Carnitas Burrito Bowl (Printable)

Tender pork over fluffy rice with beans, corn, lettuce, salsa, and lime crema.

# What You'll Need:

→ Carnitas

01 - 1.5 lbs pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into large chunks
02 - 1 tsp salt
03 - 0.5 tsp black pepper
04 - 1 tsp ground cumin
05 - 1 tsp dried oregano
06 - 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
07 - 0.5 tsp chili powder
08 - 0.5 cup fresh orange juice
09 - 0.25 cup fresh lime juice
10 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
11 - 1 medium onion, quartered

→ Rice

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

→ Bowl Components

15 - 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
16 - 1 cup corn kernels, fresh, frozen, or canned and drained
17 - 2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
18 - 1 cup fresh tomato salsa

→ Lime Crema

19 - 0.5 cup sour cream
20 - 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
21 - 0.5 tsp lime zest
22 - 1 pinch salt

→ Garnish

23 - 0.25 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
24 - Lime wedges

# How-To Steps:

01 - In a slow cooker, combine pork shoulder, salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, paprika, chili powder, orange juice, lime juice, minced garlic, and quartered onion. Toss thoroughly to coat all meat pieces. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours until pork is fork-tender and easily shreds.
02 - Remove cooked pork from slow cooker and shred using two forks. For enhanced texture, optionally crisp shredded pork under a broiler for 3 to 5 minutes or in a hot skillet until edges are golden brown and caramelized.
03 - Rinse rice under cold running water. In a saucepan, bring water and salt to a rolling boil. Add rice, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes until water is fully absorbed. Remove from heat, let stand covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
04 - In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream, lime juice, lime zest, and salt until completely smooth and well combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.
05 - Divide cooked rice evenly among four serving bowls. Layer each bowl with black beans, corn, shredded lettuce, and salsa. Crown each bowl with a generous portion of shredded carnitas. Drizzle lime crema over top and garnish with fresh cilantro and lime wedges.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The pork becomes so impossibly tender you can shred it with just a fork, no knife required.
  • Everything comes together in one bowl, so you get protein, vegetables, and flavor all at once without feeling like you're eating a sad desk lunch.
  • Most of the work happens while you're doing literally anything else—that's the slow cooker magic.
02 -
  • Don't skip the rinsing step for black beans and rice—it sounds fussy but it genuinely changes the texture and prevents mushiness.
  • If your pork isn't falling apart after the cooking time, give it another 30 minutes; slow cookers vary wildly in actual temperature.
  • The crema can be made the day before, which means you're really only assembling on the actual day—a huge stress saver.
03 -
  • Make the carnitas two days ahead and store them in the fridge—the flavors actually deepen and it saves you stress on eating day.
  • Don't skip the lime zest in the crema; it's such a small thing but it's the difference between creamy and actually exciting.
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