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Slow Cooker Pernil (Puerto Rican Roast Pork)

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Slow Cooker Pernil (Puerto Rican Roast Pork) is made with pork shoulder marinated overnight in garlic, citrus juices, cumin and oregano and slow cooked all day in the slow cooker.

Pork shoulder marinated overnight in garlic, citrus juices, cumin and oregano and slow cooked all day in the slow cooker.
Slow Cooker Pernil (Puerto Rican Pork)

My family loves Latin food, especially Puerto Rican cuisine! This Slow Cooker Pernil (Puerto Rican Roast Pork) is a staple in our home! Trust me, when you walk in the door from wherever you are all day you’re going to be happy you made this!

Pernil is a typical dish I grew up eating, it’s popular in the Latin Caribbean islands such as Puerto Rico and Cuba, served with rice and beans during the holidays or whenever there’s a reason to celebrate.

A typical Pernil recipe is slow roasted in the oven with a huge slab of fat on top, which gets crispy as it cooks. My lightened version, I use a boneless shoulder blade roast, trimmed of all the fat. This dish is easy enough to make as a weeknight meal.

I season the pork the night before and refrigerate it in the crock pot. Then when I wake up the next morning, I take it out and plug it in and come home to an amazing smelling dish. I usually serve it over brown rice and make a quick slaw of cabbage, red onion and bell pepper with olive oil and vinegar or lime juice.

Pictured above, I served this over brown rice with avocado and my go to Quick Cabbage Slaw. Leftovers are great for tacos, salads, Cuban sandwiches, you name it! I love making these Cuban Sandwich Quesadillas!

How To Make Slow Cooker Pernil

And since so many are asking, although I have and love my Instant Pot, I still love my slow cooker! I have the 6 Quart Hamilton Beach Set ‘n Forget Programmable Slow Cooker (affil link). I love it because you can adjust the time you want it to cook, and it automatically turns to warm when it’s done. It also has a probe for meat that automatically shuts off when done. I hated my old crock pot, it burnt everything and my food had a weird taste. This slow cooker is so great, I actually own several!

Skinny Slow Cooker Pernil (Puerto Rican Pork)

Skinny Slow Cooker Pernil (Puerto Rican Pork)

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Skinny Slow Cooker Pernil (Puerto Rican Pork)

4.88 from 41 votes
7
Cals:265
Protein:34
Carbs:3
Fat:12
Pork shoulder marinated overnight in garlic, citrus juices, cumin and oregano and slow cooked all day in the slow cooker.
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Pork shoulder marinated overnight in garlic, citrus juices, cumin and oregano and slow cooked all day in the slow cooker.
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 8 hours
Total: 8 hours
Yield: 8 servings
Serving Size: 3 oz pork

Ingredients

  • 3 lb boneless pork shoulder blade roast, lean, all fat removed
  • 4-5 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 tbsp coarse salt
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tbsp cumin
  • 1/4 tsp crushed black pepper
  • 3 oranges, juice of (1/2 cup)
  • 2 limes, juice of

Instructions

  • Using a sharp knife, cut slits into the pork and stuff holes with half of the crushed garlic.
  • Combine the remaining ingredients and pour over pork.
  • Place in the ceramic part of the crock pot, cover and refrigerate, turning pork occasionally so the marinade covers all of pork.
  • The next day, remove the crock pot and cook on low, 8 hours.
  • After 8 hours, remove pork and shred using two forks.
  • Remove liquid from crock pot and add pork back to crock.
  • Add about 1 cup of the liquid back and adjust salt, pepper and cumin (you will probably need to add more).
  • Let it cook another 15-30 minutes.

Last Step:

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Nutrition

Serving: 3 oz pork, Calories: 265 kcal, Carbohydrates: 3 g, Protein: 34 g, Fat: 12 g, Saturated Fat: 4.5 g, Cholesterol: 114 mg, Sodium: 574 mg, Sugar: 1.5 g

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341 comments on “Slow Cooker Pernil (Puerto Rican Roast Pork)”

  1. Made this instead of a tradional “pork and saurkraut” and we like this so much more. Hardest part is trimming off all the fat that I can, then so easy to do in slow cooker. Did marinated it a whole day and overnight. It has been awhile since I have made it and it is a favorite. I did the quick slaw and we had choice of mashed cauliflower /potato or rice –so good, I will repeat it again soon.

  2. Incredible! I’ve made this 3 times already this holiday season and have received so many compliments! Adding this to my remake binder!

  3. Delicious, absolutely amazing. Served with your quick slaw, rice, & Cuban black beans. Everyone raved about how yummy this was.

  4. So good, so easy to prep, and smelled delicious all day while in the crock pot. I added onion and a jalapeño. Served with Skinny Taste slaw and Cuban black beans and rice. Will definitely repeat the entire meal!

  5. I’m planning to make this tomorrow. Your recipe says the juice from the oranges should be 1/2 cup, but you don’t give an amount for the limes. Sometimes when I get limes they are very small, some are juicy some are dry when I cut them. Can you give me an estimate of how much lime juice should I use……. 1/4 cup, or ? Thank you

  6. Avatar photo
    Marsh Passmore

    Fantastic Pernil! I’ve always found the oven roasted pernil a bit dry, but this was far from it, so delicious. My family literally fought for the leftovers the next day.

  7. I made this for the family, everyone loved how the pork tasted. There was enough leftovers to make the Cuban Quesadilla Sandwich for the next day.

  8. Took a chance and made this for company. Doubled the cumin and oregano but otherwise followed the recipe. Was super juicy and very tasty!

  9. I love Cuban pork dishes, but I can no longer eat pork as I’ve developed an allergy. Has anyone made this recipe using chicken?

  10. This is soooo amazing.  I use the carnitas pork shoulder at Aldi that comes pre-seasoned. I just add the orange juice & lime juice to the crock pot. This is in my rotation of recipes & makes plenty of green sauce. The quick slaw is also a must for me for this recipe.  I put the pork, quick slaw on rice & I even make a green Peruvian sauce to top & it’s amazing. Never get sick of this one!! 

  11. Well I certainly botched this one. After adding the shredded pork and 1 cup of liquid back to the crock pot I way over salted it. I had no choice but to rinse it all off. It tasted like it did before I added the salt. It’s a very interesting flavor that we liked even after it got a rinsing. Anxious to make Cuban sandwiches with the leftovers. 

  12. This is so amazing! The house smelled so good and I’m going to make the Cuban quesadilla this evening! Thanks again! I LOVE all of your recipes! 

  13. Very surprised this has a 5 star rating. Mine was dry and flavorless. Now to figure out what to do with this meat.

    1. If your meat was dry it sounds like you used a leaner cut of pork and not a pork shoulder which is so tender because of the fat? I leaner cut would be dry.

  14. Whenever I have eaten pork pernil it has had onions so I found this recipe a little unusual. I added a large sliced onion and kept most of the liquid after cooking and it was very good.

  15. In all the years and all the recipes I’ve made from skinnytaste, this is only the second one I did not like. I followed the directions to a tee, and the pork was so dry it was almost not edible. Granted I could see where it could have good flavor, it just was way over cooked. The only thing I can think happened is that my crockpot cooks quicker than others. So I recommend others to start at around 6 hours on low, and check it to see if it needs further cooking. I think around 6 hours would have been perfect for my particular crockpot. I did like the cuban black beans and the slaw that I paired w/it from skinnytaste.

