Shrimp Pozole is the perfect soup for seafood lovers! Made with homemade shrimp stock, tender hominy and a flavorful pozole red sauce. This recipe is perfect to make on the weekend and enjoy the leftovers as the flavor gets BETTER with time!

Prepared shrimp pozole in wide bowl with metal spoon.

Pozole De Camaron

Just when you think you heard it all, you hear Shrimp Pozole! What? Yep, you heard it right! This recipe was requested by several of my readers so I had to work on it right away! I’m here to please my readers. It makes my heart happy.

I love seafood and I make an amazing beef pozole and Chicken Pozole Verde, so this shrimp hominy soup is the marriage of those two flavors. It was easy to accomplish and my belly was very happy as a result (and my husbands too)!

Perfect for seafood lovers like me!

Prepared shrimp pozole in wide bowl with metal spoon.

The Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make this.

  • The shrimp – You can use fresh or frozen as long as the skin and heads are still on. You’ll need all it to make the shrimp stock that will provide the seafood flavor to the pozole.
  • Onion and garlic – this is needed when making the stock. Have extra onion for the garnish too.
  • Seasoning – bay leaves, dried oregano, salt and pepper.
  • 2 cups pozole red sauce.
  • 1 large can of cooked hominy (6 lbs, 12 oz)
  • 2 Tablespoons Shrimp bouillon. Note: If you can’t find shrimp bouillon, use 1/4 cup powdered dried shrimp or 2 tablespoons chicken bouillon.

Garnish & Serving

  • Shredded cabbage, chopped cilantro and white onion (a must!).
  • Sliced radishes and avocado optional.
  • A squeeze of fresh lime juice, hot sauce, dried chiltepines or chili powder.
  • Serve with tostadas or tortilla chips.

***Make sure to scroll all the way down to the recipe card to get the full ingredient list and written recipe.

The ingredients for this recipe placed on a blue backdrop.

Make the red sauce

Follow my Red Sauce recipe post to make this ahead of time. You’ll only need 2 cups for this recipe and you can make a small batch of it.

In a nutshell here is what you’ll need to do:

  • Remove the top of the chiles and shake out most of the seeds.
  • In a large pot, add the chiles, onions and garlic.  Add enough water to cover all of the chiles.
  • You may have to push the chiles down in order to squeeze them all in as they tend to be bulky.  Cover and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes or until they’re very soft and pliable. Rest chiles in the water for another 10 minutes.

Transfer chiles to a blender or food processor and add 1 cup broth. Puree for about 1 minute.

A mesh strainer with red sauce and a spatula pushing it thru.

Strain the pureed chiles to remove the remaining seeds and skins (tip: push the chile mix with a spoon to get the most out of them).
Once all of the chiles are strained,  transfer to a big bowl and add more salt and pepper to taste.

How To Make Shrimp Pozole

Make the shrimp stock

Shrimp stock is surprisingly easy to make. All you need is to boil the shrimp shells and heads in water for a quick light stock. I like to add some herbs, garlic and onion for extra flavor.

Make the shrimp stock

  • Peel the shrimps and remove heads. Reserve the shrimps in a bowl and place in refrigerator until ready to cook (Note: devein the shrimp at any point before cooking).2 to 3 pounds raw shrimp with shells and heads still on
  • In a large pot add the water and bring to a soft boil over medium-high heat.10 cups water
  • Add the shrimp peels and heads, onion, garlic, bay leaves, and oregano. Cover with a lid and cook on medium low heat for 30 to 40 minutes or until the stock is very aromatic.

Place a mesh strainer into a very large bowl or another pot. Use a ladle to remove most of the shells & heads to the strainer before carefully pouring the remaining stock through. Discard shells & heads.

Make the pozole

  • Return the shrimp stock to the large pot and add the red sauce, hominy and shrimp bouillon . Cook on medium high, covered, for 45 minutes or until the hominy is soft. Taste for flavor and add salt & pepper as necessary according to taste.
  • Add the shrimp into the pozole right before you’re ready to serve. The shrimp cooks in 5 minutes.
  • Important! The shrimp will become rubbery and chewy if overcooked. It’s important to wait until the last minute to add.

Serve with shredded cabbage, chopped cilantro, onions and tostadas or tortilla chips.

Prepared shrimp pozole in wide bowl with metal spoon.


How to Store & Reheat

Reheating shrimp should be done carefully to avoid rubbery and chewy shrimp if overcooked.

