Tender Lechon Asado (Cuban Roast Pork Recipe)
Growing up in a Cuban household meant pork was on the menu pretty much all holiday season long… along with moros, yuca, flan, buñuelos, and arroz con leche.
Every year, as a kid, I remember looking forward to seeing relatives and cousins that I hadn’t seen since Christmas Eve and staying up way past my bedtime. Christmas is my favorite holiday ever.
My uncle would get up at the crack of dawn on Christmas Eve to marinate a pig which would lay completely sliced open on the table. It was quite a sight! He would marinate the pig with mojo while making sure the skin was very dry in order to achieve that delicious crunch pork skin that we all love so much. It was the best.
I remember every Noche Buena dinner just brimming with delicious mojo roast pork and all the fixings. Plus, all those leftovers were enjoyed for lunch on Christmas day the next day.
And while the roast pork was never made in the oven (it was made outside in the ground or in a ‘caja china‘), this traditional recipe that I’m sharing with you today is marinated Cuban-style with a flavorful homemade garlic-citrus marinade and slow-roasted in the oven to perfection.
This is one of those traditions that I feel everyone should adopt. Add it to your menus this year! I promise this Cuban roast pork recipe is SO good, that you’ll want to make it all year long.
When you’re done with this recipe, make my Vaca Frita Recipe (Cuban Crispy Shredded Beef)!
Ingredients for the Garlic Paste for Lechon Asado
First things first, we have to make a seasoned garlic paste. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Garlic
- Salt
- Black peppercorns
- Onion powder
- Oregano
- Cumin
- Olive oil
You mash all these up together either in a mortar and pestle or in a food processor until you get a paste.
Recommended For This Recipe
Roasting Pan
I highly recommend this nonstick roasting pan! It features a removable chrome-plated rack that raises meats up to allow fats to drip away.
How To Make Cuban Roast Pork with Crispy Skin
- Separate the skin from the pork. Why is this important? Well, when you gently separate the thick pork skin from the pork, you’re able to marinate the actual roast. But make sure not to cut the skin off completely. We need the skin for crispy pork cracklings!
- Marinate the pork. Now that the skin is flapped over, pierce the pork a few times with the knife and pour the mojo marinade over it. Next, rub the garlic paste, evenly, all over the pork, and then place the skin back down. Cover the entire roasting pan with aluminum foil and place it in the fridge to marinate for 2-3 hours or overnight. The longer, the better.
- Time to roast! Remove the pork from the fridge, allow it to come to room temperature, remove the foil, and pat the skin down with a paper towel before roasting. The dryer the skin, the crispier it will be! Roast for 4 hours with the mojo marinade and garlic paste.
- Get that crispy skin. After 4 hours, remove the roasting pan from the oven. Increase the oven temp to 450 degrees F. Remove the foil and drain the liquid but do not discard it. We’re going to use that later. Bake the pork for another 30 minutes, uncovered, to crisp up the skin. Keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t burn!
- Shred the pork! After 30 minutes, remove from oven and allow to rest for 20 minutes before shredding with two forks. Feel free to pour the leftover marinade mixture over the shredded pork before serving.
5 star review
“This is one of THE BEST recipes for Lechon Asado I have ever tried, and I have done many. I have never been able to accomplish a crispy skin as good as with this recipe and it is so easy to do, I have to fight my family for a piece. Follow the steps without deviating and you won’t be sorry you did.”
—Moraima
If you have any leftovers, why not make my Cuban Sliders with Shredded Roast Pork?
How long do you cook Cuban lechon asado in the oven?
A good rule of thumb is to roast the pork for 30 minutes for every pound.
- 8-pound pork roast = 4 hours
- 9-pound pork roast = 5 hours
- 10-pound pork roast = 6 hours, etc.
As long as the internal temperature reads 145 degrees F on a food thermometer, it’s fully cooked.
What does mojo pork taste like?
Mojo pork tastes like the perfect combination of citrus, garlic, and spices. It’s not spicy at all. On the other hand, it’s slightly sour and tangy.
Plus when you marinate the pork with the garlic paste and mojo marinade, it tenderizes the meat bringing out the fresh flavors while it’s in the oven. That’s why it’s so darn delicious!
Allow the pork to marinate for at least 4-8 hours or overnight for maximum flavor.
Have leftover pork? Make my Masitas de Puerco (Cuban Fried Pork Chunks)!
Do you cover the pork roast in the oven?
Yes! Covering the roasting pan with aluminum foil helps lock in the flavor and retain the meat’s juiciness. Before you do that, however, lightly spray the aluminum foil with nonstick cooking spray.
