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    Carnitas

    Updated April 22, 2025 / By Holly Erickson & Natalie Mortimer

    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.

    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. Want something beefier? Try our Margarita Beef.

    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 Recipe

    Updated April 22, 2025

    By Holly Erickson & Natalie Mortimer

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

    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.

    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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    • Jules

      My broiler is a pain to use can I do the last step in the oven on a high heat like when you sear a roast?

      The last step doesn't have to be done just gives bits of it a nice crispy effect. Most baking sheets can handle going under the broiler but high heat on bake won't get the same effect.

    • Lauren

      I'm hoping to make this today and serve it tomorrow night (in tacos). How should I reheat it? Should I save the broiling step for tomorrow night? Thank you!

      You can broil when you make it or after reheating either way is fine. Best way to reheat is in a skillet over medium heat or in the oven, spread them on a baking sheet and reheat at 350 F until warmed through. Hope you enjoy!

    • Sita

      Can i use the left over jus from the crispy carnitas recipt for another dish?

      Yes you could, we'd recommend straining it first.

    • 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.

    • Dorota

      I hardly ever write reviews but I had too.I've made pork carnitas before and they were good.This recipe somehow is just superb.Absolute keeper!!!My daughter that hardly eats anything and only chicken loved it and had to stop my son from almost eating 3 pound of it !Thank you and I will be making it again soon

      Thanks Dorota, we are so glad you loved it!

    • Norma

      This is sooo yummy! I used the air fryer for the final step / to crisp up the shredded pork. Came out perfectly. Thank you for the great recipe.

      Thanks Norma, we are so glad you loved it!

    • Shannon

      Awesome! I used my crock pot! I added a jalapeno. Delish!!

      Thanks Shannon!

    • Aislinn

      1000/100 excellent excellent excellent!!!! Im from Oklahoma and often work near the border of Mexico and these are some of the best carnitas Ive ever had, bar any that are made with lard of course because its impossible to beat that. Made these in the oven (as I believe theyre meant to be made) and oh my, heavenly smells and heavenly taste. I say life is too short to get rid of the excess fat and threw it onto the pan for broiling with the meat. Added small diced yellow onion, cilantro, and salsa verde. 10/10 recommend. Yall know what youre doing!

      Thanks so much Aislinn, we are so happy you loved it so much!

    • Bec

      Oh my! This is a KEEPER recipe. It was so good and the meat has so much flavor! I kept picking at it in the fridge the next day. It never made it to the freezer. :)

      Thanks Bec, we are so glad you loved it so much!