This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This Instant Pot pozole is my faster take on pozole rojo: pork shoulder and hominy in a guajillo and ancho chile sauce, with a little secret ingredient stirred in the way my mom does it. It’s ready in about an hour instead of an afternoon, and it’s best piled with the bes toppings.
A Note from Isabel
Pozole shows up at my house as soon as the cooler weather hits in the fall, and it really takes over around Christmas and New Year’s. It’s the kind of thing you make a big pot of when people are coming over.
The secret ingredient in the chile sauce, a little Mexican chocolate, comes from my mom. She adds it sometimes, and it gives the sauce a subtle richness and depth that’s hard to place. It doesn’t make the pozole sweet at all, so don’t let that scare you off. It’s also not required, so if you don’t have any on hand, you can leave it out and the pozole is still good.
I adapted this from my stovetop pozole rojo, and the only reason I made the switch is speed. The Instant Pot cuts the time in half, and at this point it might be the only way I make it.
Ingredients in Instant Pot Pozole
- White hominy
- Pork shoulder
- Dried chiles – guajillo, ancho, and arbol
- Seasonings – chili powder, ground cumin, dried Mexican oregano (or regular oregano), salt, black pepper, and garlic
- Mexican chocolate – optional, but I highly recommend it!
- Broth
How to Make Instant Pot Pozole
1. Make the chile sauce: Place the chiles in boiling water and cover, letting them soak and soften for about 10 minutes.
Transfer the softened chiles and the hot water into a large blender. Add the salt, chili powder, ground cumin, garlic, and Mexican chocolate. Blend for 2-3 minutes until its completely smooth. Set this aside for later.
2. Sear the pork: Cut the pork into large chunks and season with salt and pepper on all sides. Sear them in the Instant Pot by using the saute function. When hot, add 1 tablespoon of oil and 3 or 4 pieces of meat.
Brown the meat on all sides. When browned, transfer to a plate and set aside. Continue working in small batches until all the pork is browned.
3. Combine: Next, transfer all the meat back into the Instant Pot and turn it off.
Pour in the red chile sauce and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to loosen all the crispy brown bits.
Stir in the broth, hominy, and dried oregano, and combine.
4. Set it and forget it: Close the lid of the Instant Pot and move the valve to the sealing position. Press the Manual or Pressure Cook button to high pressure, then adjust the +/- buttons until the time reads 45 minutes. When finished cooking, carefully move the valve to the venting position and release the pressure. Remove the lid.
5. Shred the pork: Shred the pork with a fork or spatula. Stir to combine all the ingredients, taste, and add salt if needed. Serve with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Instant Pot Pozole Tips
- Sear the pork in batches. It’s tempting to dump it all in at once, but a crowded pot steams the meat instead of browning it, and that browning is where a lot of the flavor comes from. Give it room and do it in two or three rounds.
- Let the chiles soak the full 10 minutes. They need that time to soften all the way, and chiles that are still stiff won’t blend smooth. You’ll end up with a gritty sauce.
- Use natural release, not quick release. Venting the pressure fast seizes up the pork and it won’t shred the same way. Walk away and let it come down on its own.
- The Mexican chocolate is optional. It adds a subtle richness without making anything sweet, but the pozole is still good without it if you don’t have any.
The Best Toppings for Instant Pot Pozole
You can’t forget the great toppings! Here are some of my favorites:
- Shredded cabbage: This adds great texture and crunch. Try to shred it as thinly as possible.
- Sliced radishes: Add texture, brightness, and a little heat.
- Lime juice: I always add a good squeeze for acidity.
- Mexican oregano: For some extra flavor. Mexican oregano has a stronger flavor than regular oregano and is much more fragrant.
- Diced onion: Adds great flavor and crunch.
Instant Pot Pozole Rojo
Ingredients
For the chile sauce
- 3 cups water
- 5 guajillo chiles, rinsed and seeds removed
- 3 ancho chiles, rinsed and seeds removed
- 2 árbol chiles, rinsed (seeds removed if you want a mild spice level)
- 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 cloves garlic
- 8 grams Mexican chocolate (about ⅛ disc)
For the pozole
- 2 ½ pounds pork shoulder, cut into large 4-inch chunks
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 4 cups broth (chicken, vegetable, or beef)
- 3 (15-oz) cans white hominy, drained and rinsed (about 4 cups)
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano (Mexican oregano preferred)
Suggested toppings
- thinly shredded cabbage, diced white onions, lime wedges, dried Mexican oregano, cilantro, thinly sliced radishes, avocado
Instructions
- Prepare the chile sauce: In a small pot over high heat, bring the water to a boil. Remove it from the heat and add in the dried chiles. Cover and let the chiles soak for 10 minutes.
- Carefully transfer the softened chiles and the hot water into a large blender. Add the salt, chili powder, ground cumin, garlic, and Mexican chocolate. Blend for 2-3 minutes until completely smooth. Set aside.
- Prepare the pozole: Season all sides of the meat with the salt and black pepper.
- Press the saute button on the Instant Pot. When hot, add 1 tablespoon of oil and 3 or 4 pieces of meat. Brown the meat on all sides, flipping every 60 seconds. When browned, transfer to a plate and set aside. Continue working in batches until all the meat is browned.
- Transfer all the meat back into the Instant Pot and turn it off. Pour in the red chile sauce and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to loosen all the brown bits. Stir in the broth, hominy, and dried oregano and combine.
- Close the lid of the Instant Pot and move the valve to the sealing position. Press the Manual or Pressure Cook button to high pressure, then adjust the +/- buttons until the time reads 45 minutes.
- When finished cooking, carefully move the valve to the venting position and release the pressure. Remove the lid.
- Shred the pork with a fork or spatula (it should fall apart very easily). Taste and season with more salt, if necessary.
- Serve with toppings such as finely shredded cabbage, cilantro, lime juice, thinly sliced radishes, diced onions, and dried Mexican oregano.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I don’t have an Instant Pot, so I’m going to try this in a slow cooker. That way, the family can smell it all day!
Made this today and it tastes incredible! It was also really easy and fast to make it in the instant pot. Will definitely be making this again — thank you!
As a New Mexico native I love pozole. This one is right near the top for my taste’
Hi Isabel and friends, some of your students make the chile sauce/enchilada sauce and freeze it. Can you let me know the measurement (cups) that I need for this recipe?
Thanks
Hi Mikel! I would say about 3-4 cups.