We’re making chilorio! This braised, shredded pork dish from Sinaloa, Mexico, is made by slow-simmering pork shoulder in a rich, smoky chile sauce until it falls apart.
If you love the bold chile flavors in slow-cooked Mexican beef machaca and birria recipes, chilorio is almost guaranteed to become a favorite on taco night. Leftovers are also great the next day!
I think one of my favorite pastimes is traveling around Mexico without leaving my kitchen. On any given night of the week, you’ll find chicken tinga in my Instant Pot or beef barbacoa in the slow cooker. Today’s easy chilorio (pronounced “chee-loh-ree-oh”), or pork in chile sauce, is my take on a northern Mexican dish made from braised pork shoulder simmered in a spiced chile sauce. It’s super juicy and packed with amazing sweet-spicy-tangy flavor.
Afterward, the meat is fried and shredded so it can be tucked into tacos, burritos, sandwiches, empanadas, you name it. I also add chilorio to taco bowls and tostadas.
Reasons To Make This Easy Chilorio Recipe, Pronto
- Bold flavors. The flavors are tangy, warm, and slightly sweet, and not make-your-head-explode spicy, which I love. It’s also easy to adapt the heat levels in chilorio for a spicier or milder dish.
- Easy to prepare. I kept this one-pot recipe pantry-friendly with as little hands-on time as possible. Most of the time is spent simmering the pork on the stovetop.
- Great for tacos, bowls, and meal prep. Chilorio is SO versatile! Make it for game day and keep it warm in the slow cooker, or have it for dinner and enjoy the leftovers during the week.
- Make-ahead-friendly. Speaking of leftovers, this Mexican pork recipe is perfect for freezing, and it reheats well, too.
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make It
The star of chilorio is the smoky Mexican chiles, combined with spices and brightened up with vinegar. You’ll find some quick notes below, but please scroll down to the printable recipe card followed by step-by-step photos.
- Pork Shoulder – Pork shoulder is my first choice for roasting and slow-cooking. Try to find a cut with enough fat and cut it into large chunks. If you don’t have a shoulder, any cut of pork will work. You’ll also find versions of chilorio made with pulled chicken.
- Orange Juice – Freshly squeezed. You could use bottled orange juice in a pinch, but the flavor is much better when it’s fresh.
- Onion – White or yellow onion, cut into quarters.
- Seasonings – Oregano, ground cumin, and bay leaves, plus salt and freshly cracked pepper.
- Chiles – I make my sauce with a combination of dried ancho, pasilla, and guajillo chile peppers. These varieties have a rich, milder heat. If you can’t find all three, substitute all of one type, if you’d like.
- Garlic – You’ll need medium-sized fresh cloves.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar, brown sugar, or another kind, like coconut sugar all work well to sweeten the sauce. You could also use honey or agave.
- Lard – Lard is the traditional choice for frying the pork, but you can substitute vegetable oil if you prefer.
- Vinegar – White vinegar finishes the dish off with a tangy, acidic burst. Feel free to use white or red wine vinegar, or whichever kind you have on hand.
Chilorio vs. Carnitas
If you’re already familiar with pork carnitas, chilorio is a bit like its lesser-known cousin. Both are slow-cooked, pulled pork recipes. The main difference is that chilorio gets braised in a smoky chile sauce (similar to mole), while carnitas are crisped in their own fat, minus the chile sauce.
Tips to Remember
- Your choice of chiles determines the heat level. Keep this recipe on the milder side with ancho and guajillo chiles (I use a similar combination in my beef birria recipe), pasilla chiles, or poblanos. Otherwise, swap in chipotles or serrano peppers for more heat.
- Seed and destem the chiles. Do this before you rehydrate them, so the sauce doesn’t turn out overly spicy. Most of the chiles’ heat comes from the seeds!
- Check the pork while it simmers. I recommend taking a peek into the pot every 20 minutes or so. You may need to top up the liquid so the pork stays covered.
- Save the cooking liquid! You can discard the onions after braising the pork, but don’t throw out the leftover liquid. You’ll use it when making the sauce and afterward, when you simmer the chilorio.
