Carnitas Burrito Bowls are made with lean, tender, juicy pork carnitas roasted to perfection, and fresh, citrusy cilantro lime cauliflower rice! Topped with tangy pickled red onions and seasoned fajita peppers, this bowl will fill you up and leave your taste buds dancing! The best part? You can prep all of these ingredients in advance and throw them together when you’re ready to eat!
Some of the best meals are ones you can throw together on a busy day with what you have prepped in the fridge and still love! Isn’t that what meal prep is for? 😉
That’s exactly what these Carnitas Burrito Bowls are! A combination of a few of my favorite and versatile meal prep staples that you can easily modify the amount of, and customize the toppings to your macronutrient needs and likings.
These bowls are made with tender, juicy pork carnitas roasted to perfection, and fresh and citrusy cilantro lime cauliflower rice, all topped with tangy pickled red onions and seasoned fajita peppers. YUM! And the best part? You can prep all of these ingredients in ADVANCE and throw them together for a heavenly meal in no time when you’re ready to eat!
You can top these bowls however you see fit. Cheese, guacamole, and pico de gallo are just a few of many delicious toppings that will make for an amazing lunch or dinner! You can also serve over lettuce to get in some more greens.
WHY’LL YOU’LL LOVE THESE CARNITAS BURRITO BOWLS
- Easy to assemble. Prep all ingredients in advance and add to a bowl when ready to eat!
- So many flavor profiles! From the tender pork to the fresh and citrusy cilantro lime rice and tangy pickled onions, your taste buds will be dancing with each bite.
- A low carb, low calorie, and protein-packed meal.
- They’re super customizable! It’s easy to change up the ingredients based off your cravings or to fit your macro goals.
- Seriously delicious. This one needs it’s own bullet point. I am telling y’all, so good.
INGREDIENTS
- Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice – Low carb and super fresh!
- The BEST Pork Tenderloin Carnitas – Incredibly juicy, tender, and crispy protein!
- Easy Pickled Onions – Seriously. These make everything taste better!
- Bell peppers – Adds great crunch and super nutritious.
- Romaine lettuce
- Cooking essentials – Olive oil, taco seasoning, salt and pepper.
HOW TO MAKE THESE CARNITAS BURRITO BOWLS
Prep these ingredients in advance so all you have to do is assemble and eat when you are ready!
- Prep the pickled onions first. Unless you already have some in the fridge, these will take the longest. You can use normal red onions in your bowls too, but the pickled onions just elevate this meal to another level!
- Prep the Pork Tenderloin Carnitas in the crockpot.
- Prep the Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice right before you assemble or in advance.
- Sauté bell peppers by adding to a pan with olive oil and taco seasoning. Cook for about 5-7 minutes or until tender.
When you are ready to eat, add cilantro lime cauliflower rice, carnitas, peppers, and pickled red onions to a bowl. Top with whatever else sounds yummy!
FUN TOPPINGS
- Cheese – Fresh cotija cheese is out of this world and would be a great addition to your Carnitas Bowls! Feta and goat cheese are also heavenly. Any cheese you love would go well, I can guarantee you of that.
- Avocado – Creamy avocado pairs so well with the flavors of this bowl.
- Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt – For a dollop of cool creaminess!
- More veggies – No need to stop with the peppers and onions. Feel free to load this burrito bowl up with shredded carrots, corn, tomatoes, and more! A lot of times I will double the greens to make it more like a salad and for more volume!
- Dressing – since when was adding dressing on top of something a bad idea!? Ranch, lime crema, heck even honey mustard would be out of this world!
CUSTOMIZE THE PROTEIN, CARBS, AND FATS
Protein
- Need more? Add more carnitas, a dollop of Greek yogurt, and cheese.
- Need less? Use less meat.
Carbs
- Need more? Use white, brown, jasmine, or Mexican rice instead of cauliflower rice, add more cauliflower rice or peppers, or add a carb-based dressing. You can also add bread or chips to your meal! I love making homemade chips from Cut Da Carb or Joseph’s lavash bread to scoop the goodies in this bowl up!!
- Need less? Be light with the cauliflower rice or peppers.
Fats
- Need more? Add avocado, a fat-based dressing, or a higher fat cheese.
- Need less? This dish is already pretty low in fat, but if you need to cut down more, omit olive oil and just cook with cooking spray.
