An assembly bowl that leans on your freezer stash — the carnitas come out of the freezer, and you build the rest fresh. A fast, flexible dinner or lunch.
Ingredients
- 3 cups carnitas (from the freezer)
- 3 cups cooked rice, tossed with lime juice
- 1½ cups black beans, warmed
- 1 cup corn
- 1 cup shredded cheese
- Salsa or pico de gallo
- Sour cream
- Avocado
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Warm the carnitas in a skillet, crisping the edges.
- Cook the rice fresh and toss it with a squeeze of lime.
- Build each bowl: lime rice, black beans, corn, carnitas, then cheese, salsa, sour cream, and avocado.
- Finish with a squeeze of lime.
Make-Ahead & Storage
This is an assembly bowl, not a freezer meal — the carnitas are the freezer component. Cook the rice and prep toppings fresh. Avocado is added the day of.
Notes
No cilantro in the lime rice or pico, per the household rules. Works equally well with carne asada, barbacoa, or pulled pork from the freezer.
Instant Pot rice (for serving): rinse the rice, then use 1 cup rice to 1 cup water for jasmine or long-grain white — high pressure 4 minutes with a 10-minute natural release. For brown rice, use 1 cup rice to 1¼ cups water, 22 minutes, with a 10-minute natural release. Don't quick-release, or the rice turns gummy. Toss the finished rice with lime juice.