Easy Pozole Verde Recipe with Tender Pork and Roasted Salsa

Bowl of pozole verde with tender pork, shredded cabbage, radish, avocado, and lime wedges.

5 from 4 votes

Easy Pozole Verde Recipe with Tender Pork and Roasted Salsa

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.

Prep Time15

Cook Time3

Total Time3 15

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: servings

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.

Video

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.

Nutrition