Cochinita Pibil Recipe from Yucatán

Published: Apr 15, 2009 · Updated: Jan 29, 2021 by Mely Martínez

Cochinita Pibil is the most popular recipe out of the Yucatan Peninsula. This pulled pork recipe in an achiote paste is fantastic and one of the most delicious dishes in Mexican gastronomy. Learn how to make it and enjoy it at home, like if you were in Mexico.

Cochinita Pibil Recipe

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Cochinita Pibil Recipe
Frequently Asked Questions About This Cochinita Pibil Recipe
How to make Cochinita Pibil Recipe
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It is effortless to make at home; you can do it in an oven bag, grill, smoker, or even in your pressure cooker. I tried most of these ways of cooking cochinita and had great results with all of them. It is ideal for serving with hand-made tortillas and habanero pepper sauce. You can also cook your marinated pork ahead of time and reheat it before serving. Leftovers freeze very well, too.

I still remember in my years living in Southern Mexico, going on Sunday morning to the local market where the Cochinita Pibil Taco Stand was surrounded by people waiting for their orders. When the cook sees a new customer joining the crowd, he will give them a taco to make their waiting time less painful. We need to implement this in the United States. 😉

Frequently Asked Questions About This Cochinita Pibil Recipe

Where does Cochinita Pibil come from?

Cochinita is a dish that everybody knows throughout the whole country. Originated in the Yucatan peninsula in southern Mexico, cochinita pibil is a traditional dish cooked with Achiote (Annato paste) and sour orange juice (Seville orange). Then buried in a pit and slowly roasted.

The history of this dish goes back to prehispanic times and combines Mayan and Spanish cuisine. The word Pibil, meaning “buried” or in a “pit” in Mayan, was the preferred way of cooking dishes. With the Conquistador’s arrival, ingredients were adjusted, like bitter orange and suckling pig (baby pig) for this recipe. Although, it is believed there were wild hogs in that region before the conquest and the Mayans cooked other wild animals, like Wild turkey, deer, and armadillo, in this same way.

How does Cochinita Pibil Taste like?

The Cochinita Pibil has a pleasant and delectable flavor. It has a sweet, savory flavor due to the combination of orange and achiote paste blended in a well-balanced dish.

What is Cochinita Yucateca?

Cochinita Yucateca (baby pig Yucatan style) is another name for Cochinita pibil. Also known as Puerco pibil (Pibil pork) or cochinita con achiote (Pig with achiote). As mentioned above, Pib refers to the cooking method, however, people nowadays do not cook it in pib.

What is Achiote?

Achiote is a red-orange condiment that grows in Mexico and Latin America. The seed of the plant (also known as “achiote seeds”, “annatto seeds”, “onoto” o “bijol”) is then processed to powder or paste as spices to be used as a rub or to marinate meat. In some regions of Tabasco, the seeds are slowly boiled for hours until all the red seeds form a paste at the bottom of the pot.

How Long does it Last in the Refrigerator?

Packed in an air-thigh container, Cochinita Pibil can last up to 4 days in the fridge. If properly packed, it can last 6 months in your freezer. You can use a vacuum sealer to preserve the flavors. You can even store the uncooked meat with the achiote marinade for up to 2 days in the fridge before cooking.

How to make Cochinita Pibil Recipe

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Ingredients:

Banana leaves
Achiote paste
Bitter orange juice or white vinegar* SEE NOTES
Ground pepper of black peppercorns
Garlic cloves
cumin
Pork Butt or pork shoulder
Red Onion
allspice
Salt
Dried Mexican oregano
Lard or Oil
Oven bag (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

For this recipe, I will break down the instructions for easy cooking.

Prepared your banana Leaves:

Roast the banana leaf; if you bought it from the frozen section of the supermarket, wait until it is completely defrosted. (Please check the ingredients list in the recipe card below)
Line your roasting pan with the oven bag and arrange the banana leaves in a way that they overlap and hand from the roasting pan. The banana leaves give a lot of flavor to the dish, but if you can't find them use aluminum foil instead of the banana leaves or use an oven bag.

Note: To roast the banana leaf, place it directly over a medium-hot fire of your gas stove; it will start changing color and getting shiny while in contact with the fire. You can even make this step over your ceramic glass stove. Make sure not to burn the leaves; we just want them to be pliable.

Make the achiote sauce

In your blender, mix the Achiote (annatto) paste seasoning, garlic, black ground pepper, bitter orange juice or vinegar, cumin, and salt to season.

Blander with achiote and bitter orange juice

Mixing Sauce and Pork for Cochinita Pibil

Cut the pork meat into medium size pieces (about 2 ½ to 3 inches)
Place pork meat on the leaves, then pour the Achiote mixture over. And add the lard to give it more flavor.
Add the sliced onion, oregano, & Allspice. Fold the ends of the banana leaves over the pork. Wrap tightly with the banana leaves and cover with the roasting pan lid.
If using the oven bag, cut 3 or 4 slits according to the bag to package instructions and place the meat inside. Add about 1 ½ of a quarter of water to the roasting pan to create a steaming effect. One time, I forgot to add the water, and it still came out great. If using aluminum foil, wrap it tightly, and do not add the extra water.

Pork cover with onions and achiote sauce

Bake and Serve:

Bake for 2 ½ hours in a preheated oven at 350 degrees. Add more water to the pan if needed if using the baking bag.
Remove the roasting pan from the oven and uncover the meat. The meat should be tender. If it isn’t, cover and return to bake for another 30 minutes.

Oven bag stuffed with banana leaves and pork — Cochinita Pibil baking inside an oven bag.

Notes:

Most of the time, this dish is prepared with pork butt or pork shoulder, but it can be made with other parts of the pork like pork lion.
You can also substitute the bitter orange juice by making a mix of ¾ cup of orange juice and adding 4 tablespoons of lime juice.
Sometimes, If you decide to use peppercorns to make a smooth sauce is better to process them in a food processor. The use of bay leaves and red onions is not very common but it adds an extra flavor. Thyme & marjoram are not commonly used.
Another spice that is added to the achiote sauce to make the marinate is cinnamon, but if you are buying the commercial Achiote paste. Most of the time it is included in the paste.
The meat can be placed in a large bowl with the achiote marinade and stored overnight to absorb more flavor.

Cochinita on a banana leaf with pickled onions

What to Serve with Cochinita Pibil?

To serve, shred the meat and cover it with the released juices of the achiote marinade, warm tortillas, chopped onions with habanero peppers and lime juice, pickled onions, and a side of Yucatan Style Black Beans. Or, as most people eat it in Mexico, as tacos topped with pickled red onions, and habanero salsa.

Pork cochinita, black beans, and pickled onions served on a banana leaf on top of a plate.

Did you like the recipe? Please let me know in the comments section, do you have questions, or share the link with your friends. I hope you have an incredible time cooking!

Buen Provecho!

Mely Martinez, the cook at Mexico in my Kitchen!

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Cochinita Pibil Recipe from Yucatán

Cochinita Pibil Recipe