This easy and flavorful slow cooker pork pozole is a twist on the classic Mexican recipe. It’s made with a hearty broth packed with chiles, tender pork, and hominy, and it’s super easy to make!
Hey Cousins! I’ve been craving some good old-fashioned pozole lately. I usually only make my pozole recipe once a year for Christmas, but my hunger got the best of me. So today, I’m breaking out my Crock Pot to make my delicious slow cooker pork pozole recipe!
How to Make Slow Cooker Pork Pozole
What Is Pozole?
Pozole (or posole – the English spelling) is a hearty Mexican stew made with three key ingredients: pork, hominy, and onions. The pork stew slow cooks for hours in a flavorful broth made of a variety of Mexican chiles, resulting in fall-apart-tender meat that practically melts in your mouth!
My recipe for pork pozole is on the easier side. I use pork shoulder, pig feet, canned hominy, warm spices, and a variety of chile pods for heat and flavor. Unlike the traditional cooking method (which would be low and slow on the stovetop), I prefer to make my posole recipe in the slow cooker. That way, I don’t have to babysit the pot all day. While the posole cooks, I can tend to other duties around the house and prepare other dishes (all while my house smells fantastic from the slow-cooking stew!).
What is Hominy?
Hominy is a crucial ingredient in pozole recipes. It also happens to be a popular ingredient in Southern food as well – have y’all ever heard of hominy grits?! So, what exactly is it? Hominy is maize or field corn. Once harvested, they go through a process that removes the hull and germ, making them easier to cook and more nutritious. Dried hominy can be ground up to make grits or used in place of corn in recipes like soups, stews, hashes, and even in baking.
In this recipe, we’re using canned hominy, which is already cooked, so it’s added to the pozole later in the cooking time. It’s a little sweet, nutty, and chewy, adding the perfect texture to the pork pozole.
Ingredients
Now, I’ll tell y’all right off the bat that you do need some specialty ingredients to make this posole recipe, but they aren’t hard to find if you go to the right grocery store! Visit your local Mexican or Hispanic food market to find the right kinds of chiles. Everything else is easy!
- Pork Shoulder: I use a bone-in shoulder, but if you can only find a boneless pork shoulder, that works just fine.
- Pigs Feet: If you can’t find these at your local grocery store, visit a specialty market or butcher shop.
- Onions: a key ingredient in pozole. You can use one large onion or two medium onions.
- Garlic Cloves: fresh is best in this recipe, leave the jarlick in the fridge!
- Chiles: I use three varieties with the seeds removed. That way, there’s still a bit of heat, but it’s a mild kick.
- Seasoning: You’ll need chicken bouillon, cumin, oregano, seasoning salt, and bay leaves.
- Water: for the base of the stew. You can use chicken broth instead (just cut the chicken bouillon).
- Toppings: the toppings are what make the pozole! Traditional toppings include sliced radishes, lime wedges, and shredded cabbage.
What kind of chiles do you use in pork pozole?
The types of chiles needed for pozole depend on the type of pozole you’re making. If you’re making pozole verde, you’d want to use green chiles like serranos. Posole rojo is made with dry guajillo chiles or chipotle peppers.
I use New Mexico chile peppers, Pasilla Ancho peppers, and California peppers in this version. You’ll probably need to visit an ethnic food store to find the right variety of chiles or order them online. You can also use different chiles in your own version of pozole, depending on the flavor and heat level you’re going for.
What’s the best cut of pork to use in slow cooker pork pozole?
The secret to a perfect pork pozole is the right cut of pork. You don’t want extra lean cuts like pork tenderloin or pork chops – those will dry right up and be tough as leather. You want a fatty cut that takes well to slow cooking, with tons of marbled fat so it becomes falling-apart-tender shredded pork. I use a bone-in pork shoulder (but you can also use a boneless pork shoulder). Other cuts that work are a pork loin roast, pork but (also called Boston butt), or boneless country-style pork ribs.
Instructions
This quick and easy slow cooker posole recipe is the perfect hearty soup. It’s packed with flavor from the chiles, tender pork, and warm spices. The slow cooker version takes the labor out and leaves nothing but a whole lotta love and flavor! Here’s how to make it:
- Add the pork shoulder, pigs feet, onions, garlic, and spices to a large slow cooker.
- Pour in 8 cups of water, cover, and cook on LOW for 8 hours.
- With 2 hours remaining, make and add the chile sauce to the stew, stirring to combine. Continue cooking.
- With one hour remaining, remove and shred the pork shoulder. Add the shredded pork back to the slow cooker, along with the (drained) hominy, and cook for the last hour.
- Serve the pork pozole in a bowl with your favorite toppings.
How to Make the Zesty Chile Sauce
We need to make a chile sauce to give the pork pozole that iconic red broth. First, remove the stems and seeds from the chiles, then place them in a medium pot and cover with about 4 cups of water. Bring the water to a boil for about 30 minutes until the chiles are soft.