MORE BOWLS AND MEAL PREP PROTEIN
LOW CARB SALMON CAULIFLOWER POKE BOWL
CHEESEBURGER SALAD WITH SKINNY SPECIAL SAUCE
EASY SHEET PAN SHRIMP FAJITAS
CROCK POT SALSA VERDE CHICKEN
WANT TO MAKE THIS RECIPE?
If you try this Pork Carnitas Bowl and love it, please rate this recipe!
You can also tag me on Instagram, @LaurenFitFoodie. It makes my day seeing your yummy recreations!
Carnitas Burrito Bowls
Carnitas Burrito Bowls are made with lean, tender, juicy pork carnitas roasted to perfection, and fresh, citrusy cilantro lime cauliflower rice! Topped with tangy pickled red onions and seasoned fajita peppers, this bowl will fill you up and leave your taste buds dancing! The best part? You can prep all of these ingredients in advance and throw them together when you’re ready to eat!
Ingredients
For All The Bowls:
- Pork Carnitas (recipe below)
- Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice (recipe below)
- 24 oz. shredded Romaine lettuce
- 2 bell peppers, thinly sliced (250g) - I used orange and red
- 1 Tbsp olive oil (15g)
- 1 Tbsp taco seasoning
- 1 cup sliced red onions or Pickled Red Onions
- Avocado, optional for topping
- Cojita cheese, optional for topping
To Assemble Each Bowl:
- 6 oz. shredded Romaine Lettuce
- 1 cup Pork Carnitas (111g)
- 1 cup Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice (100g)
- 1/2 cup sautéed peppers (55g)
- 1/4 cup sliced red onions or Pickled Red Onions (30g)
For Carnitas
- 2.5 lb. pork tenderloin (may need two tenderloins for this)
- 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
- 1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
- 1/2 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro
For Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
- 1 Tbsp olive oil (15g)
- 1/2 cup large onion, chopped (100g)
- 1 garlic clove, minced (5g)
- 1 jalapeño, deseeded & chopped (optional)
- 3 cups (about 1 medium head) riced cauliflower (325g)
- 2 Tbsp chicken or vegetable broth (30g)
- 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
- zest from 1/2 lime
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped and divided
- 1 Tbsp lime juice
Instructions
For Carnitas:
- Place pork tenderloins in Crock-Pot. Add fresh squeezed orange and lemon juice, and sprinkle with spices. Toss around.
- Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours or high for about 4 hours. Pork should be easily shreddable when done. Use two forks to shred pork (or your Kitchen Aide). Taste and add more salt, if desired, then simmer another 30 minutes.
- Preheat the broiler and transfer shredded pork to a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Spread out in a medium-thin layer, leaving any juices in the Crock-Pot.
- Broil on low for about 5 minutes until it starts to get crisp but is not burnt or dried out. Remove pork and toss with reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Stir in fresh cilantro, then enjoy!
For Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice:
- In a large skillet, add olive oil and set to medium heat.. When the oil is hot, add the onions and sauté for 4-5 minutes or until they become soft and translucent.
- Add the garlic jalapeño and cook for a minute until the garlic becomes fragrant. Stir continuously. Add the cauliflower to the skillet and stir to mix everything together well.
- Stir in the broth, salt, zest, and half of the cilantro. Turn the heat up to high and cook for another minute. The high heat will draw out excess moisture in the cauliflower so it doesn't get too mushy. Lower the heat again and add the lime juice. Mix in to the rice well.
- Taste and season with more salt as needed. Stir in the remaining cilantro.
To Assemble Bowl:
- Add romaine lettuce to a large bowl. Then add the Pork Carnitas, Cilantro Lime Rice, sautéed peppers, and red (or pickled) onions. Top with cheese, avocado, salsa, or dressing, as desired!
Notes
MFP Entry: LFF Carnitas Burrito Bowl
To make Pickled Red Onions: follow Pickled Red Onion recipe here.
To prep for meal prep: Add Carnitas, Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice and sautéed peppers to a container. Keep romaine in a separate Ziplock bag and add on top after the rest of meal is heated and ready to eat.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1 bowlAmount Per Serving Calories 309Total Fat 10.9gSaturated Fat 2.4gCarbohydrates 23.8gFiber 3.2gSugar 9.6gProtein 29g
