Authentic Mole Poblano Recipe – Traditional Chicken Mole from Puebla, Mexico
April 12, 2022
Creamy Avocado Salsa
June 8, 2022
Pozole Rojo (Red Pozole)
Pozole Rojo turns an ordinary Sunday into a mini fiesta. While the stew simmers, tender pork mingles with puffy hominy in a brick red broth scented with guajillo and ancho chiles. After that, you reach for crunchy cabbage, radish, onion, oregano, and a bright splash of lime. As a result, every spoonful feels like a hug from home.
Prefer a chicken version instead?
Try our Red Chicken Pozole — same rich red chile base, tender shredded chicken.
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Quick Recipe Snapshot
- Difficulty: Easy to moderate
- Prep Time: About 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1.5–2 hours
- Total Time: 2–2.5 hours
- Servings: About 8–10 bowls
- Flavor Profile: Rich, smoky, comforting, chile forward
Watch the Video
See how the pork simmers, how the chile sauce deepens in color, and how to build the perfect toppings bar for your pozole rojo. Watching the process makes it easy to match texture, color, and richness at home.
Watch how to make authentic Pozole Rojo step by step.
A Quick History of Pozole
For centuries, pozole has anchored Mexican celebrations. Originally, Indigenous cooks treated maize as sacred and reserved it for harvest festivals, victory feasts, and spiritual ceremonies. Over time, families across the country developed three main styles: white, green, and the beloved red. When cooks blend dried guajillo and ancho chiles into the broth, the soup turns a dazzling crimson that steals the show at holidays, birthdays, and chilly weeknights alike.
Heritage Note
Pozole has been part of Mexican cooking for centuries, long before written recipes. Early versions were made with nixtamalized corn and slow simmered meat, and later appeared in classic Mexican cookbooks from the 1800s and 1900s. Every region has its own way of preparing it, but the heart of pozole rojo has always been the same: tender meat, hominy, and a deep red chile broth served with plenty of fresh toppings.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Traditional flavor. Classic Mexican ingredients make this stew deeply comforting and authentic.
- Big batch friendly. Feed a crowd or enjoy warm leftovers for days.
- Custom toppings. Make every bowl your own with fresh garnishes.
- Freezer safe. Store a portion for quick meals later on.
Ingredient Spotlight
| Ingredient | What to Know |
|---|---|
| Pork shoulder or butt | Marbled pork gives flavor and tender texture after a long simmer. |
| Hominy | Use canned white hominy, rinsed well. It provides puff, chew, and corn richness. |
| Dried guajillo & ancho chiles | Soak, deseed, and blend for the deep red base that defines pozole rojo. |
| Garlic & onion | Foundational aromatics used in both broth and chile sauce. |
| Toppings | Radish, cabbage, lime, avocado, onion, oregano — serve on the side for each guest to customize. |
Hominy Tip: Canned hominy works perfectly here. Rinse it well before adding so you remove extra starch and brine and keep the broth clean and flavorful.
Step-by-Step: How to Make Pozole Rojo
- Boil pork with onion, garlic, and bay leaf. Skim foam and simmer until tender.
- Soak and blend chiles with garlic and broth to form a rich, red sauce.
- Strain and fry chile sauce in oil until it thickens slightly and turns a deeper red. This step builds richness and removes any raw chile taste.
- Add chile sauce and hominy to the pork broth and simmer gently.
- Serve hot with a toppings bar of cabbage, radish, oregano, lime, and onion.
Authentic Pozole Rojo (Mexican Red Pork & Hominy Stew)
Ingredients
Pork & Broth
- 2 pounds Pork neck bones
- 3 pounds Pork shoulder (butt roast)
- 16 cups water (or enough to cover meat)
- 1 white onion, halved
- 1 whole head garlic, top trimmed
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 Tsp fine sea salt
Red Chile Sauce
- 12 Dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and deseeded
- 3 dried ancho chiles, deseeded
- 4 dried chile de arbol (optional, for extra heat)
- 4 Garlic cloves, peeled
- ½ white onion
- 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
- ½ tsp whole peppercorns
- 1 pinch ground cumin
- 3 cups reserved hot pork broth
- Salt, to taste
- Chicken bouillon powder, to taste (optional)
- 1/2 cup Hominy, (optional)
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
Finishing the Soup
- 1 can (25-29 oz) Hominy, drained and rinsed
Instructions
Simmer the Pork
- Rinse neck bones and shoulder. Place in a large pot with water, onion, garlic head, bay leaves, and salt.
- Bring to a gentle boil, skim foam, reduce heat, cover, and simmer 40–60 minutes until pork is fork‑tender.
Soften the Chiles
- While pork cooks, wipe chiles clean. Remove stems and seeds. Simmer chiles in a small pot of water 5–10 minutes until pliable; drain.
