MeatMediumFree

Chipotle-Style Carnitas Bowl

Name: Chipotle-Style Carnitas Bowl
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 120 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 3 Lime; 150 ml Sour Cream; 2 chiles Chipotle Chilli; 4 cloves Garlic; 2 tsp Cumin; 30 g Butter; 1 tbsp Salt; 700 ml Chicken; 400 g Rice; 3 Avocado; 3 Tomato; 1 White Onion; 2 bunches Coriander; 400 g Pinto Beans; 1.2 kg Pork; 100 g Chihuahua Cheese

120 min (30 prep + 90 cook) Medium 6 servings Tex-Mex

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 25 Mar 2026 · Updated: 30 Mar 2026

Carnitas bowl with all the Tex-Mex trimmings.

About this recipe

A Chipotle-style bowl with slow-braised crispy pork carnitas, coriander and lime rice, pinto beans, fresh salsa, guacamole, soured cream and crumbled fresh cheese.

History & Origin

The chipotle carnitas bowl is the Tex-Mex version of one of the most beloved dishes in Mexican cuisine: Michoacán carnitas. While authentic carnitas from Michoacán are slow-confit in pork lard for hours in large copper pots, the Tex-Mex version adapts the technique to achieve the same result - tender, juicy pork with crispy edges - using an oven or slow cooker. The bowl format, popularised by the Chipotle Mexican Grill chain since 1993, transformed the way Americans consume Mexican food. Instead of a tortilla wrapping the ingredients, the bowl presents each element separately, allowing the diner to build each bite to their liking. The key to the chipotle bowl lies in the quality of the carnitas and the coriander and lime rice, made with long-grain white rice, butter, chicken stock, lime juice and a generous amount of freshly chopped coriander. This rice, virtually unknown in traditional Mexican cooking, has become one of the most iconic flavours of contemporary Tex-Mex cuisine. The pinto beans, lightly cooked with garlic and cumin, the freshly hand-mashed guacamole and the soured cream complete a bowl that perfectly balances the intense flavours of the pork with the freshness of the accompaniments. In Spain and the United Kingdom this dish has grown in popularity in recent years, appearing in Mexican restaurants and casual dining chains alike.

Estimated cost

£13.80

Total cost

£2.30

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

620

Calories

42g

Protein

52g

Carbohydrates

28g

Fat

Fibre

740mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Sazona la carne de cerdo con sal, pimienta, comino y chipotle en adobo picado. Coloca en una cazuela con ajo y caldo. Lleva a ebullición, luego baja el fuego y cocina tapado 75-80 minutos hasta que la carne esté muy tierna.
💡 La carne está lista cuando se deshebra fácilmente con dos tenedores.
2
Saca la carne, deshebra con dos tenedores en trozos gruesos. En una sartén a fuego alto, dora las carnitas por 3-4 minutos para conseguir los bordes crujientes característicos.
💡 No remuevas demasiado: deja que se forme la costra crujiente antes de voltear.
3
Para el arroz de cilantro y limón: rehoga el arroz en mantequilla 3 minutos. Agrega el caldo caliente, sal y el jugo de 1 lima. Tapa y cocina 18 minutos a fuego mínimo. Al apagar, incorpora cilantro picado y el jugo de media lima más.
4
Guisa los frijoles pintos con un diente de ajo, comino y sal durante 5 minutos.
5
Prepara el guacamole machacando el aguacate con sal, jugo de lima, cebolla y cilantro picados. Rectifica sazón.
💡 Deja los huesos del aguacate dentro del guacamole para que no se oxide.
6
Pica finamente los tomates, cebolla y cilantro restante para el pico de gallo. Sazona con sal y limón.
7
Arma los bowls: arroz de cilantro como base, carnitas crujientes, frijoles pintos, guacamole, pico de gallo, crema agria y queso fresco desmoronado.