New Mexico Posole Recipe (Pozole Rojo) • Food Folks and Fun (2024)

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This New Mexico Posole Recipe is a hearty, flavorful pork soup or stew made with New Mexico red chiles, garlic, pork, and hominy. This soup is full of rich and spicy flavor, perfect on those cold nights when you need a warm, comforting meal.

It costs $15.77 to make eight servings of this Pozole recipe. The cost per serving is just $1.97.

For a New Mexican Christmas dinner, serve this Posole alongside these Stacked New Mexico-Style Green Chile Enchiladas.

New Mexico Posole Recipe (Pozole Rojo) • Food Folks and Fun (1)

Table of Contents

Posole Recipe – New Mexico Style!

If you’ve never heard of this dish before, know that it’s some serious comfort food that’s hearty, meaty, and somewhere between a soup and a stew. It’s a very traditional and easy Mexican and New Mexican Christmas dish. It’s red from the reconstituted and pureed dried New Mexican chile peppers.

New Mexico Posole Recipe (Pozole Rojo) • Food Folks and Fun (2)

New Mexico Posole Recipe Ingredients & Cost

Per Serving Cost: $1.97

Recipe Cost: $15.77

  • 1.5 ounce dried New Mexico red chiles – $1.64
  • 8 cups chicken stock – $2.48
  • 2 pounds boneless country-style pork ribs – $7.94
  • 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil – $0.09
  • 3 15-ounce cans white hominy – $1.68
  • 2 medium white onions – $1.40
  • 5 large garlic cloves – $0.25
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh oregano – $0.25
  • 1 Tablespoon lime juice – $0.04

NOTE: The recipe prices are calculated by using grocery store websites. The actual cost of the recipe will vary depending on what ingredients you already have.

How to make Posole:

  1. First, microwave the chiles and remove the seeds and stems.
  2. Next, pour the stock into a bowl with the chiles and microwave for 30 seconds. Then let the mixture sit while the chiles can soften.
  3. Cook the pork, and then transfer it to a plate.
  4. Then add the hominy to the pot to cook until it is browned and fragrant. Remove the hominy from the pot.
  5. Add the remaining oil to the pot and cook the onion and garlic. Puree the onion and chile mixture and add it back to the pot.
  6. Next, stir in the remaining chicken stock.
  7. Add in the pork and seasonings and simmer for 75-90 minutes.
  8. Add the hominy to the pot and simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Skim the fat from the top.
  9. Shred the pork and return the pork to the pot.
  10. Finally, squeeze in the lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste before serving with any desired garnishes.

***Watch the recipe video in the recipe card below.

New Mexico Posole Recipe (Pozole Rojo) • Food Folks and Fun (3)

How to serve this Recipe for Posole

Traditional red Posole is usually served with shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, diced avocados, white onion, and lime wedges. I’ve even seen it served with sour cream, too. Sometimes it’s served with fresh, homemade corn and flour tortillas for dipping into the soup. SO good!

What do you eat with Posole?

Posole is a hearty Mexican stew made with hominy, pork, and broth, typically served with a variety of toppings, such as:

  • Chopped onion
  • Radishes
  • Cilantro
  • Lime wedges
  • Avocado
  • Shredded cabbage
  • Cotija cheese
  • Tostadas
  • Tortilla chips
  • Salsa
  • Sour cream

You can also serve Posole with other side dishes, such as:

  • flour or corn tortillas
  • Mexican rice
  • Beans
  • Salad

Posole Recipe Storage Tips:

SERVE: You can keep the Pozole out for about two hours before it needs to be refrigerated.

STORE: Once the soup is cooled, transfer it to an airtight container. Store it in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

FREEZE: Once cooled, transfer the soup to a freezer-safe container or Ziploc bag. Freeze for 2-3 months. Thaw the Posole in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for 4-5 hours.

REHEAT: Place the soup in a saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until heated through.

New Mexico Posole Recipe (Pozole Rojo) • Food Folks and Fun (4)

Recipe for Posole FAQs

Is it Pozole or Posole?

Either! It’s typically spelled Pozole in Mexico and Posole in border states like New Mexico and Texas.

What is Posole in English?

Posole directly translates from Spanish to English as hominy. So it’s basically” “stew of maize kernels,” maize kernels being hominy.

What is Posole soup made of?

Posole is made with hominy, pork, chile peppers, spices, garlic and garnished with shredded cabbage, radishes, avocados, onion, and lime wedges. It’s the stuff my spicy Christmas dreams are made of!

Is Pozole healthy?

Um, not exactly. Not going to lie; you’ll have some fat from the pork that pools on the soup. But, of course, you can easily remove it with a fat separator if it’s not your thing. But it’s a once-a-year type of recipe, so I indulge!

Is white hominy healthy?

Yes! It’s low in calories, fat, and sugar and high in fiber.

Canned or dried hominy?

