This pozole recipe is filled with tender pork, roasted green salsa, and hearty white hominy—an iconic traditional Mexican soup made easy enough for weeknights and special enough for holidays.
Why You’ll Love This Pozole Recipe
There’s something incredibly comforting about a steaming bowl of pozole verde. With every spoonful, you get the warmth of a gentle simmered broth, the rich flavor of slow-cooked pork meat, and the brightness of roasted tomatillo and jalapeño.
This recipe is rooted in the flavors of traditional pozole, but it’s made simple and gluten-free, perfect for modern kitchens. Whether it’s your first time making pozole or a long-standing favorite in your home, this dish delivers bold taste with minimal fuss. I love preparing it for special occasions, especially when everyone can build their own bowl with their favorite toppings.
It also happens to be naturally dairy-free and packed with protein, making it a nourishing, real-food meal for the whole family. Serve it alongside Cauliflower Mexican Rice or a fresh batch of Paleo Horchata to complete the meal.
Watch a Short Video of This Recipe
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Pork loin or bone-in pork shoulder: Boneless pork is easier to shred, but bone-in pork creates a deeper flavor in the broth.
- Chicken broth: Forms the base of this traditional Mexican soup. You can also use homemade stock if you have it on hand.
- Tomatillos: These tangy green fruits give pozole verde its signature brightness.
- Poblano and jalapeño peppers: Roasted to develop flavor and build heat. You can adjust the number of peppers to control the spice level.
- Onion and garlic: Essential aromatics that form the backbone of the blended salsa.
- Cilantro: Blended into the sauce for vibrant color and fresh flavor.
- White hominy: These plump corn kernels are the soul of pozole—canned hominy is easiest, but you can use dried if preferred.
- Spices: Cumin, bay leaves, and dried Mexican oregano bring depth and warmth.
- Avocado oil: Or any neutral cooking oil you prefer.
- Salt and black pepper: Season the pork generously before searing.
For toppings, think crunchy, creamy, spicy, and tangy. Shredded cabbage, diced avocado, lime wedges, corn tortillas, and cotija cheese all make excellent additions. You could even serve it with The Best Homemade Guacamole or fresh Grilled Mexican Chili Lime Mango for a flavor-packed table spread.
How to Make This Pozole Recipe
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 425°F. Season the pork all over with salt and black pepper.
Step 2: In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Sear the pork on all sides until golden brown.
Step 3: Add chicken broth, bay leaves, cumin, and Mexican oregano. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 1 hour.
Step 4: Meanwhile, place tomatillos, poblano peppers, jalapeños, onion, and cloves of garlic on a baking sheet. Drizzle with the remaining oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast for 20 minutes.
Step 5: Let the roasted vegetables cool slightly, then transfer to a blender with the cilantro and 1 cup of broth from the pot. Blend until smooth.
Step 6: Stir the green sauce into the pot with the pork. Cover again and simmer on medium heat for another 2 hours, or until the pork is fall-apart tender.
Step 7: Remove the bay leaves. Transfer the pork to a bowl, shred it with two forks, and return it to the pot.
Step 8: Stir in the white hominy and adjust salt and spice level to taste. Serve hot with your favorite toppings and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
Tips for Flavor & Spice Level
- Roasting the peppers and tomatillos deepens their sweetness and tempers bitterness. Don’t skip this step—it’s what makes this a pozole verde and not just pork soup.
- To make this in a slow cooker, sear the pork first, then add all ingredients and cook on low for 6–8 hours before shredding.
- For an Instant Pot version, use the sauté function to sear the pork, then pressure cook for 40 minutes followed by a natural release.
- Swap pork for chicken breasts if you’re short on time—simmer just 30 minutes before shredding.
- Adjust the spice level by removing seeds from the jalapeños or using fewer peppers. Add diced fresh Mexican chiles at the end if you want extra heat.
How to Serve Pozole
Pozole is all about the toppings. Set out bowls so everyone can build their own:
- Shredded cabbage
- Radish slices
- Avocado
- Diced onion
- Cilantro
- Cotija cheese
- Jalapeño slices
- Tortilla chips or warm corn tortillas
- Sour cream or dairy-free alternatives
Storage & Make-Ahead Tips
Let leftovers cool fully before transferring to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 4–5 days. This hearty soup also freezes beautifully—just leave off the toppings and store in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months.
To reheat, thaw overnight and warm on the stovetop over medium heat. Add extra broth if it thickens too much.
Recipe FAQs
Pozole verde is made with pork meat, hominy, and a roasted green salsa from tomatillos, poblano and jalapeño peppers, onion, garlic, and cilantro.
While homemade green salsa is ideal, you can use 2–3 cups of canned green enchilada sauce in a pinch. The flavor won’t be as vibrant, but it still works well.
Yes! Traditional pozole recipes are gluten-free, especially when made with real broth, fresh spices, and hominy.
