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Smoked Cuban mojo pulled pork is a flavor explosion you won’t forget! With aromatic garlic, zesty lime, a hint of sherry, and fragrant oregano and marjoram, every bite is bold and juicy. Using pork butt or shoulder makes this dish budget-friendly and nearly foolproof—it just gets more tender the longer it cooks. Whether piled onto sandwiches, tacos, or enjoyed straight off the cutting board, this smoky, citrusy pork is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Once you try it, you’ll wonder why you didn’t make it sooner!
This is a wonderful smoker recipe. Once shredded, the pork butt or pork shoulder can be used for tacos or sandwiches, or you can serve it with coleslaw and beans.
If this is your kind of dish, you might also like to try out honey garlic pork chops, Instant Pot pork chops, or any of these succulent pork recipes.
Why You’ll Love It
Really flavorful: This is one of the tastiest pork butt recipes ever, with herbs and spices, along with citrus, pickle juice and sherry for perfect depth of flavor.
Simple to prepare: There isn’t much more to do than season the pork, surround it with onions and pop it in the smoker!
Can be served in many ways: Use your smoked mojo pork to make sandwiches, enchiladas, tacos, a salad bowl, or anything else you fancy. Leftover Cuban mojo roast pork makes the absolute best sandwiches – like a delicious Cubano sandwich. You can also add the shredded pork to tacos, salads, quesadillas, or burritos.
Gluten-free and dairy-free: There’s no gluten or dairy in this recipe.
Smoked Cuban Pork Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Pork butt: Bone-in pork butt (which is technically pork shoulder or sometimes a Boston butt) is the meat of choice here.
Herbs: I added oregano and marjoram.
Spices: Cumin and ancho chili powder add rich, earthy flavors.
Garlic: Fresh garlic is the best!
Citrus: Orange and lime juice flavor this Cuban pork beautifully. Use fresh for the best possible flavor.
How to Make Smoked Mojo Pork
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Season the pork: Score the fat on the pork and add salt, pepper, chili powder and cumin to flavor it. Next put the garlic, marjoram and oregano in a food processor with the oil and puree. You can then rub this mojo marinade over the meat.
Add the citrus sauce: Stir the fruit juices, sherry and vegetable stock together. Put the pork in a heavy pot or a Dutch oven and add pickles and onions. Pour the mojo sauce over it.
Smoke until done: Cover the pot and cook the pork for 4 hours in a pellet smoker or Traeger grill. Uncover and cook for 2 more hours. When the pork shreds easily, it’s done.
Substitutions and Variations
Make it spicy: Although this isn’t typically a spicy dish, it does have ancho chili powder. Feel free to double up!
Sherry: If you don’t want to use sherry, you can use white wine instead or, for an alcohol-free version, just substitute extra broth.
Serving Suggestions
On the side: This Cuban pulled pork dish is great served with mashed potatoes, white rice or cilantro lime rice, black beans, pico de gallo and fried plantains (maduro).
Tasty pairings: Gouda and cream cheese corn, garden veggie macaroni salad, coleslaw or a burrata Caprese salad would also be great pairing options for a summer cookout.
To drink: Enjoy some kiwi jalapeno margaritas too!
How to Store Smoked Cuban Pulled Pork
Store: I recommend you eat this smoked Cuban mojo pulled pork within 4 days tops for the best results. Keep it in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Freeze: Cuban pork freezes well too and should be fine for up to 3 months.
Thaw: Defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
Reheat: I recommend you reheat it in a foil-covered dish along with some meat juices. Do this on the stove, in the oven or in the pellet smoker or Traeger grill.
Top Tips
Score the fat: Cut through the fat with a sharp knife when you add the seasonings so they can get right down into the meat and add plenty of flavor.
Use fresh ingredients: This tasty Cuban pork just wouldn’t be the same without fresh citrus and fresh garlic for optimal flavor.
Best wood for smoking: Pork is great with maple or hickory smoke or you might prefer something fruity like cherry or apple wood, perhaps. You can of course also combine more than one kind.
Check for doneness: When the pork will shred easily, it’s perfectly done.