    1. Amazing! My daughter introduced us to their family go to FAVORITE recipe. I made it the first time. Dee-lish. I have black beans, chop tomatoes, Cilantro, onions, Avocados Queso cheese and rice all in separate glass lock containers so everyone takes what they want and after dinner, literally it’s a snap to clean up. And the leftovers ate my favorite thing in the fridge. THANK YOU ❣️

  16. Love your recipes, Gina! This is the second time I’ve made this one, it’s one of my favorites. I’m wondering if you’ve ever frozen the finished product? I was curious if it freezes well. Thanks!

  17. Has anyone done this in an Instant pot. I do not have a crock pot any longer. And how long did you cook it for?
    Thank you

  18. I made this last week and I’m already planning to make it again this week! It is SO good! I accidentally bought bone in and just cooked it a little longer. The meat fell right off it was so tender!

  19. Avatar photo
    Lisa Campanella

    One word: YUMMMMMMMMMMMMY!!!!!!
    Such great flavor with just a few ingredients. I used a pork tenderloin & it was amazing! Next time I would make more juice to have it even juicier 🙂
    Would absolutely make this again!

  20. Oh my goodness this is delicious. Really, you should make it! The house smelled so good while it was cooking. The family enjoyed it. I will make this again for sure!

  21. Love this recipe! One of my absolute favorites. It is so easy and flavorful. I like to eat it with brown rice, black beans and some avocado slices on top.

  22. I have made this about 50 times and have never left a review. This is amazing. I have made this for people several times with brown rice and green beans and everyone loves it! One of my all time favs! 

  23. Just finished cooking this and haven’t tried it yet (smells amazing) but I’m super nervous about the food safety of cooking it in marinade it sat in raw overnight. I see that question was asked a few times and never answered. 

    1. What are you talking about? The marinade gets cooked. Why would you be worried about the marinade anymore than the pork itself?

    2. Jill, we tend to marinate our meat for 2-3 days in the fridge. We do not pour out the marinade, it cooks with the meat. After it is cooked, we shred our pork and add the marinade to keep it juicy.

  24. I have pork butt (I have one boneless and one bone-in). Can I use it for this recipe? If so, does anything need to change? Thanks!

    1. I know this is a late reply but since I have done this, I thought I would tell you how it turned out! It was amazing. No worries at all. Do everything the same and you should be good. 

  25. This was delish! I served with sliced cooked onions, and served with rice and beans. I also took half out and threw it in the air fryer at 350 for about 5 Min to make some of it crispy! Omg. Thank you, Gina! I have yet to make a recipe I don’t love! 

  26. This was so easy to make and so delicious!  My guests raved about it!  Made it with the slaw and Cuban style Black Beans and served it with brown rice.  

  27. We don’t eat pork all that much, so I wasn’t sure about this. IT IS RIDICULOUSLY GOOD!!! Such good flavor, and easy fast prep. This is a keeper and I highly recommend!

  28. I rarely feel moved to leave a review. This pork is delicious. I usually keep the fat on but trimmed it as directed. Didn’t miss it as the pork was so moist and flavorful. Thank you for this recipe!!

  29. Avatar photo
    Barb in Minnesota

    This recipe looks awesome. I have a 7# pork shoulder roast to use and this will fit the bill for part of it. One trick I learned from Lindsay at Pinch of Yum is to put your cooked, pulled meat on a foil lined sheet pan, drizzle with some of the cooking liquid and put under a broiler until the meat starts getting a nice crust on it. It helps to concentrate the flavors. Out. Of. This. World.

  30. Hi Gina! Love love love this recipe. Made it last week for dinner and my husband and I used the leftovers on our breakfast tacos! Loved it so much we decided to make another batch this week for breakfast tacos. Is there a minimum amount of hours it should marinade? Was hoping to slow cook it over night tonight but it will have only marinaded for 5-6 hrs by the time I’d need to start it.

    Thanks!
    Emily 

  31. I made your pernil yesterday and it was such a hit! I actually got to try out two different cooking methods because the smallest pork shoulder I could get was over 6 pounds, and then I found I couldn’t fit the whole thing in my crockpot! I cut it in half, cooked one part in the crockpot as directed, and then braised the other half in my cast iron dutch oven (325F for ~4 hours) along with half of the marinade (which I doubled). The braised one developed a beautiful crust and the flavors were out of this world! The slow cooked one didn’t turn out the same way (pull apart tender, but not crusty), so I ended up finishing it in the dutch oven, as well, for another an hour and that did the trick.
    …In case anyone’s wondering about an oven method 🙂 Thanks for this recipe! I really love it and will definitely make again.

    1. I’m thinking that will sear the meat all over in my cast iron pan before marinating. I’m hoping the results will be as good yours. I will slow 
      Cook it. 

    2. Thanks for braising instructions! Do you cover the pot the whole time? Im going to make it tomorrow. 😊

  32. Avatar photo
    Heather in Ottaawa

    Made this last night for dinner, looking for an alternative to a traditional saucy pulled pork. This was fantastic! My only change was to add bay leaves to the seasonings and subbed some celery salt for the regular salt. The flavour was so amazing but also didn’t taste like any one thing; the cumin didn’t overwhelm, neither did the oregano. Such a flavourful dish you can use in anything like tacos, quesadillas, or in a bowl with rice, corn and cilatro and green onion on top which is how I served it. Looking forward to making Cuban Sandwiches with the leftovers tonight!

  33. I made this today after marinating for two days in my Insta Pot after searing the roasted before putting it on the pressure cooker mode for 50 min. It is so flavorful and tender. Good recipe, thanks!

  34. Hello ! I marinated this recipe as directed in my fridge over night and placed in slow cooker just an hour ago. 
    Just wondering the marinade is ok to use with the raw piece of pork ? 
    Thanks Jazz ! 

  35. This is a dish we make regularly since my family LOVES it! We have made tacos, quesadillas, even pulled pork sandwiches with the leftovers and they always turn out delicious! Do yourself a favor and try this recipe. You won’t be disappointed.

  36. This was delicious! I did marinate overnight and added extra cumin/salt at the end. I made some rice and beans to go with this and my kids ate it up! 

  37. So good! i marinated overnight, dried and seared it in a cast iron fry pan, then insta pot for 40 minutes and made Gina’s amazing Cuban Black Beans to go along with it. They are full of sabor! Would be really good with yellow rice-but the packaged yellow rice at the supermarket  are sodium bombs-wish you would come up with a recipe for Spanish yellow rice that is healthier than what is in the supermarket!

  38. Maybe the best pulled pork I have ever made!

    I used a 2 1/2 lb pork tenderloin. I marinated it in the crockpot intending to slow cook it, but at the last minute I had to have dinner ready by 2 pm, so I put it in the intstant pot for 40 minutes with a 10 minute release.

  39. Avatar photo
    Jennifer Moylan

    Oh my this was sooooo good! Taking it to work tomorrow for a pot luck lunch, had to restrain myself to not eat half of it tonight 🤣 cant wait to make it again! The house smells so good, even my fussy cat devoured at nice chunk! 6 stars!!!

