Menudo Rojo – Recipe

Here’s a traditional and rich Menudo Rojo recipe — a beloved Mexican soup made with beef tripe and hominy in a deep red chile broth. It’s hearty, full of flavor, and often served on weekends or special occasions (especially after a long night out!).

🍲 Menudo Rojo (Mexican Red Chile Tripe Soup)

🕒 Prep Time: 30 min

🕒 Cook Time: 2.5–3.5 hrs
🍽️ Serves: 6–8

🧂 Ingredients:

For the Soup:

2.5–3 lbs beef tripe, cleaned and cut into bite-size pieces
1 lb beef feet or marrow bones (adds flavor and richness)
1 large white onion, halved
6 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tsp salt (to taste)
2 tsp oregano (Mexican oregano if available)
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
2 bay leaves
1 large can (25 oz) hominy, drained and rinsed
Water, to fill pot (about 5–6 quarts)

For the Red Chile Sauce:

5 dried guajillo chiles
3 dried ancho chiles
2 cloves garlic
1/4 small onion
1/2 tsp cumin
1 cup broth from the pot (or hot water)

🔪 Instructions:

1. Prepare the Tripe:

Rinse tripe under cold water. If not pre-cleaned, scrub it with lime juice and salt, then rinse well.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Boil tripe for 10 minutes. Drain, rinse, and set aside. This step helps remove odor and impurities.

2. Cook the Broth:

In a large stockpot, add tripe, beef feet/marrow bones, onion, garlic, oregano, bay leaves, and salt.
Fill with water (about 5–6 quarts). Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
Simmer for 2 to 3 hours, skimming off foam occasionally, until tripe is tender.

3. Make the Red Chile Sauce:

Remove stems and seeds from dried chiles.
Toast them lightly in a dry skillet until fragrant (about 1 minute), then soak in hot water for 10–15 minutes.
Blend soaked chiles with garlic, onion, cumin, and 1 cup of broth or hot water until smooth. Strain if desired.

4. Add Sauce and Hominy:

Stir the red chile sauce into the pot. Add hominy.
Simmer everything together for another 30–45 minutes. Taste and adjust salt.

🌮 Serve With:

Chopped onion
Cilantro
Lime wedges
Crushed oregano
Chili flakes
Warm tortillas or bolillo rolls

✅ Tips:

Overnight flavor: Menudo tastes even better the next day.
Make it in an Instant Pot? Yes! Pressure cook the tripe and bones for 45–60 minutes.
Cleaning tripe: Always triple-check for cleanliness; some markets sell it pre-cleaned.

Would you like a spicier version, a white menudo (Menudo Blanco) recipe, or a printable version? I can provide those too!