Pernil is fork-tender, fall-off-the-bone pork shoulder or leg marinated in savory herbs and spices, then roasted to perfection. Underneath its irresistible, crispy, crunchy skin is tender, juicy meat oozing with mouthwatering deliciousness. Such a perfect addition to your holiday spread!
I still remember when I tasted this awesomeness for the first time. My world suddenly stopped as I savored its tender goodness. It’s really one-of-a-kind and super addicting. And, of course, I had to learn how to make it.
What’s not to love about this family-friendly, super-affordable dish? And it’s effortless to prepare because the oven does most of the work. Aaah! Getting that taste of joy without breaking a sweat is a pretty good deal, right? 😉
What Is Pernil?
Pernil is a marinated pork (typically leg or shoulder) roasted slowly until tender and juicy. Latin Americans, especially in Puerto Rico and Cuba, traditionally serve it at Christmas with arroz con gandules and tostones.
Sour orange is the key ingredient in the marinade. However, it’s hard to find sour oranges outside of the Islands. But you can use a mix of lime and orange for a similar effect. A dash of vinegar with orange juice would also do the trick.
Recipe Ingredients
You may wonder why the list is short, but that’s it! As I said, this is easy to make with simple and not too pricy ingredients.
- Bone-in Pork Shoulder – This cut is high in fat and ideal for slow cooking. While you could get a boneless roast, the bones contribute a richer flavor and juicier meat.
- Aromatics – From the word itself, these herbs give additional aroma and flavor. Parsley, oregano, onion, and garlic let you inhale the everlasting fragrance of pernil!
- Spices – Chili, cumin spice, Sazon Goya, and paprika provide the perfect flavor explosion, and slow cooking allows their flavor to sink all the way to the bone.
- Lime and Orange – Lime and orange juice do an incredible balancing act and improve the pork’s taste.
How to Make Pernil
Marinate It
- Combine – Pulse ¼ cup onion, garlic, oregano, and parsley in a food processor, drizzling in the oil and scraping down sides as necessary, until the mixture is pasty. A mortar and pestle also work.
- Add the Spices – Mix in cumin, chili, sazon, and paprika. Set aside. (Photo 1)
- Prep the Pork – Remove pork from the packaging and gently rinse pork under cold water. (Photo 2)
- Season – Dry with a paper napkin or towel. Salt and pepper according to your preference – about ½-¾ teaspoon per pound.
- Rub – Then rub your marinade thoroughly over the pork roast, getting it into every nook and cranny you can. (Photos 3-5)
- Marinate – Refrigerate the pork shoulder for about 4 hours (up to 2 days) before roasting.
Roast the Pork
- Room Temperature – When ready to roast, take the pork out of the fridge and set it on the countertop for about 30 minutes.
- Prep the Pan – Preheat oven to 275℉/135℃. Line a roasting pan with foil, then layer the sliced onions and sliced orange at the bottom of the pan. Pour about ½ cup of orange juice and ½ cup of stock or water over it.
- Add Marinade – Add any remaining marinade. You may want to reserve some marinade to add as it cooks so it doesn’t dry out.
- Add the Pork – Place the pork roast skin-side-up in the pan. Remove any seasoning stuck to the top of the pork skin. (Photo 6)
- Roast for 3 hours or more, uncovered.
- Adjust Heat – Remove it from the oven and increase the oven’s heat to 500℉/260℃.
- Roast Again – Place back in the oven. Let it roast for 15-20 minutes until the skin is crisp and puffy, rotating the pan every 5 minutes for even crispness.
- Serve – Let the meat rest for 10-15 minutes before cutting it so the meat’s juice reabsorbs into the roast. Serve with lime and sauce from the marinade.
Recipe Variations
- Flavor – White wine, butter, and Creole seasoning only make it better.
- Asian-Style – For extra crunchy skin, do it the Asian way. Oh yes! Simply boil the pork in spices, pat it dry and let it cool. Once cooled, rub rock salt on the pork skin and deep-fry in heated oil until the skin gets an excellent crackle and golden brown finish. Just a warning, though, be careful of the splashing oil. 😉
- Turn up the Heat – Give your tongue the satisfaction of the right amount of spiciness with a dash of cayenne, ground chipotle for smokey goodness, or chili flakes.
Tips and Tricks
- The internal temperature should be 180-185℉/80-85℃ on an instant-read thermometer. But no worries if you don’t have one because this beauty is fork-tender when it’s done.
- Turning the oven temperature to 400℉/205℃ during the last 15-20 minutes will crisp the skin perfectly, the best part of pernil for Puerto Ricans.
- You can also make parallel or diamond-shaped slits through the skin of the pork and halfway through the fat. But try not to cut not deep enough to reach the meat to allow the flavor to seep in deeper without damaging the meat.
