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Slow-Cooker Pork Pozole Rojo

Name: Slow-Cooker Pork Pozole Rojo
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 445 min
Total time: 505 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 3 lb boneless pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 2-inch chunks; 2 tbsp neutral oil; 3 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded; 2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded; 1 medium white onion, quartered; 5 garlic cloves, peeled; 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided; 2 tsp dried Mexican oregano; 1 tsp ground cumin; 2 tsp kosher salt, divided; 1/2 tsp ground black pepper; 2 bay leaves; 2 cans (15 oz each) white hominy, drained and rinsed; 2 cups finely shredded green cabbage; 6 radishes, thinly sliced; 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves; 2 limes, cut into wedges; 8 tostadas

Toasted guajillo and ancho chiles give this slow-cooked pork pozole its deep red broth, while hominy joins late and stays plump beneath a crisp, bright spread of garnishes.

A bowl of red pork pozole with whole hominy, cabbage, radish, cilantro, lime, and tostadas.

Pozole rojo gets its color and rounded chile flavor from dried chiles softened and blended into the cooking broth. Pork shoulder simmers until it shreds easily, while hominy waits until the end so its kernels keep their shape in the bowl.

Toast, soak, then blend

Briefly toasting the guajillo and ancho chiles wakes up their aroma, but blackened patches can make the sauce bitter. A short soak softens the skins enough for the blender to turn the chiles, onion, garlic, oregano, and cumin into a smooth base.

Blending with part of the broth helps the sauce circulate around the pork in the cooker. Scraping the jar once catches chile pieces that might otherwise stay coarse.

Let the shoulder become tender

Browning the pork in batches gives the broth a deeper savory base; crowded meat would release moisture and steam instead. The long LOW cook then softens the shoulder until it yields to a fork, which matters more here than a precise clock alone.

Shred the pork while it is still warm and keep it covered as the hominy finishes. Returning the meat at the end warms it through without extending the cook enough to dry the strands.

Browned pork shoulder sits in a slow cooker beneath smooth red guajillo and ancho chile sauce. — A smooth red chile sauce coats browned pork before the slow cooker does its long, gentle work.

A deep red broth without heaviness

Guajillo brings a fruity, gently sharp chile note, while ancho adds a rounder, raisin-like depth. Their blended sauce colors the broth and seasons the pork as it cooks, making the long simmer useful for both tenderness and flavor.

Add hominy near the finish

Canned hominy is already cooked, so it needs only enough time in the seasoned broth to heat through and pick up flavor. Adding it after the pork shreds keeps the kernels plump and distinct instead of letting them soften throughout the full slow-cooker cycle.

Tender pork strands and intact hominy kernels show through the brick-red pozole broth. — Whole hominy kernels and tender pork sit in the rich red broth, ready for fresh toppings.

Finish each bowl at the table

Shredded cabbage and sliced radish bring cool crunch against the hot broth, while cilantro and lime brighten the chile and pork. Set the toppings out separately so everyone can build a bowl with the amount of freshness and acidity they like.

Tostadas make a crisp accompaniment and can be eaten alongside the soup or broken into a bowl at the table. Serve the pozole while the broth is steaming and the garnishes are freshly cut.