Chilorio is a delicious Pork dish made with dried peppers, orange juice-vinegar, and other spices. A perfect filling for burritos. This Chilorio recipe comes from the State of Sinaloa!
Chilorio Recipe
The State of Sinaloa, along with surrounding states of Sonora, Durango, and Chihuahua, is well known for the fine quality of its livestock. Sinaloa’s gastronomy is also praised throughout the country for its regional dishes. Their cuisine dishes are prepared with ingredients unique to its coastlines, like smoked marlin tostadas, shrimp aguachile, and dried fish machaca.
Unfortunately, getting a hold of smoked marlin is not easy when you live outside of Mexico. Nevertheless, Sinaloa can still be represented in your table when you cook this simple stew that is also well known all over Mexico.
Even though Chilorio may be the most famous dish from Sinaloa, and more specifically from the town of Culiacan, where besides being made at home, Chilorio Recipe is sold at the markets where people can buy it ready-made to take home.
This dish of shredded pork that we call "Chilorio", has been sold in a canned version since 1974; it’s such a versatile stew that you can use it to make tacos, burritos, burritas ( smaller that burritos), chimichangas, gorditas, subs (tortas), tostadas, quesadillas, sopes, or tamales. This dish is very similar to other stews around México called Pork Adobo.
Market Photos Courtesy of my dear friend Manuel Arciniega from the Chilepazote Blog.
Their sellers offer the Chilorio ready to eat by the kilo, along with other pork and beef products like dried shredded meat, cheese, chicharrones (pork skin cracklings), and the like.
This place is in the Garmendia Market, Culiacán, Sinaloa. México
Other recipes for burrito fillings:
How to make Chilorio Recipe
DIRECTIONS:
1. Place the meat, 1 and ½ cup of water, bay leaf and salt in a saucepan. Then, cover and simmer for about 45 minutes, until meat is tender. Uncover the saucepan and let the water evaporate. Add the lard if needed, since some cuts of pork meat do not render enough fat. Let the meat brown slightly. Set aside and remove the bay leaf. Shred the meat with two forks. (Please check the ingredients list below)
2. While the meat is cooking, devein and clean the peppers, after that, place them in a small saucepan with the remaining cup of water, cover, and cook on low heat for 8 minutes until the peppers look soft.
3. Place cooked peppers and cooking water in a blender and add oregano, cumin, and garlic. At this time, process the ingredients until you have a very smooth sauce.
4. Place the saucepan over the meat over medium-high heat, add the sauce and the vinegar or orange juice. Mix well and lower the heat to simmer. Season with salt and pepper.
¡Buen provecho!
Mely,
More recipes:
Corn Dough Quesadillas
Roasted Pork Leg
📖 Recipe
Chilorio Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Lb. boneless pork cut in cubes
- 1 ½ cup of water
- 1 1 ½ tsp. salt
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoon lard
- 4 Ancho peppers *
- ¼ cup white vinegar** or orange juice
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- ½ teaspoon cumin freshly ground
- 6 garlic cloves
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the meat, 1 and ½ cup of water, bay leaf and salt in a saucepan. Cover and simmer for about 45 minutes, until meat is tender. Uncover the saucepan and let the water evaporate. Add the lard if needed, since some cuts of pork meat do not render enough fat. Let the meat brown slightly. Set aside and remove the bay leaf. Shred the meat with two forks.
- While the meat is cooking, devein and clean the peppers, place them in a small saucepan with the remaining cup of water, cover, and cook on low heat for 8 minutes until the peppers look soft.
- Place cooked peppers and cooking water in a blender and add oregano, cumin, and garlic. Process until you have a very smooth sauce.
- Place the saucepan over the meat over medium-high heat, add the sauce and the vinegar or orange juice. Mix well and lower the heat to simmer. Season with salt and pepper.
- Keep simmering for about 15-20 minutes, until sauce has reduced and changed into a darker color. Let it fry with its own fat. Serve with warm flour tortillas and a hot sauce, since this is not a spicy dish.
Notes
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Laura
This was very good! Made it just like the recipe said. I used orange juice instead of vinegar. Yum!
Ruth E Sams
Believe it or not, I could NOT find anchos peppers anywhere near me. I live in Brooklyn, NY, a stones throw from Manhattan. One store had the green poplano fresh kind and I tried that. I redid the recipe today and did manage to find some ancho dried peppers and I am using pork this time. Just thought I'd let you know that your recipe mentions "the remaining of water to soak the anchos. I didn't have a remaining cup of water as I used it all cooking the pork. I assumed you meant soak the anchos in 1 c of water - so that's what I did. Thank you for posting this recipe.
