Pernil is a mouthwatering dish of marinated pork shoulder or leg slow roasted until fall-apart tender and delicious crispy skin, a holiday favorite. This is the best roasted pulled pork you'll ever have.
Crispy Skin Pernil Recipe
We're cooking up a large pork shoulder today, my friends. Only this time, we're cooking it up Puerto Rican style with a dish you are going to love.
The recipe is called Pernil, and it just may become one of your new favorites. I've been making this recipe for years now and it is always a hit!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- My pernil uses skin-on pork shoulder that is marinated with a flavor bomb blend of spices and citrus for juicy, tender pork shoulder every time. It is bursting with authentic Puerto Rican flavors.
- Perfect Crispy Skin Every Time. You will achieve the perfect crispy pork skin with my foolproof technique for the irresistible crunch everyone loves.
What is Pernil?
Pernil is a popular Latin American recipe of slow roasted pork shoulder or leg that has been marinated for full flavor. It is usually made with pork shoulder or pork leg, though other cuts of pork can be used.
It is commonly served for Christmas dinner and at the holidays or special occasions, rather than the traditional turkey or ham of other countries.
You may know it by other names, such as Pernil Asado or Pernil al Horno.
It's absolutely delicious, especially to lovers of tender cuts of pork that are juicy and deeply satisfying. You'll find pernil in countries like Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Venezuela. This is a Puerto Rican version.
Featured Reader Comment
"I used Mike's recipe to prepare Pernil for our Christmas Dinner. It was a big hit! Very easy to make and once it goes in the oven you can leave it alone for a few hours." -- Randy
Let's talk about how to make pernil, shall we?
Pernil Ingredients
- FOR THE MARINADE
- Sofrito. Try my homemade sofrito recipe.
- Seasonings. Dried oregano, garlic powder, ground coriander, onion powder, cumin and salt and black pepper to taste. Alternatively, you can use adobo seasoning. Sazon seasoning is also popularly used.
- Oil.
- FOR THE PERNIL (Roast Pork)
- Pork. Use 4-6 pound pork shoulder (bone-in, skin on – Or you can use boneless – see recipe notes). This recipe can also be made with pork leg or ham or other cut of meat.
- Garlic. For studding the pork.
- Liquids. Sour orange juice and water. If you can't find sour orange, use equal amounts of sweet orange juice and lime juice.
- Optional. Achiote oil for additional marinating as you roast the pork. Also, vinegar and chopped cilantro to make a serving sauce or gravy.
How to Make Pernil - the Recipe Method
Make the Marinade. Combine the sofrito, oregano, garlic powder, coriander, onion powder, cumin and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in the olive oil and mix well.
Prepare the Pernil (Roast Pork Shoulder). Cut various slits into the pork and stuff the garlic slices into them.
Marinate the Pork. Rub the pork shoulder with the prepared marinade. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Overnight or up to 2 days is better for more flavor.
Roasting Pan. Transfer the pork shoulder to a roasting pan, skin side up. Wipe dry the skin, which will help with the crispy skin. Drying the skin is very important to achieve the perfect crispy skin.
Pour 1 cup water and 1 cup sour orange juice into the bottom of the roasting pan, then cover the pan with foil. Time for roasting!
How Long to Roast Pernil, and What Temperature?
Roast the Pork. Roast the pork shoulder for 3 hours at 300 degrees F (150C).
Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees F (205C). Rotate the roasting pan and remove the foil. Pat the skin dry and add 1-2 cups additional water/sour orange if the bottom is too dry.
Roast for 1-2 hours or longer, until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 210 degrees F when measured with a meat thermometer, or when a skewer can pierce the meat easily.
Cooking time can vary based on the size of the pork and performance of your oven.
For Crispy Skin Pernil. If cooking with skin-on, the skin should be nice and crispy at this point, but if it is not, turn up the oven temperature to 500 degrees F and bake an additional 10 minutes, or until the skin is browned and crispy.
This crispy skin or crackling is one of the best parts of the pernil. You will absolutely love it.
Time to Serve! Remove from heat and rest 20 minutes to 30 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board. Carve or pull with forks and serve.
Serving Sauce/Gravy. Drain the drippings from the roasting pan into a bowl and skim the fat. Stir in vinegar and chopped cilantro. Add salt to taste. Serve with the finished pork as a dipping sauce or gravy.
Boom! Done! Easy enough to make, isn't it? There is a bit of prep work, but the majority of your time spent will be waiting while the pork shoulder roasts in the oven.
I love this recipe! SO delicious and tender. Best Puerto Rican pork around.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- How to Get the Best Crispy Skin (Cuero). The crispy skin, or "cuero", is only achieved with pernil by using skin-on pork. Be sure to dry the skin as thoroughly as possible before roasting, as the moisture will prevent it from crisping up. Raise the temperature at the end of roasting, uncovered, to ensure the perfect crunchy outer crust.
