo recipe as much as I do!
Pozole Rojo Recipe
Let’s get started!
This recipe makes a large batch on purpose – it’s so good you WILL want seconds. What’s more, you’ll be so happy to have leftovers the next day or two! (And the flavor only gets better with time – win, win!)
Rub the pork down with a little salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Heat the lard/oil over high heat in a heavy stock pot or Dutch oven and sear the pork on all sides until nicely browned. Remove and set aside.
Lower the heat to medium-high and add the onions, cooking until lightly browned. Add the garlic and cumin and cook for another minute.
Return the pork roast and add the chicken broth. Add the homemade Enchilada Sauce along with the bay leaves, salt, pepper, Mexican oregano and smoked paprika.
Simmer covered over low heat for 2-3 hours or until the roast is fork tender and falls apart.
Transfer the roast to a plate and use two forks to shred the meat.
Return the shredded pork to the pot, stir in the masa harina and add the drained hominy.
Simmer covered for another hour. Stir in the cilantro and simmer another 5 minutes. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
Serve garnished with shredded green cabbage, sliced red radishes, diced avocado, sliced limes, chopped cilantro and anything else your heart desires! Want some crunch? Add some toasted tortilla strips.
¡Buen provecho!
How to Serve Pozole Rojo
One of the fun features about this stew is its wide and colorful array of garnishes. Shredded cabbage, sliced red radishes, diced avocados, chopped cilantro and sliced limes are traditional and you can add any other toppings you like such as fried tortilla strips, sliced jalapeños or crema. Pozole Rojo is the king of add-ins!
Storage and Freezing
This pozole rojo recipe makes a generous amount and if you’re not able to finish it in one sitting, no worries, because it keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days and it also freezes well for up to 3 months.
To freeze it it, let it fully cool and then transfer it to freezer-safe containers to freeze. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat it over low heat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
For more delicious Mexican recipes be sure to try my:
- Albondigas Soup
- Chicken Tostadas
- Homemade Mexican Chorizo
- BEST Homemade Chili Powder
- Grilled Steak Fajitas
- Restaurant Style Salsa
- Queso Fresco Chorizo Pizza
- South of the Border Soup
- Stuffed Mexican Cornbread
- Mexican Wheat Berry Salad
- Sincronizadas
- Mexican Meatballs
- Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Mexican Grillades and Grits
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Ultimate Pozole Rojo
Ingredients
- 3 pounds pork shoulder, rubbed with salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon lard or oil
- 1 large white onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin (recommended: roast whole cumin seeds then grind them to a powder)
- 4 cups Aneto 100% All Natural Chicken Broth
- 4 cups Homemade Authentic Enchilada/Red Chile Sauce (do not substitute store-bought)
- 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 3 large bay leaves
- 3 15 ounce cans white hominy, drained
- 2 tablespoons masa harina
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- For toppings: Shredded green cabbage, sliced red radishes, diced avocados, sliced limes, chopped fresh cilantro, toasted tortilla strips, crema, and anything else your heart desires!
Instructions
- Rub the pork down with a little salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Heat the lard/oil over high heat in a heavy stock pot or Dutch oven and sear the pork on all sides until nicely browned. Remove and set aside.Lower the heat to medium-high and add the onions, cooking until lightly browned. Add the garlic and cumin and cook for another minute.Return the pork roast and add the chicken broth. Add the Homemade Authentic Red Chile Sauce along with the bay leaves, salt, pepper, Mexican oregano and smoked paprika.Simmer covered over low heat for 2-3 hours or until the roast is fork tender and falls apart.
- Transfer the roast to a plate and use two forks to shred the meat.Return the shredded pork to the pot, stir in the masa harina and add the drained hominy.Simmer covered for another hour. Stir in the cilantro and simmer another 5 minutes. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve garnished with shredded green cabbage, sliced red radishes, diced avocado, sliced limes, chopped cilantro, etc. Want some crunch? Add some toasted tortilla strips.
- To Make This In The Slow Cooker:Follow steps 1 as directed and then transfer everything to a slow cooker to cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 4-6 hours. Then shred the meat, add the masa harina and hominy and follow the remaining instructions.
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet September 27, 2018
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
THANK YOU, Natalie! I will be making it sometime in the next 2 weeks
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You’re very welcome, Susan, I hope you enjoy it as much as we did! :)
Has anyone made it?
Susan, I made it earlier this week and it’s incredible! My family LOVED it. They’ve requested it again for this week. I also made her homemade enchilada sauce which I agree is a must. SO good.
Did you use the aneto chicken broth? Where did you find it
Pam, I did. Of course you can use any chicken broth for this stew but I just really love Aneto. Their paella broths are sooooo good. I use the Valencian paella and seafood paella recipes on this blog, they’re my go-to recipes for paella and they use Aneto’s paella broths. Aneto’s broths are definitely pricey but for the quality of the ingredients and the method they use for making them, I feel they’re worth it. There’s a really good article on this blog all about how the broths are made, I think she links to it in this recipe post. Sorry, I’m rambling, lol :) She gives a link to the store locater in this blog post where you can look up which stores in your state carries Aneto broths. That’s how I found mine. She also links to the Aneto broths on Amazon. I usually buy the broths at my local store because Aneto’s broths are considerably more expensive on Amazon than what they sell for in the stores. But sometimes they sell the chicken broth in six-pack bundles and those are a better deal and more comparable to the store prices, so I’ll often buy those on Amazon when they have them.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this, Natalie, thank you!
This is great. I love all the step by step photos!
Looks so hearty! And the flavors sound amazing.
This is my type of dinner! So flavorful!
What a beautiful, low cal dish!
This looks SO flavorful and delicious!
I love all the ingredients in this dish! Yummy!
This seems to be the perfect fall meal. Looks so inviting!
This looks INCREDIBLE! I am wishing I had a bowl of this to enjoy right now!
I absolutely love Mexican food but I’ve never tried this dish. Yours looks delightful and I am going to try it!
When I look at those pictures I can almost smell the deliciousness!! I love making authentic dishes!
I feel like I can actually see how flavorful this is! It looks so great – trying it soon!
This looks so amazing, I cannot wait to make this for the whole family!
What an amazing recipe! Such a great combination of flavors. Yummy!
xo Michael