From the roundup: 22 Instant Pot Soup Recipes for Easy Weeknight Dinners
A mostly bare refrigerator and two dried chile varieties I had been hoarding in the pantry for months are what finally pushed me to make Instant Pot pork pozole rojo on a Wednesday night. I toasted the anchos and guajillos in a dry pan, soaked them, blended them with onion and garlic, and strained the sauce, and that straining step is not optional: the first time I skipped it the broth had a gritty texture that no amount of toppings could hide. After 40 minutes on high pressure and a 15-minute natural release, the pork shoulder shreds into the red chile broth with almost no effort, and the hominy gives each bowl enough substance that even my hungrier kids stop asking if there is bread on the side. I set out shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, and lime wedges and let everyone build their own bowl, which also means the littlest ones feel like they have some control over dinner.
Why you will love this
- The Instant Pot cuts traditional pozole cook time from 3-plus hours down to about 80 minutes total, with 40 of those minutes completely hands-off.
- Pork shoulder comes out genuinely fall-apart tender, not dry, because the pressure cooking works with the fat and connective tissue in the cut.
- The homemade ancho and guajillo chile sauce takes about 20 minutes start to finish and tastes far deeper than anything from a jar.
- The topping spread means picky eaters can build their own bowl, so one pot feeds very different people without complaints.
- The soup base freezes well for up to 3 months, so a double batch on the weekend buys you a fast dinner later.
Tips for success
- Toast the dried chiles in a completely dry skillet for 30 seconds per side, pressing them flat. They should smell smoky and fragrant. If they start to smell bitter or burnt, pull them immediately. Burnt chiles will make the whole sauce taste bitter.
- Sear the pork in batches and do not rush it. Crowding the pot steams the meat instead of browning it, and you lose the fond on the bottom of the pot that adds flavor to the broth. Two or three minutes per side, and wait for the meat to release on its own before flipping.
- Deglaze with that half cup of chicken broth right after you add the garlic, and scrape up every bit of the browned bits before you add anything else. Skipping this is the most common reason for a burn warning with this recipe.
- Strain the blended chile sauce through a fine mesh strainer. Press the solids firmly with the back of a spoon to get all the liquid through. The texture difference between strained and unstrained is significant, and it only takes a couple of minutes.
If the broth tastes flat or thin
- Flat broth usually means it needs more salt. Add kosher salt a half teaspoon at a time and taste between additions.
- A squeeze of fresh lime stirred into the pot, not just added at the table, can sharpen the whole flavor profile quickly.
- If the broth seems thin after shredding the pork, set the Instant Pot back to Saute and let it simmer uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes to concentrate it.
- Mexican oregano is worth seeking out here. Regular Italian oregano has a different flavor profile and the pozole will taste a little off without the right one.
Substitutions
Pork loin can stand in for pork shoulder if that is what you have, but it has much less fat so the texture will be firmer and the broth a little leaner. It will still work, just adjust your expectations. For a completely different protein, bone-in chicken thighs pressure cook well and give you something closer to a pozole blanco style. If you cannot find guajillo chiles at your grocery store, use all ancho chiles. The sauce will be a little milder and earthier but still good. Canned chipotle peppers in adobo can replace one of the dried chiles if you want more smoke, though the flavor shifts noticeably.
Canned white hominy is standard in this recipe and genuinely hard to substitute since the texture is the point, but it is usually stocked near the canned beans at most grocery stores. For a lower-sodium version, use homemade or no-salt-added chicken broth and taste carefully before adding any extra salt at the end.
Make-ahead and storage
The dried chile sauce can be blended and strained up to 3 days ahead. Store it in a jar or covered bowl in the refrigerator and it is ready to go when you start the recipe. The full pozole also reheats very well. Store cooled soup in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The broth gets a little richer on day two, which my family actually prefers.
To freeze, store the soup base without toppings in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat. If the soup has thickened in the freezer, stir in a splash of chicken broth while it warms. Keep the cabbage, radishes, and lime separate since they do not freeze.
Instant Pot Pork Pozole Rojo
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Add the dried ancho and guajillo chiles and toast them for about 30 seconds per side, pressing them flat with a spatula. You want them to smell fragrant and slightly smoky, not burnt. Transfer the toasted chiles to a bowl and cover with 2 cups of boiling water. Let them soak for 15 minutes until soft.
- Drain the soaked chiles, reserving about 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid. Add the chiles, the half onion cut into chunks, 3 cloves of garlic, and the reserved soaking liquid to a blender. Blend until very smooth. Strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl, pressing the solids with a spoon to get all the liquid through. Set aside.
- Set the Instant Pot to Saute on Normal. Add the vegetable oil and let it heat for a minute. Season the pork shoulder chunks with salt and pepper. Working in batches so you do not crowd the pot, sear the pork for 2 to 3 minutes per side until browned. The meat should release from the pot when it is ready to flip. Transfer browned pork to a plate and repeat with remaining pieces.
- Add the minced garlic clove to the pot and stir for 30 seconds. Pour in about 1/2 cup of the chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. This step prevents a burn warning.
- Return all the pork to the pot. Add the strained chile sauce, remaining chicken broth, hominy, and dried oregano. Stir to combine. Press Cancel to turn off Saute mode.
- Secure the lid and set the valve to Sealing. Select Pressure Cook on High for 40 minutes. The pot will take about 10 to 15 minutes to come to pressure first.
- Allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes after the timer ends. Then carefully turn the valve to Venting to release any remaining pressure. Remove the lid when the pin drops.
- Use two forks to shred the pork into the broth. The meat should fall apart with very little effort. Taste the pozole and add more salt or a squeeze of lime juice as needed.
- Ladle into deep bowls and set out a spread of shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, lime wedges, dried oregano, and tostadas for topping. Each person builds their bowl at the table.
Notes
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