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Easy Cochinita Pibil
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4.62 from 13 votes

Easy Cochinita Pibil

This 5-ingredient cochinita pibil recipe is extra-easy to make in the Instant Pot (pressure cooker) or Crock-Pot (slow cooker), it's full of the best sweet and savory citrusy flavors, and can be served in everything from tacos to burritos, nachos and more.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: freezer friendly, gluten free, instant pot, make ahead, pork
Servings: 8 -10 servings

Ingredients

  • 4 to 5 pounds pork shoulder or pork loin cut into 1.5-inch chunks
  • 1 cup freshly-squeezed orange juice
  • 1/3 cup freshly-squeezed lime juice
  • 1 (3.5 ounce) package achiote paste
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
  • serve with: pickled red onions chopped fresh cilantro, fresh lime wedges, corn or flour tortillas, guacamole, refried beans, and/or crumbled cotija cheese

Instructions

  • Prep the marinade. Combine the achiote paste, orange juice, lime juice and cumin in a blender or food processor.  Pulse briefly until combined.
  • Toss the pork.  Place the pork in the bowl of your pressure cooker or slow cooker, then drizzle the pork evenly with the marinade.  Toss briefly to combine.  (Then rinse out your blender, so that the achiote does not stain it.)
  • Pressure cook or slow cook.  Place the lid on your pressure cooker (setting the vent to "sealing") or slow cooker.  Then either pressure cook the pork on manual for 40 minutes, followed by a 15-minute natural release.  Or slow cook the pork on high for 5 hours or on low for 8 hours, until the pork is tender and shreds easily with a fork.
  • Shred.  Remove the lid.  Use two forks to shred the pork into bite-sized pieces, then toss it briefly with the remaining juices.
  • Season.  Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.  (I used about 1 teaspoon fine sea salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.)
  • Serve.  Serve warm, garnished with pickled red onions and chopped fresh cilantro, plus any additional toppings that you prefer.

Notes

Storage Instructions: This cochinita pibil recipe can be refrigerated in a sealed container for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.