Chef-tested recipe
Yucatecan pork marinated in achiote and sour orange, wrapped in banana leaves, and roasted until shreddable
Cochinita pibil is an emblematic dish of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. Pork is coloured and seasoned with recado rojo based on achiote, sharpened with sour orange, enclosed in softened banana leaves, and traditionally cooked in an underground píib. A tightly covered low oven reproduces the moist, slow heat at home while the leaves contribute their unmistakable aroma. Pickled red onions and habanero cut through the rich shredded pork; corn tortillas turn it into tacos or panuchos. The achiote gives earthy colour rather than aggressive heat, so the fiery chilli is served separately.
Recipe at a glance
- Servings
- 6 servings
- Prep Time
- 40 mins
- Cook Time
- 4 hours
- Resting Time
- 20 mins
- Marinating Time
- 8 hours
- Total Time
- 13 hours
- Cuisine
- Yucatecan Mexican
- Course
- Main dishes
- Cooking Method
- Achiote marination, banana-leaf wrapping, and slow roasting
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Best Served With
- Best served with warm corn tortillas, pickled red onions, habanero salsa, black beans, panuchos, fresh coriander, and chilled agua de jamaica.
Before you begin
Ingredients & equipment
Gather what you need first, then cook through the method with confidence.
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Equipment
- High-speed blenderpaid link
- Large non-reactive containerpaid link
- Deep roasting dishpaid link
- Heavy-duty foilpaid link
- Kitchen tongspaid link
- Large traypaid link
- Two forkspaid link
- Chef’s knifepaid link
- Digital kitchen scalepaid link
- Instant-read thermometerpaid link
Ingredients
For the recado marinade
- Achiote paste or recado rojopaid link: 140 g
- Fresh sour orange juice: 350 ml
- Garlic cloves: 45 g
- Mexican oregano: 5 g
- Ground cumin: 4 g
- Allspice berries, groundpaid link: 3 g
- Whole cloves, ground: 1 g
- Ceylon cinnamon, ground: 1 g
- Fine sea saltpaid link: 18 g
- Freshly ground black pepper: 5 g
For the pork
- Boneless pork shoulder, cut into 500 g pieces: 2000 g
- Pork lard: 50 g
- Large banana leaves: 4 large
- White onion, thickly sliced: 300 g
For the pickled onions
- Red onions, thinly sliced: 500 g
- Fresh sour orange juice: 180 ml
- Fine sea saltpaid link: 6 g
- Mexican oregano: 2 g
- Habanero chilli, finely sliced: 1 whole
For serving
- Small corn tortillas: 24 small
- Habanero salsa: 180 g
- Fresh coriander: 30 g
Preparation Overview
Blend the recado marinade completely smooth and cut the shoulder into several large pieces so seasoning reaches the centre without producing dry small cubes. Marinate overnight in a non-reactive container. The next day, soften clean banana leaves over a low flame and line a deep roasting dish with generous overhang.
Method
Blend the recado. Process achiote paste, sour orange juice, garlic, oregano, cumin, allspice, cloves, cinnamon, salt, and pepper until smooth.
Marinate the pork. Coat each pork piece thoroughly, cover, and refrigerate for 8 hours.
Pickle the onions. Toss red onions with sour orange juice, salt, oregano, and habanero, then refrigerate while the pork cooks.
Soften the leaves. Pass banana leaves briefly over a low flame until glossy and flexible, taking care not to burn holes.
Build the parcel. Line a deep roasting dish with overlapping leaves, scatter in white onion, add the pork and marinade, dot with lard, and fold the leaves tightly over the top.
Seal and roast. Cover the dish tightly with foil and roast at 160°C for 3½ to 4 hours until the pork reaches about 93°C and pulls apart easily.
Rest the pork. Keep the parcel closed and rest for 20 minutes so the juices settle.
Shred and moisten. Open away from the face, transfer the pork to a tray, shred with two forks, and fold in enough strained cooking juices to keep it succulent.
Serve. Fill warm corn tortillas with cochinita and top with drained pickled onions, coriander, and habanero salsa to taste.
Beginner Technique Notes
Achiote stains fabric and porous surfaces strongly; wear gloves and use a non-porous board.
Sour orange should taste aromatic, bitter-edged, and tart, not like sweet breakfast orange juice.
Warm banana leaves only until pliable so they fold without splitting.
A tight foil seal traps the steam that replaces the enclosed environment of a traditional píib.
Pork shoulder is ready for shredding at a higher temperature than the minimum safe temperature because collagen must soften.
Tips and Variations
When sour orange is unavailable, blend fresh orange, lime, and a small amount of grapefruit juice as a clearly labelled substitute.
Bone-in shoulder can be used and gives rich juices, but allow additional time for a larger piece.
For panuchos, fill a fried tortilla with refried black beans before adding the cochinita.
Keep habanero outside the main marinade so diners control the heat without losing the achiote and citrus flavour.
Do not omit both achiote and banana leaf; together they define the dish’s colour, aroma, and regional identity.
Serving Ideas
- Present the shredded pork in the opened banana-leaf parcel with its vivid red-orange juices visible. Arrange tortillas, pink pickled onions, and habanero salsa separately so diners build their own tacos.
Storage
Refrigerate the pork in its juices for up to 4 days and pickled onions separately for up to 1 week. Reheat pork covered to 74°C. Freeze pork and juices for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Nutritional Value
Allergen Notes
The core recipe is free from the major regulated allergens when made with pure corn tortillas, but verify achiote paste, tortillas, and salsa for wheat, soy, sesame, sulphites, and cross-contact. Handle habanero with gloves.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does pibil mean?
It refers to the Yucatecan method associated with cooking food in an underground píib oven.
Is cochinita pibil very spicy?
The achiote pork itself is aromatic rather than very hot; habanero salsa and pickled chilli supply the heat.
What is recado rojo?
It is a Yucatecan red seasoning paste based on achiote with garlic, sour citrus, and spices.
Can I cook it without a pit?
Yes. Banana leaves and a tightly sealed low oven create a practical home version of the moist pit-roasting environment.
Why is my pork dry?
It may be too lean, undercooked for collagen to soften, or shredded without enough of its reserved cooking juices.
