Carnitas Bowl Mexican Pork (Printable)

Tender slow-cooked carnitas over rice with beans, salsa, and 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 tsp salt
03 - 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper
04 - 1 tsp ground cumin
05 - 1 tsp dried oregano
06 - 0.5 tsp 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 tsp salt

→ Pinto Beans

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

→ Toppings

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

# How To Make It:

01 - In a slow cooker, combine pork shoulder, salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, garlic, onion, orange juice, lime juice, and chicken broth. 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 - In a small saucepan, combine pinto beans, cumin, chili powder, and water. Simmer over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
04 - Divide rice evenly among four bowls. Top with pinto beans, carnitas, salsa, avocado slices, and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges on the side.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The pork gets so tender it practically shreds itself, which means less muscle required and more time to actually relax while it cooks.
  • It's endlessly customizable so everyone at the table can build exactly what they want instead of you playing food dictator.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the canned beans, because if you don't, the excess sodium will overpower the delicate seasoning you've built into the pork.
  • The carnitas taste even better the next day after the flavors have settled, so if you're making this ahead, reheat gently over medium-low heat instead of blasting it on high.
03 -
  • Make the carnitas the day before so you can skip the rush and just reheat everything gently while you cook the rice and beans on serving day.
  • If you don't have fresh orange or lime, bottled juice works fine in a pinch, though fresh citrus really does make a noticeable difference in how bright everything tastes.
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