Carnitas
Perfectly seasoned pork, slowly braised until buttery-soft and fall-apart tender, then crisped to perfection before serving. The meat is simultaneously juicy and crisp, and the experience is extraordinary. Nestle the pork onto soft tortillas, top with your favorite garnishes, and dinner is served.
This recipe was written for the Arizona Republic.
What exactly are carnitas? Carnitas are Mexico’s version of pulled pork. In Mexico, the pork is submerged in lard and slowly cooked until tender. The soft meat is then shredded and fried in another pan of lard. The result is pork that’s undeniably rich, with plenty of flavorful crispy bits. If the thought of a cauldron or two of lard in your kitchen is off-putting, never fear. You can easily achieve pork that delivers that same marriage of juicy and crispy when using your oven and broiler. And prep time is less than 10 minutes.
Here’s what you need for these carnitas
- Pork. The best pork cut for carnitas is pork shoulder (also called pork butt, Boston butt, picnic roast, and blade roast). Pork shoulder has plenty of fat which keeps the meat tender and moist while slowly braising. You can purchase boneless or bone-in pork shoulder; the only thing that will change will be the cooking time. When shopping, you’ll find pork shoulder with the skin removed and some of the fat cap still on. Don’t trim the fat cap, it keeps the meat moist during cooking. If desired, excess fat can be skimmed off after cooking.
- Dried spices. The pork is seasoned with a blend of chili powder, cumin, and oregano, and then braised with bay leaves. The meat is ultra-flavorful thanks to these warming spices.
- Onions and garlic. Onions and garlic are used to scent the broth with their aromatic nuances. They are removed after braising the pork.
- Oranges. Oranges are the classic flavoring and liquid added to carnitas. We squeeze the oranges over the pork before cooking, and we add the squeezed orange halves to the braising liquid for additional flavor.
- Limes. Limes add a burst of freshness to the long-simmered pork. Their tanginess perfectly complements the earthy, smoky spices. You can also serve lime wedges at the table for a similar experience.
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper. Salt and black pepper enhance the flavor of all other ingredients.
- Tortillas for serving. Carnitas are typically served on tortillas with a variety of garnishes. You can use flour or corn tortillas, and street-taco-size tortillas are the classic choice.
- Garnishes. There are no rules when it comes to the garnishes for carnitas, but great choices include salsa, avocado and/or guacamole, chopped onions, pickled onions, Cole slaw, fresh cilantro, lime wedges, and hot sauce.
How should you serve your carnitas?
For the ultimate carnitas experience, serve your pork on tortillas to make tacos. Once you’ve tried that, consider these variations with the leftovers!
- Burritos. Stuff the pork into tortillas with beans, rice, and Mexican cheese and roll up.
- Quesadillas. Use in place of steak or chicken in your favorite quesadilla recipe.
- Enchiladas. Spoon onto flour tortillas, add shredded Mexican cheese, and roll up. Bake under a blanket of enchilada sauce.
- Sliders. Spoon onto slider rolls, add cheese and optional toppings.
- Tortilla soup. Use in place of chicken or steak in tortilla soup.
- Mexican pizza. Spoon onto pizza crust, top with shredded Mexican cheese and bake until the crust is golden and the cheese melts.
- Toss with rice and beans. Toss the shredded pork with fluffy rice and seasoned beans of choice.
Can you make these carnitas in a slow cooker?
Yes! The recipe below features the oven method for cooking the pork, but you can easily make these carnitas in your slow cooker. To use your slow cooker, season the pork as instructed and add to the pot. Arrange the onion, garlic, and bay leaves around the meat. Squeeze the oranges and limes over the pork and add the orange halves to the pot (we’ll remove them later). Do not add the water as instructed below. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours. Remove the pork from the slow cooker and shred the meat. Strain the cooking liquid and use 1/2 cup to toss with the shredded pork before serving and/or broiling. Serve any extra sauce at the table.
How should you store leftover carnitas? Carnitas store incredibly well in both the refrigerator and freezer. Once cool, transfer the pork to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. To reheat, transfer the pork to a baking sheet, drizzle over any juices, and reheat in a 350-degree oven until hot throughout, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Carnitas
Ingredients
- 4- to-5-pound pork shoulder, boneless or bone-in, excess fat trimmed, thin layer of the fat cap still on
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 4 teaspoons ground cumin
- 3 teaspoons dried oregano
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 onions, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 naval oranges, halved crosswise
- 2 limes, halved crosswise, plus extra for serving if desired
- 2 bay leaves
For serving
- Tortillas, warmed if desired
Suggested Garnishes
- Salsa
- Avocado or guacamole
- Chopped onions
- Pickled onions
- Cole slaw
- Fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Hot sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- In a small bowl, combine chili powder, cumin, oregano, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Rub the mixture all over the pork.
- Place the pork in a Dutch oven (or ovenproof pot) and arrange the onions, garlic, and bay leaves around the meat. Squeeze the oranges and limes over the pork and add the orange halves to the pot (we’ll remove them later). Pour 2 cups of water around the pork. The pork should be about halfway submerged, with about half of the meat remaining above the surface. If not, add a bit more water.
- Set the pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Spoon some of the liquid over the pork, cover the pot and transfer it to the oven.
- Cook for 3 to 5 hours (3 to 4 hours for boneless and 4 to 5 hours for bone-in), until the pork is very fork-tender and shred-able. For perfectly shredded pork, cook until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 185 to 190 degrees. At lower temperatures, the pork won’t easily melt into perfect shreds.
- Remove the pot from oven. Transfer the pork to a large shallow bowl.
- Remove and discard the oranges, onions, garlic, and bay leaves, reserving the sauce for drizzling over the shredded pork.
- Use two forks to shred the pork. Add 1/2 cup of the reserved sauce and toss to coat. Reserve the remaining sauce for serving.
- At this point you can eat the pork as is, or for a more authentic taste, broil as instructed below.
- Preheat the broiler.
- Transfer the pork to a rimmed baking sheet (line with aluminum if desired) and spread out in an even layer. Place the baking sheet under the broiler (4 to 5 inches from the heat source) and broil until the edges of the pork are browned and crispy (keep a close eye so the pork doesn’t char).
- Serve the pork with the tortillas, reserved sauce, and your choice of garnishes.