This helps the foil not get stuck to the skin while it’s roasting in the oven. I made the mistake of not spraying the foil and all that delicious pork skin crackling was stuck to the foil. It was upsetting!
Storage Tips
- Room Temperature: It’s not recommended to store the shredded pork at room temperature for an extended period due to the risk of bacterial growth. Serve it fresh or refrigerate it promptly.
- In the fridge: Store leftover lechon asado in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. To reheat, place it in the oven at a low temperature to maintain its tenderness.
- In the freezer: To freeze, wrap portions of lechon asado tightly in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil or a freezer-safe container. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator before reheating.
Honestly, I can’t say anymore good things about this Cuban-style roast pork. It’s one of my favorite traditions from my childhood and I hope it becomes a tradition in your family too!
Tender Lechon Asado (Cuban Roast Pork Recipe)
Ingredients
- 1 head garlic, peeled
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 cups mojo marinade
- 8-10 lbs pork shoulder
- Arroz Congri
Instructions
- In a mortar and pestle, mash the garlic cloves, salt, peppercorns, onion, oregano, cumin, and olive oil until you get a paste. You're going to use this paste along with the mojo marinade for the pork. Set aside.
- Place the pork shoulder in a roasting pan. You can use a roasting pan with a rack but it is optional, not mandatory for this recipe.
- Grab the thick pork skin that is on top of the pork. Using a sharp knife, gently separate the skin from the pork enough for it to flap over backward. Do not cut it off completely.
- Using the same knife, pierce the now uncovered pork a few times and pour the mojo marinade all over it. Leave the skin flap flipped back the whole time.
- Next, generously rub the garlic paste, evenly, over the pork then flip the skin back down to cover the garlic paste. The skin must remain dry.
- Cover the entire pork roast with aluminum foil and place in the fridge to marinate for 2-3 hours or overnight. The longer, the better.
- When you're ready to roast the pork, preheat the oven to 375ºF.
- Remove the pork from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature.
- Pat the skin of the pork with a paper towel before roasting. Remember the dryer the skin, the crispier it will be. This is the best part of Cuban roast pork! Leave the marinade in the roasting pan and the garlic paste on the pork. You will cook the pork with both of them.
- Lightly spray aluminum foil with nonstick cooking spray. Cover the pork and the entire roasting pan with the oiled foil. This will help the foil not get stuck to the pork skin while it is roasting in the oven.
- Place the pork shoulder in the oven and roast for 4 hours until the internal temp is 180ºF. (A good rule of thumb is to roast the pork for 30 minutes for every pound. Example: An 8-pound pork roast would cook for 4 hours.)
- After 4 hours, remove the roasting pan from the oven. Increase the oven temperature to 450ºF. Remove the aluminum foil from the pork and roasting pan. Drain all the marinating liquid from the roasting but do not discard it.
- Bake for another 30 minutes, uncovered, to crisp up the pork skin. Keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t burn!
- Remove the roasting pan from the oven and allow the pork to rest for 20 minutes before shredding it with two forks.
- Feel free to pour the leftover marinating liquid that you drained from the roasting pan over the now shredded pork so it stays juicy, moist, and delicious. Serve the roast pork with yuca and congri/moros. Enjoy!
This is one of THE BEST recipes for Lechon Asado I have ever tried, and I have done many. I have never been able to accomplish a crispy skin as good as with this recipe and it is so easy to do, I have to fight my family for a piece. Follow the steps without deviating and you won’t be sorry you did.
Born and raised Cuban. Never had better lechón! This came out moist and falling off the fork. It was amazing!
Thank you! 😊
Jamie, I first want to thank you so much for all of your recipes. They have been a wonderful resource to me now that I no longer get to enjoy my mother’s cooking.
I have a question for you. The texture of the pork was fantastic, however, the mojo separated (oil and everything else) and congealed. I wasn’t able to use to baste the pulled pork after. I gave the mojo a taste still and it was reminiscent of that bitter overcooked garlic taste. Do you have any idea where I went wrong?
I followed the recipe fairly closely. I had to guess on a couple of things like rack position within the oven, but I wrapped the whole thing in foil. I did use a rack within the roasting pan to elevate the pork a little bit. The roasting pan itself was positioned on the second to lowest slot in the oven.
Anyway, thank you for all these recipes!
I made it but even though the app allows for changing the number of servings, I’m not sure it’s accurate. I found the meat didn’t have flavor on its own. I expected the mojo to flavor the meat but nothing and it was in the fridge overnight. The mojo was delicious. It was the first time using it and it went well with the pork. Thanks.
This sounds amazing!!! Can’t wait to try it.
