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Home » Recipes » Lunch

Instant Pot Pozole (Blanco)

Published: Oct 3, 2022 by Christina Koncker · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

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A traditional Mexican soup that usually takes hours to execute, this Instant Pot Pozole cuts down the cooking time so you can have a comforting bowl ready for dinner in half the time. This is a white pozole that is light and lovely with hints of smoke throughout thanks to smoked ham hock.

Instant Pot Pozole Blanco with ham hock in two bowls on the tabe.
Jump to:
  • Why You Will Love This Instant Pot Soup Recipe
  • What is Pozole?
  • Ingredients
  • Substitutions
  • Variations
  • How to Make Pozole Blanco
  • Serving Suggestions
  • Storage and Reheating
  • Recipe FAQs
  • More of Midwexican's Best Soup Recipes
  • Instant Pot Pozole (Blanco)

Soup’s on! And thanks to the advances of modern cooking science, the Instant Pot (pressure cooker) got that soup on in a fraction of the time!

This Instant Pot Pozole was designed with quick comfort food in mind. It’s an authentic-adjacent take on a White Pozole; it’s not a traditional pozole since it’s not being prepared on the stovetop. For this recipe, I use a smoked ham hock, but almost any cut of bone-in pork could work here (think, leftover ham bone from holiday meals or a bone-in pork butt). And I'm using canned hominy to cut down on the amount of effort.

If you're into comforting soups, you should check out the bold Italian flavors of my White Chicken Chili or this one-pot taco meal, Creamy Taco Soup.

Why You Will Love This Instant Pot Soup Recipe

  • Instant Pot Makes It Easy. I love how easy the pressure cooker makes soups! It does all the work so I can do other things while it cooks. Like prepare the soup garnishes!
  • Hearty and Satisfying. The bold flavors of this soup will fill you, like a gentle hug for your tummy. The hominy and pork are filling, and the soup broth is super satisfying.
  • Unique Flavors. If you're looking for a way to up your soup game, this soup is it! With bold Mexican flavors, pork, and hominy, it's out-of-this-world delicious.
Instant Pot Pozole with Ham in a bowl with a spoon dipping in.

What is Pozole?

Pozole (pronounced like po-sole) is a type of Mexican soup that's traditionally made with hominy (heirloom corn) as well as a meat protein (usually pork). It’s Mexican comfort food, featuring a delicate, earthy broth that is seasoned with cumin, oregano, and sometimes chiles. Pozole is usually garnished with shredded cabbage, chile peppers, sliced radishes, sliced avocado, salsa, and fresh lime wedges. 

Typically, pozole simmers away on the stovetop for hours to develop flavor. But thanks to the Instant Pot, pozole can be ready much more quickly.

Three Types of Pozole

There are three types of pozole—green, white, and red. This Instant Pot Pozole is a white pozole, or pozole blanco. Like other traditional pozole blanco recipes, there is no chile. It’s a mild soup, one that really benefits from garnishes, like the crunch of fresh cabbage and sliced radishes. Pozole is easily kicked up with the addition of thinly sliced hot peppers, should you be feeling zesty.   

Ingredients

To make this Instant Pot Pozole Blanco you will need the following ingredients. Check out What to Serve with Instant Pot Pozole (below) for serving suggestions. 

Ingredients needed for Instant Pot Pozole Blanco on the table.
  • Smoked ham hock (around 2 - 2 ½ pounds) - One of your best bets for finding a smoked ham hock would be to check at your local butcher shop. I've also seen them in grocery stores, usually in the meat section, although sometimes frozen.
  • Cooking stock or broth - There are a lot of broths and stocks to choose from at the grocery store, or maybe you would prefer to make your own for this recipe, like this Instant Pot Beef Bone Broth. Chicken and vegetable stock are great options for this pozole. Just pay attention to how much sodium it has and consider that before adding salt to the souop. 
  • Yellow onion and garlic - My favorite aromatics! Their bold flavors are muted once cooked and help provide a beautiful balance to the soup.
  • Canned hominy - I'll admit that hominy is an ingredient I'm not super familiar with. You can buy hominy dried in bags, which need to be reconstituted with an overnight soak, like dried beans. You can also buy hominy prepared in cans. Canned hominy is ready to use, no advanced preparation is necessary.
  • Seasonings - Mexican oregano, thyme, and cumin add earthiness and an addictive herbal flavor that gently permeates the soup. Sometimes I toss in a bay leaf or two.
  • Salt - I suggest leaving the addition of salt until the very end. How much salt you add depends on a few things: 1) the sodium content of the stock/broth and 2) the smoked ham hock. If you use a leftover ham bone from the holidays, these can vary in saltiness so you might find you don’t need to add additional salt. 