  • Fridge– Refrigerate in an airtight storage container for up 2 days.
  • Freezer – Freeze in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container or freezer bags for up to 2 months.
  • To Thaw – Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.

To reheat:

If you have leftover cooked shrimp in your pozole, do the following to avoid rubbery shrimp:

On the stove: Remove your shrimp before reheating – Shrimps are delicate. It’s best to remove them from your broth and set them aside to avoid them turning rubbery or chewy during the reheating process. Add them back in when your broth is hot, and let the residual warmth heat them.

Another tip is to add more fresh shrimp (raw) after the soup has heated through and cook it for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Heat is key – Lukewarm broth won’t cut it. If you want your Pozole to taste as good as new, warm it up until it’s piping hot before serving. The flavors stand out more when the broth is hot.

Prepared shrimp pozole in wide bowl with metal spoon.

I hope you like this recipe! Share it, or leave a rating and comment below. For questions that need an answer right away, please contact  me and I’ll get back to you asap. Gracias!!!! xx, Ana

Print Recipe:

Prepared shrimp pozole in wide bowl with metal spoon.

Shrimp Pozole

Servings 8 servings
Ana Frias
5 from 7 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Shrimp Pozole is the perfect soup for seafood lovers! Made with homemade shrimp stock, tender hominy and a flavorful pozole red sauce. This recipe is perfect to make on the weekend and enjoy the leftovers as the flavor gets BETTER with time!
8 servings

Ingredients  

  • 2 to 3 pounds raw shrimp with shells and heads still on rinsed
  • 10 cups water
  • ½ onion (white or yellow) peeled
  • 5 to 6 garlic cloves
  • 3 to 4 bay leaves
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 cups pozole red sauce make ahead
  • 1 large can of cooked hominy (6 lbs, 12 oz)
  • 2 Tablespoons Shrimp bouillon (see notes for substitutes)
  • Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
Garnish & Serving
  • Shredded cabbage, chopped cilantro and white onion (a must!)
  • Sliced radishes and avocado optional
  • A squeeze of fresh lime juice, hot sauce, dried chiltepines or chili powder
  • Serve with tostadas or tortilla chips

Instructions 

Make the shrimp stock

  • Peel the shrimps and remove heads. Reserve the shrimps in a bowl and place in refrigerator until ready to cook (Note: devein the shrimp at any point before cooking).
    2 to 3 pounds raw shrimp with shells and heads still on
  • In a large pot add the water and bring to a soft boil over medium-high heat.
    10 cups water
  • Add the shrimp peels and heads, onion, garlic, bay leaves, and oregano. Cover with a lid and cook on medium low heat for 30 to 40 minutes or until the stock is very aromatic.
    ½ onion (white or yellow), 5 to 6 garlic cloves, 3 to 4 bay leaves, ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • Place a mesh strainer into a very large bowl or another pot. Use a ladle to remove most of the shells & heads to the strainer before carefully pouring the remaining stock through. Discard shells & heads.

Make the pozole

  • Return the shrimp stock to the large pot and add the red sauce, hominy and shrimp bouillon . Cook on medium high, covered, for 45 minutes or until the hominy is soft. Taste for flavor and add salt & pepper as necessary according to taste.
    2 cups pozole red sauce, 1 large can of cooked hominy (6 lbs, 12 oz), 2 Tablespoons Shrimp bouillon (see notes for substitutes)
  • Add the shrimp into the pozole right before you're ready to serve. The shrimp cooks in 5 minutes.
  • Important! The shrimp will become rubbery and chewy if overcooked. It's important to wait until the last minute to add.
  • Serve with shredded cabbage, chopped cilantro, onions and tostadas or tortilla chips.

Muy Delish Notes:

Shrimp bouillon substitute: Use 1/4 cup powdered dried shrimp or 2 tablespoons chicken bouillon. 
To reheat:
  1. Remove shrimp from the broth and set aside.
  2. Place the pozole in a pot and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
  3. Once hot, turn off the stove and add back your shrimp.
  4. Allow the residual heat from the broth to warm the shrimp for 1 to 2 minutes.
  5. Serve immediately.

Add Your Own Private Notes

Whenever you come back to this recipe, you’ll be able to see your notes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 154kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 165mg | Sodium: 2105mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g

The nutritional information and US conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data. If this is important to you, please verify with your favourite nutrition calculator and/or unit conversion tool.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




4 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Shrimp pozole? Hmmmm? Had to try it. Excellent and a pleasant surprise. Tips regarding how to cook the shrimp and reheat later were spot on. Rubbery, overcooked shrimp is a big no no for me. LOL