- If you want super crispy skin, place the pork roast on top of a rack in the roasting pan.
Make-Ahead Instructions
If you want to marinate the meat but won’t be serving it immediately, you can roast it first until the pork becomes tender and evenly cooked. Then allow the roasted pork shoulder to cool before storing it in the fridge.
When you are ready to serve, roast it again in a preheated 500℉/260℃ oven. To ensure even cooking, you can rotate it four times for 20 minutes (every 5 minutes) until the skin becomes crisp.
Serving and Storage Instructions
Allow the roast to rest for about 10 minutes so the exquisite juices can reabsorb into the meat. Then slice or shred it and spoon the pan juices over it.
If you have leftover pernil, you can store it in the fridge for 3-5 days or freezer for three months.
Thaw frozen leftovers in the fridge overnight. You can reheat leftovers in the microwave, but reheating them in the oven is even better for crispy skin. Pernil leftovers are fantastic on sandwiches, tacos, casseroles, or burritos.
FAQs
Pork shoulder, butt, or leg, are the best choice for pernil as they have the perfect ratio of skin, fat, and meat, not to mention tender when cooked.
Pernil uses a cut of pork, usually shoulder, butt, or leg, marinated and roasted in an oven. On the other hand, lechón is a whole pig roasted over coals.
Carnitas from Mexico and pernil from Puerto Rico are similar. They’re both slow-cooked, resulting in juicy meat with crispy skin. But they differ in seasonings, as carnitas uses more cumin and chili pepper, while pernil is seasoned with lots of garlic.
What to Serve with Pernil
Aside from arroz con gandules, this sumptuous pernil also pairs well with these simple and easy side dishes below.
More Delectable Caribbean Dishes to Try
- One-Pot Puerto Rican Chicken and Rice
- Jibarito Plantain and Steak Sandwich
- Picadillo
- Pastelon
- Jamaican Patties
Conclusion
Pernil is really a family-friendly dish great for holidays. So are you ready to taste that irresistible crispy looking skin? Try it now, and let me know how it turned out in the comments. 😉
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”FMCqxTqW” upload-date=”Mon Aug 06 2018 20:37:44 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)” name=”Pernil Puerto Rican Roast Pork” description=”Pernil Puerto Rican Roast Pork- Herb and spice marinated pork shoulder slowly roasted in the oven until tender and fall of the bone delicious with an amazing crisp and crackling skin.”]
This blog post was originally published in March 2016 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.
Pernil
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Ingredients
- 5-6 pound pork shoulder, bone-in
- 2 teaspoons salt or more
- ¼ cup chopped onion
- 5-7 cloves garlic, peeled and whole
- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano (or 1 tablespoon dried oregano)
- 1 tablespoon parsley
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon chili pepper (adjust to taste)
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 packet Sazon Goya, optional
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 1 medium orange, optional
- 1 lime (for serving)
- Olive oil (as needed)
Instructions
- Pulse ¼ cup onion, garlic, oregano, and parsley together in a food processor, adding oil in a drizzle and scraping down sides as necessary, until the mixture is pasty, or use a mortar and pestle to grind the spices.
- Mix cumin, chili, Sazon Goya, and paprika in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Remove the pork roast from the packaging and gently rinse it under cold water.
- Dry with a paper napkin or towel. Salt and pepper according to preference – a ½-¾ teaspoon per pound. Score the fat covering if desired.
- Then do your best to rub the oregano and garlic mixture into the scoring or crevices. Refrigerate the pork shoulder for 4 hours or up to 3 days before roasting.
- When ready to roast, remove the roast from the fridge and let it rest for about 30 minutes to come to room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 275℉/135℃. Cover a roasting pan with foil, then layer sliced onions and sliced orange on the bottom of the pan. Pour in about ½ cup of orange juice and ½ cup of stock or water.
- Add any remaining marinade. You might have to add some more liquid as it cooks if you want more sauce to serve on the side.
- Place pork skin side up in the pan. Remove any seasonings stuck to the top of the pork skin.
- Roast the pork for about 3 hours, uncovered. Remove from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 500℉/260℃.
- Place the roast back in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the skin is crisp and puffy, rotating the pan every 5 minutes for even crispness.
- The internal temperature should be 180-185℉/80-85℃ on an instant-read thermometer.
- Let the meat rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing; the meat should be tender. Serve with lime and sauce from the marinade.
- If you want super crispy skin, just like you see in the picture. Place the pork roast on top of the roasting pan or a rack in a pan.
Tips & Notes:
- The internal temperature should be 180-185℉/80-85℃ on an instant-read thermometer. But no worries if you don’t have one because this beauty is fork-tender when it’s done.
- Turning the oven temperature to 400℉/205℃ during the last 15-20 minutes will crisp the skin perfectly, the best part of pernil for Puerto Ricans.
