Hominy is used in a variety of ways within Mexican cuisine from recipes like pozole to freshly made corn tortillas. Find out exactly what it is, how to use it, and everything in between.
Table of Contents
📖 What is hominy?
Hominy is the name given to field corn that has undergone a special type of processing called nixtamalization.
To start with, corn kernels are added to an alkaline solution where they're steeped and boiled. This helps to remove the husks of the kernels.
The finished product is now hominy, and it can be used in a multitude of ways! It's a popular addition in soups (like pozole) or as a way to make masa for corn tortillas.
For more information on the nixtamalization process, check out our post on masa harina.
Varieties of hominy
The most common varieties of corn used to make hominy are dent, flour, or flint. You'll see it sold in cans or dried in bags (similar to how beans are sold).
Hominy comes in three main colors:
- Blanco (white)
- Amarillo (yellow)
- Azul (blue)
The most common type used in soups is white hominy, but the other colors are often used to make products like yellow or blue corn tortillas.
🍴 Flavor profile
Hominy has an earthy and mild flavor that is different from your typical sweet corn. The nixtamalization process also gives it a nutty taste.
The texture is fluffy, tender, and chewy, making it a great addition to soups, stews, or chilis.
🍎 Health facts
Hominy is an extremely healthy food filled with a variety of different nutritional benefits.
Just one cup of canned hominy contains 17% of your daily fiber needs. Fiber is a very important nutrient that helps with satiety, digestion, and blood pressure regulation. Don't forget about fiber!
Hominy is also naturally very high in B vitamins — in particular vitamin B3 (niacin). But, our digestive tracts are not able to absorb niacin found in other corn products well at all.
Interestingly, niacin is actually freed up during the nixtamalization process so it's easier on our digestion!
🔪 How to use it
As we briefly mentioned earlier, hominy is utilized in many different ways — the most common being masa. It is ground up and formed into a thick dough to make foods like corn tortillas, tamales, sopes, gorditas, and memelas.
Masa is also dried and sold packaged as masa harina. This can be used to make drinks like pozol, to thicken soups or stews, or to thicken atole.
Similarly to beans, whole hominy is often added to soups, stews, or chilis. Pozole is the most popular example that includes whole hominy.
Canned hominy is ready to be used immediately whereas dried hominy needs to be prepared in the same way as dried beans. Soak the kernels overnight (or around 6-8 hours), then simmer them for about 1 hour, or until tender.
📋 Recipes with hominy
As you can probably tell by now, there are a number of ways to incorporate hominy into your diet. We've narrowed down a few of our favorite plant-based recipes to spark some inspiration:
🌡️ Storage
Cooking hominy from dry is well worth it because the flavors are unmatched. Make sure you follow these store instructions so you don't let all that hard work go to waste!
Fridge
Store hominy in the fridge for 6-7 days in an airtight container. We recommend keeping it in its cooking water so it stays moist and tender, but it's not absolutely necessary.
Freezer
To freeze hominy, drain it first then store it in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container for about 3-4 months. When you're ready to eat it again, thaw it overnight in your fridge.
💰 Buying guide
With the seemingly endless possibilities for hominy recipes, it's a great ingredient to acquaint yourself with! Use the following tips to scout out top-notch products.
What to look for
To save time and effort on cooking, canned hominy will be your best bet. Hominy blanco is the most widely available kind you'll find on the shelves.
If you want to prepare it from dry, check that the hominy is intact, not cracking, not moisture damaged, or appearing moldy.
Where to buy
Hominy is widely available at most grocery store chains or Latin American and Mexican food stores.
If you can't find it at those places, hominy can be purchased online in cans or dried. Since both store well, you can't go wrong with either one.
♻️ Substitutions
Although hominy has its own unique flavor profile, there are a few good substitutions that will emulate the texture and flavor:
- Corn. Sweet corn may work as a replacement in certain situations. It can be added to soups and stews, but won't work to make masa (dough) because it hasn't been nixtamalized.
- Chickpeas. Chickpeas have a mild, nutty flavor with a creamy texture and are fairly similar to the taste and texture of hominy. Again, they mostly make a good substitute for soups, stews, and chilis.
- Other beans. Black beans, pinto beans, or fava beans will replace hominy well too. Although the flavor won't be the exact same, the texture is similar.
💬 FAQ
Hominy is very similar in nutritional value to corn. Because hominy goes through a nixtamalization process, it allows vitamins like niacin to be absorbed more readily than corn, giving it a slight edge in health.
Hominy is a very nutritious food that is filled with fiber, B-vitamins, and iron. In moderation, it's part of a healthy diet.
Because hominy goes through the nixtamalization process, the husk of the corn kernel is removed making it easier to digest.
Zoila
Hi, thank you for such an interesting article on Hominy and its uses.
I am so overwhelm to learn so much in a short time especially that the information is so easy to understand. I have a concern: Dried corn can be soaked and then pressured cooked. When is the lye added? Is it added during the soaking process or during the cooking processes?
Mitch and Justine
Hi Zoila!
You are so welcome! We are glad you found it useful! It is added both in the cooking and the soaking process. Masienda has some great resources on how to nixtamalize corn. Hope that helps!