Super easy to make Carnitas Bowls star delicious pork carnitas, quinoa, arugula, and a variety of toppings to make a quick meal! Perfect for using up leftover carnitas!
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How to Make Simple Carnitas Bowls Using Up Leftovers!
Carnitas are a wonderful meal option to make for families, they are easy, delicious, and cheap! And more likely than not you will have some leftover!
So today I am sharing one of my favorite ways to use up those leftover carnitas and stretch out that meal you made, I’m talking a Carnitas Bowl.
I typically will make a bowl like this for lunch the next day after making carnitas for supper, and most of the time I honestly like it more than the tacos I usually make for dinner!
So with this recipe first thing is first, make my wicked awesome Crockpot Carnitas Recipe! It is really simple and makes a large batch!
(Or for extra flavor make my Slow Cooker Chipotle Pineapple Carnitas)
Once you have the Carnitas made these bowls come together FAST!
The Base Ingredients for Carnitas Bowls:
- Carnitas
- Cooked Quinoa (Note, you could sub our quinoa for rice or another grain if that is what you have)
- Arugula (Arugula really brings a freshness to this bowl so try not to leave it out, plus arugula is super healthy!)
Once you have the bases all together than you can add whatever toppings sound delicious to you!
Some awesome topping options are but not limited too:
- thinly sliced red onion
- cheese, like queso fresco or shredded cheddar
- fresh salsa
- sour cream or plain greek yogurt
- cilantro
- lime wedges
- guacamole
Once you have everything you want on your bowl it is as simple as warming up the carnitas and quinoa if needed and then adding everything to the bowl!
If you don’t have cooked quinoa on hand already luckily it is really simple to make and doesn’t take too much time. You can make a batch of Quinoa in the Pressure Cooker or use 1 part quinoa 2 parts water in a covered pot simmering over medium-high heat about 15 minutes.
Quinoa stores pretty well in the fridge, so I like to make it in batches or make extras when I need it in a recipe to reheat for other meals throughout the week!
As you can see this recipe is all about taking advantage of leftovers and turning them into a new fresh meal. Giving leftover carnitas a makeover into a carnitas bowl is the perfect fast meal solution to keep food from going to waste!
Can I use this for Meal Prepping?
Absolutely! I would just pack the items you need/want to re-heat separate from the cold items. So store your carnitas and quinoa together and the arugula and toppings separate.
Looking for more fast & easy recipes?
- Korean Ground Turkey & Recipe Bowls
- Red Lentil Tacos
- Quick & Easy Skillet Taco Chicken
- Black Bean Nachos
- Leftover Chicken Enchiladas
Carnitas Bowl
Super easy to make a Carnitas Bowl stars delicious carnitas, quinoa, arugula, and a variety of toppings to make a quick meal! Perfect for using up leftover carnitas!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
- 1/2 cup pork carnitas
- 1/2 cup arugula
Toppings:
- sliced red onion
- cheese, like queso fresco
- fresh salsa
- sour cream
- cilantro
- lime wedges
- guacamole
Instructions
- Add warm carnitas, warm quinoa, and arugula to a large serving bowl. Top with your favorite toppings as preferred.
Notes
Make a batch of carnitas using my Crockpot Carnitas Recipe!
Need to make quinoa? Make a batch of Quinoa in the Pressure Cooker or use 1 part quinoa 2 parts water in a covered pot simmering over medium-high heat about 15 minutes.
Best part about this recipe is it isn't so much of a recipe as a meal suggestion, feel free to take this idea and make it your own!
Nutrition Information does not include toppings.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
1Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 284Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 206mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 3gSugar: 2gProtein: 17g
Nutritional data is automated, final nutritional information will depend on ingredients used and any changes made.
Judy Clemens says
Love your blog and look forward getting weekly recipes