Pork Carnitas Burrito Bowl

Caramelized pork carnitas are served over beans and rice, and topped with a fresh pico de gallo to make a burrito bowl that will rival the local take out joint!

For even more Tex-Mex cravings, try these Southwest Egg Rolls or this Salsa Verde Chicken.

I have been really into bowls lately. My boys are getting tired of them, but I just can’t get enough.

And these pork carnitas burrito bowls are an oldie, but goodie.

I actually posted a version of this first back in 2012, when the Chipotle burrito bowl hype was starting. And it’s crazy to see that they are just as popular now, 13 years later!

I did change the pork carnitas in this recipe. Before, it was a slow cooked version with lots of spices and other ingredients, but over the years, I have tended to just stick to my favorite pork carnitas. This is such a simple way to make carnitas – it has definitely become my favorite method!

Besides the time it takes to make the pork, this recipe really does come together easily. And I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of these burrito bowls!

Ingredient Highlights

• Pork Shoulder/Butt: You want a piece of meat with some fat on it, as the fat is what will make it tender and then crispy at the end.
• Rice: I usually use long grain rice, but feel free to swap in brown rice, or even quinoa or cauliflower rice. You could also sub in this Cilantro Lime Rice for a closer copycat to the Chipotle burrito bowl.
• Beans: We prefer black beans, but pinto beans can also be used.
• Pico de Gallo: I like to use my homemade Pico de Gallo. You could also use store bought.
• Cheese: I like to use finely grated Monterey Jack cheese. This is another ingredient that is pretty flexible – you can really use any cheese you’d like!
• Other Toppings: Some other suggestions are sour cream, cilantro, avocado, corn (not pictured) jalapeños, green onions, and fresh lime.

How to Make Pork Carnitas Burrito Bowls

PORK CARNITAS: Start your pork first, because it will take a few hours. You can see all of the details on how to cook the pork in this Pork Carnitas post. It’s really quite simple – just takes some time!

THE BOWLS: Once your pork is almost done, you’ll need to cook your rice and warm your beans, but the rest is just assembly! I like to use my rice cooker for the rice, but the instructions to cook the rice on the stove top are included in the recipe card below. Once everything is done, assemble your burrito bowl by adding rice, then topping with the pork carnitas, beans, and any other toppings you’d like.

Tips and Tricks

The pork does take some time to cook, but it can be made ahead of time and then reheated when you are ready to serve the bowls.

We like to serve these buffet style, so each person can add whatever they like to their bowl.

I like my bowl just the way it is, but my husband likes his with some tomatillo ranch on top.

If you have leftovers, you can either store each component separately, or you divide it into portions for a meal prep type of leftover. I will usually add some rice, beans, and pork to a meal prep container, but store the other toppings separately since I don’t want them getting hot when I rewarm the burrito bowl.

More Bowl Recipes

Breakfast Bowl
Buddha Bowl with Thai Chicken
Greek Chicken Bowls

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Pork Carnitas Burrito Bowl

5 from 1 vote

Author: Deborah Harroun

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours hours 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 3 hours hours

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

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Caramelized pork carnitas are served over beans and rice, and topped with a fresh pico de gallo to make a burrito bowl that will rival the local take out joint!

1x2x3x

Ingredients

Pork Carnitas

• ▢ 3 pounds fatty pork shoulder or butt skin and bone removed
• ▢ Cold water
• ▢ 2 teaspoons salt

Bowls

• ▢ 1 1/2 cups long grain rice
• ▢ 1 (15 oz) can black beans drained, rinsed, and warmed
• ▢ 2 cups pico de gallo
• ▢ 4 oz finely shredded cheese (I used Monterey Jack)
• ▢ 1/2 cup sour cream
• ▢ Slice green onions
• ▢ Sliced avocado
• ▢ Grilled corn
• ▢ Sliced jalapeños
• ▢ Minced cilantro
• ▢ Lime wedges

Instructions

Make the Pork Carnitas:

• Cut the meat into strips 2” x 3/4” (make sure you don’t remove/discard the fat). Place the meat into a large pot and barely cover with cold water. Add the salt and bring the water to a boil, uncovered.
  3 pounds fatty pork shoulder or butt, Cold water, 2 teaspoons salt
• Lower the heat to bring the water down to a simmer. Let the meat continue to cook until all of the water has evaporated, about 1 1/2 hours, depending on the size/shape of your pan.* The meat should be cooked through at this point, but not falling apart.
• Lower the flame a little bit more and continue to cook until all of the fat has rendered from the pork, turning the meat occasionally until all sides are browned, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Make the Bowls:

• Rinse the rice well. Add it to a large saucepan, along with 3 cups of water. Place the pan over medium high heat and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and place a lid on the pan. Simmer, covered, until the rice is tender, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the rice sit, covered for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork when finished.
  1 1/2 cups long grain rice
• To assemble the bowls, divide the rice between 6 bowls. Top with some of the pork carnitas. Add beans, pico de gallo, sour cream, green onions, sliced avocado, corn, jalapeños, and cilantro. Serve with sliced limes.
  1 (15 oz) can black beans, 2 cups pico de gallo, 4 oz finely shredded cheese, 1/2 cup sour cream, Slice green onions, Sliced avocado, Grilled corn, Sliced jalapeños, Minced cilantro, Lime wedges

Recipe Notes:

For more details on making the pork carnitas, see my full Pork Carnitas post.

For more details on making homemade Pico de Gallo, see my Pico de Gallo post.

Nutrition information provided as an estimate only. Various brands and products can change the counts. Any nutritional information should be used as a general guide. Nutritional information includes pork, rice, beans, pico de gallo, cheese, and sour cream. Other toppings are not included.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 648kcal (32%), Carbohydrates: 52g (17%), Protein: 53g (106%), Fat: 22g (34%), Saturated Fat: 6g (38%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 0g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 158mg (53%), Sodium: 1693mg (74%), Fiber: 6g (25%), Sugar: 3g (3%)

Keywords: bowl recipe, burrito bowl, pork carnitas