- (Optional: simmer chiles inside the pot with broth instead as shown in video. This adds deeper flavor. Personal preference)
Blend the Sauce
- In a blender combine softened chiles, garlic cloves, onion, oregano, peppercorns, cumin, 3 cups hot pork broth, optional hominy, plus a pinch of salt or bouillon.
- Blend until smooth
- Strain for a silky texture.
Fry the Sauce
- Heat oil in a saucepan over medium. Pour in the strained sauce (it may sputter) and cook about 5 minutes, stirring, until it thickens slightly and turns a deeper red. This step develops richness and removes any raw chile taste.
Assemble the Pozole
- Remove onion, garlic head, and bay leaves from the pork pot. Shred or cube the pork, discarding bones. Stir in the fried red sauce
- Stir in the drained canned hominy. Simmer 20–30 minutes so flavors marry; skim fat if desired.
- Adjust salt.
Serve & Garnish
- Ladle pozole into bowls.
- Offer shredded cabbage or lettuce, sliced radish, chopped onion, cilantro, crushed chile piquín, dried oregano, and lime wedges. Serve tostadas on the side.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Meat Options – Pig feet, ribs, or chicken pieces deepen flavor.
- Thickening Tip – Blending ½ cup hominy into the sauce adds body—optional.
- Texture Choice – Serve pork in chunks or shred it for easy eating; remove any small bones before ladling soup.
Pro Tips for the Best Pozole Rojo
- Fry the chile sauce until it deepens in color. This builds richness and removes raw chile flavor.
- Use marbled pork. Lean cuts dry out in long simmers.
- Rinse hominy well to remove excess starch and brine.
- Let pozole rest 10 minutes after cooking so flavors settle before serving.
- Always serve with lots of toppings. They balance the richness of the broth.
- Broth consistency: Pozole should be brothy, not thick like stew. If it reduces too much while simmering, stir in a splash of water or broth to loosen it.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Not frying the chile sauce. Skipping this step makes the broth taste flat.
- Over-boiling the pork. Simmer gently for tender meat.
- Adding hominy too early. It can overcook and lose its puff.
- Using only one type of dried chile guajillo + ancho gives depth and color.
Storage and Make Ahead
- Refrigerate: Pozole in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: In quart size freezer bags or containers. Defrost overnight and reheat on stovetop.
- Pozole freezes very well. Freeze without toppings for the best texture, then add fresh cabbage, radish, and lime after reheating.
- Make ahead: Prep the pork and chile sauce the day before and combine before serving.
Variations
-
- Jalisco & Guerrero: Favor guajillo-heavy salsa and serve with fresh radish and oregano.
- Pozole Jueves: In many Guerrero towns, restaurants serve pozole every Thursday with mezcal and music.
- Estado de México: Some cooks serve blanco pozole and offer salsa roja or verde to stir in at the table.
- Chicken pozole rojo: Prefer chicken instead of pork? Try our Red Chicken Pozole, which uses the same chile base with tender shredded chicken.
FAQs
- What’s the best meat for pozole rojo? Pork shoulder is traditional for its marbling and flavor. You can also use pork butt or a mix of cuts.
- Is it spicy? The dried chiles give deep flavor and mild heat. Add chile de árbol or chipotle if you want it hotter.
- Can I make this ahead? Yes. It tastes even better the next day. Just reheat gently and refresh toppings.
Share the Sizzle
Gather your loved ones, ladle steaming pozole rojo into big bowls, and top it with cabbage, radish, lime, and crunchy toppings. Each spoonful delivers warmth, crunch, and chile kissed comfort.
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2 Comments
I made this recipe the other day! It came out so delicious. I was intrigued to use the different chiles, because, typically, my family uses New Mexico red chile (we are from NM). My boyfriend grew up in Northern Mexico and later, in El Paso, TX, therefore,I was excited (but nervous) to make posole for us. At times, he can be a tough critic when it comes to Mexican food and the authenticity of it (lol). However, he absolutely loved it! My boyfriend’s family and mine were very impressed with the different chiles used in this recipe. Both of our families are excited for me to make it for them when we travel back home! Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I am so happy my first time making posole was a success. Thanks to your recipe!
Hi Sienna! Thank you so much for sharing this. Your comment absolutely made my day.
I love hearing how different families across Mexico (and the border regions!) make pozole with their own chile traditions, and it means so much that you trusted this version enough to try it for the first time.
I’m especially happy your boyfriend, and both families, loved the flavors and the mix of chiles. That’s the biggest compliment, because everyone has their own pozole memories and expectations.
You did an amazing job for your first time making pozole rojo, and I’m honored that my recipe helped make it a success. 💛
Thank you again for taking the time to write this. It truly means a lot.