James Dolezel
Love making this, it smells so yummy! We make Chipotle style burritos with it, adding rice, beans, and salsa. Everyone loves it!
Dora Gutiérrrez
Muy buena receta! Great recipe, everyone in my family loved the flavor. Just like the one sold at the market in Sinaloa.
Francisco Gonzalez
Delicious! Excellent recipe! Thanks for sharing! so easy to prepare and delicious flavour! Our favourite chilorio! We used to love Chilorio Chata but this is 1000% better!
Mely Martínez
Hello Francisco,
I'm so glad to know you like the Chilorio recipe. Enjoy!
Randy N Norman
very good Tasty
Brian Ruiz
Do you have any recommendations on replacing the pork with another protein? Turkey or Chicken maybe? My husband is from Culiacán and when we visited we had some chilorio de pavo, but buying it here in the states is VERY expensive. Any advice?
Mely Martínez
Hello Brian,
You can try it with chicken.
Barbara
Hi, what cut of pork do you use for this recipe? Looks delicious and I look forward to making it.
Mely Martínez
Hello Barbara,
You can use pork butt or pork shoulder.
Laurel Gonzalez
I made the Chilorio recipe with dried Pasillia peppers and a tablespoon of Paprika pepper. I used cut up boneless pork chops. After cooking the pork according to the recipe; I put the pork and sauce into my crockpot. I should have added more water, but they still came out tender and I could mash the pork cubes with a wooden spatchula. I had to make corn tortillas with flour, cornmeal and fritos (Covid19 lockdown) but they came out great. I used the Chilorio as a Tostada filling, by topping the Chilorio Pork with shredded cheddar, shredded iceburg lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream. (My husband doesn't like Mexican food he says, so I told him it is an Argentine recipe. Although he loves my tacos, spanish rice and enchiladas, he is Cuban..) Thank you for a Keeper recipe, we loved it.
Mely Martínez
Hello Laurel,
Thank you for sharing all the creative tips to cook during these times.
Christine Webb
I just made chilorio yesterday and it's better today reheated. I found a recipie and it also had 1 1/3 C fresh squeezed orange juice when cooking the meat. It adds a great deal in the taste. Its absolutely delish!
Robert Morrow
The recipe calls for Ancho Chilies which is a dried poblano that are soaked and pulp used. I do not have the Ancho Peppers, but I have the ground Ancho Chilies which I am sure could be used, but how much is the question. Thanks for you site and recipes. Chef Robert Here in the Land of Enchantment New Mexico
mmartinez
Hello Robert,
I will start by adding 4 tablespoons of ground Ancho Chile Powder and then taste to see if it needs more. Let me know how it turns out.
Lucy
This sound delicious like all your other recipes I have tried . Can the lard be replaced with olive oil or canola oil ? That’s the only ingredient I’m missing .
mmartinez
Hello Lucy!
Yes, you can use other type of oil.
Happy cooking!
Penny Edwards
I made this tonight for dinner...and it was MARVELOUS. I almost felt like I was eating from a great street vendor. Thank you!!!
mmartinez
Hello Penny,
I'm so glad to know you enjoyed it! I had been craving it too for days. Is time for me to make a new batch of it.
Happy cooking!
Anonymous
Im not from sinaloa but my husband is and he loves chilorio ive made many times I like to cook the pork in a slow cooker then I fry it with latd and add the rest of the ingredients I even serve it for breakfast and so easy to make
mmartinez
Hello,
So glad to know you enjoy cooking the food of Sinaloa. Great tip of cooking the meat using the slow cooker.
Ziho
Hoola Mely
Está super sencilla la receta. La prepararé! Gracias
Anonymous
I have made this several night, because my boyfriend is in LOVE with this wonderful dish!! I toasted the chilies first. 5 starsssss!!!
TammyRenea
oh my, that's mouthwatering!!! Looks delicious. 🙂
Eloísa Schutte
It looks delicous!! Thanks for sharing your recipe.... soy de Sinaloa. 🙂
Mely
Hola Eloisa,
Espero te guste la receta. Saludos!
Eloísa Schutte
Soy de Sinaloa y nunca he preparado chilorio....gracias por la receta!!
Nammi
I dont eat pork but it sure looks good. 🙂 wish we could get mexican ingrediants over here.
Catherine
Oh, this looks wonderful. The flavors are magnificent!! Blessings, Catherine