  40. I made this for dinner tonight and it was SO SO good! I altered slightly to make it in the Instant Pot. I cut the pork shoulder into large chunks and marinated overnight. I also didn’t put the garlic into the meat in slits – just put it in with the marinade. I cooked it in the IP for 80 minutes with 10 minutes NPR. It was very tender and flavorful. I will be putting this in regular rotation for sure!

  41. I can’t wait to try this! I made something similar from a Cuban cookbook with grapefruit juice in the marinade and it was so fantastic. 

  42. Would love to see this as a tried and true IP recipe. The slow cooker function on the IP isnt so great. PS your one and done cook book is awesome!!

  43. I have been making your pernil for years, but I don’t think I ever commented. It is FABULOUS!!!! Thanks so much for this recipe that everyone loves!!!

  44. Avatar photo
    Stacey Becker

    What is the max time you can marinate this pork? Going to make this tomorrow but would like to get the prep out of the way early. Thanks!

  45. Avatar photo
    JoAnn Andrews

    Gina, I want to do this in my smoker with a bone in Pork shoulder this time. Do you think that would work?
    I made it as written at it was fabulous !!

  46. I’ve been making this since I first saw it a year or two ago. It is FANTASTIC!! In fact, a workmate of my husband’s (who is originally from Cuba and came here when he was 12 and whose daughter is a chef) said it was wonderful! We love it. Thank you!!

  47. This recipe looks amazing! Can it be used with pork tenderloin and if so, does that change the cooking time?

    1. In my opinion it willing definitely change the cooking time because pork tenderloin is smaller and leaner, but I don’t know if I’d use pork tenderloin because it doesn’t shred or have as much flavor as the shoulder does. You could marinate it the same way and cook it in the oven or on the stovetop and it’d be delicious, though! 

  48. Hello Gina, I would like to roast it in the oven. Would I use the same amount of ingredients. I would also use a larger Pork Shoulder. Perhaps 6-8lbs. How shall I revise this recipe. Thank you so much.

  49. This was amazing! My store only had bone-in pork but it worked out fine. My Puerto Rican neighbor couldn’t believe this white girl made it! Haha! This recipe is a keeper for sure!

    1. I made this in the instant pot last night and it turned out delicious! I stuffed the garlic inside, poured the lime and orange juice over it, then rubbed the spices on the meat. I cooked the whole shoulder for 50 minutes, but the inside wasn’t done so i cut it into four pieces and cooked for another 15 and it was perfect and shredded easily. I let the pressure naturally release each time. Next time I would either cut the meat into smaller chunks and cut down the cooking time, or I may just do it the same way since it turned out so great. 

  50. Pingback: Instant Pot Garlicky Cuban Pork - Simple Cooking Recipes

  51. Wouldn’t this also be considered Whole30 appropriate? Or am I missing something? I’m three weeks in and slightly delirious. 

  52. Pingback: Skinny Slow Cooker Pernil (Puerto Rican Pork) - Powerful Handmade site

  53. This is one of our favorite recipes. Easy to do and so good with such a few ingredients added. The hardest part is to trim off all the fat! But so well worth it. I did notice that in the new cook book and the web site the calories are quite different and I am not sure why? Thanks for another winner.

    1. I usually make a quick slaw of cabbage, red onion and bell pepper with olive oil and vinegar or lime juice.:)

  54. Also wondering about preparing this with bone-in cuts. Can I use bone-in with the same cooking times (I have about 5 pounds of bone-in pork shoulder) or should I remove the meat from the bone before marinating and cooking?

  55. Gina, when plugging in the nutritional information into the WW app, it says 3 oz of your pernil is 3 smartpoints. Any suggestions or reasons why? Thanks in advance! Love your recipes!

    1. The only accurate way to determine any recipe’s SmartPoints® value is to plug the ingredients into the recipe builder on the Weight Watchers website (Click on “My Foods,” select “Recipe,” and click “Create a recipe.”) which does not count fruits and vegetables in recipes in the calculations as they are now 0 points.

      The SmartPoints® calculator isn’t meant for recipes and will often give you the wrong points (usually higher) because it’s counting the fruits and vegetables. So if you see a recipe with a SmartPoints® value that’s different from what the calculator tells you, now you know why.

  56. This was incredibly delicious! I used pork tenderloin instead and cooked it 6 hours in the slow cooker. Thank you for all your genius recipes!

  57. Hi. I was wondering if I could place the pork in the marinade and then freeze before cooking? I’m looking for recipes to freeze for my daughter who is expecting. I was hoping she could just thaw and then slow cook. Thanks!

    1. It would work out with chicken… I’m just thinking you may need to cut down on the time… chicken cooks faster.

  58. Sent my hubby out to get the pork shoulder, and he came back with a “bone in” shoulder. Does this change the point value and cooking time?

  59. Gina, my family and I LOVE every one of your recipes – including a picky 4yr old.  My 6 month old son’s first, real food was your tomato soup (sans the dairy)and he devoured it like a little goblin! I grew up in FL and now live in CA so I totally miss Cuban and Puerto Rican food so I rely on you for my faves!  Keep the Caribbean flavors coming! 

  60. The link to your cousins recipe does not work anymore… I like to cook this dish using her oven method. Do you have a copy of the recipe available? fingers crossed!

    I love your recipes, by the way!

  61. This one of my all time favorites on your site! tonight I made it in the instant pot – I didn’t have time to marinate so I stuffed it with garlic and threw the rest on top – manual (high pressure) for 50 minutes with a natural pressure release – tastes just as good as if it marinated over night and cooked all day in the crockpot (I did use a pork tenderloin BC that’s what I had on hand, a different cut of meat might need more time under pressure) — thanks and Happy Mother’s Day!

  62. Gina, I wanted to let you know I made this, but opted for the pressure cooker and it was AMAZING!!! I used the ingredients as written, but chopped up the pork shoulder into cubes before marinating. The next day I browned up the meat, then added the marinating juices along with about another 1/2 cup of water and cooked at high pressure for 50 minutes, then let it pressure release naturally for about 5 minutes. It was so moist, juicy and flavorful. A HUGE hit with my family!

  63. Gina,

    You are not only the best at making healthy food in general, but also delicious versions of my favorites! Even when I made a request of a specific disb, you came through, so thanks for looking out for your NYC Skinnytaste fam! As for this recipe, I have a Cuban restaurant in my Brooklyn neighborhood that I used to like, until I had your pernil and picadillo. They are so bland in comparison. My boyfriend refuses to get food from that place anymore because he insists your Cuban food is 10x better! Thanks for hooking us up with the best Cuban recipes that knock our neighborhood’s food completely out. xx

  64. HI Gima- yes! I bought my Instant Pot as my big Christmas gift. I'd like to make Your Pernil recipe that I've made before in the slow cooker and it is always delicious. How can I "Comvert" this to make in the pressure method? Or is this just better left to cook slowly in the slow cook method. Thank you for all your recipes. Love your blog and talk about it at WW meetings.

  65. I haven't had chance to read through all these comments, but I am completely unable to get those crispy edges shown in your photographs. I think that would help my results. Are you pan searing before or after the crockpot?

  66. Avatar photo
    jennifer mancinelli

    DELISH!!! I think I like it better than the traditional pernil I do. It takes great as pork tacos!! Thank you!!