A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below - keep scrolling!

Substitutions

Here are a few substitutions you can feel free to make without dramatically changing the resulting Pozole Blanco. 

  • Smoked ham hock - The best substitution would be some other cut of bone-in pork; the leftover ham bone from holiday meals or a bone-in pork butt as they have the right amount of fat and connective tissue to give the broth richness. Just aim for around 2 - 2 ½ pounds of meat, with the weight of the bone included. You could also use chicken or turkey in this recipe. 
  • Seasonings - Use regular oregano instead if you can’t find Mexican oregano. If thyme isn't your jam, replace it with more oregano. Or toss in a bay leaf instead.

Variations

If you gotta have that spice, I’ve got your spicy Pozole variation covered!

  • Add 1-2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes
  • Add up to ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • Toss in some fresh or dried chiles during the Saute step, before the lid goes on the Instant Pot
  • Serve with hot sauce and doctor it up to your preferred heat level
  • Garnish with fresh or pickled jalapenos or other spicy pepper

If you want to keep this pozole blanco recipe more traditional, use pork or chicken. Because this Instant Pot Pozole Blanco is a light but hearty soup, you can easily make it your own with shredded turkey; or take it a vegetarian route and add in beans (black or pinto beans are good options). 

How to Make Pozole Blanco

Grab your Instant Pot and all your ingredients and let's get started!

Chopped onions in a food processor.
  1. Roughly chop the onion and peel the garlic. Add onion and garlic to a food processor. Pulse a few times, until the onion and garlic are finely minced. 
Cooking the onions and garlic.
  1. Add the bacon grease or oil with the chopped onion and garlic to the Instant Pot. Cook for 7 minutes using the Saute setting, stirring frequently as it cooks.
Seasonings and ham hock added to the pot.
  1. Add the ham hock, seasonings, and water or stock/broth.
Front of the Instant Pot with 20 minutes on display.
  1. Pressure cook for 20 minutes (normal).
Cooked ham hock in the pressure cooker.
  1. Use natural release, which will take 15-20 minutes; otherwise, it’s okay to do a manual release shortly after cooking has finished. 
A can of hominy up over the Instant Pot.
  1. Remove the ham hock. Add hominy with the liquid. Saute for 7 minutes; this will help the soup reduce and the flavors blend. Stir occasionally. 
Shredded ham in a container.
  1. Shred the ham hock while the hominy cooks. Immediately add it back into the pozole. 
Shredded ham added back to the pot.
  1. Taste as it cooks and adjust with additional seasonings if desired.
Instant Pot Pozole Blanco with ham hock served up in bowls on the table.
  1. Serve with shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, lime wedges, or any other favorite toppings.

Serving Suggestions

Pozole Blanco is a soup you want to serve with garnishes! Pozole is traditionally served with shredded cabbage, chile peppers, sliced radishes, sliced avocado, salsa, and fresh lime wedges. Feel free to make it your own and include what you like (perhaps some fresh Cucumber Pico de Gallo?), but I’m a fan of adding shredded cabbage for that crunch! 

You could also try adding topping your pozole with chopped onion or fresh cilantro for freshness. Pair with tostadas or tortilla chips for dipping or crunch them up and toss them in. Or pair it with chips and salsa; like this Spicy Pico de Gallo or this Roasted Green Tomato Salsa.

Instant Pot Pozole Blanco with ham hock on a blue wooden background with a plate of cabbage and radishes.