- You can also make parallel or diamond-shaped slits through the skin of the pork and halfway through the fat. But try not to cut not deep enough to reach the meat to allow the flavor to seep in deeper without damaging the meat.
- If you want super crispy skin, place the pork roast on top of a rack in the roasting pan.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Nobi says
This is just the recipe I’ve been looking for. I’m from New York living in the south. There isn’t a Puerto Rican restaurant here. Now I can have roast pork that’s not barbecued. Thank you
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome! Glad I could have been of help . Happy Cooking!!!
Luis Martinez says
Sorry, i think you meant there isnt a Puertorican restaurant near you. I have to agree, that for many years, there was almost not immigration from PR and mostly Dominican. So the face of the restaurants changed. BUT, there are very well knkw eateries like Don coquis and even better, Sofritos (specially the one in White Plains).
Today, you will see a return of the premier flavors of the Caribbean. It really was the simple choices of Puertorican dishes. None more flavorful and with all due respect, not over powered with cumin or hype.
This pernil recipe is as good as most I’ved tried. Great job! The recipe will also work at 275 for 7 or 8 hours as well. And, no need to raised the temperature since the skin will crisp anyway after so many hours. TBH, unless you have an accurate electric oven, you may still need to raise the temperature tk get that crackling skin towards the end.
Mitchelle says
I think Nobi said they were from NY living down south. So there are rarely any Puertorican restaurants down south
Samantha Sawyer says
Are we supposed to eat the skin?
ImmaculateBites says
Yes you are !
Laura says
Love pernil but after many years as a New Yorker and numerous friends/relatives of Latino decent, all types .. always have I heard low temp for 8-10 hours after marinated for a day or two. Last 15 minutes ..cold water splashed on the fat and back in hot oven to get the chicharrones.
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks for the tip Laura!
Mitch Urash says
I’m sorry, but I am very confused. The pictures look to show two different dishes, one where the roast is scored, one where it is not. Is this two different dishes or two different methods of preparing the same dish? Your instructions describe two different methods, but that also is very confusing. Method 1 seems to end after putting the roast in the pan. Are the different methods just a choice between putting the pork on top of onions and onions or of putting it in a roasting rack? In that case, Method 1 could be numbered step 10a and Method 2 could be numbered step 10b. Then step 2 and after under Method 2 would actually apply to both methods and could be better numbered steps 11-14.
Also, you never actually say when to score the meat. Is it just for one method? If so, which method?
As I re-read this again, it seems to me that the second part of step 8 (after preheating) and maybe all of step 9 are actually a part of Method 1 only. Is that right?
Finally, step 9 is confusing. Are you saying to mix the marinade with the orange juice and stock before cooking, then add more stock as it cooks if we want to be able to serve this as a pan sauce?
Sorry to seem so critical but your dish looks delicious and if I’m going to try it, which I would like to do, I want to be sure to do it right.
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Mitch! Not critical all . I have gone back and rewritten the recipe to make it clearer. Do let me know how it works out for you. thanks!
Barbara says
Want to cook the pork shoulder Puerto Rican style but my my pork shoulder is 10 lb
ImmaculateBites says
Double the ingredients or split in half .
Valerie Hostos says
I have it in the oven now…smells mouthwatering!!!
ImmaculateBites says
It’s going to taste even better! Bonne Appetite!!!
Rach's Recipes says
I’m going to make this beautiful pork dish for our Sunday lunch. Can’t wait. Looking to use whole peppercorns, plantains, and cilantro cream too – let you know how it turns out.
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says
Now this is how to cook pork.
John Storeys says
Mm, tasty!
Emma @ Supper in the Suburbs says
I’ll be the first to admit I know nothing about Puerto Rican food but there is nothing on that ingredients list that doesn’t get my juices flowing. Might try this out on the in-laws next time they are round for a roast
Laura | Wandercooks says
Oh my god that looks incredible!! The crispy, crackly skin looks amazing and super juicy all at the same time. Also can I just say, gorgeous photos!
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks Laura.
nicole says
I need this in my life….yesterday! Wow! The flavors on the pork are super intense and I can imagine how amazing they are when the pork gets crispy!!! Thanks for sharing 🙂 Pinning for later!
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks for Pinning Nicole
Jillian @ Food, Folks and Fun says
That looks like one delicious pot roast! You have my mouth watering!
ImmaculateBites says
It sure is Jillian.
Annemarie @ justalittlebitofbacon says
This looks so good! I love slow roasted pork and that crackling skin is the best part.
ImmaculateBites says
You and me both. Crackling skin in the best part.
lisa @garlicandzest.com says
Would you please be my next door neighbor? That looks so good!
ImmaculateBites says
Anytime Lisa!!