Every tortilla dreams of being stuffed with Carnitas. Picture seasoned pork slow-cooked into tender submission, gently shredded and pan-fried to golden, crispy perfection. Carnitas has that elusive combination of juicy and crispy that’s so irresistible. The best part of this Carnitas? 5 minutes prep!
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
Carnitas
Is there anything better in this world than pork slowly cooked until it’s crazy juicy and fall apart tender, then crisped to golden perfection?
Yes.
When it’s inside a taco. 😂
Carnitas is one of my specialities. I make this recipe often – for everyday purposes, a freezer standby and for taco-bar gatherings with friends!
The one and only Pork Carnitas
I went through A LOT of Pork Carnitas recipes before settling on this as The One. I’ve been loyal to it for over a decade because it ticks all my boxes:
✅ Extremely quick 5 minute preparation
✅ Made with easy to find natural ingredients
✅ Enough flavour to eat plain (and you will pick it out of the pan!)
✅ Subtle enough flavour so it can be used in any Mexican dish (over salting and over spicing is a common problem);
✅ Perfect caramelized brown bits while retaining the incredible juiciness from slow cooking;
✅ Perfect freezer food – reheats 100% perfectly; and
✅ Excellent food for gatherings – big batch recipe, stays fresh even hours after cooking it
What are Carnitas?
If you’re new to Carnitas, let me be the first to welcome you to your new addiction.
Carnitas are Mexico’s version of pulled pork. It’s the first thing you seek upon landing in Mexico. It’s why we trawled the back streets of Mexico City in torrential rains, hunting down a hole-in-the-wall carnitas joint that was popular with locals.
Made by slow cooking pork fully submerged in lard, this confit method of cooking yields pork that’s unbelievably rich and tender with loads of crispy golden bits.
Unfortunately for most home cooks, a huge cauldron of lard isn’t viable or practical.
But fortunately, it is possible to make carnitas that tastes very similar to authentic Pork Carnitas without gallons of lard. And it’s unbelievably simple.
How to make Pork Carnitas
Best Pork Cut for Pork Carnitas – for ultimate juicy pulled pork full of flavour, you can’t beat pork shoulder, aka pork butt. Bone in or out, it needs to be skinless so it can be rubbed with the Carnitas seasoning
Carnitas seasoning – rub pork with a simple spice mix of oregano, cumin, salt and pepper.
Flavour for cooking – top pork in slow cooker with onion, garlic and jalapeño, then pour over orange juice (the secret ingredient!). It sounds so simple, but with hours of slow cooking, mingling with the pork juices, it transforms into the most incredible braising broth that more than makes up for the absence of gallons of lard.
Slow cook until the pork is pull-apart tender and infused with incredible flavour
Pan fry until golden, doused with the juices from the slow cooker. Pan frying is so much better than broiling/grill or oven!
Can Carnitas be made in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker?
Yes! The outcome is exactly the same – no one can the difference once browned in the skillet. I make this in a pressure cooker when time is of the essence!
The BEST Pork Carnitas are browned in a skillet!
Don’t skip the step to brown the Pork Carnitas! This is the key that makes this the best Pork Carnitas you will have outside of Mexico.
Hand on heart, it is as good as the carnitas I had at a really authentic Mexican joint called Old Town Mexican Cafe in San Diego which is famous for its Pork Carnitas.
So if you think you’ve had great carnitas before, but you haven’t tried browning in a skillet, this is going to be a game changer!
What to serve with Pork Carnitas
While I have a great fondness and tendency to favour Tacos de Carnitas (Pork Carnitas Tacos), pork this juicy and full of flavour is highly versatile – plus it freezes 10000% perfectly.
I use Pork Carnitas to make Enchiladas, Burritos, Quesadillas, Sliders, Mexican pizzas. I toss them into my Mexican Fried Rice (don’t laugh, this is a firm favourite with many readers!), and I make Carnitas Plates – pile Carnitas over Mexican Red Rice with a side of Pico de Gallo or Guacamole, and steamed corn.
And of course, I eat it straight out of the skillet. 😂
And the best part?
• You’re just 5 minutes away from getting this Pork Carnitas in your slow cooker, pressure cooker or oven.
• It can be frozen without any loss of quality.
• There are easy ways to pan fry to golden perfection and still be juicy and fresh hours later – even after refrigerating.
There’s a reason I am rarely without a stash of Carnitas in my freezer!!! – Nagi xx
Mexican recipe favourites
Mexican Fiesta Menu and recipes
Carnitas
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!
Is that a pressure cooker in the video??
Yes and no! My slow cooker (Breville Fast-Slow Cooker) is like an Instant Pot. It’s multi-functional, a pressure cooker and slow cooker in one. Hence why it looks like a pressure cooker with the twisting top. The slow cooking function is no different to any standard slow cooker.
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Carnitas (Mexican Slow Cooker Pulled Pork)
Ingredients
- 2 kg / 4 lb pork shoulder (pork butt) , skinless, boneless (5lb/2.5kg bone in) (Note 1)
- 2 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 onion , chopped
- 1 jalapeno , deseeded, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup juice from orange (2 oranges)
Rub
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Rinse and dry the pork shoulder, rub all over with salt and pepper.
- Combine the Rub ingredients then rub all over the pork.
- Place the pork in a slow cooker (fat cap up), top with the onion, jalapeño, minced garlic (don’t worry about spreading it) and squeeze over the juice of the oranges.
- Slow Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 7 hours. (Note 2 for other cook methods)
- Pork should be tender enough to shred. Remove from slow cooker and let cool slightly. Then shred using two forks.
- Optional: Skim off the fat from the juices remaining in the slow cooker and discard.
- If you have a lot more than 2 cups of juice, then reduce it down to about 2 cups. The liquid will be salty, it is the seasoning for the pork. Set liquid aside – don’t bother straining onion etc, it’s super soft.
To Crisp:
- Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large non stick pan or well seasoned skillet over high heat. Spread pork in the pan, drizzle over some juices. Wait until the juices evaporate and the bottom side is golden brown and crusty. Turn and just briefly sear the other side – you don’t want to make it brown all over because then it’s too crispy, need tender juicy bits.
- Remove pork from skillet. Repeat in batches (takes me 4 batches) – don’t crowd the pan.
- Just before serving, drizzle over more juices and serve hot, stuffed in tacos (see notes for sides, other serving suggestion and storage/make ahead).
Recipe Notes:
1.5 – 3 kg / 3 – 6 lb: Cook time per recipe.
3 – 4 kg / 6 – 8 lb: Use large oval slow cooker, 12 hours on low. 2. Other cooking methods: Electric pressure cooker or Instant Pot: 1 h 30 minutes on high. Let pressure release naturally. Proceed with Step 5 of recipe. Stove pressure cooker: use a rack or balls of scrunched up foil to elevate it from the base OR add 3/4 cup of water. Cook 1 h 30 minutes. Proceed with Step 5 of recipe. Oven: Follow recipe but put pork in roasting pan. Add 2 cups water around pork. Cover tightly with foil, roast in 325F/160C oven for 2 hours, then roast for a further 1 to 1.5 hours uncovered. Add more water if the liquid dries out too much. You should end up with 1 1/2 to 2 cups of liquid when it finishes cooking, and you can skip the pan frying step because you will get a nice brown crust on your pork. Shred pork then drizzled with juices. 3. Taco Fixings: Diced avocado or make a real proper Guacamole, Pico de Gallo or Restaurant Style Salsa or even just sliced tomato, grated cheese, sour cream. Sliced lettuce or pickled cabbage / red onions would also be great, but unlike other tacos, you don’t need it for the texture because the carnitas have the crispy bits! Also see this Carnitas Tacos dinner spread. 4. Other Ways to use Carnitas: Burritos (switch for the beef), Quesadillas (baked version here), Enchiladas, Sliders, with Mexican Red Rice, in Taco Soup or Enchilada Soup. 5. Storing / Make Ahead: Crispiness is retained very well, main thing is loss of moisture as meat cools (happens with all meat, shredded meat cools faster). a) Best way to store: Shred pork but don’t pan fry. Keep pork and juice separate, refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months (for freezer, I put pork in containers/ bags and put juice in ziplock bags in the same container). Gently reheat juice to make it pourable (congeals when cold). Pan fry per recipe, drizzling with juice. b) Storing leftovers after pan frying: Keeps extremely well, but tends to lose juiciness when it cools down. Just drizzle with juice, cover with cling wrap and reheat – the crispy bits hold up very well. It’s not quite as crispy as when cooked fresh, but still seriously tasty. c) Brown pork a few hours ahead / keep warm: Works extremely well. Brown pork per recipe, then transfer to slow cooker on warm setting or food warmer and drizzle generously with juices to keep it moist. Cover loosely. As long as the pork is warm when served, it’s really juicy. The crispiness holds up extremely well. 6. Source: This is a recipe I’ve been making for over a decade now, with minor tweaks over time so I can’t remember the exact source. I want to say Rick Bayless but I can’t find the recipe, however, I did find this one from Food Network which is very similar. However, I’m not sure when it was published. 7. Nutrition per serving, pork only, assuming 12 servings. Calories is higher than it actually is because it does not take into account discarded fat.
Nutrition Information:
Carnitas recipe originally published 2014. Updated with new photos and video in 2018, and some housekeeping in March 2019. No change to recipe, I wouldn’t dare! This has been one of the all time most popular recipes since I first published it!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use pork tenderloin? Sorry to say it’s not suitable for this recipe. Tenderloin is too lean so the long cook time will dry it out. Also, it does not shred into strands well.
Just to confirm – no liquid other than the juice from the oranges?? Really? YES, really. 🙂 The small amount of liquid from the oranges is all you need to keep it from drying out while it comes to temperature, then while it cooks the pork will drop juices. When this finishes cooking you will have more liquid than you started with.
