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Skillet Night
Mexican 5 min read

30-Minute Pork Pozole Rojo

Weeknight pork pozole rojo with tender pork tenderloin, hominy, and a guajillo-ancho chile broth in about 40 minutes. Pile on cabbage, radish, and lime.

Bowl of red pozole with pork and hominy topped with shredded cabbage, radish, and onion

Traditional pozole rojo is a celebration soup — pork shoulder and bones simmered for hours with whole hominy until everything melts together. That version is worth every minute on a weekend. This one is the weeknight shortcut: pork tenderloin cut into small cubes, canned hominy, and a quick chile broth from dried guajillo and ancho chiles. It’s not identical, but it’s deeply flavorful and on the table in about 40 minutes.

Bowl of red pozole with pork and hominy topped with shredded cabbage, radish, and onion

Photo: Diegosalcido via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

The real magic of pozole is the toppings bar. Shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, onion, oregano, lime, and crunchy tostadas turn one pot of brothy soup into a meal everyone builds their own way, which also makes it a great dinner for picky eaters and guests.

Prep: 15 min · Cook: 25 min · Total: 40 min · Serves: 6

Ingredients

Chile base

  • 4 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
  • 2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
  • 2 cups (480 ml) low-sodium chicken broth, for simmering the chiles
  • 1/2 white onion, roughly chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin

Soup

  • 1 1/4 lb (570 g) pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
  • 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided
  • 1 Tbsp (15 ml) neutral oil
  • 4 cups (960 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 can (25 oz / 709 g) white hominy, drained and rinsed
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Juice of 1/2 lime

Toppings

  • 2 cups (140 g) finely shredded green cabbage
  • 4 radishes, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 white onion, finely diced
  • Dried oregano, lime wedges, and chile flakes
  • Tostadas or tortilla chips
  • Sliced avocado, optional

Method

  1. Put the guajillo and ancho chiles and 2 cups broth in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, then cover, turn off the heat, and let soak 10 minutes until soft.
  2. Meanwhile, season the pork with 1 tsp salt. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large, deep pot over medium-high heat. Brown the pork in two batches, 3–4 minutes per batch, until browned on a couple of sides (it doesn’t need to cook through). Transfer to a plate.
  3. Add the chiles and their soaking broth to a blender with the onion, garlic, oregano, and cumin. Blend until very smooth, about 1 minute. Pour through a mesh strainer into the pot, pressing on the solids — this gives a silky broth without bits of chile skin.
  4. Cook the chile purée in the pot over medium heat, stirring, for 3–4 minutes, scraping up the browned pork bits, until it darkens and thickens slightly.
  5. Add the 4 cups broth, hominy, bay leaf, and remaining 1/2 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, then lower to a gentle simmer and cook 10 minutes so the hominy absorbs the chile flavor.
  6. Return the pork and its juices to the pot. Simmer gently 5–6 minutes, until the pork is just cooked through (145°F / 63°C) and tender. Don’t boil hard, or the lean tenderloin will tighten up.
  7. Discard the bay leaf, stir in the lime juice, and taste for salt. Ladle into bowls and let everyone add their own cabbage, radish, onion, oregano, lime, and tostadas.

Cook's note

Tenderloin is the shortcut cut because it’s tender in minutes, but it’s also lean, so the order matters: build the broth first, then add the pork at the end just to finish cooking. If you’d rather use pork shoulder, simmer cubed shoulder in the broth 1 1/2 to 2 hours before adding the hominy.

Swaps and variations

  • Chicken pozole: Use 1 1/2 lb boneless thighs, cut in chunks; simmer 12–15 minutes until tender, or stir in 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken at the end.
  • Chiles: No anchos? Use 6 guajillos. For heat, add 1–2 chiles de árbol to the soak.
  • Hominy: Two 15-oz cans equal one 25-oz can. White or yellow both work.
  • Thicker pozole: Mash a cup of the hominy against the side of the pot to thicken the broth.

What to serve with it

Pozole is a complete meal with tostadas on the side. Spread tostadas with a little crema or refried beans for extra heft, or serve with warm tortillas and a cold drink. It’s also an ideal make-ahead dinner for game day.

Storage and reheating

Store soup and toppings separately. The soup keeps 4 days in the fridge and tastes even better the next day. Reheat gently over medium-low until steaming. Freeze up to 3 months; the hominy holds up well. Keep the cabbage and radishes in a zip-top bag with a damp paper towel so they stay crisp.

Troubleshooting

  • Broth bitter? The chiles may have scorched or included seeds. Strain well, and stir in a pinch of sugar and extra lime.
  • Broth thin and pale? Use more chiles next time, and be sure to fry the purée before adding broth.
  • Pork tough? It boiled too hard or too long. Simmer gently and pull it once it hits 145°F.

FAQ

What is hominy?

Dried corn kernels treated with an alkaline solution (nixtamalized), which puffs them up and gives them a chewy, almost tender texture. Canned hominy is ready to use.

Is pozole rojo spicy?

Guajillo and ancho chiles are mild and fruity, so this broth is flavorful but not very hot. Add chile flakes or hot sauce at the table.

Can I make it in a slow cooker?

Yes, with pork shoulder: add everything except the toppings and cook on low 7–8 hours.

More weeknight ideas

If you like Mexican-style pork, try our Skillet Carnitas Rice Bowls. The same dried-chile flavors show up in our Weeknight Chicken Tinga Tacos, and 25-Minute Black Bean Quesadillas are a quick side if you need to stretch the meal.