Use fewer jalapeños, remove the seeds, or substitute with mild green chiles. You can also serve with sour cream or avocado to cool things down.
More Mexican-Inspired Recipes
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Easy Pozole Verde Recipe with Tender Pork and Roasted Salsa
Video
Ingredients
- 3 lb pork loin or 4 lb bone-in pork shoulder, cut into 4 pieces
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 tbsp avocado oil or your favorite cooking oil, divided
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 8 tomatillos husks removed and halved
- 3 poblano peppers stems/seeds removed and halved
- 2 jalapeño peppers stems/seeds removed and halved
- 1 large onion quartered
- 6 garlic cloves peeled
- 1 cup cilantro leaves and stems tightly packed
- 25 oz can of hominy strained and rinsed
Topping Suggestions
- Shredded cabbage
- Radish slices
- Diced avocados
- Diced onion
- Cilantro
- Cotija cheese
- Lime wedges
- Jalapeño slices
- Tortilla chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Season the pork liberally all over with salt and pepper.3 lb pork loin, Salt and pepper
- Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large dutch oven or stockpot over medium high heat. Sear the pork on all sides until golden brown.
- Add chicken broth, bay leaves, cumin, and oregano to the pork, and let everything come to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer covered for 1 hour.8 cups chicken broth, 2 bay leaves, 2 tsp cumin, 2 tsp dried oregano
- While the pork simmers, place tomatillos, poblano peppers, jalapeño peppers, onion, and garlic on a baking pan, and toss with 2 tbsp of oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes until soft.8 tomatillos, 3 poblano peppers, 2 jalapeño peppers, 1 large onion, 6 garlic cloves
- Cool the veggies for 10 minutes, then add them to a blender (including the juices) with cilantro. Add 1 cup of the broth from the pork to the blender and blend everything until smooth.1 cup cilantro leaves and stems
- Stir the blended sauce in with the pork, and simmer for 2 more hours, or until the pork shreds easily.
- Remove the bay leaves and discard them. Transfer the pork to a bowl and shred. Discard the bone (if any), and add the meat back into the soup.
- Stir in hominy and taste to adjust seasoning.25 oz can of hominy
- Serve topped with shredded cabbage, radish slices, diced avocados, diced onion, cilantro, cotija, lime wedges, and tortilla chips.
Notes
-
- Roasting the peppers and tomatillos deepens their sweetness and tempers bitterness. Don’t skip this step—it’s what makes this a pozole verde and not just pork soup.
-
- To make this in a slow cooker, sear the pork first, then add all ingredients and cook on low for 6–8 hours before shredding.
-
- For an Instant Pot version, use the sauté function to sear the pork, then pressure cook for 40 minutes followed by a natural release.
-
- Swap pork for chicken breasts if you’re short on time—simmer just 30 minutes before shredding.
-
- Adjust the spice level by removing seeds from the jalapeños or using fewer peppers. Add diced fresh Mexican chiles at the end if you want extra heat.
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this was SO INCREDIBLY GOOD, everyone needs to make it, like, yesterday. SO easy and SO flavorful. I thought about using the Instant Pot like some other pozole recipes, but I wanted to make it the stated way the first time. I think Maybe one could do the pork stage for maybe 15-20 min, do a release, then add the roasted veg, then maybe another 30-40? One could even combine the two if in a time pinch. I might try it next time, but honestly the stovetop method is perfectly simple AND makes your house smell amazing. Thank you, Jeanine, it’s so so delicious. I garnished with cilantro, a squeeze of lime wedge and a couple crumbled up tortilla chips.
Thank you so much and I’m so happy you enjoyed it! I actually thought about making it an Instant Pot recipe but with the pressurizing/depressurizing time, I didn’t think it would really shorten the time of cooking. But yes – you can definitely try it out. Appreciate you leaving a review!!
I have a question. How much store bought salsa verde do I need if I don’t want to roast the poblanos, jalapeños or tomatillos?
I’ve never tried this before so want the easy way to begin with. I using the recipe on this site with the 3 lobs of pork.
I think 1.5-2 cups will work!
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I have wanted to make pozole verde for some time and thought it would be too complicated. Made it last night on a whim and was pleasantly surprised. Your recipe is spot on, well written and the outcome was delicious! I will make this for years to come. I will try with chicken too, but the pork was amazing.
Thank you so much! It’s definitely a lot easier than I imagined as well. I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for sharing this recipe it was delicious! Very flavorful and easy to make. My picky kids loved it!
Yay, I’m so glad!!
Question …
I have 2 pounds of pork neck bones I would love to use up. Any chance I could substitute the pork shoulder for these? Thank you.
I’ve never tried using pork neck bones, but I think that should work fine!
When I’ve had posole in Mexico, it always is with cubed pork. Any reason not to do it that way for this recipe? I don’t enjoy the shredding! Ha ha.
I just personally prefer shredded pork but you can definitely just cube it! I’ve seen people cube it after cooking or just cutting it up beforehand. Either will work!