Slow Cooker Cuban Pork Rice Bowls make a healthy lunch or dinner that are easily customizable to your tastes. Cook the pork in the slow cooker with orange juice, lime and garlic along with rich spices to create a juicy, flavorful pulled pork. Pair the pork with rice and throw on your favorite toppings for an easy on-the-go lunch!
SLOW COOKER CUBAN PORK RICE BOWLS
I am all about quick and easy meals during the week now that I have three children under 5 running around. I especially love things I can prep on a Sunday and use throughout the week. These Slow Cooker Cuban Pork Rice Bowls are just that. Simple, flavorful, healthy and perfect for meal prep.
I try my hardest to do my meal prep on the weekend to make the weekdays easier. With my children in different schools and my constant running around I have to make meal time easy to ensure we are eating healthy and not always eating in restaurants. I love using pulled pork in a variety of meals like today’s rice bowl, these pulled pork sliders or in tacos.
You might remember when I shared The Best Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas, this Slow Cooker Barbecue Pulled Pork and these Slow Cooker Shredded Pork Tacos. My slow cooker is my best friend these days and pork works great. I like how tender the pork becomes after slowly cooking all day in the crockpot. Today’s Slow Cooker Cuban Pork Rice Bowls uses orange juice and lime juice to give the pork a nice citrus flavor and the acid from the juices helps to tenderize the meat.
This recipe also uses 11 cloves of garlic. You might be thinking that is way too much garlic, but I promise it works great. It adds just the right amount of flavor without overpowering the pork. This recipe also brings in some warm spices including cumin and oregano.
I love recipes that involve shredding the meat because it creates a lot of leftovers that I can use throughout the week. For example, you can use the pork in these Slow Cooker Cuban Pork Rice Bowls and then also make quesadillas, tacos and sandwiches out of it during the week.
I have been on a rice bowl kick the past few months. It really ramped up when Jack was born and the days got crazier juggling three kids.
I do my rice bowl prep on Sundays by portioning out rice, black beans, corn, chopped lettuce and tomatoes, salsa and the Cuban pork so I can just assemble a rice bowl for lunch when I am hungry.
My kids go to preschool at opposite times of the day which means I have about 1 hours to transition them from one school to the next, feed them and take care of Jack. Rice bowls have been a healthy, hearty option that leaves me feeling satisfied! If you like Chipotle’s burrito bowls, you will love these and they are so easy to make at home.
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Slow Cooker Cuban Pork Rice Bowls make a healthy lunch or dinner that are easily customizable to your tastes. Cook the pork in the slow cooker with orange juice, lime and garlic along with rich spices to create a juicy, flavorful pulled pork. Pair the pork with rice and throw on your favorite toppings for an easy on-the-go lunch!
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 – 4 lbs. pork shoulder roast {or pork loin roast}
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 3/4 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup lime juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 teaspoons cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper {optional}
- 11 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- 1 medium sweet onion, thinly sliced
- 3 bay leaves
Instructions
- In a medium bowl mix together the olive oil, orange juice, lime juice, salt, pepper, cumin, oregano and crushed red pepper.
- Trim the fat off of the pork roast and place in a slow cooker. Using a knife to cut 5 small slits in the pork roast and place a piece of smashed garlic in each slit. Pour the marinade over the pork roast in the slow cooker and use a brush or your hands to rub the marinade so it is covering the pork roast. Add the remaining smashed garlic cloves, onion and bay leaves.
- Cook on low for 7 1/2 hours. Using two forks shred the pork and return to the slow cooker, stirring to combine. Continue to cook for 30 more minutes.
- Serve the Cuban pork over brown rice with your favorite toppings like cilantro, avocado, salsa, sour cream and cheese.
Notes
The pulled Cuban pork is great to keep in the fridge during the week to use in easy meals like rice bowls, quesadillas, sandwiches and more.
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