Easy Pozole Verde With Pork
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This pork pozole verde is pure comfort in a bowl, and so easy to make! Plus, you’ll already have most of the ingredients you need to make some serrano salsa to snack on while it’s cooking!
Pozole verde with pork is a family favorite and a staple meal here in Southern California. This vibrant, hearty soup usually takes hours of laboring in the kitchen to prepare, but this recipe cuts out 3 hours of cooking time by using pre-made carnitas! Huzzah!
This is “peasant food”, or “cucina povera” at its finest – a sophisticated, complexly flavored, filling, nutritious meal that doesn’t break the bank.
🐷 Easy Dietary Swaps To Make It Your Way
Vegan
You can use pulled jackfruit as an alternative to the pork and veggie broth instead of chicken. Either omit cotija, use Violife feta, or make vegan cotija.
Gluten-Free
This pork pozole verde recipe is already gluten-free! Just confirm your broth and corn tortillas don’t have any unwanted additives!
Low-Sodium
Use low-sodium or homemade broth. Thoroughly rinse hominy before using. Add a little extra lime juice before serving to boost flavors, if necessary.
🥄 Why This Recipe Works
- This recipe cuts the usual cooking time for pork pozole verde in half by using pre-made carnitas! So quick and easy!
- While you could enjoy pozole verde with pork as a side dish or starter, it’s hearty enough to be a main dish.
- Making pozole is a great way to use up leftover shredded pork, chicken, beef, or jackfruit!
- Pork pozole verde is great for meal-prepping or family get-togethers as it yields about 8 servings.
- This is a restaurant-quality soup you can make yourself for a fraction of the cost of eating out. I’ve seen a bowl of pozole go for $20 at some restaurants! Yikes!
Estimated Cost of This Recipe ≈ $3.40 Per Serving
I calculate the total cost of each recipe based on the estimated cost of ingredients at average U.S. grocery prices, using only the portion needed for the recipe — not the full cost of entire packages. Keep in mind that prices can vary depending on location, season, brand, and a fluctuating economy.
My goal with these money-saving meal recipes is to make delicious & nutritious home-cooked meals feel more accessible, even during tough times. I believe that good food should bring comfort, joy, and dignity to our lives — no matter the size of our budget.
🍲 What Is Pozole?
Pozole is a traditional Mexican stew with ancient origins, pre-dating Columbus’ “discovery” of the Americas. To the Aztecs, it was a sacred dish that they believed brought them closer to the gods.
Hominy is the key ingredient of pozole, and was believed to be the very substance from which the gods formed humans. What is hominy? Simply white or yellow corn kernels that have been soaked in an alkaline solution in a process called “nixtamalization”.
After the Spanish colonization and subsequent introduction of pigs to the Americas, pork became a common ingredient.
Today, pozole is a widely enjoyed comfort food that can brighten any rainy day or bring a bit of tradition to beloved holiday celebrations. This soup is especially enjoyed on Christmas and Mexican Independence Day (September 16).
🌶️ Types of Pozole
Over time, many regional variations of pozole have developed, but there are three types you’ll most commonly find. Fittingly, they mimic the colors of Mexico’s flag – green, white, and red.
Pozole Verde (Green)
Pozole verde hails primarily from Guerrero (southern Mexico) and is made with tomatillos, green chiles, herbs, and meat such as pork or chicken.
Pozole Blanco (White)
Pozole blanco is made with a simple, clear broth flavored with garlic and onion. It’s especially common in central Mexico, Sinaloa, and Guerrero. It sometimes includes chicken, but pork is more traditional.
Pozole Rojo (Red)
This variation gets its vibrant color from dried red chilies such as guajillo, pasilla, and chile de árbol, and usually includes pork or beef. It’s popular in central and northern Mexico, especially in Jalisco, Sinaloa, and Michoácan.
If that sounds up your alley, you’ll love my guajillo salsa, inspired by the rich flavors of Jalisco and Sonora.
🛒 What You Need To Make This Recipe
Soup Ingredients
Topping Ingredients
📝 Recipe Modifications And Substitutions
- Onion: White or yellow onion works best.
