Pozole Verde Recipe (Green Pozole) (2024)

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by Mike Hultquist · Mar 8, 2023 · 16 Comments · Jump to Recipe

My pozole verde recipe is made from scratch with various cuts of pork for a rich broth with hominy, tomatillos, green chilies, pepitas and fresh herbs.

Pozole Verde Recipe

We're cooking up a big pot of Pozole Verde in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen tonight, my friends. You are in for a seriously flavor filled experience.

If you enjoy Mexican Pozole Rojo, you'll definitely love this dish.

Pozole verde is a mouthwatering Mexican stew with hominy in a rich pork or chicken stock infused with a verde sauce made with tomatillos and green chilies. It's a classic Mexican dish usually made in large batches.

There are different ways to make it, with ingredients and techniques varying from cook to cook.

I've been making pozole a long time, learning from a variety of Mexican cookbooks, and I have perfected my method for some of the best posole verde I've ever had.

I hope you love it as much as I do.

Why You'll Love My Pozole Verde

I make mine from bone-in cuts of pork, including hock and optional pig's feet, which imbues the broth with richness and flavor.
The verde sauce includes tangy tomatillos and spicy jalapeno and serrano peppers, but also toasted pumpkin seeds, or pepitas, for a delicious nuttiness.
You can enjoy your pozole with so many different toppings to make it a new experience every time!

Let's talk about how to make pozole verde, shall we?

Pozole Verde Ingredients

FOR THE POZOLE STOCK
Bone-In Pork Shoulder. You can use boneless, but you'll get much more flavor from bone-in.
Ham Hocks.
Pig's Feet. Optional. You can use more ham hocks if you prefer or are unable to find pig's feet, though I highly recommend them for richness of the broth. Look for them at Mexican markets or your butcher.
Vegetables. Onion, carrots, celery, garlic.
Seasonings. Bay leaves, salt and black pepper.
Water.
Hominy. You can use dried hominy soaked overnight, or canned hominy.
FOR THE SALSA VERDE (Green Sauce)
Vegetable Oil.
Vegetables. Onion, jalapenos, serranos, garlic.
Pepitas. Hulled pumpkin seeds.
Seasonings. Dried Mexican oregano, thyme, cumin, salt and pepper.
Tomatillos.
Radish Leaves. You canuse spinach or other greens as a substitute.
FOR GARNISH/SERVING
Crushed red chilies, sliced radish, chopped cilantro, lime wedges, chopped onion, hot sauce, avocado, fried pork rinds (chicharrónes), shredded lettuce, shredded cabbage, tortilla chips (as desired)

How to Make Pozole Verde - the Recipe Method

MAKE THE POZOLE STOCK

To a large pot or large Dutch oven, add the pork shoulder, ham hocks, pig's feet (or other pork you’re using), onion, carrot, celery, garlic, bay leaves and salt. Pour in the water. It should cover the ingredients.

This is the base of your stock, so you can incorporate other vegetables that you enjoy.

Bring to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 2-2.5 hours, or until the pork is fall apart tender. It could take longer, but start checking it around the 2 hour mark. Skim the fatty foam that rises to the top of the pot periodically.

Remove the pork from the pot and shred it with forks. Cover the shredded meat and set aside.

Strain the stock and discard the solids (spent vegetables and any bones).

Return the strained stock to the large pot and keep at a simmer.

MAKE THE SALA VERDE (GREEN SAUCE)

While the pozole stock is cooking, heat the vegetable oil in a large pan to medium heat. Add the onion and peppers. Cook 4-5 minutes to soften.

Stir in the pumpkin seeds and cook 7-8 minutes, or until the seeds start to brown and some begin to pop.

Stir in the garlic, Mexican oregano, thyme, cumin, and salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute to let the spices bloom.

Transfer to a food processor or blender along with the tomatillos and radish leaves.

Pour in 1 cup of the cooking liquid/stock from the simmering pozole stock. Process until smooth.

Pour the verde sauce back into the pan and simmer for 10 minutes to thicken.

FINISH THE POZOLE VERDE

Swirl the green sauce into the simmering stock. Add the hominy and reserved shredded or chopped pork. Taste and adjust for salt.

Simmer for 10 more minutes to heat through.

FOR SERVING

Serve the pozole verde into bowls and top with your chosen garnish, or serve the garnish on the side for diners to garnish as desired.

Boom! Done! Isn't this the best green pozole recipe ever? It's so good! Ready to serve. How are you going to garnish yours?

Recipe Tips & Notes

Ham Hock Alternatives.Traditional pozole is made with either pig's feet or pig's head, due to the collagen content, which adds richness and body to the stock. I find it easier to find ham hocks at my local store, though also consider pork neck, pork shank, or pork ribs. You can make this dish with pork shoulder alone. It's still quite delicious.
Dried Hominy Option.If making your pozole rojo with dried hominy instead of canned, cover with water and soak the dried hominy overnight, then cook it per your packaging instructions before using.
Canned Hominy can usually be found in the Mexican or International section of your local grocery store.
Make it with Chicken. Chicken pozole is delicious and lower in calories than pork pozole. Simmer the chicken breasts or whole chicken the same way with vegetables, then shred and strain per the recipe.

Storage

Pozole verde will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. You can enjoy it again by gently warming it in a pot on the stovetop.

You can also freeze it for 6 months in vacuum sealed containers. I freeze larger batches all the time. Works great.

That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy my green posole recipe! Let me know if you make it. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you, and if you decided to spice it up!

Cookbook Recommendations

If you enjoy Mexican cuisine, I recommend the following cookbooks, which I used to adapt this recipe. It has a lot of great recipes.

Mexico: The Cookbook (affiliate link, my friends!)
Made in Mexico: The Cookbook, by Danny Mena (affiliate link, my friends!)
Authentic Mexican, by Rick Bayless (affiliate link, my friends!)

Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes

Easy Chicken Pozole Rojo
Mexican Birria
Albondigas Soup
Caldo de Pollo (Mexican Chicken Soup)
Pollo Guisado
Carne Guisada
Caldo de Camaron (Mexican Shrimp Soup)
Caldo De Res (Mexican Beef Soup)

Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.

Pozole Verde Recipe (Mexican Green Posole)

My pozole verde recipe is made from scratch with various cuts of pork for a rich broth with hominy, tomatillos, green chilies, pepitas and fresh herbs.

Save Recipe

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: hominy, pork shoulder, tomatillos

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours hours

Calories: 563kcal

Author: Mike Hultquist

Servings: 10

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5 from 3 votes

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Ingredients

FOR THE POZOLE STOCK

3 pounds pork shoulder bone-in preferred, cut into large 2-3 inch chunks
1 pound ham hocks
1/2 pound pig's feet Or use more ham hocks - see RECIPE NOTES for other options
1 large white onion quartered
2 carrots rough chopped
2 stalks celery rough chopped
1 large head garlic peeled
2 bay leaves
Salt to taste
4 quarts water
3 15- ounce cans white hominy drained and rinsed (or use dried hominy soaked overnight)

FOR THE SALSA VERDE (Green Sauce)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small white onion rough chopped
3 jalapeno peppers chopped
3 serrano peppers chopped
5 garlic cloves
1 cup hulled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
1.5 pounds tomatillos husks removed, chopped
½ cup radish leaves use spinach or other greens as a substitute

FOR GARNISH/SERVING

Crushed red chilies, sliced radish, chopped cilantro, lime wedges, chopped onion, hot sauce, avocado, fried pork rinds (chicharrónes), shredded lettuce or cabbage (as desired)