- Mix the crispy skin into the served pork so everyone gets some. The crispy skin is highly prized!
- You can make Puerto Rican pernil with boneless pork. Make it the exact same way, but you won't need to wait for extra roasting time at the end.
- Seasoning Options. Adobo seasoning is a common seasoning blend in Latin American countries. It's a mix of garlic, cumin, onion, salt and pepper which you can use instead. Sazon is another popular and flavorful option. Try my homemade sazon seasoning. Use 5-6 tablespoons of either in place of the spices used in the recipe.
What to Serve with Pernil?
Pernil is very often served with arroz con gandules, or rice with pigeon peas, especially during the holidays. You can easily serve it with yellow rice (arroz amarillo) and warmed beans.
Storage and Leftovers
Store any leftover pernil in the refrigerator in sealed containers for up to 5 days. Simply reheat it in a pan over medium heat to enjoy again.
You can also freeze it in vacuum sealed freezer containers for up to 6 months.
Use it to make a Cuban sandwich or Cuban Medianoche Sandwich. Delicious!
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy this Puerto Rican pernil recipe. Let me know if you make it. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you. Keep it spicy!
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Pernil Recipe (Puerto Rican Roast Pork)
Ingredients
FOR THE MARINADE
- 3 tablespoons sofrito
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup olive oil
FOR THE PERNIL (Roast Pork)
- 4-6 pound pork shoulder bone-in, skin on – Or you can use boneless – see recipe notes
- 8 cloves garlic sliced
- 1 cup sour orange juice (or use an equal mix of orange juice and lime juice)
- 1 cup water (or more as needed)
FOR SERVING
- 2 tablespoons vinegar
- 1/2 cup cilantro chopped
Instructions
PREPARE THE MARINADE
- Combine the sofrito, oregano, garlic powder, coriander, onion powder, cumin and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in the olive oil and mix well. Set aside for now.
FOR THE PERNIL
- Cut various slits into the pork and stuff the garlic slices into them. I like to make long slices along every side, making this part easier.
- Rub down the pork shoulder with the prepared marinade. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Overnight is better for more flavor penetration.
- Heat oven to 300 degrees F.
- Transfer the pork shoulder to the bottom of a roasting pan or large baking dish, skin side up. Wipe the skin clean of any marinade and excess moisture. This will help with the crispy skin.
- Pour 1 cup water and 1 cup sour orange juice into the bottom of the roasting pan, then cover the pan with foil, leaving no gaps.
- Bake the pork shoulder for 3 hours.
- Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees F. Rotate the roasting pan around for even cooking and remove the foil. Pat the skin dry with a paper towel. Add 1-2 cups additional water/sour orange if the bottom is too dry.
- Bake for 1-2 hours or longer, until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 210 degrees F when measured with a meat thermometer, or when a a skewer can pierce the meat easily.
- If cooking with skin-on, the skin should be nice and crispy, but if it is not, turn up the oven temperature to 500 degrees F and bake an additional 10 minutes, or until the skin is browned and crispy.
- Remove from heat and rest 20 minutes. Carve and serve.
- For Serving. Drain the drippings from the roasting pan into a bowl and skim the fat. Stir in vinegar and chopped cilantro. Add salt to taste. Serve with the finished pork as a dipping sauce or gravy.
Nutrition Information
NOTE: This recipe was updated on 3/19/25 to include new information and photos. It was originally published on 10/26/20.
Ed says
You said to use skin on pork but your pictures prior to cooking look as if it was just a layer of pork fat. Should I use a picnic roast with the thick skin on or just a pork shoulder with a nice layer of fat?
Mike Hultquist says
Ed, I used skin-on pork shoulder in this recipe and in the photos. It still works without the skin, though. Skin-on is the best for that crispy skin at the end.
Sharon says
can I use minced garlic refrigerated in oil?
Mike Hultquist says
You can, Sharon. Use it more like a rub.
Dee says
Hello I searched but did no see how much Adobe is used if you don’t want to make seasoning from scratch.
Mike Hultquist says
Dee, use 3-4 tablespoons. Enjoy!!
Nick says
I want to make the recipe 1 day ahead. can I do that and just warm it up at around 300° and then shred. or should I shred after making it, and then warm the next day?
Mike H. says
Nick, either method will work, so it ultimately depends on your schedule and preference! If you have time on the day of serving, go with option 1 for the juiciest, most flavorful pernil. If convenience is your priority, option 2 works well as long as you store the meat with plenty of its cooking juices to keep it moist. I would go with the first option, but again - it is totally up to you!
Nick says
I am using a 9.5 lb bone-in pork shoulder at 300 degrees. Is 5.5 hrs covered at 300 then 400 degrees uncovered for 1 hrs enough time?
Mike H. says
Nick, that sounds reasonable. Use a meat thermometer to confirm doneness and after roasting, let the pernil rest for 20-30 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute.