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    Carnitas

    October 15, 2024

    Juicy and crispy, tender Mexican pulled pork is one of our favorite dinners, and best of all? Our easy carnitas recipe can be cooked 3 ways: in your slow-cooker, Dutch oven, or even an Instant Pot.

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    homemade carnitas on a baking sheet seasoned with bay leaves, oregano, chili powder, salt, cumin, pepper & cayenne
    Photography by Gayle McLeod

    The Best Carnitas Recipe, 3 Ways!

    Carnitas, or Mexican-style pulled pork, are one of the most delicious things that’s ever come out of our Crock-Pot (or Dutch oven, or Instant Pot!). Consider carnitas banished from the list of “things I only order at a restaurant because surely it’s too hard to make at home,” thanks to this beautifully easy carnitas recipe. We’ve whittled our carnitas recipe down to the basics: A great hunk of pork shoulder, cooked low and slow until it’s so tender that it’s falling apart, with irresistibly golden, crispy edges. Perfect for Carnitas Tacos or to serve as-is over Cilantro Lime Rice with a big Mexican Street Corn Salad on the side! For more taco ideas check out our Best Taco Recipes post, and for another riff on pulled pork, try our Honey Chipotle Pulled Pork.

    pork shoulder, orange & lime juice, onion, chicken stock and spices in prep bowls to make carnitas

    Pork Carnitas Ingredients

    • Pork shoulder: Tell the butcher what you’re making, and let them select a piece of boneless pork shoulder for you. Remember, fat is your friend when you’re making carnitas!

    • Herbs: Bay leaves, dried oregano

    • Mexican spices: Chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper

    • Onion: Just the right amount of subtle, savory flavor.

    • Citrus: An orange and a lime make the carnitas soooo juicy and tender. You’ve got a little zip from the lime, and a lovely sweetness from the orange.

    • Chicken stock: We braise the pork in stock instead of lard, but these homemade carnitas are still plenty rich, we promise!

    pork shoulder, chicken stock, orange & lime juice, onion & spices in a dutch oven to make carnitas
    cooked carnitas in a dutch oven made with chicken stock, orange & lime juice, onion & spices

    The Best Cut Of Pork For Carnitas

    The classic cut of meat for carnitas is pork shoulder! Pork shoulder is a somewhat tough, but usually a relatively inexpensive cut of pork. Pork shoulder is also rather fatty, and that’s a good thing in this case! Pork shoulder needs a long, slow cook in order to tenderize. All that lovely pork fat will melt as it cooks, helping to keep everything moist and juicy as it cooks. Occasionally, you’ll see pork shoulder labeled ‘pork butt’ or ‘Boston butt’—if you’re standing there staring confusedly at the meat counter, always feel free to ask the butcher.

    cooked carnitas being placed on a baking sheet to broil until crispy

    How To Make Carnitas:

    1. Decide which carnitas cooking method (we’ve got 3 options for you!) you want to use based on how much time you have. Do you have just one hour? Make our Instant Pot carnitas. Got a whole day? Make slow-cooker carnitas! Got a lazy Sunday afternoon? Try the Dutch oven method.

    2. Nestle that big pork shoulder into your vessel of choice — slow cooker, Dutch oven or Instant Pot — along with herbs, spices, orange and lime juice.

    3. Walk away for 40 minutes or (if you’re using your Dutch oven or Crock-Pot) a few hours. Put your feet up! (or, more likely, get a whole bunch of other things done.

    4. Got a little extra time? Make some Fresh Restaurant Style Salsa, Perfect Guacamole on Homemade Corn Tortillas to serve with carnitas and make them into heavenly homemade Carnitas Tacos!

    5. Feast! For days! One pork shoulder makes a LOT of carnitas.

    cooked carnitas on a baking sheet being brushed with reserved liquid from the dutch oven pot

    How To Serve Pork Carnitas

    You can serve your homemade carnitas however you’d like! They’re good as part of basically any Mexican meal you love — served simply with Mexican rice and beans, or use those juicy, crispy carnitas as a filling or topic for:

    crispy carnitas on a baking sheet after just being broiled in the oven

    How to Store Leftover Carnitas + Tips

    • In Mexico, authentic carnitas are cooked in lard. Most of us don’t have easy access to lots of lard, though, so for our easy carnitas recipe, we braise the pork shoulder in chicken stock. Don’t worry, though! You’ll still have plenty of richness, because we suggest leaving the fat on the pork shoulder to get plenty of that juicy, pork fat flavor. Any excess fat can easily be removed when you’re shredding that pork carnitas after they’re done cooking.

    • Store leftover carnitas refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

    • Yes, you can freeze carnitas! Let the carnitas cool, and store them in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw and broil on a rimmed baking sheet before serving.

    homemade carnitas on a baking sheet seasoned with bay leaves, oregano, chili powder, salt, cumin, pepper & cayenne

    More Pork Recipes

    How Did Your Carnitas Turn Out?

    For more recipe inspiration, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest or order our cookbook. We love when you share your meals. Tag us on Instagram using #themodernproper, and we’d love to hear what you think of this recipe in the comments below. Happy cooking!