Storage and Reheating

  • Refrigerator: Store leftover Instant Pozole in the fridge for up to 5 days. You may notice a layer of fat that hardens on top of your leftovers; go ahead and skim that off the top before reheating. You might also notice that your leftovers are jiggly, having a thick, gelatinous quality. This is thanks to the collagen and fat released during cooking and will revert back to a liquid state once re-heated.
  • Freezer: Store leftover Instant Pot Pork Pozole in the freezer for up to 6 months. For maximum enjoyment, however, use within 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
  • Re-Heating Pozole: Reheat desired amount of pozole in a pot on the stovetop, covered. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally, then remove from heat. Or, microwave that soup, covered. A couple of minutes should do it!

Recipe FAQs

Can I make this soup in my slow cooker?

You bet! If using a slow cooker, cover and cook on low for at least 8 hours. You'll want to wait to add the canned hominy until 15 minutes before serving. I do recommend sauteing the vegetables at the start but it's not required.

Can I make this pozole soup on the stove?

Sure thing! Saute the vegetables first in your soup pot and then simmer the soup for 2-3 hours over medium-low heat, covered. You'll want to wait to add the canned hominy until just before serving.

Posole vs Pozole?

Disagreement is ongoing regarding whether pozole and posole can be used interchangeably, but pozole tends to be the widely accepted spelling in Mexico proper. Posole tends to show up more often in borderland recipes (i.e., recipes that show up near the United States/Mexico border). 

I want my Pozole thicker, more like a stew.

If you'd prefer a thicker, more stew-like consistency for your pozole, simply reduce the broth by using the sauté function after pressure cooking for longer than instructed. You could also mash a few hominy kernels with a potato masher to thicken the soup.

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If you tried this White Pozole recipe (or any other recipe on Midwexican), please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it turned out in the 📝 comments below!

instant pot pozole

Instant Pot Pozole (Blanco)

Christina Koncker
A traditional Mexican soup that usually takes hours to execute on the stovetop, this Instant Pot Pozole recipe reduces the cooking time so you can have a comforting bowl ready for dinner in half the time.
5 from 4 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 34 minutes mins
Instant Pot Pressure Build Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 59 minutes mins
Course Soup
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 8 cups
Calories 115 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Instant Pot
  • 1 Food processor

Ingredients
  

  • 1 smoked ham hock (around 2 - 2 ½ pounds) 
  • 1 quart cooking stock/broth (4 cups)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil or bacon grease
  • 1 large yellow onion
  • 1 head garlic (or 8-10 garlic cloves)
  • 1 29-ounce can hominy (don’t drain)
  • 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
  • ½ teaspoon thyme
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • salt, to taste* (I recommend adding 1 ½ teaspoons at the very end if using water)

Instructions
 

  • Roughly chop the onion and peel the garlic. Add onion and garlic to a food processor and Pulse a few times, until the onion and garlic are finely minced. 
    1 large yellow onion, 1 head garlic
  • Add olive oil or bacon grease and the chopped onion and garlic to the Instant Pot. Saute onion and garlic for 7 minutes by setting the Instant Pot to Saute (normal). 
    2 tablespoons olive oil or bacon grease
  • Add ham hock and water (or stock/broth), along with the Mexican oregano, cumin, and thyme. Pressure cook for 20 minutes at High Pressure (normal).
    1 smoked ham hock, 1 quart cooking stock/broth, 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano, 1 teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon thyme
  • If possible, let natural release, which will take 15-20 minutes; otherwise, it’s okay to do a manual release shortly after cooking has finished. 
  • Remove ham hock. Add hominy and liquid and Saute for 7 minutes; this will help the soup reduce. Stir occasionally. 
    1 29-ounce can hominy
  • Shred ham hock while hominy cooks and immediately add it back into the pozole. 
  • Taste as it cooks and adjust with additional seasonings if desired.
    salt, to taste*
  • Serve with shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, lime wedges, etc.

Notes

*Nutrition information is approximate and was calculated using an online nutrition calculator.
I suggest leaving the addition of salt until the very end. How much salt you add depends on a few things: 1) how much sodium is in your chosen stock/broth and 2) the smoked ham hock.

Nutrition

Calories: 115kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 6gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 61mgPotassium: 128mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 14IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 25mgIron: 1mg
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Christina from Midwexican

About Christina

I'm a Minnesota native who can't get enough of south-of-the-border flavors. My recipes combine comforting Midwestern eats with bold Mexican and Tex-Mex flavors. If you love comforting food, bold flavors, and - most importantly - tacos! then you'll love what I'm cooking!

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