Mojo Pork Bowls

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Crispy shredded Mojo Pork Bowls with avocado and pickled red onions is the perfect balance of flavors and textures. The rich pork is complemented by the sweet and citrusy sauce and the zingy red onions!

Big wooden bowl full of brown rice, shredded pork, pickled red onions, sliced avocado and a slice of lime, ready to serve.

There’s been a recent surge of enthusiasm for shredded pork in my home over the last couple of weeks, to the tune of a cumulative 16 pounds of slow cooked pork.

We’ve been making my classic Slow Cooker Carnitas recipe on repeat in order to fashion up tacos and burrito bowls, playing with all sorts of toppings and sauces.

I got smart and gathered inspiration from my Mojo Salmon Bowls recipe and borrowed the mojo sauce to pair with our fatty shredded pork. The combination is simply flawless! The rich meat and the vibrant sweet and tangy sauce are the perfect match, which is even better with the addition of pickled red onions.

While this recipe includes many parts, each part can be made in advance separately in order to break up the work. For instance, the pork, sauce, and the onions can be made up to 5 days ahead of time. This helps space out the work.

The best part is the simple ingredients can be found at any grocery store.

Ingredients for Shredded Pork Bowls:

For the Shredded Pork:

Pork Shoulder Roast or Pork Butt Roast: Pick up a large pork roast. I use a bone-in shoulder roast. Feel free to use pork butt or pork loin too.

Seasonings: Onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, ground cumin and sea salt are the seasonings we use to flavor the meat.

Yellow Onion and Fresh Garlic: Sauteed onion and garlic brings robust flavor to the meat, enhancing the experience.

Orange Juice and Lime Juice: Customary in a classic carnitas recipe, we use orange juice and lime juice to bring a subtle sweetness and bright tangy flavor.

Chicken Bouillon: Responsible for rounding out the savory flavor profile, a little chicken flavoring brings additional meaty flavor.

For the Mojo Sauce:

Fresh Orange Zest and Juice: The big bold orange flavor comes mostly from orange zest and the juice helps add sweetness too.

Fresh Lime Zest and Juice: Lime zest and juice brings a bigger tangy flavor for a greater citrus punch. The zest is everything here!

Avocado Oil: Quality fat adds richness to the sauce. You can use olive oil too!

Fresh Garlic and Ginger: A little bit of each goes a long way in creating a savory backbone for the otherwise sweet sauce.

Pure Maple Syrup: A little additional sweetness because the citrus just doesn’t cut it. Brown sugar works here too.

For the Bowls:

Choose Your Base: I use brown rice, but you can use white rice, cauliflower rice, or go with tacos or burritos.

Pickled Red Onions: Homemade quick pickled onions cut through the richness of the meat and add an incredible tang and crunchy texture.

Avocado: Silky smooth creamy avocado is here for fun. Switch it up for guacamole if you’d prefer.

Green Onions: A soft onion flavor comes from fresh chopped green onions. I find having both the pickled onions and the green onions is the right move.

How to Make Shredded Pork Bowls:

Begin by making the sauce. Add all of the ingredients for the mojo sauce to a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to a jar and refrigerate until ready to use.

Mojo sauce in a small jar with fresh limes and oranges in the background

Sauté the onion in a large skillet for 4 to 6 minutes, or until it begins turning golden brown. Add in the garlic and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes, or until the garlic is fragrant.

While the onion is sautéing, you can prep the pork.

Mix the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, ground cumin, and sea salt together in a small bowl.

Remove the pork from its packaging and pat it dry with paper towels. If you aren’t using a bone-in roast, cut the roast into smaller pieces.

Large chunks of pork roast on a cutting board.

Sprinkle the pork roast with the dry rub and use your hands to pat it into the meat. Be sure to cover the entire roast.

Chunks of pork roast sprinkled with dry rub on a cutting board.

Heat a large skillet over high heat with 2-3 tablespoons of avocado oil or cooking oil of choice. Allow the skillet to heat up for a few minutes, then place the pork roast on the hot surface. Sear for 3 to 4 minutes, or until a golden brown crust forms. Do the same for the opposite side.

Transfer the seared pork meat to the bottom of your crock pot along with the sauteed onion and garlic.

Crock pot full of seared pork meat and onions to make carnitas.

Mix the orange juice, lime juice, and chicken bouillon in a measuring cup and pour it into the crock pot.

Secure the lid on the crock pot and cook on low heat for 8 to 12 hours.

Slow cooker full of seared meat and juices for carnitas.

Remove the roast from the slow cooker and place it on a cutting board.

Use two forks to shred the meat, then transfer it back into the crock pot until you’re ready to use it.

Make the Shredded Pork Bowls:

Cook the rice according to the package instructions.

Make my pickled red onions recipe up to 5 days ahead of time.

Prepare the cabbage slaw: Thinly slice the red cabbage and transfer it to a large mixing bowl.

Add in the lime juice and sea salt and stir everything together until the cabbage is coated in lime juice.

Load up bowls with cooked brown rice, shredded pork, pickled red onions, cabbage slaw, sliced avocado, and give everything a drizzle of mojo sauce. Serve and enjoy!

Large wooden bowl full of crispy pork on top of brown rice with sliced avocado and pickled red onions.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

How to Make Crispy Pork Carnitas:

Once you have shredded all of the pork, you can crisp it up in a skillet. To do so, transfer a layer of pork to a large cast iron skillet and heat over high heat. There shouldn’t be so much pork that this turns into a soupy meaty situation, but rather the strands of pork should have plenty of space to become crispy.

Leave the shredded pork untouched for 4 to 5 minutes in the hot skillet. Stir and continue crisping it up for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until the shredded pork has reached your desired level of crisp. Repeat this process for all of the meat that you intend to serve.

You can skip this process if you don’t care about crispy pork, but I find it generates the absolute best results because it gives the meat an incredible golden brown crust and concentrates the flavor.

Recipe Tips

For crispy pork, transfer a layer to a baking sheet and broil for 5-8 minutes, or until crispy. Or, transfer a layer of shredded pork to a large cast iron skillet with some oil and heat over medium-high untouched for 5-6 minutes, or until crispy. Stir and repeat until the pork has reached your desired level of crisp.
While the pork is slow cooking, prepare your side dishes. Make your cabbage slaw, pickled red onions, and rice and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this in the Instant Pot?

Yes! You can sauté the onion in the instant pot without the need for an additional skillet. Set the instant pot to cook on high heat for 2 hours, then let it naturally release all the way (about 45 minutes).

Can I use beef instead of pork?

Yes, absolutely! Simply switch the pork out for a 4 to 6 pound beef roast, such as chuck roast or sirloin roast.

Is this traditional Cuban Mojo Pork?

In a word, no. I combine classic Mexican carnitas with my own homemade version of mojo sauce, which I borrowed from Cuban mojo chicken.

While I have provided the full recipe for my pork bowls, you can use the mojo pork as your main dish and serve it with any side dishes you enjoy. I always recommend black beans and fried plantains!

Crispy shredded pork in a bowl of brown rice with sliced avocado, pickled onions, and mojo sauce drizzled on top.

The next time you’re looking for a unique dinner with so much flavor it will knock your socks off, whip up this recipe!

It is ideal for meal prep, as you can make large batches of everything in advance. We love it for weeknight dinners to bring big flavors to the week!

If you’re like me and you love big bowls of food, try some of my other bowl recipes!

Mojo Pork Bowls