How Can I Tell When Pork Shoulder Is Done?
Most pork is safely cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 145ºF, however, pork shoulder will be easiest to shred at 190ºF. Use an instant-read thermometer to be sure. Otherwise, you’ll know your pork is done when it comes apart easily with a fork.
Serving Suggestions
Serve chilorio with corn or flour tortillas sprinkled with red onions and cilantro. Sinaloa is also known for its seafood, and I love pairing my pork tacos with shrimp ceviche. Otherwise, a fresh cucumber and onion salad or creamy corn dip on the side is a great way to tame the chile in the sauce. If you don’t want to make tacos, simply serve your chilorio with refried beans (like I use in my huevos rancheros tacos) and red rice.
Pin this now to find it later
-
Prep the pork. Add the pork shoulder, orange juice, white onion, oregano, cumin, and bay leaves into a large stockpot. Pour in enough water to cover the pork completely. Season with salt and pepper.
-
Cook the pork. Set the pot over high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium-low. Let the pork continue simmering for 40 minutes and up to an hour. Check back every 20 minutes to make sure it still has enough liquid. If it’s not fully covered anymore, add more water accordingly. Once done, transfer the pork into a bowl and reserve the cooking liquid. Discard the onion pieces.
-
Rehydrate the chiles. Add the dried peppers and 2 cups of water to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and then turn off the heat and allow the peppers to soak in the water for 15 minutes.
-
Blend the sauce. Transfer the peppers with their cooking liquid to a blender with the garlic, sugar, and vinegar. Blend until you get a smooth mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set the sauce aside.
-
Sear the pork. In the same pot you boiled the pork in, melt the lard over medium-high heat. Add the chunks of pork into the pot and sear them for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. While still in the pot, use two forks to shred the pork by pulling the meat apart in opposite directions.
-
Cook. Strain the chile sauce over the pork and discard the pulp. If you used a high speed blender, you will not need to strain the sauce. Add about 2 cups of the reserved liquid from the pork. Stir until well combined. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer uncovered for 25 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated.
-
Final touches. Taste the chilorio and adjust accordingly; season with more salt, pepper, oregano, and cumin, if needed.
-
Enjoy. Serve your chilorio with corn or flour tortillas, refried beans, and red rice.
Calories: 258kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 518mg | Potassium: 1084mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 9651IU | Vitamin C: 60mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
How to Make Chilorio, Sinaloa-Style Pork in Chili Sauce
First, you’ll slow-roast the pork until it’s fall-apart tender before frying it and stirring it back with a smoky, spicy sauce made from rehydrated Mexican chiles.
- Cook the pork. Add the pork shoulder, onion, seasonings, and bay leaves to a stockpot, topped with enough water or broth to cover the pork. Bring that to a boil, then cover and reduce the pot to a simmer for 40-60 minutes. Another option is to cook the pork shoulder in the Instant Pot. Afterward, save the cooking liquid and transfer the pork to a bowl.
- Rehydrate the chiles. Next, combine the dried chile peppers with water in a saucepan. Bring it to a boil, switch off the heat, and leave the peppers to soak for 15 minutes.
- Blend the sauce. Now, transfer the chile peppers to a blender along with your reserved cooking liquid. Add garlic, sugar, and vinegar, then blend until you have a smooth sauce.
- Sear and shred the pork. Use the same large pot from earlier to sear the pork chunks in lard over medium-high heat. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side, until browned. Then, use two forks to shred it.
- Simmer in the sauce. Strain the chile sauce into the pot with the shredded pork, and stir in more of the leftover cooking liquid. Lower the heat and simmer the pork uncovered for 25 minutes. Lastly, season to taste with salt and any additional spices, and serve!
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- Refrigerate. Chilorio lasts for 4-5 days in the fridge. Keep it covered airtight. I like adding leftovers to my Macedonian fried pork pizza!
- Reheat. Warm the pork in the microwave or on the stovetop.
- Freeze. Freeze chilorilo for up to 3 months and thaw it in the fridge before reheating.
