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Home » Dinner » Easy Cochinita Pibil Recipe

Published: Jun 9, 2020 by Karly · This post may contain affiliate links

Easy Cochinita Pibil Recipe

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We’re breaking out the smoker again to make this super easy Cochinita Pibil Recipe! A little bit sweet and a little bit earthy, cochinita pibil is deliciously pulled pork and topped with pickled red onion and salsa verde, it makes a spectacular taco. After mastering basic pulled pork in the Cuisinart Twin Oaks Pellet & Gas Grill, this recipe is a step up in flavor without sacrificing skill in the process, so get ready to enjoy a flavorful dinner with this simple twist on an authentic Yucatan dish.
five cochinita pibil tacos with pickled red onion and salsa verde

What Is Cochinita Pibil?

A meal that originates in the Yucatan, it stands for a suckling pig that’s slow-roasted in an underground pit, or buried. It’s typically wrapped in banana leaves to protect it from the ground around it and keep it moist as it cooks.

We’re not going to attempt that level of authentic, because who among us has such a cooking apparatus and access to banana leaves?

I wanted to make this recipe approachable for the everyday home cook, so we’re using the smoker to slow-roast some pork butt to shredded cochinita pibil perfection.

two images: removing pork butt from the smoker and smoked pork on a cutting board

What Do I Need For This Recipe?

Likely the hardest ingredient to source is annatto seeds. I like to make my own achiote paste so I can control the exact amounts of each spice in the mixture, but you can definitely find achiote paste out there, which has the annatto seeds already ground in there.

Beyond annatto seeds, you need:

  • ground coriander
  • dried oregano (Mexican oregano if you can!)
  • ground cumin
  • black pepper
  • ground cloves
  • kosher salt
  • fresh garlic

two images: dish with achiote paste seasonings, and achiote paste after blending in a blender

That makes up the base of the achiote paste. You do not want to substitute garlic powder in this, the flavor will not be the same, and you lose some moisture content too. You can, however, use fresh garlic paste instead.

From there you want to blend the seasonings with a mixture of fresh orange juice and lime juice until you get a thick paste.

But just in case, you do, in fact, need to grind up the annatto seeds first. I recommend using a spice mill or coffee grinder. I have a spice only coffee grinder. Works like a charm.

pork butts coated in achiote paste in a pan for marinating

So How Do I Make This Cochinita Pibil Recipe?

Similar to our first pulled pork recipe, we’re just tossing the meat on the smoker and letting it go until it reaches 215 degrees.

Instead of brining overnight, we’re going to marinate the meat in the achiote paste sauce.

Once you get it on the Twin Oaks Pellet Grill set at 200 degrees, you’ll insert the meat probe, close the lid, and let it smoke until the internal temp hits 165 degrees. Once you hit that mark, you turn the grill up to 250 degrees and keep cooking until the probe reaches 215 degrees.

That’s it. Essentially a set it and forget it setup.

ingredients for cochinita pibil tacos in bowls on a gray background

I mean, you won’t forget it, because you can smell it and it’ll be so tantalizing you’ll be willing the meat to cook faster with your mind.

Once you remove it from the grill, you want to let it sit for 30-60 minutes before shredding so all the juices stay put. You don’t want to lose those precious juices, oh noes indeed.

one cochinita pibil taco in focus with four more in the background

How To Serve Cochinita Pibil

I like to keep it super simple.

  • salsa verde
  • quick-pickled red onion

That’s it!

But some other fun toppings include:

  • cotija or queso fresco
  • heaps of cilantro and white onion
  • the hottest salsa you can get your hands on
  • hot sauce

I also like to serve this recipe on flour tortillas, but if you want to keep it gluten-free, use corn instead! Let’s do it!

Easy Cochinita Pibil Recipe

Break out the smoker for this Easy Cochinita Pibil Recipe! A little bit sweet and a little bit earthy, pair this pulled pork with pickled red onions and salsa verde for the most flavorful tacos around!
5 from 5 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dinner, Main, Main Course
Cuisine: Hispanic, Mexican
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Marinating Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 12 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 10
Calories: 370kcal
Author: Karly Gomez

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup annatto seeds
  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
  • 1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 5 cloves fresh garlic
  • ¼ cup fresh orange juice
  • ¼ cup fresh lime juice
  • 6 lbs boneless pork butt
  • tortillas for serving
  • pickled red onion for serving
  • salsa verde for serving

Instructions

  • Grind annatto seeds, then combine in a blender with the coriander, oregano, cumin, black pepper, salt, cloves, garlic, orange juice, and lime juice. Pulse until a thick paste forms. Score the top of the pork butt with a sharp knife, then coat the pork with the achiote paste mixture and place, covered, in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours to marinate.
  • Preheat Cuisinart Twin Oaks Pellet & Gas Grill to 200 degrees on the pellet side. Once hot, place the marinated pork butt in the center of the grill, insert a meat probe into the center of the thickest portion, then close the lid and let smoke until the probe reads a temperature of 165 degrees.
  • Turn the smoker up to 250 degrees and allow the pork to continue cooking, without lifting the cover, until the probe reads 215 degrees. Remove from the smoker and let sit for 30-60 minutes uncovered before shredding. Serve with tortillas, salsa verde, and pickled red onions, or your favorite taco fixings and enjoy!

Notes

*temperature is more important than time with smoker recipes, so be sure to use temperature probes to monitor the meat as it cooks
*pre-made achiote paste is an acceptable substitute for the seasonings listed, just whiz it up with the juices before marinating the meat

Nutrition

Calories: 370kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 51g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 163mg | Sodium: 411mg | Potassium: 964mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 21IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 4mg
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About Karly

From her childhood home in Southern Minnesota, Karly embraces the crazy of everyday life by creating delicious dishes her family and friends love, while experimenting with new flavors and techniques and photographing the results. Karly’s love for beautiful foods and joy for creating is infectious to all who meet her.

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author karly gomez of a simple pantry with a background of red bell peppers
Hi, I'm Karly! Welcome to A Simple Pantry, where you’ll find inspiration for any meal and every occasion with tried-and-tested recipes, step-by-step tutorials, and occasional cooking videos that help you prepare easy gourmet dishes the whole family will love.
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i prefer margaritas and sitting in the shade to piña coladas and getting caught in the rain.

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