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    Carnitas

    Updated on October 15, 2024

    • Serves:  10
    • Prep Time:  15 min
    • Cook Time:  8 hrs
    • Calories:  293
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    Ingredients

    • 2 bay leaves
    • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
    • 2 teaspoons chili powder
    • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
    • 2 teaspoons cumin
    • 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
    • 1 medium yellow onion, quartered
    • 1 large orange, juiced, rind reserved
    • Juice of 1 lime
    • 2 cups chicken stock
    • 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 4-inch pieces

    Method

    1. Preheat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the center position.

      pork shoulder, orange & lime juice, onion, chicken stock and spices in prep bowls to make carnitas

    2. In a large Dutch oven, combine the bay leaves, oregano, chili powder, kosher salt, cumin, pepper, cayenne pepper, onion, orange juice and rind, lime juice and chicken stock.

      pork shoulder, chicken stock, orange & lime juice, onion & spices in a dutch oven to make carnitas

    3. Nestle in the meat, cover, and roast for 2½ to 3 hours or until the pork is very tender and can be pulled apart easily with a fork. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pork to a large baking dish or rimmed sheet pan, discarding any large pieces of fat. Use two forks to shred the pork into 1-inch pieces. Generously brush the meat with reserved liquid.

      cooked carnitas in a dutch oven made with chicken stock, orange & lime juice, onion & spices

    4. Turn on the broiler. Broil the shredded meat until the edges are crispy and caramelized, 5-8 minutes. Remove the baking dish from the oven and using a spatula, flip the meat over. Broil for 5 more minutes, or until crispy on top.

      crispy carnitas on a baking sheet after just being broiled in the oven

    5. Use the carnitas as desired. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

      homemade carnitas on a baking sheet seasoned with bay leaves, oregano, chili powder, salt, cumin, pepper & cayenne

    Notes

    Slow Cooker Carnitas:

    1. In the bowl of a slow cooker, combine the bay leaves, oregano, chili powder, salt, cumin, pepper, cayenne, onion, orange juice and rind, lime juice, and chicken stock.

    2. Nestle in the meat, cover, and cook on HIGH for 7-8 hours or LOW for 10-12 hours, or until the pork is very tender and can be pulled apart easily with a fork. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pork to a large baking dish or rimmed sheet pan, discarding any large pieces of fat. Reserve the liquid in the slow cooker.

    3. Use two forks to shred the pork into 1-inch pieces. Generously brush the meat with the reserved liquid.

    4. Turn on the broiler. Broil the shredded meat until the edges are crispy and caramelized, 5-8 minutes. Remove the baking dish from the oven and using a spatula, flip the meat over. Broil for 5 more minutes, or until crispy on top.

    5. Use the carnitas as desired. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

    Instant Pot Carnitas:

    1. In the bowl of an Instant Pot, combine the bay leaves, oregano, chili powder, salt, cumin, pepper, cayenne, onion, orange juice and rind, lime juice, and 1 cup chicken stock.

    2. Nestle in the meat, then cover and secure the lid with the valve set to seal. Using the pressure cook setting, cook for 40 minutes. Let the steam release naturally for 10 minutes, then open the valve and manually release the pressure.

    3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pork to a large baking dish or rimmed sheet pan, discarding any large pieces of fat. Reserve the liquid in the Instant Pot. Use two forks to shred the pork into 1-inch pieces. Generously brush the meat with reserved liquid.

    4. Turn on the broiler. Broil the shredded meat until the edges are crispy and caramelized, 5-8 minutes. Remove the baking dish from the oven and using a spatula, flip the meat over. Broil for 5 more minutes, or until crispy on top.

    5. Use the carnitas as desired. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories 293
    • Protein 27 g
    • Carbohydrates 4 g
    • Total Fat 19 g
    • Dietary Fiber 0 g
    • Cholesterol 84 mg
    • sodium 433 mg
    • Total Sugars 2 g

    Carnitas

    Questions & Reviews

    Join the discussion below.

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    • Ana

      I don’t have chicken broth handy. Will use water. Is there anything you recommend adding as well?

      if you have some chicken bouillon you can throw that in as well.

    • Liz

      What do you do w/the cooking liquid anything?

      Gnerously brush the meat with it before broiling. Anything left you don't need.

    • Hannah

      Planning to cook extra for a freezer meal. Do you recommend broiling before freezing still? Any specific reheat instructions? Thanks!

      You could do it either way. If you wait to broil you could reheat in the oven on 350 until heated through and then do the broil step. Hope you enjoy Hannah!

    • Noelle

      Hi there! Do we need to adjust the cook time if we're doubling the pork?

      8 on high hours should still be ok.

    • Barbara

      We don’t eat pork. Can I substitute beef or chicken?

      We have a Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef Tacos and a slower cooker chicken taco meat recipes that you could use or if you substitute meat in this specific recipe just make sure you adjust the cook time accordingly.

    • Sherita

      Yummy!

      Thanks Sherita, we are so glad you loved it!

    • Isabelle

      This was the best !! Made pickled red onions along with chipotle sauce and avocado crème sauce, plus home made flour tortillas. It was sooo delicious !! And easy to make which is key.

      Thanks Isabelle, we are so glad you loved it!

    • nj

      Made this last weekend and it was so good!

      Thanks, we are so happy you loved it!

    • Jaclyn

      The best carnitas I've made! So good! I'll forever use this recipe!

      Thanks Jaclyn, we are so glad you loved it! So wonderful to hear it's the best you've made!

    • Mere

      I served this for 10 tonight and it was a crowd pleaser (my kids loved it)! Served with pick-your-own toppings, soft flour and corn tortillas, and yellow rice on the side. Thank you!

      Thanks Mere, so glad it was a hit!