In traditional Posole recipes that date back to the Aztecs, you use dried hominy soaked in mineral lime to remove the hominy’s outer skin and achieve this soup’s authentic flavor. Unfortunately, I live in Japan right now, and I can’t get dried hominy or mineral lime to ship to me, so canned hominy it is!

Pozole enthusiasts, please don’t skewer me for using canned hominy! Once I get back to the states, I promise to experiment and test this recipe using dried hominy and mineral lime and post the results here!

Is hominy and Posole the same thing?

No, hominy and Posole are not the same thing. Hominy is a maize kernel treated with an alkali solution, which removes the outer husk and germ and makes the kernel soft and chewy.

Posole is a Mexican stew made with hominy, pork, and broth.

Do you have to soak hominy overnight?

If you’re using canned hominy, it is unnecessary to soak it overnight. If you are using dried hominy, then yes, soak it overnight.

Soaking dried hominy overnight helps to soften the kernels and reduce the cooking time.

Why does my Pozole taste plain?

There are a few reasons why your Pozole might taste plain. Here are some things to check:
Did you use enough salt?Salt is an essential seasoning that can enhance the flavor of any dish. Be sure to salt your Pozole to taste, both before and after cooking.
Did you use enough spices?This dish is traditionally flavored with various spices, such as cumin, oregano, and chili powder. If your Pozole tastes plain, try adding more spices to taste.
Did you add any acid?A touch of acid, such as lime juice or vinegar, can help brighten the Pozole flavor.

New Mexico Posole Recipe (Pozole Rojo) • Food Folks and Fun (5)

Cook’s Tools for this Easy Posole Recipe

  • mixing bowls
  • large heavy-bottomed pot
  • wooden spoon
  • immersion blender

More Mexican Recipes

  • The Best Restaurant Style Refried Beans
  • Chicken Enchiladas with Green Chile Cream Sauce
  • Cheesy Green Chile Cornbread
  • Easy Mexican Rice
  • Chicken Tortilla Soup
  • Slow Cooker Salsa
  • Shredded Beef Enchiladas
  • Chile Con Queso

New Mexico Posole Recipe (Pozole Rojo) • Food Folks and Fun (6)

New Mexico Recipe for Posole

Recipe Cost $ $15.77

Serving Cost $ $1.97

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 3 hours hours

8 people

ThisNew Mexico Posole Recipeis a hearty, flavorful pork soup or stew made with New Mexico red chiles, garlic, pork, and hominy.

Equipment

  • mixing bowls

  • large heavy-bottomed pot

  • wooden spoon

  • immersion blender

  • measuring cups and spoons

Ingredients

  • 1.5 ounce dried New Mexico red chiles (about 6 chiles)
  • 8 cups chicken stock
  • 2 pounds boneless country-style pork ribs
  • Salt and pepper
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 3 15-ounce cans white hominy rinsed and drained well
  • 2 medium white onions chopped
  • 5 large garlic cloves minced
  • 1 Tablespoon minced fresh oregano
  • 1 Tablespoon lime juice

GARNISHES:

  • shredded green cabbage
  • diced avocado
  • sliced radishes
  • chopped white onion
  • lime wedges

FOR SERVING:

  • heated corn or flour tortillas

Instructions

PREP CHILES:

  • Place chiles on a paper towel-lined microwave-safe plate. Microwave on HIGH for 60-90 seconds, or until puffed and fragrant.

  • Once the chiles are cool enough to handle, remove the seeds and stems.

  • Pour 2 cups of stock into a medium microwave-safe bowl. Add the chiles, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and microwave for 30 seconds or until bubbling.

  • Let the mixture sit for 15 minutes so the chiles can soften.

PREP AND COOK PORK:

  • Use paper towels to pat the pork dry and season all sides with salt and pepper.

  • Add 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil to a heavy-bottomed pot and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering and small wisps of smoke are coming off the oil.

  • Cook until the pork is brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer the pork to a plate.

COOK HOMINY:

  • Add the hominy to the pot and cook, constantly stirring, until the hominy is fragrant and it begins to darken in color, about 3-4 minutes.

  • Transfer hominy to a bowl.

MAKE SOUP BASE:

  • Add the remaining 1 Tablespoon of oil to the pot and heat over medium heat until the oil shimmers.

  • Add onion and cook until softened and beginning to brown around the edges, about 5 minutes.

  • Add the garlic and stir, and cook until fragrant, about 30-60 seconds.

  • Use an immersion blender or blender to puree the onion mixture and the chile mixture. Then add the onion-chile mixture back to the pot.

  • To the pot, add in the remaining 6 cups of chicken stock and stir to combine.

ADD TO SOUP AND SIMMER SOUP:

  • Add the cooked pork, oregano, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of pepper, and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat.

  • Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until the meat is tender, 75-90 minutes.

  • Remove the pork from the pot and place it on a plate.

  • Add the hominy to the pot and simmer, covered for 30 minutes.

TO FINISH:

  • Use a spoon to skim the fat from the top of the soup.