- Oil: I recommend using extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil.
- Tomatillos: If you can’t find them, green tomatoes are the next best thing.
- Serrano peppers: You can also use jalapenos, or omit if you don’t want any spice.
- Garlic: I generally use 4 large cloves, but feel free to add more if you wish!
- Poblano peppers: These have a unique, smoky flavor that’s hard to substitute. However, if you absolutely have no choice, you could try using Anaheim or green bell peppers, though each will offer a distinctly different flavor profile.
- Carnitas: I like the Del Real carnitas, which you can generally find at Walmart, Costco, Kroger, etc. Using store-bought carnitas saves so much time – the alternative is cooking pork shoulder in the oven for 3 hours! If you prefer, you can use shredded chicken or beef.
- Hominy: This is the key ingredient of this dish, so I wouldn’t substitute unless you have to. Chickpeas would probably be the next best thing, then maybe corn kernels.
- Cotija cheese: You could also use queso fresco or asadero cheese.
- Optional ingredients: Pickled onion, pickled carrots, tortillas.
*See above image or recipe card for full list of ingredients.
🥣 Recommended Equipment
To make pozole verde with pork, you’ll need a large pot, a food processor or blender, a sheet pan, and a chef’s knife for peeling the skin off the poblanos.
🫑 How To Make Pork Pozole Verde
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Step 1: Heat 2 Tbsp of oil in a large pot, then add diced onion and sauté over medium heat until onions are translucent (3-5 minutes). Add whole garlic cloves, bay leaves, cumin, salt, pepper, and 4 cups chicken broth, then stir to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover with a lid and cook over very low heat.
Step 2: Line a sheet pan with parchment paper, then add poblanos, tomatillos, and serranos. Roast for 20 minutes, or until veggies are soft and slightly charred.
Pro Tip: Flip the tomatillos to see if the bottoms have a little char on them. The tops will likely look about the same as when they started.
Step 3: Transfer tomatillos and de-stemmed serranos to food processor, along with 1 cup chopped cilantro. Place poblanos in a ziplock bag, removing excess air before sealing for 5-10 minutes.
Step 4: Remove bay leaves from broth and discard. Transfer broth (including garlic and onions) to food processor. Remove skin, stem, and seeds from poblanos.
Pro Tip: After sweating in the Ziplock bag for 5-10 minutes, the poblano skin should be easy to peel off by scraping gently with a knife.
Step 5: Slice poblanos into strips, then add them to food processor. Blend 1-2 minutes, or until a smooth consistency is reached.
Step 5: Drain and rinse hominy, then add to the pot with carnitas and 4 more cups of chicken broth. Pour the green sauce into the pot, then stir. Bring it to a simmer, then cover and cook over very low heat for 45 minutes.
Step 6: Serve pork pozole verde alongside warmed corn tortillas in individual bowls and top with more chopped cilantro, shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, pickled carrots, pickled onions, cotija cheese, and lime wedges.
🍽️ How To Serve Pork Pozole Verde
The best way to serve pork pozole verde is to create your own self-serve pozole bar! Allow everyone to add their own toppings, that way each bowl is tailored perfectly to each person’s unique preferences.
Sliced radishes, thinly shredded cabbage, diced onion, chopped cilantro, cotija cheese, and fresh lime wedges are typical mix-ins, but why stop there?
Some more fun toppings you can provide include: Pickled carrots, pickled red onions, diced jalapeno or serrano, crispy tortilla strips, jicama, avocado slices, toasted pepitas, charred corn kernels, etc. You can also add small bowls of seasonings suck as salt, pepper, smoked paprika, Mexican oregano, etc.
Feel free to give people the option to add a swirl of Mexican crema or heavy cream as well!
Don’t forget to serve pork pozole verde alongside warmed corn tortillas or these tacos de camaron.