Next, place the cooked chiles in a blender or food processor, along with 1.5 cups of that flavorful, spicy water. If desired, you can add extra seasonings like salt, pepper, chili powder, or hot sauce for added flavor. Blend everything until it’s nice and smooth, then pour that chile mixture into the slow cooker. The zesty chile sauce adds a lot of flavor and a little kick of heat, making it one delicious meal!
Slow Cooker Pork Pozole Rojo Video Tutorial
Watch how I make my very own version of pozole rojo in my easy-to-follow video tutorial! Make sure you’re subscribed to I Heart Recipes on YouTube to catch all of my recipe videos.
What to Serve with Pork Pozole
While the flavorful stew cooks away in the slow cooker, you have plenty of time to make some amazing side dishes to go with it! Here are some ideas of things I like to serve along with my easy slow cooker pork pozole:
- Potato Tacos
- Tex Mex Beef Skillet w/ corn tortillas
- Birria Quesadillas
- Lengua Tacos
- Mexican Rice & Beans
What are the best toppings for pozole?
The right garnishes are the perfect finishing touch to a warm, rich bowl of slow cooker pozole. Traditional toppings include sliced radishes, cabbage, avocado, and red onions. Add jalapeno slices, crumbled Cotija cheese, cilantro, or sour cream. Serve with corn or flour tortilla chips for dipping and scooping, and finish with a squeeze of lime juice. All the toppings add so much flavor to the stew, and it’s totally customizable – the whole family can make their pozole exactly how they like it!
Tips and Tricks for the Best Slow Cooker Pork Pozole
With the rich flavor, savory ingredients, and hands-off cooking time, this pork pozole recipe is already pretty dang perfect, if you ask me! However, there are tons of ways to make slow cooker pozole. Here are some tips to adjust this easy recipe to your tastes.
- My recipe calls for pigs’ feet, but I know that doesn’t float everyone’s boat. You can replace the pigs’ feet with neck bones or add more pork shoulder!
- If you don’t like pork, make chicken pozole! Use one whole large chicken or two medium chickens, cut up into serving pieces (breasts, thighs, legs, etc.). Adjust the cooking time to 4-5 hours on HIGH or 6-8 hours on LOW.
- To add more flavor to the pork, brown it before slow-cooking it. Cut the pork up into large chunks and brown the meat in a large skillet with olive oil, 5-6 minutes per side, before placing the pork into the slow cooker.
- When prepping the peppers, be sure to wear gloves if you have sensitive skin like me. And wash your hands before touching anything else, especially your face… trust me, y’all!
- Pozole is even more delicious the next day! Store the pozole in the fridge overnight, and reheat leftovers on the stovetop until heated through.
- You can make this same recipe on the stovetop using a large stock pot or Dutch oven. Cooking time will reduce to about 4-5 hours, or until the pork is cooked through and tender enough to shred easily.
More Savory Stews from I Heart Recipes
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Slow Cooker Pork Pozole
Ingredients
- 4 lb pork shoulder bone-in or boneless
- 1.5 lb pig feet
- 2 medium onions cut in quarters
- 8 cloves fresh garlic
- 8 cups water for the broth
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 1/2 tsp oregano
- 3 large bay leaf fresh or dried
- 3 tsp seasoning salt I use my Rosamae Seasonings Seasoning Salt!
- 3 tsp chicken flavor bouillon
- 4 cups water for the chile sauce
- 3 large New Mexico pepper pods seeds and stems removed
- 3 large Pasilla Ancho pepper pods seeds and stems removed
- 2 large California pepper pods seeds and stems removed
- 50 oz canned hominy drained and rinsed
Toppings
- shredded cabbage
- radish
- jalapeño
- cilantro
- lime wedges
Instructions
- Grab a 6 qt slow cooker, and add in the pork shoulder, pig feet, onions, garlic, and all the seasonings and spices.4 lb pork shoulder, 1.5 lb pig feet, 2 medium onions, 8 cloves fresh garlic, 2 tsp cumin, 2 1/2 tsp oregano, 3 large bay leaf, 3 tsp seasoning salt, 3 tsp chicken flavor bouillon
- Next pour in 8 cups water, and set the slow cooker on low for 8 hours.8 cups water
- During the last 2 hours of cooking, place the chile pods (seeds removed) into a medium size pot. Pour in 4 cups water.3 large New Mexico pepper pods, 3 large Pasilla Ancho pepper pods, 2 large California pepper pods, 4 cups water
- Place the chile pods and water over high heat and boil until they are soft (about 30 minutes).
- Once the chile pods are softened, place them into a blender, along with 1 1/2 cup of the water that was in the pot. Blend until smooth.
- Pour the blended chiles into the slow cooker and cook.
- During the last hour of cooking, remove the pork shoulder from the slow cooker. Shred or chop the meat, then place it back into the slow cooker.
- Add in the hominy at this time, and stir the ingredients.50 oz canned hominy
- Let cook for the remaining hour.
- Once done, serve with desired toppings and sides.shredded cabbage, radish, jalapeño, cilantro, lime wedges
- Enjoy!
Rosie, made this aand as a base for chili many times. I scrape the rehydrated pepper flesh from skins before blender. The skins are harsh and do not add to flavor