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    Crispy Chicken Carnitas

    March 4, 2026 / By Natalie Mortimer

    My crispy chicken carnitas recipe is just as delicious and juicy as classic carnitas, but a bit healthier. Adding carnitas to tacos, nachos, or a big salad is dinner time magic! 

    Crispy chicken carnitas simmered with citrus and taco seasoning, an easy taco night favorite!
    Photography by Gayle McLeod

    My classic carnitas recipe is one of the most popular recipes on this site, and so today I thought I’d share my crispy chicken carnitas recipe! It feels like I developed the pork carnitas recipe that you folks love so much a million years ago, so I don’t know what took me so long to take that super successful method and apply it to chicken. But here we are at last!  

    Easy, simple tacos filled with crispy chicken carnitas topped with cilantro, onion and fresh lime

    Much like the classic carnitas, chicken carnitas can be made on the stove top, in a slow cooker, or Instant Pot. It’s completely up to you. Either way, you’ll end up with delicious chicken carnitas to make tacos, fill burritos, or top salads or nachos. A bit lighter than traditional pork carnitas, they just might become a weekly staple. 

    ingredients laid out to make crispy chicken carnitas tacos. Orange juice, taco seasoning, cilantro, onion and chicken thighs.

    In an Instant Pot, these are done in under 30 minutes, and even if you make these on the stove top, they’re still pretty quick; done in just about an hour. If you need these to work for your slow cooker, maybe on a busy weekday, they can happily simmer away for about 8 hours on low. In other words? Chicken carnitas are extremely flexible. 

    onion and garlic cooking in a skillet until softened and fragrant to use in crispy chicken carnitas
    Chicken thighs simmering with taco seasoning and fresh orange juice to make crispy chicken carnitas, an easy weeknight dinner
    Chicken thighs simmering with taco seasoning and fresh orange juice to make crispy chicken carnitas, an easy weeknight dinner
    Chicken thighs simmered with taco seasoning and citrus now tender and ready to be shredded

    What You’ll Need

    • Chicken: I use boneless thighs but you CAN use chicken breasts if you really want to. However, your finished carnitas won’t have the same crispy edges that chicken carnitas made with chicken thighs do, because it is the fat on the thighs that give it that crispy carnitas texture.
    • Olive oil: I use extra virgin because I like the flavor best. It’s OK to use regular olive oil though!
    • Onions & garlic
    • Stock: Homemade is great, store bought is fine.
    • 1 orange: I like to juice it freshly.
    • Taco seasoning: Again I usually use homemade, but store bought works! 
    Cooked, shredded chicken thighs on a baking sheet ready to be broiled until perfect crispy for chicken carnitas tacos
    Cooked, shredded chicken thighs on a baking sheet ready to be broiled until perfect crispy for chicken carnitas tacos

    How To Serve Chicken Carnitas

    • Tacos! Chicken carnitas tacos are a favorite meal in our house. Taco night rules because everyone can make theirs exactly how they want! And yes, your pickiest child can just have a quesadilla. 
    • In burrito bowls. Over rice, with beans, guacamole, the works. Whatever you love to eat in a burrito will be delicious here. 
    • Over salad. I especially like to eat these with hearty greens like kale. 
    • As a nacho topping. You know this one, right? Chips, cheese, broiler until the cheese is melty. YUM. Salsa to finish for sure! 
    Crispy chicken carnitas fresh from the oven ready to be used in tacos, burritos or on nachos! A great weeknight dinner.

    How To Store

    Store any leftover chicken carnitas in the fridge for up to 4 days. I like to warm it up on the stove top, usually in a skillet, over medium heat. You could also freeze the carnitas in an airtight container for up to 4 months. Defrost them overnight in the fridge, then reheat in a skillet. If you are making the chicken carnitas to freeze for later, skip the broiling step. Instead just shred the chicken and add some of the liquid to the container you’re freezing it in. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. 

    Easy, simple tacos filled with crispy chicken carnitas topped with cilantro, onion and fresh lime

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    Crispy chicken carnitas simmered with citrus and taco seasoning, an easy taco night favorite!

