Slow-Cooked Adobo Pork Shoulder with Citrus

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-04-13 · Updated 2026-04-13

Pork shoulder braised in a tangy adobo sauce with orange juice, resulting in fall-off-the-bone tenderness. This Puerto Rican-inspired slow-cooker recipe, ready in about 495 minutes, pairs pork shoulder, garlic, white vinegar for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 450 calories and feeds 6, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs, trimmed pork shoulder
• 8 cloves, minced garlic
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 bay leaf
• 1 medium, sliced onion

The slow cooker we’d leave this in all day → Best Slow Cookers in 2026: Top Picks + Buying Guide

Instructions

1. Step 1: Trim 2 lbs pork shoulder of excess fat and cut into 2-inch cubes. In a bowl, combine 8 minced garlic cloves, 1/2 cup white vinegar, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup orange juice, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp black pepper, and 2 bay leaves.
2. Step 2: Add the pork cubes to the marinade, coating evenly, and let marinate for 1 hour at room temperature.
3. Step 3: Transfer marinated pork and all marinade to a slow cooker, then add 1 medium sliced onion.
4. Step 4: Cook on low for 8 hours until pork is fork-tender.
5. Step 5: Remove pork from slow cooker, strain cooking liquid, and discard bay leaves.
6. Step 6: Return pork to slow cooker, simmer on high for 15 minutes to thicken sauce.
7. Step 7: Serve hot with the reduced sauce.