Crispy Pork Carnitas
This crispy carnitas recipe is absolutely incredible! It’s surprisingly easy to make, and the flavor will blow you away. You’ll have the most tender, juicy pork carnitas perfect for tacos, burritos, and more. Carnitas (meaning “little meats”) is Mexico’s beloved answer to pulled pork. Traditionally, pork shoulder is simmered low and slow in a rich bath of lard, transforming it into incredibly tender, moist, and deeply flavorful meat. To bring that authentic experience to your kitchen, our recipe adapts the process: we slowly cook the pork in the oven with fragrant aromatics and just a few tablespoons of oil, guaranteeing that every bite is unapologetically porky, unbelievably juicy, and melt-in-your-mouth tender. For more fork-tender pork recipes, see our slow cooker pulled pork or these fall-off-the-bone ribs! Key Ingredients Pork: Buy boneless or bone-in pork shoulder (it doesn’t matter which) with a good amount of fat left intact. It is the fat that keeps our pork moist and tender. This is the same cut of meat we use for our American-style pulled pork. Other names for pork shoulder are picnic roast, Boston butt, blade roast, and pork butt. Salt and Pepper: We don’t have a particular carnitas seasoning blend, so stick with simple salt and pepper. The pork and aromatics will provide plenty of flavor. Oil: I use a high-heat cooking oil for this recipe (usually avocado oil), but lard is also an option. Aromatics: Inspired by authentic carnitas from central Mexico, we use fresh orange, onion, garlic, a bay leaf, and a cinnamon stick. The combination is delicious and doesn’t take over the pork’s natural flavor. Pork: Buy boneless or bone-in pork shoulder (it doesn’t matter which) with a good amount of fat left intact. It is the fat that keeps our pork moist and tender. This is the same cut of meat we use for our American-style pulled pork. Other names for pork shoulder are picnic roast, Boston butt, blade roast, and pork butt. Salt and Pepper: We don’t have a particular carnitas seasoning blend, so stick with simple salt and pepper. The pork and aromatics will provide plenty of flavor. Oil: I use a high-heat cooking oil for this recipe (usually avocado oil), but lard is also an option. Aromatics: Inspired by authentic carnitas from central Mexico, we use fresh orange, onion, garlic, a bay leaf, and a cinnamon stick. The combination is delicious and doesn’t take over the pork’s natural flavor. How to Make the Best Carnitas I use my oven to make carnitas. The pork will slowly bake in the oven until it is fork-tender (I prefer 300°F, which takes 3 to 4 hours). However, you can also make carnitas in a slow cooker, and I have included tips in the recipe below. Depending on where you have carnitas in Mexico, they’ll have plenty of crisped-up and browned edges. So, when our pork is fall-apart tender, I turn them into crispy carnitas! To do it, pull the pork into shreds, add it to a baking sheet, and broil until crispy. It only takes a couple of minutes. From there, you can serve them however you like! I love carnitas tacos with homemade corn tortillas, a heap of carnitas, cilantro, and raw white onion sprinkled on top (pickled red onions are delicious, too). Crispy Pork Carnitas PREP 20 mins COOK 3 hr 30 mins TOTAL 3 hr 50 mins PREP 20 mins COOK 3 hr 30 mins TOTAL 3 hr 50 mins How to make carnitas that are unapologetically porky, juicy, and tender with crisped-up edges. This Mexican slow cooked pulled pork is surprisingly simple to make and delicious. I use an oven, but tips for using a slow cooker are below the recipe. I love these served in homemade corn tortillas with fresh cilantro and chopped raw white onion on top. Makes 8 cups Watch Us Make the Recipe You Will Need 4 pounds (1.8kg) pork shoulder with the fat left on, use bone-in or boneless 2 teaspoons fine sea salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 3 tablespoons avocado oil or melted pork lard 1 medium orange, halved, or 2 use clementines Half large onion, quartered 5 cloves garlic 1 bay leaf 1 cinnamon stick, broken in half Directions 1Adjust an oven rack towards the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). 2Prepare the pork: Add one tablespoon of the oil to a wide, heavy-bottomed, oven-safe pot (like a Dutch oven). If you do not have a Dutch oven, see the tips for using a baking dish below. 3Season the pork on all sides with the salt and pepper, and then place it into the pot with the fattiest side facing up. Squeeze the oranges over the pork. Scatter the squeezed orange halves, onion, garlic, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf around the pork. 4Bake the pork: Drizzle the remaining two tablespoons of oil over everything. Cover the pot with its lid and slowly bake in the oven until the pork is fork tender, 3 to 3 ½ hours. 5Pull the pork: Transfer the pork to a cutting board and cool until you can handle it. Pull the pork with forks or your fingers. Depending on your preference, you can separate the meat into larger chunks or smaller shreds. Discard the bone (if there is one), any connective tissue, and larger clumps of fat. I like leaving a few smaller bits of fat. 6Strain the cooking liquid: Pour the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh strainer and reserve it for later. Discard the onion, oranges, and spices. 7Make crispy carnitas: Spread the shredded carnitas on a baking sheet and pour enough of the reserved cooking liquid to moisten them. (If your cooking liquid has solidified, rewarm some of it in a small saucepan before adding it to the pork.) 8Broil the pork: Set an oven rack 4 to 5 inches below the broiler and preheat it. Slide the pork underneath and broil until the pork crisps and caramelizes, 2 to 5 minutes. As you broil, stir once or twice, and keep a close eye on them, as they can burn or smoke quickly. 