  67. I'm making this for my second time in two weeks. It's SO good. I make it with your Arros con Gandules…yum!

  68. Avatar photo
    christal deaton

    I made this and my boyfriend fell in love with me all over again! He doesn't get excited about food too often, but he wouldn't shut up about this pork. I really liked it, too. I made it with some brown rice and black beans and fresh streamed garlic green beans. Delish!

  69. For those who've made this with chicken, do you use a whole chicken, or parts? if you use parts, do you use a mix of white and dark meat?

    We've made this with the pork and love it, but our son has stopped eating pork, and I hate to take it off the menu because it's so good! So I want to try it with chicken.
    Also, this is delicious with a mojo verde – I served it that way last year for New Year's Eve and it was a huge hit. I wouldn't do that all the time since it's a skinny recipe (which I love) and there's a lot of oil in the mojo verde, but I bet a tomatillo salsa verde would be delicious.

    1. Avatar photo
      Jennifer Moeller

      I would use dark meat, probably skinless whole leg quarters. I'd be too afraid of white meat drying out.

  70. Hello Gina. I love this site and all the recipes I have tried have been so delicious! I am so excited to make this pernil recipe as I know it will be delicious as well. I have been marinating the pork for about 2 hours, but I really wanted to make it tonight for dinner. Is it possible to shorten the marinating time and cook in the slow cooker for 4 hours instead? Thank you and keep em coming! 🙂

  71. Will be making this for Christmas day dinner!! Thanks Gina! Any chance you have a lightened up version of Arroz con Gandules to go with it???

    Toni

  72. Love this recipe! I had never had pernil before, but it's fantastic. I'm making it again for my Costa Rican friends next week. They've probably not had pernil before, but I know they'll like it. I'm going to pair with with rice, black beans, a small salad, and sweet plantains for a different twist on a traditional casado plate.

  73. I am making this in my crock pot tonight, however, I feel like there isn't enough marinade? I made the marinade according to the recipe and the marinade barely goes up half the side of the roast. After it cooks all day, will I even have 1 Cup leftover or will all the liquid evaporate? Thanks.

  74. You have no idea how happy I am that I found this recipe. I have been craving pernil for months. I relocated to VA from FL and there are absolutely NO Cuban restaurants in my area. I goofed a little and ended up with bone-in shoulder and lemons instead of limes, but it still worked out. I also added onion since that is how I always had pernil. DELICIOUS! Totally hit the spot. For the rest of the meal I was lazy and used the Goya Instant Spanish Style Yellow Rice and heated some canned black beans with a bay leaf. I'm looking forward to making some Cuban sammiches out of this!

  75. This was the best pork we have ever had and so easy to make. The only thing I did differenly was to sprinkle some onion and garlic powder onto the pork before I poured the liquid over it. We made the cuban quesadillas and they were amazing. The next day we added BBQ sauce to the pork and made sandwiches on homemade hamburger buns – absolutely delicious. Thanks for a great recipe!!

  76. I made this for dinner tonight (for the second time!), and I served it with your sauteed collard greens and a few small arepas (for my husband). It is SO good, and so flavorful! The orange and lime juice with the cumin really make a delicious and unique flavor. Thank you so much for all of your creative and healthy recipes…I've made MANY of them since I found your site!

    ~Ashley A.

  77. My girlfriend makes this and it is by far the best pork I've EVER eaten. You will LOVE this, just try it!!!!

  78. I didn't enjoy this recipe at all. I've been making Pernil for years and this is nothing like any I've had before. We ended up ordering a pizza. I guess I will just have to adjust my normal recipe to use a leaner cut and less oil.

  79. Oh my goodness, I just made this for dinner last night and it was DELICIOUS!! I made some minor changes, I added half a packet of Goya Sazon to the marinade so I wouldn't have to adjust the salt later on & I used extra garlic. Also after the last step I broiled it on Hi for 10 minutes to give it some crispy edges. This recipe is definitely a keeper!

  80. I'm making this tomorrow, so I have it marinating in the fridge right now. I'm used to slow cooker recipes having a lot more liquid than this. I measured out the orange juice (it came to 5oz) plus whatever the limes were, but I'm really nervous to leave this alone in the crockpot for 8 hours for fear of coming home to a scorched, dried out pork roast. Any suggestions or reassurances? : )

    1. I left mine on for 9 hours on low and it was perfectly fine, not dried out at all! I don't think you have anything to worry about =)

  81. Im SOOOO disappointed. Being Puerto Rican I was looking forward to an easy way to may pernil in a slow cooker. This tasted NOTHING like a Puerto Rican Pernil. NOTHING about tasted like the traditional Puerto Rican pork. The flavor was unique and did take a minute to decide if it was good or not despite the non resemblence. It was just OK I did turn this recipe around for leftovers by adding roasted green & red pepper & onion. Made organice guacamole and had carnita taco. Now that was good, so the pork didn't get wasted. I've all the recipes i've tried so far Gina but this one didn't hit the. BUT thanks for so many other yummy recipes.

  82. I made a double recipe of this last night for a family birthday dinner for my MIL. Served it with black beans, your cilantro lime rice recipe and a salad. Also made the pumpkin cupcakes with pumpkin cream cheese frosting for dessert. Dinner courtesy of SkinnyTaste.com!

    The pork got RAVE reviews from young and old alike! So good! Made a Cuban sandwich with leftover pork today. I have no idea how "authentic" this recipe is but it sure stands on its own in my book.

  83. I made this today and it is so delicious! The house smelled so good all day too! Thank you for the recipe!

  84. I just served this tonight for dinner. The pork was juice and tasty but next time I will reduce the amount of salt that goes in. It was far to salty for my kids and me.

  85. Made this specifically so I could make Cuban sandwiches (never had one before). Put this in tacos dressed like a fish taco, and oh my goodness it was delicious!

    Steph

  86. I made this a while back, although I switched it up a little. I didn't do ANY of your ahead-of-time prep. All I did was mix up the marinade, pour it over the pork in the crockpot, and let it cook all day long. It was incredible!

    1. Avatar photo
      Jennifer Moeller

      Oh yay, so glad I saw this comment! I'm doing the same thing and was hoping it would still be good.

  87. Just made this today for my hubby! Can't wait for him to try it. Pernil is our all time favorite food from childhood. Making it this way makes it possible to have it more than just for Christmas. Love that it's healthy too! Wepa!

  88. Avatar photo
    LeslieCompton

    Made this tonight with your Cilantro Lime Rice and Collards with Bacon. Absolutely superb dinner!! The pernil was great, but I think the meal as a whole shined. I picked those sides based on your pic. I can't wait to make Cubans with the leftover pork. Thanks for another winner, Gina.

  89. My boyfriend and I went to Puerto Rico a few years ago and fell IN LOVE with the food. Lately I've been craving it so I came straight to your blog where I knew I had seen your pernil recipe. I made this tonight and it. was. awesome. So, so flavorful. I made your collard greens & arroz congri as sides which complimented the dish very well. We will definitely be making your cuban sandwiches for lunch tomorrow…and the next day..thanks for another great recipe!

