Salty Pork Carnitas balance out the sweet Pineapple Salsa
in this flexible and fast dinner!
Carnitas Rice Bowls are my new favorite dinner (ask my family how many times we’ve had this for dinner lately! A LOT!) Rice, carnitas, fresh pineapple salsa and avocados are layered in a bowl to create a sweet and salty, fresh and yummy bowl of deliciousness.
This is more of an idea rather than a specific recipe – if you like a lot of rice, pile it in your bowl! Want to sub in brown rice? Great! Want to use microwave rice and get dinner on the table in a flash? Do it! Love pineapple? Add ALL the salsa! Want to use shredded chicken instead of pork, that works too!
You do need to do some chopping to make the Fresh Pineapple Salsa, however it’s only a few ingredients and you can eat the leftovers with chips! Win Win!
Let’s talk about carnitas for a minute. Pre-cooked pork carnitas are available at most grocery stores, even Trader Joe’s has their own! My family likes the Kroger brand best.
Carnitas translates to “little meats” so while the traditional is pork, I’ve been playing around with chicken carnitas and they’re good! (pictured below). Making your own is easy with a slow cooker or instant pot and a broiler. I’m still working on perfecting my recipe…
My little taste-tester likes his components separate, so his plate is usually a pile of carnitas, some rice and plain, cut up pineapple. My bigger taste-tester discovered adding a dash of soy sauce on the pork carnitas ups the saltiness of the pork carnitas.
Enjoy on a sunny day, preferably on the patio!
Carnitas Rice Bowl
The salty carnitas are balanced out by the sweet Fresh Pineapple Salsa. One of our favorite summer meals!
Ingredients
- white rice, cooked
- Pork Carnitas, precooked
- Pineapple Salsa
- Avocado, sliced
Instructions
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Spread rice into the bottom of the bowl.
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Heat pork carnitas according to package directions. Spread in a thin layer over the cooked rice in the bowl.
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Spoon the Fresh Pineapple Salsa next to the pork, also in a thin layer, on top of the rice.
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Thinly slice the avocado, fan the pieces leaning up against the rice. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
This is a great prep-ahead recipe! Make the Fresh Pineapple Salsa early in the day/night before, use a rice cooker or use microwave rice (we like Trader Joe's brand), and the pre-cooked pork carnitas are heated in the microwave. Just assemble and eat!
We like the Kroger brand Carnitas best. Pulled chicken could also be used for those who don't eat/like pork.
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