Carnitas Bowl
This savory carnitas bowl is made with fresh ingredients for better-than-Chipotle flavor! Make it in just 40 minutes for an easy dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 cup cilantro-lime rice
- 1.5 cups Mexican verde sauce or store-bought
- 1 cup black bean corn salsa or store-bought
- 4 servings pico de gallo or store-bought
- ½ pound slow cooker carnitas
- ½ cup shredded Mexican-blend cheese
Optional topping - mashed avocado
- 1 medium avocado
- ½ to 1 medium lime juiced
- 1 to 2 pinches sea salt
Instructions
- First, make the cilantro-lime rice (see recipe linked in Ingredients section for details). Wait to stir in the lime juice and cilantro until you’re about to serve the burrito bowls.
- In the meantime, make the Mexican verde sauce, black bean corn salsa, and pico de gallo (see recipes linked in Ingredients section for details).
- Optionally, add avocado, lime juice, and salt to a small bowl and mash until smooth and creamy.
- Warm the carnitas in a large frying pan over medium-low heat until lightly crisped and warmed through, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Finally, assemble and serve. Layer rice, black bean corn salsa, carnitas, verde sauce, pico de gallo, shredded cheese, and mashed avocado (optional). Enjoy!
Notes
Fresh ingredients: This bowl has the best flavor when you make all the components from scratch! Try our recipes for slow cooker carnitas, cilantro lime rice, verde sauce, black bean corn salsa, and pico de gallo to make everything super fresh. (Of course, you can always use store bought to simplify this recipe, but we recommend looking for minimally processed options).
Alternative carnitas option: Turn plain, unseasoned pulled pork into carnitas by simply heating it with a splash of orange juice, lime juice, and some Mexican seasonings. Try garlic powder, paprika, Mexican oregano, cumin, cayenne, and salt!
Make ahead: You can make all the parts for this bowl ahead of time, then reheat the rice, carnitas, and verde sauce before serving.
Storing leftovers: If you can’t eat your whole burrito bowl, you can store the leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days if it’s already assembled. If you have leftover ingredients, you can store them in individual containers in the fridge to keep them extra fresh. The carnitas, rice, verde sauce, and bean corn salsa will keep up to 4 days, while the pico de gallo will stay fresh for about 2 to 3 days.
Reheating leftovers: Honestly, the leftovers taste pretty good cold! But if you have leftover (unassembled) ingredients, we recommend reheating the rice, carnitas, and verde sauce in the microwave for a minute or so, and then adding the fresh toppings on cold.
Nutrition
Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 623kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 1243mg | Potassium: 1315mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 874IU | Vitamin C: 57mg | Calcium: 275mg | Iron: 5mg