  90. I made this 2 days ago and it was the best pulled pork I have ever had! Tender and moist and oh so flavorful! The next day I used the leftovers to make Gina's Cuban Sandwich Quesadillas and they were heaven on a tortilla! Both recipes are wonderful! Your website does not disappoint and I look forward to my next meal of Skinny Chicken Enchiladas! Thanks a bunch for what you do!

  91. I made this today. I think I might have overcooked the pork because it was a bit dry in some parts which affected the flavor I think. I didn't discard the broth. I strained it and put it in a saucepan to reduce. The sauce was super good and I then poured it over the pork. It taste better now.

  92. Just ate this for dinner it was super yummy….I dunno if it was just me or not but i found it either REALLLLY Limey or Salty…but none-the-less, Yum…..I think i would not add a TBSP of sea salt next time….maybe half?

  93. Just wanted to give a shout out on this one. It was delicious! Great marinade, fresh flavors, cooked perfect, effortless. It fell apart it was so tender. Thank you Gina!

  94. Avatar photo
    LillysNLollipops

    I made this tonight for dinner, just ate it and it's AMAZING! We are doing the Cuban sandwich quesadillas tomorrow with the left overs, I can't wait. I need a good black beans recipe to go with this! Thank you

  95. This is in my crock pot right now… 🙂 Thanks for the recipe! Can't wait for dinner! (Also thanks for responding to others' comments, they answered some of the questions I had.)

  96. This was great! I wasn't able to get the boneless should, so I used boneless loin – worked out great. Love the recipe!

  97. Avatar photo
    Robin-lovingmycircleoffriends.blogspot.com

    This looks delicious. I'd also like the recipe for your sides shown on the plate. Thanks. melondrops2000@yahoo.com

  98. I made this last weekend and it was delicious! I served it with brown rice and collard greens. The leftovers are great in a sandwich as well.

  99. Delicious! Arrived home to this in my slow cooker tonight – used a boneless pork rib roast as that was what I had in the freezer…absolutely delicious 🙂

  100. So yummy! Just made this today and I'm so glad I ran out of rice because I could have just kept eating! I love your recipes 🙂

  101. I am so excited to cook this recipe for my family this weekend. I am serving the pork with some homemade oven roasted garlic red potatoes and roasted broccoli. I think they are going to love this! Thank you so much for such a great recipe.

    P.S. We are using any leftovers to make Cuban Sandwiches. YUM!

  102. this recipe sounds amazing. I will share it with my online Mamas Latina community. We are always looking for recipes.
    thank you.

  103. Holy deliciousness… made this for Valentine's dinner tonight. So easy and completely yummy! Served it with the arroz con gandules (equally tasty). I am so looking forward to leftovers! 🙂

  104. Fixed this tonight for dinner. What a great treat! We lived in Puerto Rico about 20 years ago and the aroma in my kitchen today while this was cooking brought back many pleasant memories! This recipe is a keeper.

  105. i know its blasphemous but i think i prefer this skinny crock pot version of pernil to the real thing! the only thing thats missing is the crispy skin on top but that would be way too many points! this meat literally just falls apart, the caldo is amazing, and with a side of the arroz con gandules you cant go wrong!

  106. I just love your recipes! I'm trying this one tonight. I know you said this is typically a "crispy" meat. After I shred the meat I take some of the juice and pour it over the meat and roast it in the oven for 15 minutes at about 400 degrees. This helps give it some of the "crispy" qualities. I also do this with your carinatas! They are amazing!

  107. Avatar photo
    Leslie Kossar

    Gina, this is my first time posting, and I have made a bunch of your recipes – but I found a way to make this recipe even leaner without giving up any taste – and it was by accident! I made it yesterday planning on having it for dinner last night, but it turned out that I couldn't – so I shredded the pork and packaged it in foil and put all the cooking broth into a container – put it all in the fridge. today for lunch, I took it out, skimmed off all the extra fat, and reheated it all together – it was delicious – and there was more fat than I thought there would be to skim off. now it is really lean, but really delicious. Eating it right now!

  108. It's true that this recipe is delicious, but it's also true that the points are way off! I just put in 4 oz. of "Pork, shoulder, lean only, cooked" and it came out to 6 PointsPlus. Then, when I did Recipe Builder, my lean, 2 3/4 lb. uncooked pork shoulder that I made tonight gives me 7 PointsPlus if it's six servings. I will definitely make this again but plan accordingly next time. Thanks for the lovely recipe! Can't wait to send it to my Puerto Rican mother, who is also on WW!

  109. Made this last night and got raving reviews from the family. Great taste, wonderful flavors and extremely easy to prepare. Thanks very much for this AWESOME recipe.

  110. Made this for the second time a couple nights ago. It is so delicious! My family loves it. Thank you for all your recipes, you are making my WW journey so much easier. I haven't cooked a recipe of yours yet that I wouldn't cook again.

  111. I made this yesterday for the first time. My in-laws and husband all loved it! It was just wonderful. I served it over rice and threw diced tomatoes on top because I love tomatoes. Thank you for this awesome recipe! I will definitely be making it again!! I only had a 2 pound roast, so there were no leftovers this time. 🙁

  112. Made this 2 nights ago for dinner, YUMMY!!! It was fantastic, just ate some leftovers for lunch. I made this with your arroz congri, that was awesome 🙂 Thank you Gina for all your fantastic recipes, this is my first post but i've tried SO many of your things and loved them all. My stomach and waistline are loving you!

  113. Avatar photo
    f9ae6c40-3b50-11e1-bfbc-000f20980440

    I made this for dinner tonight. It was amazing. My picky kids even loved it. I didn't marinate it over night so I don't know if we even got the right flavor but still it was yummy and so tender.

  114. This is in the crockpot as we speak. I plan to have the Cilantro Lime Rice and Collard Greens on the side. I feel like I am just wishing the day away looking forward to dinner tonight!!

  115. Fabulous! I made this for dinner the other night, so easy and my husband loved it! I even took some to work because I couldn't stop talking about how great it was the girls just had to have some!

  116. Gina, I am very excited to try this recipe this weekend when we're entertaining some friends. What sides and vegetables do you recommend serving with it? Thanks!

  117. This dish is so yummy. We made it in the crock pot so the delicious smell made the anticipation for dinner that much harder. It was great with yellow rice.

  118. I made this tonight for the first time, and i just had to leave a comment. And that comment is…….YUMMY!! Thanks, Gina! What an awesome meal!!

  119. I'm having a problem with the "print friendly" button. All I get is a blank page. Are you aware of any issues with this or have you heard of similar issues from others? I would love to try this recipe, but I don't want to write it out longhand unless I have to.

    Kerrin

  120. Hi Gina: This looks like a wonderful dish. I have been on weight watchers now for awhile, and really enjoy your website, posting of recipes, and the points plus value. Will be trying this for starting the 2012 New Year.

    Thanks again

  121. I made this yesterday with chicken because I've recently become unable to digest pork. It was delicious. I do recommend, if using chicken, that you add more than 1 cup of the liquid back, since chicken is generally dryer than pork. I didn't feel like it needed any additional seasonings, but again, that's probably because I used more of the liquid.

  122. I have this marinating as I type. Can't wait until tomorrow nights dinner! I believe the points are wrong though. When I look up lean pork shoulder it comes out to 5 points for 4 ounces cooked? Is there a difference in pork shoulder BLADE roast and pork shoulder? Btw, This is the 7th recipe of yours I've made. All have been excellent!

