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Instant Pot Pork Pozole Rojo, instant pot soup recipes
Brittany Stage

Instant Pot Pork Pozole Rojo

This traditional Mexican red pozole uses pork shoulder and a homemade dried chile sauce that comes together faster than you would expect in the Instant Pot. Serve it with the full topping spread for a meal that feels like a special occasion on a regular Tuesday.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 460
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs pork shoulder cut into 2-inch chunks, excess fat trimmed
  • 2 whole dried ancho chiles stems and seeds removed
  • 2 whole dried guajillo chiles stems and seeds removed
  • 1 29 oz can white hominy drained and rinsed
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth divided
  • 1 medium white onion half roughly chopped for chile sauce, half thinly sliced for topping
  • 4 cloves garlic divided, 3 for chile sauce, 1 minced for pot
  • 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano plus more for serving
  • 1 tsp kosher salt plus more to taste
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 cups shredded green cabbage for topping
  • 6 whole radishes thinly sliced, for topping
  • 2 whole limes cut into wedges, for topping
  • 6 whole tostadas or corn tortillas for serving

Equipment

  • 6-quart or 8-quart Instant Pot
  • blender or immersion blender
  • dry skillet for toasting chiles
  • fine mesh strainer

Method
 

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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

Toast the chiles before soaking for noticeably better flavor. The soup base freezes well for up to 3 months, but add the toppings fresh each time you serve.