What is Cochinita Pibil?

Pork marinated blaze-orange in achiote and sour orange, wrapped in banana leaves and roasted until it shreds itself.

Where does Cochinita Pibil come from?

Cochinita Pibil is a Yucatecan dish from Yucatán, Mexico.

Can Cochinita Pibil be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?

Yes. This Cochinita Pibil recipe includes ingredient substitutions to make it vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, or egg-free — including several of those at once, such as gluten-free and dairy-free together.

How long does Cochinita Pibil take to make?

About 235 minutes total (25 minutes prep, 210 minutes cooking), serving 6.

Recipe

Name: Cochinita Pibil
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 210 min
Total time: 235 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Yucatecan
Ingredients: 3 lbs pork shoulder, cut in large chunks; 3.5 oz block achiote (annatto) paste; 1 cup sour orange juice (or lime + orange mix); 6 cloves garlic; 1 tsp each dried oregano and cumin; 2 large (or parchment + foil) banana leaves; 1 red onion, thinly sliced; 1 habanero, thinly sliced; 1/2 cup lime juice; 12 corn tortillas, to serve

North America → 🇲🇽 Mexico → Yucatán

Cochinita Pibil

Yucatecan · medium · serves 6

prep 25 min · cook 210 min

~758 cal · 66g protein · 42g carbs · 35g fat (estimated, per serving)

🍽️

Shredded achiote-red pork on banana leaves with pickled red onions

🇲🇽 Yucatán

Pibil comes from the Mayan p'ib, the earth oven where whole pigs still roast under Yucatecan villages on feast days. The achiote paste and bitter orange marinade predates the Spanish — originally it seasoned venison and turkey. Sunday markets across Mérida sell it in tacos before 10 a.m., gone by noon.

Make it yours

Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.

🥕 Vegetarian

🌱 Vegan

🌾 Gluten-Free

🥛 Dairy-Free

🥜 Nut-Free

🥚 Egg-Free

Ingredients

Serves 6 —

•

3 lbs pork shoulder, cut in large chunks

•

3.5 oz block achiote (annatto) paste

•

1 cup sour orange juice (or lime + orange mix)

•

6 cloves garlic

•

1 tsp each dried oregano and cumin

•

2 large (or parchment + foil) banana leaves

•

1 red onion, thinly sliced

•

1 habanero, thinly sliced

•

1/2 cup lime juice

•

12 corn tortillas, to serve

Instructions

Blend the achiote paste, sour orange juice, garlic, oregano, cumin, and salt into a loose marinade.

Coat the pork (or jackfruit) completely and marinate at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.

Pickle the onion and habanero in the lime juice with a pinch of salt — this is the mandatory sidekick.

Line a Dutch oven with softened banana leaves, add the pork and all its marinade, and fold the leaves over.

Cover and roast at 325°F for 3–3.5 hours until it shreds at a touch (90 minutes for jackfruit).

Shred into the juices. Serve on warm tortillas topped with the pickled onions.

Yucatán peninsula Mayan tradition.

Ratings & reviews

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🌏 While it simmers — know your destination

📍

Yucatán. Mayan country, where pork roasts underground in achiote and citrus.

🗺️

Mexico. A UNESCO-recognized cuisine older than any border.

🌍

North America. A collision of Indigenous, colonial, and immigrant tables.

The story behind this dish is up top — worth a read while the pot works.

👩‍🍳

Richard Moore & Kelsey Tucker

Recipes cooked, tested, and researched by the creators of Spin the Globe. How we build our recipes →