Carnitas Burrito Bowl (Printable)

Slow-cooked pork carnitas with rice, beans, corn, and fresh toppings in a zesty lime crema.

# What You'll Need:

→ Carnitas

01 - 1.5 lbs pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into large chunks
02 - 1 teaspoon salt
03 - 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
04 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
05 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
06 - 0.5 teaspoon smoked paprika
07 - 0.5 teaspoon chili powder
08 - 0.5 cup orange juice
09 - 0.25 cup 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 teaspoon salt

→ Bowl Components

15 - 1 can (15 ounces) 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 tablespoons fresh lime juice
21 - 0.5 teaspoon lime zest
22 - Pinch of salt

→ Garnish

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

# How-To:

01 - In a slow cooker, combine pork shoulder, salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, paprika, chili powder, orange juice, lime juice, garlic, and onion. Toss to coat evenly. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours, until pork is fork-tender. Remove pork and shred with two forks. Optionally, crisp shredded pork under a broiler for 3 to 5 minutes or in a hot skillet until edges are golden brown.
02 - Rinse rice under cold running water. In a saucepan, bring water and salt to a boil. Add rice, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
03 - In a small bowl, combine sour cream, lime juice, lime zest, and salt. Whisk until smooth and well combined. Chill until ready to serve.
04 - Divide cooked rice evenly among four serving bowls. Top each portion with black beans, corn, lettuce, and salsa. Add a generous portion of shredded carnitas to each bowl. Drizzle with lime crema and garnish with fresh cilantro and lime wedges before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The pork does almost all the work while you live your life, then crisps up golden just before serving for that texture contrast that feels fancy without being fussy.
  • It's the kind of bowl where everyone customizes their own—some people pile on the salsa, others go easy, and somehow it tastes perfect for each person.
  • Once you nail the carnitas, you'll find yourself making them for tacos, nachos, and late-night snacks because they keep well and make everything taste better.
02 -
  • Don't skip the crisping step—shredded carnitas without some texture contrast can feel a bit mushy, but even three minutes under a hot broiler gives you those golden, slightly crispy edges that make the whole bowl feel better.
  • Taste the lime crema before serving; depending on how tart your limes are, you might need a tiny pinch more salt, and this small adjustment keeps it from tasting flat or one-dimensional.
03 -
  • If your slow cooker runs hot, check the pork around the 6-hour mark; better to have it ready early than discover it shredded into oblivion.
  • The lime crema gets thinner as it sits because the lime juice naturally breaks down the sour cream slightly, so make it close to serving time or stir it again right before drizzling.
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