Cuban Pulled Pork FAQs
Actually yes. The traditional Cuban roast pork recipe is made with sour orange juice, but it isn’t always possible to find a sour or bitter oranges here. Try combining 2 parts orange juice with 1 part lemon juice and 1 part lime juice, or else 2 parts orange juice with 1 part grapefruit juice and a teaspoon of lime juice. Alternatively, you can get sour orange juice on Amazon. If you can find sour Seville oranges, which are called naranjas ágrias in Spanish, use those in place of both the orange juice and lime juice.
Cuban roast pork can be sliced but I love to shred it using a couple of forks. Try it with mashed potatoes or rice, as a filling for sandwiches or tacos, or pair it with a Cuban side dish such as fried ripe plantains, pico de gallo, or black beans.
The Best Cuban Shredded Pork Recipe
Smoked Cuban Mojo Pulled Pork
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 Pound pork butt, bone-in, or pork shoulder
- ½ Cup olive oil
- ½ Cup garlic, cloves
- ½ Tablespoon oregano, dried
- ½ Tablespoon marjoram
- 2 Teaspoons sea salt , coarse
- 2 Teaspoons cumin
- 2 Teaspoons black pepper
- 2 Teaspoons ancho chili powder
- 2 Tablespoons pickle juice
- 2 oranges, juiced
- 3 lime, juiced
- ½ Cup sherry
- ½ Cup vegetable stock
- 1 white onion, sliced
For Garnish:
- cilantro, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the smoker to 300 degrees F.
- Use a knife to score the pork fat. Season with salt, cumin, pepper, and chili powder.
- Combine garlic, olive oil, marjoram, and oregano in a food processor and purée. Brush over the pork.
- Combine orange juice, lime juice, vegetable stock, and sherry in a bowl and stir.
- Place pork into a Dutch oven. Surround with sliced onions and pickle juice. Pour mojo over the sides.
- Place the lid onto the Dutch oven and place into the smoker. Cook for 4 hours, then remove the lid.
- Lower heat to 180 degrees F and cook for 2 hours.
- Shred the pork with a pair of forks. Garnish with cilantro (optional).
Notes
Use fresh ingredients: This tasty Cuban pork just wouldn’t be the same without fresh citrus and fresh garlic for optimal flavor.
Best wood for smoking: Pork is great with maple or hickory smoke or you might prefer something fruity like cherry or apple wood, perhaps. You can of course also combine more than one kind.
Check for doneness: When the pork will shred easily, it’s perfectly done.
Nutrition
Cuban style mojo pork is so easy to prepare and offers a rich, juicy result. The magical combination of garlic, citrus and spice enhances the pork so well and all you need for this iconic Cuban dish are the ingredients and a pellet smoker or Traeger grill. It’s just perfect for summer BBQs and special occasions. You’ll love that it’s an easy recipe too – you don’t have to cook any part of the marinade. Instead, you just combine the ingredients and pour the sauce over the pork. In fact, apart from the smoker, you don’t have to cook anything at all! Simply let the smoker work its magic on the pork while you prepare your chosen sides.
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Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
This pulled pork was packed with flavor! The garlic and lime combo is perfect.
OMG! I would eat this every day if I could.
This was absolutely incredible! A big hit with my parents and in-laws. I got started late because I was missing some ingredients that got used up. Ended up putting it on the Traeger for 3hrs at 350 and made sure my prob read 165 degrees for pork. Can’t wait to cook it longer and see how much better it tastes.
Glad to hear you all enjoyed it!
Yum! My family loved this recipe! I am going to make it again for Super Bowl in a few weeks!
I love pulled pork. Happy to have a new recipe in my arsenal. Thank you.
I made this on the Traeger and it turned out perfectly! I agree; it is hard to wait to eat it since you can smell how delicious it is going to be! I served it with mashed potatoes and my family loved it.
The pickles in this recipe made it taste just SOO good! It cannot be overstated how flavorful this ways.
The ingredients only mention pickle juice. The instructions mention pickles? How many? What kind?
hi! I corrected it. It should say pickle juice in the instructions, not pickles. 🙂
Can’t wait to try this on my Traeger!
I am making this on the weekend. Just got a smoker!