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. Want something beefier? Try our Margarita Beef.
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!
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.
How To Make Carnitas:
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.
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.
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.
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!
Feast! For days! One pork shoulder makes a LOT of carnitas.
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:
- Carnitas Quesadillas
Carnitas Nachos
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.
More Pork Recipes
How Did Your Carnitas Turn Out?
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