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5.0 from 15 votes

Haitian Griot Recipe

Often considered the national dish of Haiti, Griot is made of pieces of pork shoulder that are marinated, cooked, and then fried until crispy brown. Serve this dish with Pikliz and fried plantains for a true taste of Haiti!

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Additional Time
3 hrs
Total Time
3 hrs 40 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 115 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Haitian

Ingredients

  • 2 lb pork shoulder cut into 1” pieces
  • ¼ cup white vinegar
  • ½ tbsp salt
  • 4 limes
  • ½ cup Epis
  • 4 Maggi Cubes Mini, 4 g each. Or 1 normal maggi cube
  • 5-6 tems parsley
  • 4 prigs thyme
  • 1 habanero pepper
  • 2 tbsp seasoned salt can also use adobo
  • vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Pour the vinegar, salt and the juice of the limes over the pork. Mix to combine.
  2. Reserve the lime halves after juicing, and rub each piece of meat on the flesh of the lime half, making sure to really get the meat covered in the citrus.
  3. Cover the bowl, put it in the fridge, and let it sit for an hour. When the hour is up, rinse the meat to remove the vinegar and the salt.
  4. Put the cleaned pork in a bowl and add the Haitian Epis, maggi, and seasoning salt. Use kitchen twine to tie the parsley and thyme together, then place the bunch in the bowl along with habanero pepper.
  5. Stir until the meat is well coated. Cover again and let the meat sit in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight.
  6. Remove the parsley, thyme and habanero pepper from the bowl and discard. Add the pork into a medium pot on the stove along with the leftover marinade.
  7. Turn the heat to high and cook the meat for about 5 minutes until it releases some juice.
  8. Reduce the heat to medium, and cook for another 10 minutes or until the pork is cooked through and fork tender. The excess marinade should thicken a little. Remove the pork from the pot and set aside in a bowl.
  9. In a medium to large pot, heat the vegetable oil to 360 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the pork to the oil and fry until it turns golden brown (about 1-2 minutes). Fry the pork in batches, removing the meat to a paper towel-lined plate once it’s done frying to remove extra oil.
  10. Serve with pikliz and fried plantains. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Recipe copyright The Foreign Fork. For educational or personal use only. Made with counsel from Miata from Love of Yum.
  • Pork butt and pork shoulder are similar, but there are some slight differences. You can use pork butt in a pinch, but pork stew meat is generally made of pork shoulder. That will work as well, and is already cut into pieces for you. 
  • Epis
  • is a Haitian seasoning base used in most Haitian recipes. It is made by blending together herbs (such as thyme & parsley), vegetables (bell peppers & green onions), with seasonings and water. 
  • Maggi cubes are seasoning cubes that are often used (especially in Caribbean and African cuisine) to add flavor to rice, meat, soups, etc. You can
  • buy Maggi cubes on Amazon
  • , or you can use beef bouillon instead. (NOTE: Bouillon cubes are larger than maggi cubes, so you will only need 1 if substituting). 
  • You can use a scotch bonnet pepper if you can find one. I cannot find them in my town, so I use habaneros instead.
  • I use Lawry’s. A lot of recipes online call for Adobo instead, so you can use that as well.
  • When cooking the pork in the pot, The marinade should thicken on the pork to form a sort of glaze. If this is the case, you do not need to wipe the pork pieces off before frying 
  • If, for some reason, your marinade does not thicken and the pork has liquid of a water consistency on it, make sure to wipe off the pork before frying it. If not, it will pop and splash in the oil. 
  • Have a lid handy when frying. Add some pieces into the oil, then add the lid (preferably clear). That way, you can check on the pork without risking any oil splashing. 
  • If frying in batches, make sure to bring the oil back to 360 degrees Fahrenheit between batches.  
  • Pork Shoulder: Pork butt and pork shoulder are similar, but there are some slight differences. You can use pork butt in a pinch, but pork stew meat is generally made of pork shoulder. That will work as well, and is already cut into pieces for you. 
  • Epis: Epis is a Haitian seasoning base used in most Haitian recipes. It is made by blending together herbs (such as thyme & parsley), vegetables (bell peppers & green onions), with seasonings and water. 
  • Maggi Cubes: Maggi cubes are seasoning cubes that are often used (especially in Caribbean and African cuisine) to add flavor to rice, meat, soups, etc. You can buy Maggi cubes on Amazon, or you can use beef bouillon instead. (NOTE: Bouillon cubes are larger than maggi cubes, so you will only need 1 if substituting). 
  • Pepper: You can use a scotch bonnet pepper if you can find one. I cannot find them in my town, so I use habaneros instead.
  • Seasoned Salt: I use Lawry’s. A lot of recipes online call for Adobo instead, so you can use that as well.
  • When cooking the pork in the pot, The marinade should thicken on the pork to form a sort of glaze. If this is the case, you do not need to wipe the pork pieces off before frying 
  • If, for some reason, your marinade does not thicken and the pork has liquid of a water consistency on it, make sure to wipe off the pork before frying it. If not, it will pop and splash in the oil. 
  • Have a lid handy when frying. Add some pieces into the oil, then add the lid (preferably clear). That way, you can check on the pork without risking any oil splashing. 
  • If frying in batches, make sure to bring the oil back to 360 degrees Fahrenheit between batches.  

Nutrition Information

Serving 1serving Calories 115kcal (6%) Carbohydrates 4g (1%) Protein 14g (28%) Fat 5g (8%) Saturated Fat 2g (10%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 2g Cholesterol 46mg (15%) Sodium 2234mg (93%) Potassium 281mg (8%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 1g (2%) Vitamin A 109IU (2%) Vitamin C 14mg (16%) Calcium 26mg (3%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 115

% Daily Value*

Serving 1serving
Calories 115kcal 6%
Carbohydrates 4g 1%
Protein 14g 28%
Fat 5g 8%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 46mg 15%
Sodium 2234mg 93%
Potassium 281mg 6%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 1g 2%
Vitamin A 109IU 2%
Vitamin C 14mg 16%
Calcium 26mg 3%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.