Try these tender, slow-roasted Cuban Pork and Rice Bowls for dinner tonight. It is the perfect crunchy, savory combination for a rice bowl.
If you love Cuban sandwiches, making pork rice bowls is a great gluten-free alternative and perfect for anyone on a low FODMAP diet. Everyone can customize their bowls, adding what they love and leaving off what they don’t. It's also a great way to repurpose leftovers, which is helpful for keeping food budgets in check.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Perfect for Meal-Prepped Lunches
- Pork Roasts are Inexpensive
- Create a Rice Bowl Topped With Everything You Love
Featured Ingredients
- Cuban Pulled Pork Roast - This recipe uses leftover slow-roasted Cuban pork or make a fresh batch.
- Rice - Use long-grain rice or brown rice. Add butter and salt to flavor the rice.
- Ham - Use fully cooked ham steaks or deli ham.
- Dill Pickles - Find a brand of dill pickles that are FODMAP friendly.
- Broccoli Slaw - Adds the perfect crunchy note.
- Plantains - Fried in avocado oil and salted with kosher salt. They are starchy with a touch of sweetness.
- Mustard Mayo Sauce - This sauce includes mayonnaise, yellow mustard, and pickle juice.
See the recipe card for the exact measurements and complete instructions.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Add one cup of cooked rice to a wide, shallow bowl. Next, add ½ cup of warm, shredded Cuban pork. Add ½ cup of diced, fully cooked ham—either deli ham or ham steaks. Next, add ¼ cup cubed Swiss cheese.
Add ¼ cup broccoli slaw. Add ¼ cup chopped dill pickles.
Arrange a line of fried plantains down the middle of the bowl. Slice, not over-ripe plantains to keep it FODMAP friendly, about ¼ inches thick. In a skillet, add avocado oil and fry over medium heat. Flip once golden brown and sprinkle with kosher salt.
Add the mayonnaise, mustard, and pickle juice in a small bowl. Stir until combined. Drizzle the mustard sauce over the rice bowl.
Tips
Family Help: This recipe is a great one to ask for help. I am a big fan of getting everyone in the kitchen to help with meals. When my kids were younger, we used kid-safe knives and large cutting boards—giving them space to work. It takes time and patience, but it will pay off when they are older and can do it themselves. Life skills always win!
Kids Option: Make Cuban Sandwich Quesadillas for anyone in your family that aren't a rice bowl fan!
Ingredient Swaps
- Rice options: Use Instant Pot cilantro lime rice, brown rice, or wild rice. Another tasty option is to use a bed of lettuce greens!
Topping Options
- Fresh Pineapple - It is a great way to add another layer of flavor.
- Roasted Potatoes - Use roasted sweet potatoes or tiny roasted potatoes instead of the plantains.
- Canned Black Beans - Drain and rinse well to keep them FODMAP friendly.
- Sliced Avocados - Add a wonderful creamy note and a healthy fat. Guacamole is also a great option.
- Fresh Cilantro - A way to bring more fresh flavor to the rice bowl.
- Lime Wedges - Squeeze a bit of fresh lime juice over the bowl.
Storing and Reheating
Store: Keep all ingredients in separate airtight containers and store them in the refrigerator. Use up within four days.
Reheat: Heat the rice and pork in a microwave until warm. Do not overheat, or the pork will become dry. When reheating rice, add an ice cube to the center of the bowl and cover. The ice cube will create steam and keep the rice from drying out.
Freeze: Cuban pulled pork freezes beautifully. Place chilled pork in freezer-friendly container and use within four months.
Low FODMAP Notes
Low FODMAP information is based on test results from the Monash University Food App. I highly recommend the app for guidance on ingredients and serving sizes as well as working with a Low FODMAP dietitian.
- Roasted Pork - Using this recipe keeps it FODMAP friendly
- Rice - Make the rice using a low FODMAP chicken broth or plain water and add a pinch of salt.
- Ham - Find a fully smoked ham. Do not use a honey ham or any sweet ham.
- Swiss Cheese - This is a great cheese option, low in lactose, and Monash has tested it safe at 40 grams per meal.
- Dill Pickles: To be FODMAP friendly, find a brand without garlic or onion listed in the ingredients.
- Broccoli Slaw - Stalks have been tested safe by Monash at ½ per meal.
- Plantaines - Do not let the plantains become fully ripe. Use a plantain with minimal darkening spots. Monash has tested green plantains safe at 144 grams.
As always, modify and adjust based on your own tolerance and individual needs on a modified low FODMAP diet.
Meal Planning
These rice bowls are perfect for busy nights when everyone runs in different directions and eats at other times. This recipe is also a great option for meal-prepped meals— no need to eat boring meals anymore!
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Recipe
Cuban Pork Rice Bowls
Ingredients
- 2 cups Cuban pork roast leftovers (Note 1)
- 4 cups cooked white rice
- 2 cups diced ham deli ham, or ham steaks
- 1 cup dill pickles chopped and low FODMAP
- 1 cup Swiss cheese cubed
- 1 cup broccoli slaw
- 2 fried plantains
Mustard Mayo Sauce
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup yellow mustard
- ¼ cup pickle juice
Instructions
- To a shallow bowl, add one cup of cooked rice.
- Next, add ½ cup of warm Cuban pork that is shredded.
- Next, add ½ cup of diced ham, warm or cold.
- Place ¼ of chopped dill pickles.
- Add ¼ cup cubed Swiss cheese.
- Add ¼ cup broccoli slaw.
- Add a line of fried plantains. If plantains need to be cooked, place a small amount of avocado oil in a frying pan. Peel and slice the plantains and place a single layer in the oil. Fry until golden brown, then flip and fry until the other side is golden brown. Remove and sprinkle with kosher salt.
- Add the mayonnaise, mustard, and pickle juice in a small bowl. Stir until combined.
- Drizzle the mustard mayo sauce over the toppings. Enjoy!
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