  123. I am sorry if this was already discussed in previous posts, i have to admit i did not read them all..but i made this yesterday using a 3 pound pork roast. While the taste was very good, it did not produce near enough liquid. I even added more orange juice, because my oranges produced more then 1/2 a cup and an extra lime, and i only had about 3/4 of a cup liquid at the end. I would suggest for pork loin to double the the liquid portion or add a third liquid and to lesson the cooking time as it is a leaner and less tough piece of meat. All in all a really tasty recipe though. Thanks!

  124. I made this yesterday and it was wonderful! I thought I had OJ at home, but I did not and I was not able to go to the store, I had to use apple juice and it still turned out great! I made it a burrito bowl with your arroz congri recipe (I substituted quinoa for rice) and it was amazing! My almost 2yr old loved it! Gina, you are awesome and this website has helped me to make new meals and I have not found one I do not like yet! 🙂

  125. Made this tonight using Pork Tenderloin and it was fantastic! Cooked it on low for 6 hours and it was perfect. I honestly liked it better than the usual greasiness of regular full fat pernil although I doubt my abuela would've agreed! Thanks for your awesome website!!

  126. I've made a lot of recipes from your website and have really enjoyed them all but I have to say this is the BEST one I've tried so far! The entire family couldn't stop talking about how amazing this meat was. I also made your fiesta lime rice and then steamed some swiss chard to go alongside the meal. Everything was awesome! Thank you sooooo much!

  127. I made this with a pork loin in my pressure cooker and it was awesome! I can't wait to make Skinny Cubans for lunch tomorrow!

  128. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    Donna I do that all the time! I'm so happy everything came out great!! You picked a great meal 🙂

  129. Avatar photo
    Psychic Philosopher

    THANK YOU for this wonderful recipe!! I just found your site last week, and this was the first recipe I've prepared. I did that thing you're never supposed to do — try a new recipe (or in my case 3 new recipes!) when having a dinner party. I made this Pernil along with your arroz con gandules and collard greens. I have to confess that my domestic skills are lacking, so it is a big deal for me to say EVERYTHING WAS SO GOOD!! My guests, who were mocking me at first for my "ambitious" attempt, were worshipping my culinary skills by the end of the night. Thank you so very much for taking your time to share such wonderful recipes. You and your site are absolutely marvelous! ~~Donna

  130. This was so amazing! Even my 5 year old, who is the world's pickiest eater, who was crying before dinner because she was scared of trying something new, loved it! By the end of dinner she was saying "Do you have any more pork in that pot?" and my 18 month old was stealing more off of her plate. Me gusta!
    Now if you could come up with a light version of gandules. 🙂

  131. This was awesome!! Best pork I've ever had!! I served 5 people over at my house with this recipe, and everyone loved it!! I still had a ton leftover, and have used it in quesadillas and tacos!! It's awesome!! Thanks!!

  132. Made this last night, my granddaughter was picking at the pork as I shredded it. She wanted to know when dinner was. Really great. Made the Cilantro Lime rice to go with. Great food. Thanks so much for helping my husband lose 28 pounds. He has loved everything I have made from your site. Keep up the good work.

    Jacque

  133. I have this marinating in my fridge today. Making it for dinner tomorrow.

    @Gina – I had a quick question. For the amount of cumin, it's 1/2 tbsp, right? I was confused because normally the measurements are from greatest to least, so I wasn't sure if it was 1/2 tsp or 1/2 tbsp, but regardless, too much cumin never hurt anything! 😉

    Can't wait to eat this tomorrow!

  134. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    Thanks Jaime!!I should really surprise my husband and make it for him this week, he just loves this!

  135. Words can't describe how good this is! This is the second time I made this, and it is incredible. I just bought two more pork roasts to freeze, so I have it on hand to make again.

  136. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    I love my pressure cooker. This would be great in a pressure cooker, pretty much any recipe in a crock pot would work in the pressure cooker, just shorten the cook time a lot!

  137. Ever tried making this using a pressure cooker? I have only used mine a few times and would love to have a few more recipes to be able to make using it. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Please and thank you 🙂

  138. I made this and we LOVED it! I just posted about it and linked back to you in my "Your Recipe – My Kitchen" post today. Stop by if you can and thanks again for this amazing pork dish!!

    danielle

  139. This was soooo good. My Brother was over and he loved it, asked for the recipe. He's an awesome cook and not on WW. Gina, you are making WW so easy for me & making me look like a great cook!!
    Thank you.

  140. I came across this recipe last week and knew I had to make it this week. Oh my gosh, is it amazing! I just can't stop eating it.

  141. Note to all … try this one.
    hi gina…..
    I am back on ww and look for great recipes that my husband and 13 yr old daughter will like, and something I can cook again and again. You are wonderful….you use real ingredients, not too much artificial stuff that I do not want to cook with for my family and the taste is amazing.
    This was fantastic…it reminded me of my best friends buena noche dinner for their holiday celebration…but without the fat.
    Ionly comment after Iactually make a dish so that I can give a real comment.
    This was 11 out of 10!

  142. AMAZING! I made this with a lean pork tenderloin and it worked perfectly! I also made Cuban Black Beans and Cilantro Lime Rice. My husband said "Chipolte, who?" Ha!

  143. This was fantastic! We had it for dinner tonight, and my husband looked up from his first bite and asked when we could have it again. A friend told me about your site last week, and I've made several of your recipes already with fabulous results.Thank you!!

  144. I made this one today! OMGoosh! So good. I wanted to make the dish so i could make a few cuban sandwiches during the week for work! This will be my 17th dish from Gina's blog! I will be the first to order several of your cookbooks (one for me and several for friends and family) when you have it published. Thanks Gina!

  145. I threw this together in the crock pot this morning so we could have your skinny cuban sandwiches for lunch tomorrow, and I am so surprised at how good this tastes! I used pork loin instead and YUM!! Great recipe 🙂

  146. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    GG- This would be delicious I'm sure, I would cook the tenderloin in the oven with a thermometer on a low temp like 300° until it reaches 140-145 degrees. After resting 5-10 minutes, the roast should reach 145-150 degrees.

  147. HI GINA, I WAS WONDERING IF I MADE THIS WITH A PORK TENDORLOIN IF U THINK IT WOULD COME OUT DRY? AND I DO NOT HAVE A CROCKPOT HOW WOULD I GO ABOUT THIS USING THE STOVE?

    THANKS GINA!

  148. Gina, How do you crush your garlic? I have tried it a couple different ways, and usually my garlic shoots out!!

  149. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    Latin fusion, love it!! I love how you combined a little Colombian, Puerto Rican and Brazilian cuisine! Interesting to try with chicken, but I'm sure the pork is better!

  150. I made this (along with Arroz con Gandules and Collard Greens) for my hubby's birthday today! He loved it. I don't eat pork and since I have two slow cookers, I made one just like your recipe and another made with chicken. My hubby definitely preferred the pork, but thought the chicken was great. I loved it! We topped it with Columbian Aji Picante sauce which I could eat on everything! Thanks for helping me to make his day special! :O)

  151. I made this for Valentine's Day dinner and it turned out AMAZING! My boyfriend is from Puerto Rico and this along with the Puerto Rican Red Beans recipe was a hit! The pork came out juicy and tender and the beans came out savory and delicious! Definitely cooking this again!

