Sinaloa Shredded Pork (Chilorio)
Pork shoulder simmered until fall-apart tender, shredded, then fried hard in a thick, tangy ancho chile paste until the edges turn deep red and slightly crisp. The classic filling for tacos, burritos and breakfast eggs all over Sinaloa.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Simmer the pork
Put the pork, water, onion half, unpeeled garlic, bay leaves and salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil, skim off the foam that rises, then lower the heat and simmer gently, partly covered, for about 1.5–2 hours.
- 1.2 kg pork shoulder
- 2 litres water
- 1/2 white onion
- 6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp coarse salt
✅ Done when: the meat is fully cooked through (at least 71°C/160°F) and falls apart easily when pressed with a fork
Toast and soak the chiles
While the pork cooks, wipe the ancho chiles clean and toast them in a dry, hot skillet for about 10 seconds per side, just until fragrant and pliable; don't let them blacken or the sauce will turn bitter. Ladle out 500 ml of the hot pork broth and pour it over the chiles in a bowl to soak.
- 6 dried ancho chiles
- 500 ml hot pork broth
✅ Done when: the chiles are soft and have plumped up after 15 minutes of soaking
Blend the chile paste
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Shred the pork
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Fry the pork
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Finish with the paste
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Simmer the pork
Put the pork, water, onion half, unpeeled garlic, bay leaves and salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil, skim off the foam that rises, then lower the heat and simmer gently, partly covered, for about 1.5–2 hours.
- 1.2 kg pork shoulder
- 2 litres water
- 1/2 white onion
- 6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp coarse salt
✅ Done when: the meat is fully cooked through (at least 71°C/160°F) and falls apart easily when pressed with a fork
Toast and soak the chiles
While the pork cooks, wipe the ancho chiles clean and toast them in a dry, hot skillet for about 10 seconds per side, just until fragrant and pliable; don't let them blacken or the sauce will turn bitter. Ladle out 500 ml of the hot pork broth and pour it over the chiles in a bowl to soak.
- 6 dried ancho chiles
- 500 ml hot pork broth
✅ Done when: the chiles are soft and have plumped up after 15 minutes of soaking
Blend the chile paste
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Shred the pork
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Fry the pork
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Finish with the paste
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The Story Behind the Dish
Before refrigeration, ranching families in Sinaloa needed a way to keep pork edible for weeks at a time. The solution was to cook the meat, shred it, then fry it hard in lard and a thick chile paste until most of the moisture was gone, which let it keep for a long time at room temperature packed in its own fat.
That preserved meat became a dish in its own right, eaten warmed up for breakfast with eggs, or rolled into tacos and burritos. It later became one of the first Mexican regional dishes sold commercially in cans, carrying a taste of Sinaloa far beyond its borders.
⭐ Why It's Famous
Rich, tangy and deeply savoury, chilorio is Sinaloa's signature breakfast and taco filling, loved for the contrast between tender shredded pork and the slightly crisp, chile-coated edges.
💡 Fun Fact
Canned chilorio is one of Mexico's most widely exported regional specialties, popular with Mexican communities abroad who want a quick taste of home.
Sinaloa, especially around Culiacán
24.81°N, -107.39°W
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