  • Shred the pork, discard the fat, and return the pork to the pot and cook until the pork is heated through, about 1 minute.

  • Turn the heat off and squeeze in the lime juice.

  • Season the Posole with salt and pepper to taste.

GARNISH AND SERVE:

  • Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with shredded cabbage, diced avocado, sliced radishes, chopped white onion, and lime wedges (all optional).

  • Serve.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5cup | Calories: 427kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 955mg | Potassium: 837mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1425IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 2.7mg

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New Mexico Posole Recipe (Pozole Rojo) • Food Folks and Fun (2024)

FAQs

What are the three types of pozole? ›

The three main types of pozole are blanco (white), verde (green) and rojo (red). Pozole blanco—"white pozole"—is the preparation without any additional green or red sauce.

What's the difference between pozole and posole? ›

There's really no big difference between pozole and posole, except a letter. In Mexico, where the brothy, chile-spiked soup originated, it's often spelled with a "z"; near the border and beyond, it's often spelled with an "s." It just depends where you are, and who taught you to cook it.

What did the Aztecs put in pozole? ›

The indigenous ancestors used human flesh in the stew. Aztec priests would make human sacrifices to their gods, offering up the heart and using the rest of the flesh for a ceremonial pozole. After the Spanish conquest, Spanish rulers outlawed cannibalism, and so pork was used in replacement of human flesh in pozole.

What is a fun fact about pozole? ›

The main ingredient in Pozole is Hominy, which is made from corn. Due to the belief that humans were made by the corn gods, in Mexican Aztec history corn was considered a sacred plant. Therefore, the Aztecs and other Mesoamerican peoples cooked Pozole only on special occasions.

Why do Mexicans eat pozole? ›

Both soups are also deeply emblematic of their cultures. The roots of pozole pre-date Spanish colonization, and the dish is said to have had ritual significance for the indigenous people of Mexico. Its principal ingredient, corn, was a sacred crop to the Aztecs and Mayans.

What is traditional pozole made of? ›

Pozole is a super easy and amazingly tasty stew made with pork, dried chiles, and hominy. This recipe for the traditional Mexican stew is a pozole rojo and features red chile peppers.

What is pozole called in English? ›

Posole is hominy, pure and simple. The corn has been treated by soaking it in cal and then rinsed. In the southwest, there is a dried flint corn that has been treated like this and in English, we call it Prepared Hominy and in Mexico it's known as nixtamal.

Is pozole healthy or unhealthy? ›

Pozole is a balanced dish rich in protein, carbs, fat, vitamins, and minerals. The content of some nutrients is improved during the nixtamalization process that the corn goes through.

What does pozole mean in Spanish? ›

(Cookery) maize stew.

Did pozole have human meat in it? ›

Sahagún wrote that the Mexicas cooked pozole using the leg of a captured warrior or enslaved people from other tribes, which the Tlatoani, the ruler, savored. The captive was skinned and dismembered for consumption. Their thighs had the juiciest and best-tasting meat, never roasted but boiled.

How to explain pozole to a white person? ›

What is pozole? It is a hearty, light broth stew made with pork and hominy. Pozole can be green, red, or white, depending on the chilies and ingredients used.

What are the little balls in pozole called? ›

A Latin fusion on the traditional matzo ball soup, matzo ball pozole has masa-matzo balls in a hearty stew with hominy and dried chiles.

Do Mexicans eat pozole? ›

recipes, meals and traditions I've adopted from Mexican culture, Pozole has my heart. It's one of the most satisfying stews that I know: fortifying and deeply flavorful. It was once considered sacred in certain parts of Mexico and is still often found at celebrations and holidays.

Why is pozole only on weekends? ›

Menudo and Pozole are traditional dishes that are important in Mexican culture. It's time-consuming to make, so restaurants will usually only serve it on the weekends and households will only make it for special occasions or during Christmas time.

Where did pozole rojo originate? ›

Pozole rojo is believed to have originated in the ancient city of Tehuacan, located in central Mexico.

What are the different kinds of pozole? ›

Pozole is a classic Mexican corn stew that comes in three main varieties: pozole verde (green pozole), pozole rojo (red pozole), and pozole blanco (white pozole).

What was the original version of pozole? ›

Pozole is the sacrifical Mexican soup that was (originally) made from human flesh. Chef Claudette Zepeda teaches us the history of the dish, it's ancient Aztec roots and how it was made from the hearts of their prisoners.

What is the difference between pozole blanco and rojo? ›

Pozole not only has a rojo and verde version but also a blanco (white) as well. The differences between the three are pretty simple: rojo uses dried chiles, verde uses fresh green chiles, and blanco omits chiles altogether.

How many types of pozole exist and what occasions are they used for? ›

You'll find three main sorts of posole in large pots atop Mexican stoves come any feast, Sunday afternoon, or large family gathering: red posole darkened crimson by dried red chiles; green posole verdant by fresh or roasted green chiles (and often tomatillos); and white posole, of a clear base broth and only flecked, ...

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