🥘 More Soups To Try
If you’re as much of a soup fiend as I am, I’ve got some recommendations you’ll love! Try this vegan tom kha, roasted cauliflower and pumpkin soup, Šaltibarščiai, 10 vegetable soup recipe, cauliflower potato leek soup, and my favorite gluten-free cream of mushroom soup.
🤷🏻♀️ Recipe FAQs
Hominy is simply white or yellow corn kernels that have been soaked in an alkaline solution in a process called “nixtamalization”. Hominy is the key ingredient for pozole.
The three main types of pozole are pozole verde (green), pozole blanco (white), and pozole rojo (red).
Pork shoulder or pork butt are the most commonly used cuts for pozole. Since carnitas are typically made with either of these cuts, pre-made carnitas make a great low-effort addition to pozole.
👩🏻🍳 Pro Tips
- The best way to prepare pork pozole verde ahead of time is to cook the stew itself, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge, keeping it separate from the toppings and mix-ins.
- I recommend serving within 3 days of cooking it for best results, though you can technically keep it in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Prepare radishes, cabbage, lime wedges, etc. within an hour of serving.
- You can reheat individual servings of pork pozole verde in the microwave, or reheat the whole batch on the stove (just until simmering, don’t let it come to a boil.)
Love this pork pozole verde recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.
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Easy Pozole Verde With Pork
Equipment
Ingredients
Soup Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion
- 4 large garlic cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 8 cups chicken broth (divided)
- 3 poblano peppers
- 6 large tomatillos
- 2 serrano peppers
- 1 cup chopped cilantro
- 32 oz white hominy
- 16 oz carnitas
Toppings & Side Ingredients
- 16 corn tortillas (2 per serving)
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- ½ cup shredded cabbage
- ½ cup sliced radishes
- ½ cup pickled carrots
- ½ cup pickled red onions
- ½ cup cotija cheese
- 4 limes
Instructions
- Heat 2 Tbsp of oil in a large pot, then add diced onion and sauté over medium heat until onions are translucent (3-5 minutes). Add whole garlic cloves, bay leaves, cumin, salt, pepper, and 4 cups chicken broth, then stir to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover with a lid and cook over very low heat.
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper, then add poblanos, tomatillos, and serranos. Roast for 20 minutes, or until veggies are soft and slightly charred.
- Transfer tomatillos and de-stemmed serranos to food processor, along with 1 cup chopped cilantro. Place poblanos in a ziplock bag, removing excess air before sealing for 5-10 minutes.
- Remove bay leaves from broth and discard. Transfer broth (including garlic and onions) to food processor. Remove skin, stem, and seeds from poblanos.
- Slice poblanos into strips, then add them to food processor. Blend 1-2 minutes, or until a smooth consistency is reached.
- Drain and rinse hominy, then add to the pot with carnitas and 4 more cups of chicken broth. Pour the green sauce into the pot, then stir. Bring it to a simmer, then cover and cook over very low heat for 45 minutes.
- Serve pork pozole verde alongside warmed corn tortillas in individual bowls and top with more chopped cilantro, shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, pickled carrots, pickled onions, cotija cheese, and lime wedges.
Notes
- Flip the tomatillos to see if the bottoms have a little char on them. The tops will likely look about the same as when they started.
- After sweating in the Ziplock bag for 5-10 minutes, the poblano skin should be easy to peel off by scraping gently with a knife.
- The best way to prepare pork pozole verde ahead of time is to cook the stew itself, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge, keeping it separate from the toppings and mix-ins.
- I recommend serving within 3 days of cooking it for best results, though you can technically keep it in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Prepare radishes, cabbage, lime wedges, etc. within an hour of serving.
- You can reheat individual servings of pork pozole verde in the microwave, or reheat the whole batch on the stove (just until simmering, don’t let it come to a boil.)
I haven’t had real homemade Pozole for years. This sounds so similar to what my co-worker made so many years ago. I’m already salivating. Thank you Nena for the recipe.
Of course! I hope it’s as good as you remember! ☺️
Absolutely delicious, thanks for sharing. I loved using store-bought carnitas, it made the task so much less daunting!
Right? I’m never going back! 🙂