Hawaiian Pulled Pork Bowl

What This Recipe Entails

You can prepare this whole meal within the 20 minutes it takes to cook the rice. So get your rice started first and then get working on the rest of the recipe!

• Prep time: 5 minutes
• Cook time: 20 minutes

This recipe doesn’t require much cooking if you already have the pulled pork. Simply make the rice, make the sauce, reheat the pork and toss it in the sauce, and assemble the bowls.

Tip: Save yourself on prep time by buying pre-shredded carrots and cabbage from the grocery store. We find this also helps us reduce waste, since we can never go through an entire head of cabbage fast enough!

Hawaiian Pulled Pork Rice Bowl Ingredients

This fresh and flavorful Hawaiian pork bowl consists of a base of rice topped with saucy pulled pork, quick pickled carrots and cabbage, and mango. Packed with both bright and savory flavors, this bowl makes for a great lunch or light dinner.

Here is everything you’ll need to make it:

• White rice
• Shredded carrots
• Shredded red cabbage
• Lime
• Red mango
• Pulled pork (try our slow cooker recipe here!)
• Tajin
• Minced garlic
• Minced ginger
• Soy sauce
• Brown sugar
• Agave nectar

How To Make Pulled Pork And Rice Bowls

These pulled pork bowls are made with 5 main components: white rice, crispy pork, a flavorful glaze, quick pickled veggies, and fresh mango. Here is how to prepare all of your ingredients:

1. First, start by cooking the rice according to package directions.
2. Then, quick pickle the cabbage and carrots. Toss the shredded cabbage and carrots in the lime juice and a pinch or two of sea salt, then set aside.
3. While the rice is cooking, start the sauce by adding vegetable oil, garlic, and ginger to a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until fragrant.
4. Next, add in the soy sauce, brown sugar and agave nectar and stir to combine. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes to thicken. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and set aside.
5. Then, prep the pork by frying it in a teaspoon of vegetable oil over medium high heat for about 3 minutes. Transfer the pork to a bowl and toss it in the sauce to fully coat. 
6. To assemble and serve, make a bed of rice and top with the pork, pickled veggies, and cubed mango. Optionally sprinkle a little Tajin over the mango and add a lime wedge for squeezing over the bowl.

If you start cooking the rice first, then you can easily prepare the rest of the ingredients while the rice steams and make this dinner in about 30 minutes or less. Note that it’s also important to prepare the cabbage and carrots early on, so that they have time to sit in the lime juice and salt and become soft.

Storing And Reheating Leftovers

This recipe is best stored as individual components since some parts should be reheated, and others shouldn’t be, when you’re ready to enjoy leftovers.

Here’s how to store your leftover ingredients and reheat them if needed:

• Pickled cabbage and carrots – Drain any excess liquid and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. The longer they sit the more pickled they will become.
• Pork coated in sauce – Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Reheat in the microwave for a minute, or in a frying pan over medium low heat for a few minutes until warm.
• Rice – Store the rice in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Reheat in the microwave for 1 minute per serving. Try adding a splash of water to the bowl when reheating to make the rice extra fluffy.
• Mango – Mango is best eaten fresh, but if you have too much you can store extra in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. If you expect to have leftover bowls, we recommend getting a second mango that can be cut up fresh for leftovers.