Instant Pot Red Posole: Effortless Weeknight Flavor That Feels Like a Celebration

There's something magical about a dish that can feel both like a cozy, effortless weeknight dinner and a festive meal for a crowd. Enter Instant Pot Red Posole (Pozole Rojo), a traditional Mexican stew reimagined for the modern kitchen. This recipe captures the soul-warming essence of a long-simmered classic—tender pork, earthy hominy, and a rich, aromatic red chile broth—but delivers it in just over an hour, all within one pot. Forget watching a pot for half the day; this is hearty, authentic flavor made simple, leaving you more time to set the table and slice the limes.

As we look for ways to bring more global flavors and communal dining experiences into our homes, dishes like this shine. It’s a perfect example of the smart, adaptable cooking we champion at TFGoGoGo.com, where we pair reliable recipes with practical tools to make exceptional meals an everyday reality.

Instant Pot Red Posole (Pozole Rojo)

• Prep Time: 15 mins

• Cook Time: 45 mins (plus pressure build/release time)

• Total Time: About 1 hr 10 mins

• Servings: 8

• Rating: 4.8 stars (from 32 reviews)

Ingredients

For the Posole:

• 2 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes

• 1 medium onion, diced

• 3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

• 1 teaspoon New Mexico chili powder

• 1 teaspoon garlic salt

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican oregano)

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• ½ teaspoon chipotle chile powder

• ½ teaspoon ground cumin

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

• 1 (14.5 ounce) can red enchilada sauce

• 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles

• ⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish

• 1 (15 ounce) can golden hominy, drained and rinsed

For Serving (The Best Part!):

• Sliced radishes, shredded cabbage or lettuce, diced avocado, lime wedges, sliced jalapeños, extra cilantro, chopped onion, oregano, and tostadas or tortilla chips on the side.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Season & Sear: In a large bowl, combine the pork cubes, diced onion, garlic, and all the dried spices (chili powder, garlic salt, oregano, black pepper, chipotle powder, and cumin). Toss until the pork is evenly coated. Turn your Instant Pot to the Sauté function and heat the olive oil. Working in batches to avoid steaming, cook the pork mixture until the pork is nicely browned on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch. This step is crucial for building deep flavor.

2. Deglaze & Pressure Cook: Turn off the Sauté function. Pour in the chicken broth and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot—this is pure flavor. Stir in the red enchilada sauce, diced green chiles, and the ⅓ cup of chopped cilantro. Secure the lid, set the valve to Sealing, and select High Pressure for 20 minutes.

3. Natural Release & Add Hominy: Once the cooking cycle is complete, let the pressure release naturally for 10-15 minutes before carefully switching the valve to Venting to release any remaining pressure. Open the lid and stir in the drained hominy. Let it sit for a few minutes in the hot broth to warm through. The hominy is already cooked, so it just needs to heat and absorb the delicious flavors.

👩🍳 Pro Tips for the Perfect Posole

• The Chile Trinity: This recipe gets its accessible, complex "red" flavor from a blend of three chile products: New Mexico chili powder (for earthy warmth), chipotle powder (for smoky depth), and canned red enchilada sauce (for a rich, saucy base and seasoning). For a more traditional from-scratch sauce, you could blend rehydrated guajillo or ancho chiles.

• Choosing Your Pork: Pork shoulder (butt) is ideal for pressure cooking. Its marbled fat breaks down during cooking, leaving you with incredibly tender, flavorful meat. For a leaner option, pork loin or tenderloin works but can be less forgiving.

• Hominy 101: Hominy is dried corn kernels that have been treated with an alkali solution, which gives them their distinctive puffy, chewy texture and nutty flavor. Canned hominy is a fantastic, ready-to-use shortcut. Be sure to drain and rinse it well before adding.

• Make It Ahead & Store: Like many stews, posole tastes even better the next day as the flavors meld. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and freezes beautifully for up to 3 months. Reheat gently on the stovetop.

📊 A Look at the Nutrition (Per Serving)

This is a balanced, protein-packed meal. The following is an approximate nutritional profile for a serving of the posole broth with pork and hominy.

Pork provides high-quality protein and B vitamins, while hominy offers fiber and complex carbohydrates. Toppings like avocado add healthy fats.

Why This Recipe Belongs in Your Rotation

Instant Pot Red Posole solves the "special but simple" dinner equation. It delivers the impressive, communal experience of a traditional Mexican stew—everyone gets to customize their bowl with a rainbow of fresh toppings—with the convenience of a set-it-and-forget-it weeknight meal. It’s perfect for feeding a group, for meal prep, or for when you simply crave something deeply nourishing and flavorful.

This recipe embodies the TFGoGoGo.com philosophy: taking beloved, traditional dishes and providing a clear, reliable path to making them at home, using tools like the Instant Pot that fit seamlessly into busy lives. It’s about achieving restaurant-worthy depth of flavor with home-kitchen simplicity.

Ready to gather around a steaming pot of comfort? For more globally-inspired, one-pot wonders and our honest reviews on the kitchen tools that make them possible, visit the full collection on our blog at tfgogogo.com.