Add a new twist to Mexican night with these Pork Carnitas Burrito Bowls! Black bean cilantro lime rice is topped with flavorful slow cooker pork carnitas and your favorite toppings for a delicious (and healthy) dinner!
As I’ve mentioned before, we eat a fair amount of Mexican food here. It’s always been one of my favorites.
Burritos are definitely one of my old standbys. Lately though I’ve felt the need to switch it up, and I’ve been making “Bowls” instead.
Most of the time I seem to cook with chicken, but pork carnitas are a yummy change, and they are packed with flavor. Plus I love that I can make them in the slow cooker using a good size pork butt that will last us for several meals. I usually just freeze the extra for another night. You can make burritos, tacos or even nachos with them, or as I did, turn them into a Mexican bowl dish.
SLOW COOKER PORK CARNITAS
I have been playing around with these slow cooker pork carnitas for months. I’ve tried them so many different ways. They were all good, but not quite what I wanted. Finally I have a version that my family really likes! Traditional carnitas are made by simmering the pork in lard over low heat, but in our case we’re going to simmer it in a some juice and white wine.
Trim most of the excess fat from the pork. Don’t go crazy. You do want to keep some of it on there.
Combine your spices; rub them all over the meat, and place it in slow cooker. Add the onions, garlic, jalapeno.; then add wine and the orange and lime juice to the slow cooker.
Cook for 10 hours on LOW*. How long you cook your meat depends on the weight. I found this guide helpful. The meat will be falling off the bone when it’s ready. Shred the meat and return it to the slow cooker.
In the meantime, preheat your broiler. Line a couple rimmed baking sheets with tin foil and add the shredded meat in a single layer. Drizzle a bit of the juices over the top and crisp your meat.
Doesn’t it look good?!
If you have a chance to try these pork carnitas with a smoked piece of meat, definitely give it a try! I’ve made it twice with smoked meat as well, and it is SO delicious!
BLACK BEAN CILANTRO LIME RICE
Make your rice while your pork carnitas are cooking in the crock pot. I usually use white long grain rice when I make my cilantro lime rice, but I’ve also tried basmati, and I really like that as well.
Bring your rice and water to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and continue cooking for 15 minutes. Then turn your heat off, and let your rice sit for 5 more minutes. Mix in your lime juice, chopped cilantro and black beans.
Now you’re ready to build your Pork Carnitas Burrito Bowls!
PORK CARNITAS BURRITO BOWLS
MORE MEXICAN RECIPES YOU MAY ENJOY
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Michelle Nahom
Yields 4
Mexican night will never be the same again with these Pork Carnitas Burrito Bowls! Black bean Cilantro Lime Rice is topped with flavorful slow cooker pork carnitas and your favorite toppings for a mouthwatering (and healthy) dinner!
20 minPrep Time
10 hrCook Time
10 hr, 20 Total Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 6-8 lb pork butt
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1/3 cup dry white wine like pinot grigio
- 1 cup long grain or basmati white rice
- water per package directions
- 1 tablespoon lime juice (juice from 1/2 of a lime)
- 3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
- 1 15.5 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
- Chopped peppers
- chopped avocado
- corn
- Spicy Pickled Red Onions
- Guacamole
- Salsa
- Chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Trim the excess fat from the pork. Place in slow cooker.
- Combine spices; rub all over meat.
- Top with onions, garlic, jalapeno.; then add wine, orange and lime juice to slow cooker.
- Cook for 10 hours on LOW*
- The meat will be falling off the bone when it's ready.
- Shred meat and return it to the slow cooker.
- Preheat your broiler.
- Using rimmed metal baking sheets, add shredded meat in a single layer and drizzle a little of the juices from the slow cooker over the meat.
- Crisp meat.
- Rinse rice.
- Add rice and water to pot, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and continue cooking for 15 minutes.
- Turn heat off, and let rice sit for 5 more minutes.
- Mix in lime juice, chopped cilantro and black beans.
- Add Black Bean Cilantro Lime Rice to bottom of bowl.
- Add Pork Carnitas.
- Top with your favorite toppings..chopped peppers, avocado, corn, spicy pickled red onions, guacamole, salsa, chopped cilantro.
Notes
*Cooking time varies by the weight of your meat.
**This recipe makes enough rice for 4 servings, which means you will have leftover meat. I suggest combining the extra meat with some of the juices and freezing it for another day. If you are making for a larger crowd, increase rice recipe accordingly. If trying to plan out the number of people a certain weight of meat will feed, keep in mind that the pork butt will lose about 40% in weight in the cooking, and you want to allot 1/4 - 1/2 of meat per person combining it with the burrito bowls.
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