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Cochinita Pibil Burger

Name: Cochinita Pibil Burger
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 180 min
Total time: 210 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 150 ml Sour orange juice (or orange plus lime); 200 g Cooked black beans (for spreading); 4 limones Lime juice (for pickling); 1000 g Pork shoulder (boneless, for cochinita); 2 Habanero chilli (sliced); 4 Brioche burger buns; 2 Red onion (for pickling); 80 g Achiote paste; 1 to taste Salt, black pepper, cumin; 2 Ripe avocado (for cream)

210 min (30 prep + 180 cook) Medium 4 servings Fusion

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 27 Mar 2026 · Updated: 30 Mar 2026

Cochinita pibil in a brioche bun with pickled red onion, habanero and avocado cream.

About this recipe

The cochinita pibil burger is the most flavoursome Mexican-American fusion: cochinita pibil - pork marinated in achiote and sour orange juice, slow-cooked until it falls apart into intensely red fibres - replaces the traditional burger patty. Served in a toasted brioche bun with lime-pickled red onion (the classic cochinita accompaniment), sliced habanero for those who want heat, avocado cream and a base of spread black beans. The result is a burger that tastes of Yucatán, juicy, intense, with the perfect balance of acidity, sweetness and spice.

History & Origin

Cochinita pibil is the emblematic dish of Yucatecan cuisine: a dish dating back to pre-Hispanic times, when the Maya cooked game animals (venison, turkey) buried in pits with fire (pib in Mayan = underground oven). With the arrival of pigs brought by the Spanish in the 16th century, the technique was adapted to pork, and achiote - the red seed of the bixa orellana tree, used by the Maya as pigment and condiment - provided the characteristic colour and flavour. The cochinita burger emerged from Mexican food trucks in the United States, especially in Chicago and Los Angeles where the Yucatecan community is significant, and arrived in Spain and the UK through contemporary Mexican cuisine restaurants. The pickled onion, sharp and crunchy, is the essential counterpoint that makes this burger truly memorable.

Estimated cost

£17.50

Total cost

£4.40

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

640

Calories

40g

Protein

56g

Carbohydrates

28g

Fat

Fibre

820mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Prepare the cochinita: dissolve the achiote paste in the sour orange juice. Marinate the pork with this mixture, salt, cumin and pepper for at least 2 hours (or overnight). Wrap in foil or banana leaves if available.
💡 Banana leaves add a very characteristic herbal aroma - look for them in Asian or Latin American shops.
2
Roast at 160°C for 2.5-3 hours until the meat falls apart with a fork. Shred the meat with two forks and mix with the cooking juices.
💡 If you have a pressure cooker, reduce the time to 60 minutes at high pressure.
3
Prepare the pickled onion: cut the onion into fine julienne, blanch for 30 seconds in boiling water, drain and marinate in lime juice with salt and a pinch of oregano for at least 30 minutes. It will turn an intense pink.
💡 Pickled onion keeps for up to 5 days in the fridge.
4
Mash the avocados with salt and lime juice to make the cream. Blend the black beans with a little of their liquid and salt. Toast the brioche buns in a pan with butter.
💡 The avocado cream is not guacamole - it should be smoother and more spreadable, without large chunks.
5
Build the burger: spread black beans on the bottom bun, add a generous portion of cochinita, pickled onion, sliced habanero and avocado cream on the top bun. Close and serve with chips or pork scratchings.
💡 Serve the cochinita hot straight from the pot so the bun does not go soggy.