Is the pork shoulder bone in or boneless??
Bone-in pork shoulder for sure! It stays moist, and it’s way more flavorful because it’s well-marbled and has the fat cap intact. It’s also easier to shred without it falling apart in the oven while cooking.
That’s what I got and it was PERFECT!!!! Thank you for the recipe!!!
Mine came out a little tough even though I let it cook a little longer. I think that may have happened because my meat was still cold when I put it in the oven. Now I know for next time to let it come to room temperature.
I’m glad I found this website. I’m returning to my roots and cooking things that I haven’t eaten in years.
So glad you’re here, Maria! Yeah, the pork shoulder should definitely be room temperature before placing it in the oven. I’m sure it was still delicious!
I have a question. Once the meat has marinated with the Mojo and sazon, can the meat be cooked in a slow cooker (crock pot)? If so what liquid would you use and how long should it be cooked?
Hi Sam, if the pork shoulder fits in your slow cooker, go for it! Usually, when making lechon asado, the pork shoulder is too big to fit into the ceramic bowl of the slow cooker. I have a similar recipe for making pork in the slow cooker which you can read here. Hope that helps!
I keep rereading the instructions and now realize that there is no oven temperature setting for the 4 hour roast. Please include this valuable information. Thanks
Oops, not sure how you missed it, Donovan. Step 7 has what you need (and step 12 too). :)
nowhere in your recipe do you state the temperature that I should set the oven to when initially put my lechon in the oven
It’s in step 7, “When you’re ready to roast the pork, preheat the oven to 375ºF.”
I made this on Noche Buena 2024. It was delicious. Whenever I make any of your recipes I feel like my mother is in the kitchen with me, guiding me. Thank you.
What a sweet compliment! Thank you, Lillian!
I made this today. Delicious! Reminds me of Cuban, Dominican friends in Fl.
A cafe’ Cubano would be perfection…
Thank you
Thank you, Des! Lucky for you, I have a Cuban coffee recipe. :)
I live in Miami and have LOTS of Cuban friends. I made this lechon for some of them last weekend and they could not stop raving about it! They even said that it was better than some Cuban restaurants around. That was a huge compliment. I made it a couple of days ahead and the day of I added more mojo marinade before heating it up. It was incredibly juicy and flavorful. Thank you for this recipe.
So happy to hear this, Diane! Thank you so much for sharing!
I made this with a pork butt and the taste is great. I did not use all of the Mojo marinade when roasting the meat. Can I add the marinade that did not roast in the pan to the meat when reheating or just use what was in the bottom of the roasting pan? Thank you for the great recipe .
Yes! You can definitely use the leftover mojo for reheating!
Excellent! Made exactly as written. 8Lb shoulder roast for 10 ppl and had a good bit leftover. The crowd loved it and I thought it had a good flavor and moist! Next time I’ll lower the temp to 325 and cook longer…..my mojo seemed to burn on my roaster and I didn’t have as much juice to pour over the roast. I served with Black beans and rice made a day ahead and salad of avocado with marinated red onions and olive oil. Easy make ahead and heat dinner for a crowd!
I’m glad you liked it, Elizabeth! It’s perfect with black beans and rice and that salad sounds delicious. Thank you for your comment.
Hello Jaimee, This sounds like a delicious lechón asado. My mom used to make it all the time but I never tried it. I have a question, can I use pork loin instead of pork shoulder. I appreciate your answer as I’m hosting noche buena this year and want to impress. I made the black beans from scratch recently and they turned out delicious, reminded me of my mom’s. I love your recipes! Thank you 😊
Hi! For lechón asado, pork shoulder is best and what’s traditionally used. Pork loin is much leaner and can dry out, so the flavor and texture won’t be the same. If you want that classic juicy lechón for Noche Buena, I highly recommend sticking with pork shoulder. Happy you love my recipes. Thank you for your kind words!
You are an angel and a savior of my Cuban cooking. Born and raised in Cuba, never learned to make cuban food, and thanks to your recipes, I’m feeling so proud to cook them well! From the guava pastelitos to ropa vieja to this lechon that I just made, your flavor is so authentic and recipes are so easy to follow. From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much!!
Thank you for your sweet comment, Arianna! So happy you love my recipes. Feliz Navidad!
Love your recipes! I usually make a Puerto Rican pernil which uses vinegar instead of bitter orange for the acid. I’m making this for my Cuban husband. I accidentally put the garlic paste before I poured the mojo over it. Not too worried about it though.
Thank you Michelle! Hope your husband loved the lechon! :)
What temperature for the oven to roast? I’m marinating now.
Thank you m
Lou
375ºF as the recipe states!