Quinoa Carnitas Breakfast Bowl Recipe

Prep and sear

Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Pat pork chunks dry and season with 1.5 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Heat 1 tbs olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear pork in batches until browned on all sides, about 3–4 minutes per side. Transfer browned pieces back to the pot.

Add aromatics and braise

Reduce heat to medium. Add minced garlic, 2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp smoked paprika, and 1 tsp oregano to the pot and sauté 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in 1 cup orange juice, 2 tbs lime juice and 1 cup chicken broth. Add 2 bay leaves. Bring to a simmer, then cover and transfer to the oven.

Slow-roast

Roast for 2.5–3 hours, or until pork is very tender and easily shredded with a fork. Check once after 1.5 hours; if liquid is evaporating too quickly, add up to 1/2 cup additional broth or water.

Shred and crisp (optional)

Remove pot from oven. Transfer pork to a tray and shred with two forks, discarding bay leaves. For crisp edges, spread shredded pork on a rimmed baking sheet and broil on high for 3–5 minutes, tossing once, until edges are crispy. Reserve 2–3 tbs of braising liquid to moisten the meat when assembling.

While pork roasts, rinse 1 cup tri-color quinoa under cold water in a fine mesh sieve. In a small saucepan, combine rinsed quinoa, 2 cups water, 1 tsp olive oil and 1/2 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 15 minutes or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let sit 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

Increase oven temperature to 425°F (220°C) after carnitas are done (if broiling pork, do this after broil). Toss tortilla wedges with 1 tbs olive oil, 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp chili powder. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake 8–12 minutes, flipping once, until golden and crisp. Cool on a rack.

Make lime sour cream: Stir lime zest into 1/4 cup sour cream with 1 tbs chopped cilantro and a pinch of salt. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Cook sunny side up eggs: In a nonstick skillet over low-medium heat, melt 1 tsp butter. Crack 2 eggs into the pan, season with 1/8 tsp salt and a pinch of black pepper. Cover the skillet and cook 3–4 minutes until whites are set but yolks remain runny. For firmer yolks, cook an additional 1–2 minutes.

Assemble bowls: Divide warm quinoa between 2 bowls (about 1/2 cup quinoa per serving). Top each with shredded carnitas (about 8 oz of cooked pork total divided; roughly 1 cup per bowl), drizzling a little reserved braising liquid over meat if needed. Add sliced avocado, sprinkle remaining cilantro and sliced green onion over bowls.

Finish and serve: Place a sunny side up egg on each bowl, scatter fresh-baked tortilla chips into the bowl (or serve on the side), and drizzle lime sour cream over the top. Adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.