Carnitas Bowl Mexican Pork (Printable)

Tender pork carnitas over rice with beans, salsa, and creamy avocado for a satisfying Mexican-inspired meal.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Pork Carnitas

01 - 1.5 lbs boneless pork shoulder, cut into large chunks
02 - 1 teaspoon salt
03 - 0.5 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
04 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
05 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
06 - 0.5 teaspoon smoked paprika
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 0.5 onion, chopped
09 - 1 orange, juiced
10 - 1 lime, juiced
11 - 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

→ Rice

12 - 1 cup long-grain white rice
13 - 2 cups water
14 - 0.5 teaspoon salt

→ Pinto Beans

15 - 1 can (15 oz) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
16 - 0.25 teaspoon ground cumin
17 - 0.25 teaspoon chili powder
18 - 0.25 cup water

→ Toppings

19 - 1 cup fresh tomato salsa
20 - 1 large ripe avocado, sliced
21 - 0.25 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
22 - 1 lime, cut into wedges

# How-To:

01 - Combine pork shoulder, salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, garlic, onion, orange juice, lime juice, and chicken broth in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours until pork is very tender. Shred pork with two forks. For crispy edges, transfer shredded pork to a baking sheet and broil for 5-7 minutes until browned.
02 - Rinse rice under cold water until water runs clear. In a medium saucepan, combine rice, water, and salt. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
03 - Combine pinto beans, cumin, chili powder, and water in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
04 - Divide rice evenly among four bowls. Top each with pinto beans, carnitas, salsa, avocado slices, and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges on the side.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The pork does almost all the work while you live your life, then transforms into something restaurant-quality with barely any effort on your part.
  • It's endlessly customizable, so everyone at the table gets exactly what they want without you turning into a short-order cook.
  • Leftovers taste even better the next day, and honestly, half the fun is finding creative ways to eat them throughout the week.
02 -
  • If your pork isn't shredding easily after the cooking time, it needs more time, patience here prevents dry carnitas.
  • Don't slice your avocado until the last possible second before serving or it'll brown and lose that fresh appeal that makes the bowl come alive.
03 -
  • Buy your pork shoulder from a butcher if you can, they cut it to the perfect size and the quality is noticeably better than supermarket versions.
  • Make a double batch of carnitas and freeze half, you'll thank yourself next month when you need a complete dinner in minutes.
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