Description
Cuban Air Fryer Pork Shoulder is your quick way to a flavourful mid-week roast. Marinaded the evening before in a quickly put together mix of lime, orange, garlic, some herbs and spices, and you’ll have dinner on the table within 1h. A pretty impressive one too.
Serve with Peach BBQ sauce and potatoes, a salad on the side and every meat eater in your family with be a very happy bunny.
Ingredients
- 3 lb pork shoulder on or off the bone. (Either ask your butcher to score the skin for you or score it yourself.)
- 2 tsp kosher salt for the marinade (Plus more for the skin)
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 oranges (Zest and Juice)
- 2 limes (Zest and Juice)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic (smashed)
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano (or 1 tsp dried)
- 2 tsp ground coriander (You can also use cumin, which would be more traditional. But I can’t eat it, so I use coriander)
- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Prepare the Marinade:
- Zest and juice the oranges and limes. Roughly chop the cilantro and smash the garlic cloves.
- In a large container or a large freezer bag, combine the citrus zest and juice, chopped cilantro, smashed garlic, kosher salt, black pepper, olive oil, fresh oregano (or dried oregano), and ground coriander (or cumin).
- Add the pork shoulder to the container or bag, ensuring the meat only, but not the skin, is coated evenly with the marinade. Seal the container or bag and place it in the refrigerator. Ideally, marinate the pork overnight for the best flavor, but you can marinate it for at least a few hours if you’re short on time.
- Air Fry the Pork Shoulder:
- On the day you plan to cook the Cuban Air Fryer Pork Shoulder, preheat your air fryer to 360°F (180°C).
- Remove the marinated pork shoulder from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature for about 60 minutes. Pat the skin dry and sprinkle liberally with kosher salt and let it dry out while the meat comes to room temperature.
- Place the marinated pork shoulder into the air fryer basket and roast at 360°F (180°C) for 25 minutes per pound. Since you have a 3 lb pork shoulder, this will be a total cooking time of 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- Be mindful of the height of the roast in the air fryer. If it’s close to the heating element, it may get too browned or blackened in spots. Rotate the pork shoulder once or twice during cooking if necessary to ensure even browning.
- Check the Internal Temperature:
- Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the pork shoulder. The centre of the meat should reach 145°F (63°C).
- Once the thickest part of the meat reaches the desired temperature, remove it from the air fryer. Cover the pork shoulder loosely with foil and let it rest for at least 10 minutes. This will allow the juices to redistribute and the meat to become more tender.
- Serve the Cuban Air Fryer Pork Shoulder with your choice of side dishes. It pairs beautifully with roasted or boiled potatoes, a drizzle of BBQ sauce, and a fresh salad.
Notes
The equipment section may contain affiliate links to products I know and love.
Meal Prep
Due to the marinading process, Cuban Air Fryer Pork Shoulder is deal for meal prep. You do all the (rather minimal) work the day before and just throw it into the air fryer on the day.
Leftovers from this can be used in a million ways. They make fantastic sandwiches, salad toppings, or just a reheated meal. They can be frozen too.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Main Course
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Calories: 240
- Sugar: 3
- Sodium: 661
- Fat: 14
- Saturated Fat: 4
- Carbohydrates: 7
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 21
- Cholesterol: 70
