Dish guides
What is cochinita pibil?
Cochinita pibil is a Maya-rooted pork dish from Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. The meat is marinated in achiote (annatto) and the juice of bitter oranges, wrapped in banana leaves and slow-roasted, traditionally in an underground pit, until it shreds. It's served in tacos, tortas or on a plate, with pickled red onion and fiery habanero salsa on the side.
- At a glance
- Cochinita pibil
- Yucatán pork marinated in achiote and bitter orange, slow-roasted in banana leaves.
- Pronunciation
- Say it like koh-chee-NEE-tah pee-BEEL · IPA /kotʃiˈnita piˈβil/
- Also written as
- cochinita, puerco pibil, tacos de cochinita, torta de cochinita, panuchos de cochinita, salbutes de cochinita
What’s in it
Core ingredients
- pork (traditionally a young pig; now usually shoulder or leg)
- achiote (annatto) paste
- bitter (Seville) orange juice
- garlic
- spices such as oregano, cumin, black pepper and allspice
- banana leaves
Often added
- red onion pickled in bitter orange, often with habanero
- habanero salsa
- corn tortillas
- bread roll (torta)
- refried black beans
- lard in the cooking
- sweet orange with lime or vinegar where bitter oranges are scarce
Allergens
| Allergen | How likely |
|---|---|
| Gluten | Sometimes contains |
| Peanuts | Rarely contains |
| Tree nuts | Rarely contains |
| Shellfish | Rarely contains |
| Fish | Rarely contains |
| Dairy | Rarely contains |
| Eggs | Rarely contains |
| Soy | Rarely contains |
| Sesame | Rarely contains |
| Diet | Suitable? |
|---|---|
| Vegetarian | No |
| Vegan | No |
| Pescatarian | No |
| Halal | No |
| Kosher | No |
| Gluten-free | Depends — The pork, achiote marinade and corn tortillas are normally gluten-free, but tortas are made with wheat bread; ask for corn tortillas if you're coeliac. |
Allergen and calorie details are AI estimates based on the menu and typical recipes. They can be incomplete — if you have a serious allergy, always check with the staff.
How cochinita pibil is made
Cochinita means a young pig, and the classic version roasts a whole suckling pig; most cooks now use pork shoulder or leg. The meat is coated in a marinade of achiote, a paste of ground annatto seeds that turns it a deep orange-red, mixed with the juice of bitter oranges, garlic and spices. It's wrapped in banana leaves and cooked slowly for hours.
Pibil refers to the píib, a Maya earth oven: a pit lined with hot stones where the parcel is buried. The technique is pre-Hispanic and was once used for game such as deer and peccary; pork arrived with the Spanish. Restaurants mostly use ordinary ovens today, but the leaves, the acidic marinade and the long cooking still make the meat soft, tangy and juicy rather than spicy.
How to order it
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Dos tacos de cochinita, por favor. | Two cochinita tacos, please. |
| ¿La salsa es de habanero? ¿Pica mucho? | Is the salsa made with habanero? Is it very hot? |
| ¿Las tortillas son de maíz? | Are the tortillas made of corn? |
Not to be confused with
- Carnitas — Pork slowly cooked in lard until tender and golden; no achiote, citrus marinade or banana leaves.
- Poc chuc — Another Yucatán pork dish: thin slices marinated in bitter orange and grilled, not slow-roasted.
- Tacos al pastor — Pork marinated in chilli and achiote and roasted on a vertical spit, served with pineapple.
Frequently asked questions
Is cochinita pibil spicy?
The meat itself isn't. Achiote and bitter orange make it tangy and earthy, not hot. The heat comes from the habanero salsa and the habanero-spiked pickled onions served alongside, which can be very hot. Taste a little first, or ask for the onions without chilli: "cebolla sin chile, por favor."
What is achiote?
Achiote is the Spanish name for annatto, the red seeds of a tropical shrub. In Yucatán they're ground with spices into a paste (recado rojo) that colours cochinita pibil orange-red and adds a mild, peppery, slightly earthy flavour. Annatto is also used as a natural food colouring, and a small number of people react to it.
What's the difference between cochinita pibil and carnitas?
Both are tender pork, but they're cooked differently. Cochinita pibil is marinated in achiote and bitter orange, wrapped in banana leaves and roasted, so it's orange-red and tangy. Carnitas, from Michoacán, are pork simmered in lard until tender and browned, with a richer, saltier flavour and no citrus marinade.
How do you pronounce cochinita pibil?
Say koh-chee-NEE-tah pee-BEEL: in IPA, [kotʃiˈnita piˈβil]. The stress falls on NEE and on the last syllable of pibil. The b in pibil is soft in Spanish, close to a v. Many menus shorten it simply to cochinita.