  152. I made this today…it is ABSOLUTELY incredible. I'm now 85 lbs down, and your recipes have have a HUGE impact on it! Weight Watchers is an amazing program, and food like this makes it easy for me to follow it.

  153. Made this last week and the family loved it so much that I had nothing left to make the sandwiches. 🙁 So, I am making it again tomorrow but doubled the amount of meat! Thanks for all the GREAT recipes!!!!!!!! It makes dieting fun. Well sort of. 🙂

  154. I have never had Pernil before so I didn't know what it's supposed to taste like. If it's anything like what your version tastes like than I would love it! My husband and kids went crazy. I'm going to make this for my mother's birthday celebration in a couple of weeks. I'm sure the entire family will love it as well.

  155. This was soo good. Made it with Arroz con Gandules and everyone in my family including my picky kids loved it. I love pernil and so glad it's one of my favorites I don't have to give up. Thanks for the recipes!

  156. This is to DIE FOR!! I've been so excited to start making your recipes and this did NOT disappoint!! SO GOOD!! Thank you so much for all your hard work! Your blog is heaven sent!

  157. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    Thanks Lisa! How wonderful!

    Bake at 425° F for one hour. Drop oven temperature to 275° F and cook for an additional 5 hours.

  158. Hi Gina I love this recipe I have made it twice already and everyone loved it. My daughters 10th birthday is this weekend and I bought 2 roasts about 4.25lbs each to make this for the party. Not sure if all that is gonna fit in my crock pot and dont wanna have to make it twice before Saturday afternoon so can i DO THIS IN THE OVEN AND FOR HOW LONG AND WHAT TEMP.

  159. Hi Gina. I decided to get the crock pot so I could make this and your slow cooked black eyed peas recipe. Let me just say that I LOVED THIS!!! It came out so tasty, flavorful, juicy and just perfect. I could only find boneless pork loin roast but I loved how it came out and can't wait to try it with the pork shoulder roast to compare their flavors. I've got the black eyed peas soaking so I can try that recipe tomorrow. I can't wait! Thanks so much for sharing your recipes.

  160. I have tried two recipes including this one now and I have to thank you! ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!
    I am on weight watchers and used to find it so hard to adapt recipes to the points. You make it so easy. I have given this site out to everyone I know!

  161. Made this last night! Total hit!! I did buy bone in pork shoulder and trimmed fat. It was a little under 6 lbs. so I doubled the recipe (I have big men at home who eat more than 4 oz serving!) The leftovers will be used for cuban sandwhices tonight! It was delish!!!! Mine came out a bit salty though, and I didn't add any salt at the end just more cumin.

  162. I made this (along with your collard greens) over the weekend. It was AMAZING! And it made for great soft tacos the next day. Thanks for this recipe! It's a keeper.

  163. Gina I have tried a few recipes from your site with great results, but this was wonderful! Definitely a company worthy recipe!

  164. I love ,love, love this recipe. I only had a boneless pork loin so I tried it with that. It was wonderful. If the skinny version is this good I can only imagine how good the full fat version is! My kids even ate it! They never eat anything 🙂

    I can't wait to make the sandwiches tomorrow. Soooo good!

  165. Avatar photo
    In Krista's Kitchen

    Even though I was feeling a bit under the weather the evening that I ate this, I still found it to be delicious. I'm looking forward to eating the leftovers tonight at work!

  166. Thank you yet again, Gina! I made this for dinner last night and it was so good! I had purchased a cut of pork that was bone-in at about 4.5lbs, so I juiced an extra orange and lime, just in case. It turned out perfectly! After about 7 hours the meat was already so tender that the bones were beginning to fall off, so I took them out and returned the meat to the crock pot for the extra hour before shredding. I also strained the liquid before adding it back to the crock after the meat was shredded to ensure that I got all the bones out. Dealing with bone-in meat was a bit time consuming, so I think next time I'll stick with boneless. We will definitely be making this again and again! Thank you!

  167. I made this for dinner last night – It is DELICIOUS!! My husband and kids loved it, too. I used 2 pork tenderloins and only had 3 small clementines, but it still came out great. The pork is so flavorful and moist. We served it with brown rice and asparagus. My husband declared this a staple dish on our dinner menu. We love your site, recipes and photos – Thank you so much!!! ~mary

  168. I just tried your pork roast today, putting it on corn tortillas with sour cream, salsa & lettuce. It was awesome! Thank you!

  169. Our Crockpot is out of commisson, so I used the dutch oven and put it into the oven for a few hours. I should also mention that the pork shoulder was unavailable, and pork loin was on sale, so I went with that and trimmed it down. Needless to say, this is really, really great! I'm on my second helping! The only thing I would suggest if using a pork loin, don't trim it down too much. You need a little bit of fat to keep the meat moist and crust up. Thank you for such wonderful recipes Gina!

  170. Avatar photo
    In Krista's Kitchen

    This is currently in my crock pot, and I'm not even hungry for dinner yet since I've been nibbling at it for the past couple of hours. What a tragedy :)!

  171. Slow cooked your santa fe chicken recipe for dinner tonight (for the second time) and prepped the roast for tomorrow to simmer all day. Cannot WAIT to test it out. I smell another success!

  172. I made this for dinner tonight with a boneless pork loin. OMG it was AMAZING! Both my husband and I savored every bite.

  173. Just made this tonight, along with your black eyed peas. It was DIVINE! Tomorrow I'll be making the Cuban sandwiches. You seriously rock Gina!

  174. Absolutely fantastic! Very easy to do. It took me the most time to trim all the fat of the pork shoulder and then you just put it in the crock pot and forget about it. Great flavor and very moist. I will be able to eat off of this all week! Thank you Gina for sharing flavorful and healthy recipes for WW followers!

  175. Avatar photo
    The Sequined Lobster

    I have the pork cooking in my crockpot as we speak and am SUPER excited to try it when we get home! We are having the pork tonight and then the cuban sandwiches the next day! LOVE YOUR BLOG! Thanks for everything!

  176. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    vlo- Oh wow, first time! I know it's not easy to cut the meat off the bone, so you could trim the fat off and leave the bone on. Once it cooks, it will fall off the bone. Then you could shred it and remove the bone. It does not matter if you have more meat, the points will be the same for a 4 oz serving.

    Melanie, I have a link to Food For Every Season at the top, hers has instructions for slow cooking this in the oven.

  177. I am a convert! I have never really been a huge fan of pork of any kind (yes, even bacon) but this was spectacular. I made it all day today while at work and I LOVE IT! Thank you for the recipe. I did the collard greens too. Delish!

  178. It looks great! Unfortunately, I don't have a slow cooker but would like to try this in the oven. Any suggestions for oven cooking time and temp? Thanks!

  179. yea it does look like i have a lot of fat to trim, maybe i will end up with only 3 lbs of meat once the fat and bone is gone. looks like have a date with a knife and the pork tomorrow morning. if i have to cut it in sections/chunks do you thing that'll affect anything? can you tell despite being a rican i have never made a Pernil myself?! wheres abuela when you need her?