9Serve carnitas in tacos, burritos, salads, rice, or with your favorite sides. 1Adjust an oven rack towards the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). 2Prepare the pork: Add one tablespoon of the oil to a wide, heavy-bottomed, oven-safe pot (like a Dutch oven). If you do not have a Dutch oven, see the tips for using a baking dish below. 3Season the pork on all sides with the salt and pepper, and then place it into the pot with the fattiest side facing up. Squeeze the oranges over the pork. Scatter the squeezed orange halves, onion, garlic, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf around the pork. 4Bake the pork: Drizzle the remaining two tablespoons of oil over everything. Cover the pot with its lid and slowly bake in the oven until the pork is fork tender, 3 to 3 ½ hours. 5Pull the pork: Transfer the pork to a cutting board and cool until you can handle it. Pull the pork with forks or your fingers. Depending on your preference, you can separate the meat into larger chunks or smaller shreds. Discard the bone (if there is one), any connective tissue, and larger clumps of fat. I like leaving a few smaller bits of fat. 6Strain the cooking liquid: Pour the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh strainer and reserve it for later. Discard the onion, oranges, and spices. 7Make crispy carnitas: Spread the shredded carnitas on a baking sheet and pour enough of the reserved cooking liquid to moisten them. (If your cooking liquid has solidified, rewarm some of it in a small saucepan before adding it to the pork.) 8Broil the pork: Set an oven rack 4 to 5 inches below the broiler and preheat it. Slide the pork underneath and broil until the pork crisps and caramelizes, 2 to 5 minutes. As you broil, stir once or twice, and keep a close eye on them, as they can burn or smoke quickly. 9Serve carnitas in tacos, burritos, salads, rice, or with your favorite sides. Adam and Joanne's Tips Serving suggestions: Make carnitas tacos with corn tortillas, cilantro, and raw white onion. Or serve them alongside Mexican rice, refried beans or black beans, guacamole, and salsa. For a green salsa, try our tomatillo salsa, or for a red salsa, see our easy salsa recipe. Storing: Homemade pork carnitas can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. I like storing the pulled pork and the cooking liquid in separate containers so that when it’s time to reheat, I can use some of the liquid to moisten the pork. Freezing: You can freeze them for up to 3 months. I add the pork to one freezer-safe container and the leftover cooking liquid to another, then freeze both. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. Reheating: Reheat on the stovetop in a skillet over medium heat, adding a little reserved cooking liquid to keep them moist. Or reheat in a 350°F oven in a baking dish with a splash of cooking liquid. For crispy carnitas, after reheating, place them under the broiler (explained in the recipe above). No Dutch oven: Cut the pork into 2-inch chunks and arrange it in a large baking dish. Place the other ingredients around it, and then cover the dish with aluminum foil. Slow Cooker Carnitas: Season the pork and place it fat-side-up in your slow cooker. Squeeze over the orange and scatter the orange halves, onion, garlic, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf around the pork. Drizzle the oil over the pork, close the lid, and cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours. When the carnitas are fork-tender, shred them and then crisp them up using your broiler (as explained in the recipe). The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. Serving suggestions: Make carnitas tacos with corn tortillas, cilantro, and raw white onion. Or serve them alongside Mexican rice, refried beans or black beans, guacamole, and salsa. For a green salsa, try our tomatillo salsa, or for a red salsa, see our easy salsa recipe. Storing: Homemade pork carnitas can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. I like storing the pulled pork and the cooking liquid in separate containers so that when it’s time to reheat, I can use some of the liquid to moisten the pork. Freezing: You can freeze them for up to 3 months. I add the pork to one freezer-safe container and the leftover cooking liquid to another, then freeze both. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. Reheating: Reheat on the stovetop in a skillet over medium heat, adding a little reserved cooking liquid to keep them moist. Or reheat in a 350°F oven in a baking dish with a splash of cooking liquid. For crispy carnitas, after reheating, place them under the broiler (explained in the recipe above). No Dutch oven: Cut the pork into 2-inch chunks and arrange it in a large baking dish. Place the other ingredients around it, and then cover the dish with aluminum foil. Slow Cooker Carnitas: Season the pork and place it fat-side-up in your slow cooker. Squeeze over the orange and scatter the orange halves, onion, garlic, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf around the pork. Drizzle the oil over the pork, close the lid, and cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours. When the carnitas are fork-tender, shred them and then crisp them up using your broiler (as explained in the recipe). The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. Nutrition Per Serving Serving Size 1/8 of the recipe (about 1 cup) / Calories 353 / Total Fat 12.9g / Saturated Fat 6.6g / Cholesterol 136mg / Sodium 705.2mg / Carbohydrate 5.2g / Dietary Fiber 1g / Total Sugars 2.4g / Protein 51.6g AUTHOR: Joanne Gallagher We’re Adam and Joanne, a couple passionate about cooking and sharing delicious, reliable recipes since 2009. Our goal? To inspire you to get in the kitchen and confidently cook fresh and flavorful meals.More About Us