This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
A wonderful Mexican one-pot meal is Posole (the New Mexico spelling, or Pozole, which means ‘Hominy’). Instant Pot Posole – Pork Stew is full of chunks of tender, fall apart pork, poblano peppers, hominy, and a rich broth made with ground red chile pepper, garlic, herbs & spices. Pressure cooker Pozole is delicious!
Instant Pot Posole – Pork Stew
It has always fascinated me how every culture on Earth has a soup or stew that can define it. When I think of Potato Leek Soup, I think of Wales, where my grandpa was from. China has Hot and Sour, Borscht from Russia, Matzo Ball Soup is Jewish, and on and on.
Maybe there isn’t always just one soup that we associate with a culture, and maybe a variation of one soup is shared by more than one culture (e.g., Chicken Soup).
When I think of soup or stew from Mexico (and New Mexico), I think of Posole. There are several variations of this stew, which usually has a fair amount of broth.
There are three main types of Pozole: Blanco, Verde, and Rojo (white, green, red). This Instant Pot Posole – Pork Stew is the Rojo, or red variety, which is from the ground New Mexico chile peppers.
You can use plain old chili powder if you don’t have the NM variety, and it will still be excellent.
Instant Pot Pozole – Pork Stew features Pork shoulder (aka pork butt) as the meat of choice. As it cooks in the pressure cooker, it becomes fall apart tender. So good!
I amped this Posole up a little more with the addition of beer, and some poblano chile peppers. They add a nice depth of flavor.
Canned hominy is the perfect choice to finish off the list of starring ingredients. The hominy has a nice chewy bite and cooks along with the pork and peppers.
Gather everything you will need and have it there by your Instant Pot® so you can enjoy the process of cooking this Instant Pot Pozole – Pork Stew!
What Size Instant Pot for Pozole?
I made this recipe in my 8-Quart Instant Pot® Electric Pressure Cooker. If you have a 6 quart model, reduce the recipe by half or by a third.
Instant Pot Chili
Instant Pot Drunken Beans (Frijoles Borrachos)
Instant Pot Beef Barley Vegetable Soup
Sandy’s Instant Pot Beef Stew
If you make this delicious pressure cooker Posole, please leave a comment with a star rating below. I’d like to know how you liked it!
Instant Pot Pork Stew
Equipment
- 8-quart Electric Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Pork Shoulder / Pork Butt, Cut in 2" chunks
- 2 teaspoons Salt (to season pork)
- 2 teaspoons Pepper (to season pork)
- 3 Tablespoons Peanut Oil (or canola, sunflower)
- 2 Onions, chopped
- 1 large Bay Leaf (or 2 smaller ones)
- 1 Cinnamon Stick, optional
- 6 cloves Garlic, pressed or minced
- 2 Tablespoon Chili Powder (New Mexico Red, or just regular red)
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Mexican Oregano (or regular is fine)
- 1 Tablespoon Paprika
- 1 Tablespoon Adobo Powder (such as Goya)
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt (or ½ tsp table salt)
- 3 Poblano Chile Peppers, cut in large dice
- 1 12-ounce Bottle of Beer, (I use a Mexican dark beer, or a lager)
- 1 Chipotle in Adobo*, and 2 Tbsp of the adobo sauce from the can (use more if you like it spicier)
- 1 (25 oz) can Hominy, drained & rinsed
- 5 cups Chicken Broth, low sodium
Instructions
I use my 8 quart pressure cooker for this recipe. You can cut it in half for the 6 quart
- Gather and Prepare all of your ingredients. Cut up the pork, chop the onions and chile peppers, mince or press the garlic, measure the spices, etc. This will make the process much smoother for you!
- Salt and pepper the pork chunks. Set aside.
- Turn the pot on to the Sauté function (Med/Normal heat). When the display reads Hot, add the peanut oil. Then add half of the pork. Let it brown on first side, then stir it around to brown on all sides. Remove to a bowl. Do this with second half also.
- Add the onions, bay leaf, and cinnamon stick (if using) to the pot and stir. Let the onions cook until just turning translucent, stirring occasionally, and scraping the brown bits (fond) off the bottom of the pot. You might need a splash of broth or water to help loosen it up.
- Add garlic and all of the spices. Stir well.
- Add the Poblano chile peppers, beer, chipotle in adobo, hominy, pork chunks, and broth. Stir well.
- Put the lid on the pot and lock in place. Turn the steam release knob to the Sealing position.
- Turn off the Sauté function and press the Manual (Pressure Cook) button. Then use the +/- to choose 30 minutes.
- When cooking cycle has ended, let the pot sit undisturbed for 25 minutes while it naturally releases pressure. Then manually release the remaining pressure by turning the steam release knob to the Venting position.
- When the pin in the lid has dropped, open the lid. Use a large spoon to skim off some of the fat. Discard bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Then stir and serve.
- Garnish with cabbage, radish, sour cream, avocado, green onion, cilantro, Cotija cheese, tortillas, or whatever you like!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The ingredients list calls for 1/8 tsp cinnamon, but the instructions mention a cinnamon stick in two different steps. Is the stick meant to be either/or with the 1/8 tsp? I’m going to (hopefully) make this tomorrow – it sounds so good!
Yes, either/or. Sorry about the confusion.
Hello love this recipe, made it plenty of times. Can you substitute beef for the pork? My mother hates pork.
Yes, that will work.
We started with this as written and love it. Later we were gifted a pellet smoker…
Now when we smoke pork butt we reserve a few chunks and use that instead of browning it in the IP. Adds a really nice layer to this already delicious meal! We look forward to colder weather just as an excuse to make this!
It fit perfectly in the 6-qt. Instant pot. Will reduce the broth to 4 cups next time so it’s not so watery. Good flavor….spicy.
I made this and it was excellent. The only change I made was after the cooking in the Instant Pot, I released the pressure and added the canned hominy and set it to keep warm for about 20 minutes.
How spicy is this? My wife cannot take much.
If you like mild, use less chipotle and add after cooking to taste.
Can this be done in a 3qt Insta post?
It would be too full. Cut the recipe by 1/3 or 1/2 and keep the cook time the same.
Do you recommend a cinnamon stick or 1/8 tsp of ground cinnamon?
Either.
Is Adobo seasoning (by Goya) the same as Adobo powder? As it is a whole Tbsp I didn’t want to risk adding in the wrong thing. Thanks!
Yes, that is what I use.
Delicious! As good as when I first tried it at a Mexican restaurant while visiting Sacramento. I used a 3.4 pound pork tenderloin cut in 1 to 1.5 inch cube and 6 cups chicken bone broth.. Also added a can of pinto beans with the hominy. Everything else according to recipe. Was worried it would be too spicy but it was perfect. Cinnamon scent was strong when I uncovered the 6 quart Instant Pot, but I couldn’t taste it when I poured soup into a bowl. Excellent recipe, thanks!