Carnitas Bowls
Pork shoulder cubed and slow-cooked with cumin and lime, then shredded and piled over rice with black beans, corn, and salsa — about $2.84 a serving, enough for four big bowls. The three-hour cook is unattended, and if you spread the shredded pork on a sheet pan and broil it for four minutes you get the crisp edges that make carnitas worth ordering. It is a strong choice for feeding a crowd, for meal prep (the components keep separately for four days), and for anyone who wants leftovers that do not feel like leftovers. Build the bowls at the table so people take what they want.
3 hrs
4
$11.34
$2.83
Ingredients
Estimated Aldi prices for the amount this dinner uses, based on regular shelf prices and the current weekly ad.
Steps
- 1Cube the pork shoulder and season generously with salt, pepper, and cumin.
- 2Place in a slow cooker with a quartered onion and the juice of one lime; cook on LOW 3 hours until tender.
- 3Shred the pork with two forks and, if you like crisp edges, spread on a sheet pan and broil 3–4 minutes.
- 4Cook the rice and warm the black beans and corn.
- 5Build bowls with rice, beans, corn, and the carnitas.
- 6Top with salsa and a squeeze of lime; serve immediately.
Tips & swaps
- Pork shoulder is the right cut; loin works but shreds less and dries out faster.
- A quartered orange in the slow cooker with the lime gives a more traditional flavor.
- Skip the broil if you are short on time — the pork is good either way.
- Leftovers become quesadillas, nachos, or a baked potato topping.
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Put Carnitas Bowls into your week
Add it to a plan built around this week's Aldi deals, or browse all 50 cheap dinner ideas and pick the rest of the week yourself.
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