  180. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    Mine was boneless and skinless which is probably why it weighed less. I bet if you trim off the fat and bone (pain!!) it will probably wind up weighing the same. Too bad you couldn't have them trim it for you. Smithfield sells lean generation, comes trimmed but I found it in a high end supermarket.

  181. Gina i need your advice. i went to the store to buy the pork shoulder blade roast and couldnt see anything labeled as that, so i asked one of the butcher guys if they had it and he pointed me to a whole pork butt. now i know a pork butt is the shoulder but i ended up with 5.93 lbs of it…..what should i do with all that meat? should i just trim all the fat off cut it in half and freeze the other half to use at another time? then id end up with less than 3 lbs for the recipe… plus theres the bone, leave it in or trim in off before it goes in the crock pot?

  182. Going to make this and collard greens Thurs. for company. What rice and beans recipes would you suggest to go along with?

  183. Gina, I made this tonight for dinner and it was a huge hit! We served it with small corn tortillas and quick corn salsa I whipped up, and Tipatio's hot sauce. Tomorrow we're having your cuban sandwiches with the leftovers!

  184. I must add that I used oranges off an orange tree behind my house that were already ripe from the freeze we had! smells delicious!

  185. I don't have time to marinate! I was trying to find a weight watchers crockpot recipe for pork tenderloin…and this looked so good…so I just put the pork tenderloin in the crockpot with all the above ingredients…hope it turns out just as good!

  186. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    Hi Rosa, I weighed the pork after it cooked and calculated it based on cooked weight. It shrunk to almost half the size when cooked.

    A pork loin I'm sure would taste great, never tried it though. Never tried this with turkey either, let me know how it works out.

    Carolin, I love arroz con gandules! A perfect side to this!

  187. Hey Gina – Just wondering how you came up with 4 pp+? I plugged it in the Recipe Builder & I'm coming up with 8 pp+ per serving.

  188. I just love your blog!!!! I'm from Puerto Rico and this for sure is a most do!!! I love pernil!! And we always eat it with arroz con gandules. Your arroz con gandules recipe is really good!! love your site! It helps me to keep in track!–Carolin

  189. I am trying this for Sunday!! Quick question did you tie the pork with cooking twine or did you buy it that way?

  190. I'm trying to use up what I already have,on hand,in the deep freeze. Would I be hit by lightning (or an angry mob!) if I was to try this technique with a turkey breast roast or tenderloin? Or even some round steak? ( I'm working on some freezer beef)

  191. You rock! I love your site! Thank you so much for the pernil recipe. I love Cuban food, but it's so fattening. This is a great way to make pernil. I've thought about making it in the crockpot, but never had the courage to try it! 🙂 I can't wait try this! THANK YOU!!!

  192. Gina, My husband is allergic to fruit so I wondered if I could substitute something for the orange juice and the limes.

  193. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    Although I haven't tried it, I certainly think that would work out fine. Let me know how it works out if you try it.

  194. My store does not have lean shoulder blade roasts. Do you think if I just trim as much fat as I can off of a regular shoulder blade roast it will be sufficient?

  195. You really are amazing. I love trying your recipes! They are all so delicious and I love that they are lightened up without sacrificing taste! I love this site!!! Thank you, Thank You for all of your hard work!!

  196. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    Lisa, it's ok to use all the orange juice, in the end you will get rid of the excess marinade. And yes, I have a Picadillo recipe. My daughter's favorite! Picadillo

  197. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    For the rice and beans pictured I had some leftover Black Eyed Peas frozen so I added 1 cup to 1 cup rice as it cooked and adjusted the salt.

  198. Hey Gina I'm so excited that I went out and bought everything to make this. If I marinade now is that enough time to cook in the am. Also I juiced only half of the oranges and I had more than 1/2 cup juice should I keep juicing or stop there. I am Cuban so I love all your Latin inspired recipes. Married to an Italian white guy and living closer to his family than mine we don't always get the good Latin foods so now we will. Hey do you have a WW version of Picadillo? 🙂

  199. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    The pork already came tied when I purchased it, but no need to do this if yours is not.

    The pork actually browned on it's own in the crock pot, I did not brown it first. I was pleasantly surprised to see this. No one was home so the lid never came off until if finished.

    Casey and Liz, thank you!

    Angela, great question!! When you cook meat, it shrinks. I weighed it raw, then I weighed it cooked. It shrunk in weight to almost half so always weigh your food after cooking!

    Dalis – Don't tell him!

  200. Avatar photo
    Jenn AKA The Leftover Queen

    This looks delicious! We made slow-roasted pork for New Year's Day and it was delicious! Still eating the leftovers!

  201. I might need to give this a try this weekend without telling of course my puertorrican hubby that I made it "gina skinny recipe" and without mentioning the crockpot. My hunny hates that machine… still not sure why because he eats everything that comes out of it. LOL!!!

    — dalis

  202. Sounds wonderful! I have a question about the servings – 6 servings of 4 ounces would be 24 ounces total, but you used a 3 pound roast, which would be 48 ounces, right? So are there 12 servings then? Just trying to figure out the points.

    Thanks! I will add this roast to my grocery list.

  203. This looks amazingly good. I have been on WW for 1 1/2 yrs now and LOVE your blog. Following your blog has helped me to enjoy delicious foods and still stay within my points. I am ALWAYS raving about your blog to friends and co-workers. Thanks!!!

  204. Between you and your Cousin's great sites I would look to see a cookbook bundle published! I have just about abandoned all of my other sites. You always have a great variety.

  205. This looks great and I can't wait for you to post the greens recipe! Quick question though, in your picture you have the roast tied, I have never made something like this before and was wondering, how/when would you tie it? And with what kind of string? My hubby and I just started back on WW and I LOVE your site! Thanks!

  206. This looks so great, can't wait to try it! Thank you SO much for everything that you do. I am back on the program after too long a time off and the "points plus" is driving me crazy…you're site really helps keep me motivated and inspired to keep working on figuring it out and trying to duplicate your beautiful dishes. Thank you!

  207. How funny! I just came home from visiting our daughter and son-in-law and new baby. At the New Year's Eve party, pernil was served and I came home determined to find a recipe.

  208. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    I served this with sauteed collard greens, but a salad would also be perfect. I'll post my collard green recipe tomorrow. It's delish and I love it with rice and beans.

  209. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    Someone from #LATISM had asked me to remake Pernil a long time ago, and I finally got around to it. I toyed with the idea of using the crock pot for months, I was pleasantly surprised. You just hav to adjust the seasoning after you shred it, since the crock pot tends to needs more seasoning than the oven.

  210. What vegetable would you serve with it? I'm a freak about having to have a veg on my plate or I feel unbalanced 🙂 This looks delicious!

  211. hey gee! it looks very yummy and glad it was tommy trying it to say it was "slammin" (against his wishes! LOL)… you know how i'm not a fan of crock pots. almost got rid of mine. i think it might get a chance to redeem itself. lol

    thanks for being brave! xoxo

  212. Yum! I make this but had no idea it was a real recipe! So funny! I do it in the crock pot too. It's so easy! Thank you for sharing!

  213. I cant tell you how excited i am to try this one, pernil is my favorite! i just went grocery shopping yesterday so im going to have to wait till next week to try the recipe, but i gotta say sticking it in the crock pot is genius!