Chipotle Burrito Bowl Copycat (Print Version)

A vibrant bowl featuring juicy carnitas, cilantro lime rice, beans, queso, salsa, sour cream, and guacamole.

# What You'll Need:

→ Carnitas

01 - 2 lbs pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into large chunks
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 teaspoon salt
04 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
05 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
06 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
07 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
08 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 1 small onion, quartered
10 - Juice of 1 orange
11 - Juice of 1 lime
12 - 1 cup chicken broth

→ Cilantro Lime Rice

13 - 1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
14 - 3 cups water
15 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
16 - 1 teaspoon salt
17 - 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
18 - Juice of 1 lime

→ Beans

19 - 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
20 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
21 - 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
22 - Salt and pepper, to taste

→ Queso

23 - 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
24 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
25 - 3/4 cup whole milk
26 - 1 tablespoon cornstarch
27 - 1 tablespoon butter
28 - 1 jalapeño, minced (optional)

→ Tomato Salsa

29 - 2 medium tomatoes, diced
30 - 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
31 - 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
32 - 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
33 - Juice of 1 lime
34 - Salt, to taste

→ Guacamole

35 - 2 ripe avocados
36 - 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
37 - 1 small tomato, diced
38 - Juice of 1 lime
39 - Salt and pepper, to taste
40 - 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

→ For Serving

41 - 1 cup sour cream

# How to Make It:

01 - Season pork with salt, black pepper, cumin, oregano, and smoked paprika. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and brown pork on all sides. Add garlic, onion, orange juice, lime juice, and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook on low heat for 2 hours until pork is tender and shreds easily. Remove pork, shred with forks, return to pot, and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes to thicken.
02 - Rinse rice until water runs clear. In a saucepan, combine rice, water, olive oil, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 18 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and stir in chopped cilantro and lime juice.
03 - In a small saucepan, combine black beans, ground cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Heat over medium heat until warmed through.
04 - Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in cornstarch and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk and cook until slightly thickened. Add shredded cheeses and jalapeño, stirring until melted and smooth. Keep warm.
05 - Combine diced tomatoes, red onion, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, and salt in a bowl. Mix well.
06 - In a bowl, mash avocados. Stir in red onion, tomato, lime juice, cilantro, salt, and pepper until combined.
07 - Layer cilantro lime rice, beans, carnitas, queso, tomato salsa, sour cream, and guacamole in serving bowls. Serve immediately.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • You'll never overpay for a burrito bowl again once you taste how superior homemade carnitas truly are.
  • Everything can be prepped ahead, which means assembly is honestly faster than waiting in a drive-through line.
  • The queso recipe never breaks and tastes shockingly close to the real thing without any weird additives.
02 -
  • Don't skip the browning step on the pork—those caramelized edges are where the real flavor lives, and it takes only a few extra minutes.
  • The cornstarch in the queso is genuinely life-changing; without it, you'll end up with broken, separated cheese sauce that looks nothing like what you're going for.
  • Assemble right before eating; the queso thickens as it cools, and the sour cream and guac start breaking down if they sit on warm rice for too long.
03 -
  • If you want extra textural contrast, crisp the shredded carnitas under the broiler for three minutes before serving—it adds a slight crunch that's genuinely transformative.
  • Make the queso with an extra splash of milk on hand in case it gets too thick as it sits; you can always thin it, but you can't thicken it back down.
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