# Slow-Cooked Carnitas Tacos Rubio's Just Added New Slow-Cooked Carnitas to Its Menu for Baja Summer By Katherine Pendrill | Published 2023-05-28 | Lifestyle Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/slowcooked-carnitas References: [qsrmagazine](https://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/rubios-launches-new-carnitas-honor-summer) & [rubios](https://www.rubios.com/press/rubios-celebrates-the-summer-of-baja/)  Rubio’s is marking its 40th summer and the brand wants to celebrate with the rich taste of slow-cooked Carnitas. Dubbed the 'Summer of Baja,' [Rubio's](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/all-world-breakfast-burrito) has a slew of new summer offerings featuring tender, slow-cooked Carnitas. Fans cam enjoy the bold new Baja-inspired Carnitas as a Macha Two Taco Plate, a Carnitas Macha Bowl, or the [Carnitas Macha Burrito](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/quesada-burritos-tacos). The star of each dish is grilled carnitas made from premium cuts of tender pork that has been slow-cooked so the meat is slightly crispy on the outside while still being juicy on the inside. As Rubio’s Co-Founder Ralph Rubio explains, "“They are marinated with fresh oranges, garlic and onion, and topped with our new signature Salsa Macha — made with ancho and guajillo chiles, roasted pepitas, chipotle peppers, and a squeeze of lime. They are next-level delicious." The Summer of Baja menu is available now through September 3, 2023. Image Credit: Rubio’s ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.2/10 - Popularity: 8% | Activity: 11% | Freshness: 16% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Lifestyle](https://www.trendhunter.com/lifestyle) > [Food](https://www.trendhunter.com/food) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Summer of Baja Menu Trend:** Restaurants offering special menus featuring Baja-inspired slow-cooked Carnitas to mark occasions or celebrations. - **Slow-cooking Trend:** Many restaurants experimenting with slow-cooking techniques to add flavor depth to their dishes. - **Carnitas-based Dish Trend:** Restaurants innovating a wide range of dishes featuring Carnitas as a protein highlight. ### Where This Applies - **Fast Food Industry:** Fast food chains can experiment with more premium and slow-cooked dishes to attract health and conscious customers. - **Mexican Cuisine Industry:** Mexican restaurants can focus on slow-cooking techniques to offer more authentic dishes and gain customer attention in a crowded culinary landscape. - **Food and Hospitality Industry:** There are disruptive market opportunities for food and hospitality brands to introduce Carnitas-based dishes, take calculated nutrition risks, and experiment with versatile flavor profiles. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Authentic Slow-Cooked Taco Meats](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/slowcooked-pork-carnitas.md) - [Crispy Pork Carnitas Burritos](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/smoky-pork-crisp-burrito.md) - [Colorful Carnitas Tacos](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pia-carnitas-taco.md) - [Mexican Holiday Carnita Menus](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/el-pollo-loco-1.md) - [Chile-Spiced Pork Carnitas](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/red-chile-pork-carnitas-menu.md) - [Achiote-Spiced Pork Bowls](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/achiote-carnitas-bowl.md) - [Seared Beef Street Tacos](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/carne-asada-street-tacos.md) - [Authentic In-Store Meat Dishes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/el-rancho-supermercado.md) - [Smokey Mexican BBQ Menus](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/smokey-bbq-menu.md)