    Crispy Chicken Carnitas Recipe

    Published March 4, 2026

    By Natalie Mortimer

    • Serves:  8
    • Prep Time:  10 min
    • Cook Time:  1 hr
    • Calories:  297

    Description

    Crispy Chicken Carnitas can be made on the stove top, slow cooker or Instant Pot. Chicken thighs simmered with citrus and taco seasoning until tender enough to shred, then broiled until perfectly crispy are an easy, family-style taco night favorite! Serve in warm tortillas with fresh onion and cilantro.

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      Ingredients

      • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
      • 2 small onions, finely chopped
      • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
      • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
      • 2 cups chicken stock
      • ½ cup fresh orange juice, (from 1 orange)
      • 1 bay leaf
      • ¼ cup taco seasoning
      • 1 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
      • 16 (6-inch) corn or flour tortillas, warmed

      Method

      1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once the oil is glistening, add half of the onions and cook until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 more minute. 

        onion and garlic cooking in a skillet until softened and fragrant to use in crispy chicken carnitas

      2. Add the chicken, chicken stock, orange juice, bay leaf, and taco seasoning. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 45 minutes, or until the chicken is very tender and can be pulled apart easily with a fork.

        Chicken thighs simmering with taco seasoning and fresh orange juice to make crispy chicken carnitas, an easy weeknight dinner

      3. Turn on the broiler.

        Cooked, shredded chicken thighs on a baking sheet ready to be broiled until perfect crispy for chicken carnitas tacos

      4. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a rimmed sheet pan, reserving the liquid in the pot. Use two forks to shred the chicken into 1-inch pieces and spread into an even layer. Brush the chicken with about ¼ cup of the reserved liquid. Broil, tossing halfway through, until the chicken is crispy, about 10 minutes. 

        Cooked, shredded chicken thighs on a baking sheet ready to be broiled until perfect crispy for chicken carnitas tacos

      5. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the remaining onion with cilantro. 

        Crispy chicken carnitas fresh from the oven ready to be used in tacos, burritos or on nachos! A great weeknight dinner.

      6. Serve the chicken, tortillas, and onion mixture family-style. 

        Easy, simple tacos filled with crispy chicken carnitas topped with cilantro, onion and fresh lime

      Notes

      Slow Cooker Method 

      1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is glistening, add half of the onions and cook until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 more minute. 
      2. Transfer the onion mixture to the slow cooker. Add the chicken, chicken stock, orange juice, bay leaf, taco seasoning and stir to combine. Cover and cook on High for 4 hours or Low for 8 hours.
      3. Transfer the chicken to a rimmed sheet pan. Use two forks to shred the chicken into 1-inch pieces and spread into an even layer. Brush the chicken with about ¼ cup of the reserved liquid. 
      4. Turn on the broiler and broil, tossing halfway through, until the chicken is crispy, about 10 minutes. 
      5. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the remaining onion with cilantro. 
      6. Serve the chicken, tortillas, and onion mixture family-style. 

       

      Instant Pot Method

      1. Add the olive oil to the Instant Pot, hit Sauté, and adjust to select the More or High setting. After 3 minutes of the oil heating, add half of the onions and cook until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 more minute. 
      2. Add the chicken, chicken stock, orange juice, bay leaf, taco seasoning and stir to combine. 
      3. Secure the lid, moving the valve to the sealed position. Hit Cancel and then hit Manual or Pressure Cook. Pressure cook for 8 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then manually vent to release the remaining pressure.
      4. Transfer the chicken to a rimmed sheet pan. Use two forks to shred the chicken into 1-inch pieces and spread into an even layer. Brush the chicken with about ¼ cup of remaining liquid. 
      5. Turn on the broiler and broil, tossing halfway through, until the chicken is crispy, about 10 minutes. 
      6. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the remaining onion with cilantro. 
      7. Serve the chicken, tortillas, and onion mixture family-style. 

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      Nutrition Info

      • Per Serving
      • Amount
      • Calories 297
      • Protein 25 g
      • Carbohydrates 19 g
      • Total Fat 13 g
      • Dietary Fiber 1 g
      • Cholesterol 105 mg
      • Sodium 296 mg
      • Total Sugars 2 g

      Crispy Chicken Carnitas

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