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    Home » By Ingredient » Pork » Loaded Healthy Carnitas Bowl

    Loaded Healthy Carnitas Bowl

    Published: Dec 20, 2020 · Modified: Dec 29, 2020 by Andrea Howe · This post may contain affiliate links.

    60 shares
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This delicious carnitas bowl is slow braised and mixed with roasted sweet potatoes, peppers, onions, and black beans. A well balanced, filling meal for any day of the week!

    carnitas bowl with jalapeno and radish garnish, in a white bowl

    One of the best things about making a batch of my Dutch oven carnitas, is leftovers! The first day I make them, we always eat them as tacos. On subsequent days, I usually add a portion to a salad or atop a bowl. Today I’ll be sharing how to turn your healthified carnitas into this warm and delicious bowl. Packed with fiber, protein and healthy fats, this bowl tastes as good as it is good for you.

    ingredients to make carnitas bowl

    Ingredients

    • Slow Braised Dutch Oven Carnitas
    • Roasted Diced Sweet Potatoes
    • Roasted Peppers & Onions
    • Black Beans (canned or homemade)
    • Garnishes – sliced radishes, jalapenos, sour cream, pico de gallo, avocado

    How to make Your carnitas bowl

    If you haven’t already, you need to make a batch of my Dutch oven carnitas. Once you have those in hand, you’re half way done!

    Next you have to roast your sweet potatoes, peppers and onions. Start by tossing each with some olive oil, salt and pepper and about 1 tsp each chili powder, cumin and paprika. Roast the diced sweet potatoes in a 400 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes, till fork tender. Place your sweet potatoes in a bowl and set aside.roasted sweet potatoes on a baking sheet

    Now roast your peppers and onions together in the same 400 degree oven, for about 10 minutes.

    roasted peppers and onions on a black baking sheet

    While those are roasting, heat your canned beans on the stovetop of microwave.

    Now it’s time to assemble!  Begin with your beans then layer in your potatoes, onions and peppers, and top with carnitas! Add your garnishes last.

    Your options for toppings are endless! You can vary them based off dietary needs, or of course taste preferences. I love the many layers of warm fillings, then topping with a bunch of fresh ones like greens, onions, radishes and cilantro. You can do grated cheese or sour cream, and of course adding salsa makes it just all the more better.

    2 bowls filled with carnitas, beans and potatoes and topped with garnishes

    Does this taste like the Chipotle Carnitas Bowl?

    This is reminiscent of the Chipotle carnitas bowl, but I’ve added nutrient dense sweet potatoes. This version though, is a lot more simple in the flavor profile. People have a love hate relationship with Chipotle, and the ones in the hate category Chipotle tend to say it’s the spices they don’t care for. I can definitely see that! They go very heavy on the cumin. I only use a couple teaspoons here, which is just enough to give the veggies a more distinct flavor. Of course you can scale the spices back or ramp them up if you’d like it to taste more or less like the Chipotle carnitas bowl.

    white bowl filled with carnitas, beans and garnishes

    Storing and Reheating leftovers

    If you have enough for leftovers, I applaud your restraint ha! Go ahead and store the beans, potatoes, onions and peppers together in a heat proof dish. Make sure to store your garnishes separately. To reheat, add all the ingredients to a bowl, with the exclusion of the garnishes, and reheat in a microwave for 1-2 minutes. Then add your fresh garnishes.

    Leftovers can be safely stored in the fridge for 3-5 days.

    Other pork recipes To try

    • One Pan Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Sweet Potatoes & Apples
    • Garlic Parmesan Pork Chops
    • Braised Asian Pulled Pork

    Carnitas Bowl

    carnitas bowl with jalapeno and radish garnish, in a white bowl

    Carnitas Bowl

    The most delicious slow braised carnitas bowl, mixed with roasted sweet potatoes, peppers, onions, and black beans. A well balanced, filling meal for any day of the week!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Author:Andrea

    Ingredients

    • 4 cups slow braised carnitas see linked recipe
    • 2 small sweet potatoes diced into 1' cubes
    • 14.5 ounces canned black beans rinsed and drained
    • ½ medium yellow onion thinly sliced
    • 1 medium bell pepper sliced thin
    • 2 tsp cumin
    • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
    • salt and pepper
    • various garnishes
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss the sweet potatoes, and onions & peppers separately, in 1 tbsp each of olive oil and 1tsp each of the cumin. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and onions & peppers on a separate baking sheet, and roast the sweet potatoes for approximately 20 minutes, till fork tender. Roast the peppers & onions for approximately 10 minutes. Set both aside
    • While vegetables are roasting, warm the black beans and prepare condiments.
    • Assemble 4 bowls by layering equal amounts of black beans, sweet potatoes, onions & peppers. Top with about 1 cup of warm carnitas, then garnish with your desired toppings.

    Notes

    Store leftovers in the fridge for 3-5 days, making sure to keep garnishes separated.
    Here is the recipe for the Slow Braised Carnitas used in this recipe: https://www.howewelive.com/slow-braised-carnitas-tacos/
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 667kcal | Carbohydrates: 76g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 1844mg | Potassium: 636mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 10521IU | Vitamin C: 48mg | Calcium: 186mg | Iron: 5mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @Howe.We.Live or tag #HoweWeLiveRecipes!
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    About Andrea Howe

    Andrea Howe is the recipe developer and photographer of Howe We Live. She is also a seasoned home cook of over 20 years, for her family of 5. Andrea has spent over 10 years in the food industry, writing for various publications including Babble and Disney. Her work has appeared in Real Simple, Taste of Home, Yahoo, Buzzfeed and ABC News.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Angee says

      January 05, 2021 at 7:14 pm

      5 stars
      this was amazing! My family was unsure at first but afterwards said it was a keeper

      Reply

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    Welcome to Howe We Live. I’m Andrea, a passionate home cook and mother of 3. I’ve been cooking and writing about healthy eating for almost a decade, and my number one goal here is to help you develop the tools needed to throw together a great meal at home that is both delicious, and healthy-ish. All eaters are welcome here! Read More

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