Instant Pot pozole rojo is a rich Mexican stew crafted from tender pork, hominy, and a savory chili-based broth. Sear the pork shoulder, prepare your chiles, and combine. Then, sit back and let the Instant Pot do the hard work so you can pile your bowl high with toppings. If you’re craving soup, try Mexican picadillo soup next!
What is Pozole?
Pozole is a cross between a soup and a stew and most often includes pork and hominy. Other variations feature chicken or leftover turkey. There are three types of pozole, each one reflecting the colors on the Mexican flag. Pozole rojo has a red broth, the broth for pozole blanco is white, and Pozole verde’s broth is green.
Key Ingredients
- Avocado Oil: Sear the pork in avocado oil or another oil with a high smoking point.
- Pork: A 2½ pound pork shoulder feeds my family and extended family with leftovers.
- Peppers: Dried ancho and guajillo peppers create a flavorful red broth.
- Chicken Broth
- Onions: Blistered onion deeply flavors the broth.
- Spices: Season the easy pozole recipe with ground cumin, Mexican oregano, and bay leaves to highlight the pork and chili flavor.
- Garlic Head: I use a whole head of garlic; once tender, it’s whisked into the broth before serving it.
- Hominy: Canned hominy takes some of the work out of making pozole, but if you decide to use dried hominy, set aside time to prepare it.
Additions and Substitutions
Instant Pot pozole rojo is easy to make and versatile. Feel free to customize the recipe to suit your tastes by adding more or less spice, using a different type of meat, or substituting the hominy with grains like pearl barley or quinoa. Plus, the soup a great way to use leftover ingredients in your fridge or pantry.
Like beef paya soup and mutton paya soup, you can add foot bones or trotters to the pork shoulder to deeply flavor the pozole broth.
How to Make Instant Pot Pozole Rojo
- Warm oil in an Instant Pot on saute mode until it begins to smoke. Add the pork pieces in a single layer and let them brown for 3-4 minutes. Repeat with the remaining pork, and set the meat aside.
- Next, add the onions, guajillo peppers, and ancho peppers. Cook until they blister, then add them to a food processor or blender along with the chicken broth.
- Add the remaining ingredients, chili mixture, and pork. Stir to incorporate. Secure the lid on the Instant Pot and cook on manual high pressure for 50 minutes with a 10-minute natural release.
- Using tongs, retrieve the garlic head from the broth. Squeeze the garlic head to release the cloves into the broth, and whisk to combine.
- Garnish with red radish, red onion, cabbage, cilantro, lime wedges, avocado, chili flakes, cotija cheese, and Mexican oregano. Serve with corn tostadas.
If you enjoy Instant Pot pozole rojo, try more Mexican recipes!
How to Garnish Pozole
Ladle the stew into your favorite soup bowls and pile them high with shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, lime juice, and a sprinkle of Mexican oregano for the perfect finishing touch.
You can also add red onion, cilantro leaves, avocado, or red pepper flakes. And don’t forget to finish the meal with a warm corn tortilla. Check out these tips and tricks for how to heat corn tortillas.
What To Do With Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Pozole rojo is one of those meals that taste even better when you reheat it the next day. Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- Can I freeze this stew? Let the soup cool, and transfer it to a freezer-safe container or bag for storage. Instant Pot Pozole Rojo will freeze for up to 2-3 months.
- Thaw: Defrost the stew in the refrigerator overnight.
- Reheat: Warm the leftovers on the stovetop or microwave, and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it called pozole or posole?
I grew up in Arizona hearing it called pozole, but some refer to it as posole. The posole spelling is commonly used in the United States.
More Mexican Recipes:
Instant Pot Pozole Rojo
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 2½ pounds pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 large white onion, quartered
- 5 dried guajillo peppers, stemmed and deseeded
- 5 dried ancho peppers, stemmed and deseeded,
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin ground
- 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 bulb garlic, cut off, and discard the top third, leaving the head intact
- 1 can hominy, 29-ounce, drained, and rinsed
- radishes, thinly sliced into rounds
- red onions, finely diced
- cabbage, shredded
- cilantro, chopped
- avocado, cubed
- lime wedges
- red pepper flakes
- Mexican oregano
- Warm oil in an Instant Pot on saute mode until it begins to smoke. Add the pork pieces in a single layer and let them brown for 3-4 minutes. Repeat with the remaining pork, and set the meat aside.
- Next, add the onions, guajillo peppers, and ancho peppers. Cook until they blister, then add them to a food processor or blender along with the chicken broth.
- Add the remaining ingredients, chili mixture, and pork. Stir to incorporate. Secure the lid on the Instant Pot and cook on manual high pressure for 50 minutes with a 10-minute natural release.
- Using tongs, retrieve the garlic head from the broth. Squeeze the garlic head to release the cloves into the broth, and whisk to combine.
- Garnish with red radish, red onion, cabbage, cilantro, lime wedges, avocado, chili flakes, cotija cheese, and Mexican oregano. Serve with corn tostadas.
Megan
Sunday 18th of September 2022
I found this recipe on your chili recipes page and oh my gosh, this is so good!
Tressa Jamil
Sunday 18th of September 2022
I am so glad it was a hit, Megan!