Will it taste of oranges???? Nope, not at all! It magically turns into the most incredible broth that is then poured over the shredded pork.
Can I cook a frozen pork? Please don’t! This will mess with the cook time a lot because it will take sooooo long for the middle of the pork to cook, by which time the outside will be overcooked and when you shred it, it will almost look like mush! The pork must be defrosted!
After I skim off the fat, do I include the onions garlic and jalapeños when topping the meat, or do I discard these and only use the juices? It is up to you! Because it’s been slow cooked, the onion etc is really soft and it just melds into the pulled pork. I don’t bother straining it, but you can if you want to.
Will this work with pork stew chunks? It will definitely work and still be tasty but won’t be quite the same because smaller pieces of pork will cook faster so you won’t get quite the same amount of flavour. 🙂
Just to confirm – no pan frying to brown the pork before putting it in the slow cooker? That’s right! You brown the pork AFTER it is cooked and shredded.
What size slow cooker do you use? Mine is 6 quarts / 6 litres. I use this Breville Fast / Slow Cooker (I’m in Australia) which I love because it’s a pressure cooker and slow cooker in one, plus it has a saute setting! It’s basically an Instant Pot – but without one touch cook functions (like rice etc).
Life of Dozer
I first published this recipe back in 2014, when I was new to blogging. I took sooooo long with the photos – prolonged torture for Dozer!
ActI ally I have about 3 pounds of my leftover pork. Would this work for the potato and pork stir fry recipe I found? I have never cooked with Sake. When buying Sake for cooking do you have any advice? Thank you again!!!!
Hi Meg! Yes it would be great for this recipe -> https://promotown.info/spicy-korean-pork-stir-fry/%3C/a%3E Just slice it thinly!
Thank you for the detailed description. I can’t wait to try this recipe. Two questions : 1. I have it cooking right now I’m wondering if the 6 hour recipe (high setting/low setting) in your opinion makes a flavor difference. 2. I needed to take off about 2 pounds of the shoulder meat to make the recipe. My kids love pork but are picky. Would you have a recipe in your archives you would suggest for my extra pork meat. ? Thanks again!
Hi Meg! So to be honest, I doubt I would know the difference. But I do always default to the low setting because I feel that the longer something slow cooks, the better flavour infuses throughout 🙂 I also have a slow cooked BBQ pulled pork recipe the leftover pork would be ideal for! -> https://promotown.info/slow-cooker-bbq-pulled-pork-sandwich/%3C/a%3E Just scale the recipe down 🙂
I’m really excited to try your recipe. I am originally from San Diego County (Chula Vista) now living in Connecticut. I miss real Mexican food from Old Town and Tijuana! This will have to hold me over until I can visit home again. Thank you.
Hi I’m linda from imperial beach. I’ve lived all over the U.S. and the only place to get authentic REAL Mexican food is Tijuana off the taco trucks. As far as anything else, Lydias cafe or jaliscos on pal Ave was closest. I miss that authenticity soooo much, nothing is the same. I’ll look for any real Mexican food recipes I can find. Have a good day, rock on CA ppl.
Oooh! I do hope you try this Vicki! 🙂
Hi Nagi, I invited friends over and made your recipe. Everyone enjoyed it very much! I will be making these tasty pork tacos often. Thank you for giving me a taste of home, it brings back great memories.
I’m so pleased to hear that Vicki, thanks for letting me know! N x
If I use 10 pound pork shoulder does the cooking time differ?
Hi Lisa, yes, I think 13 – 14 hours would be safe 🙂 Not quite double the time.
Hi Nagi! Sounds delish! I have a 2 1/2 lb boneless pork shoulder I’d like to cook using this recipe. I’m thinking to halve the ingredients but what do you think about the cook time?
Hi Elena! I think 8 hours on low is still the right time 🙂 7 is probably enough but 8 to be safe!
Hi Nagi!
I just want to say THANK YOU! I have been through sooo many carnitas recipes and they always turn out too salty and too much seasoned juices. It just overwhelms the meat. This recipe is awesome to the T. I did add 1 aneheim pepper, and chilli powder, and also broiled everything before putting in blender. But my partner lovvves carnitas and we’ve had many but she said I out did myself this time. So, thank you so much!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this Stefanie, thanks so much for letting me know! N xx PS Love your additions 🙂
Simply delicious! Have made Nagi’s Mexican Pork Carnitas a number of times. I am making another batch today. Thanks Nagi for another delicious recipe from you.
Hi Jasmine, thanks so much for the lovely feedback! I am SO GLAD you enjoy this. 🙂 Have a great weekend! N x
Your recipes look and sound amazing. I think you just may have a new fan. I need to keep up with your recipes. How do I do that? Do you have a website, or am I already on the website? I am currently on my mobile so it’s hard to tell. Thanks in advance for your delicious looking recipes. You are doing the world and my family a favor since they may get to try this stuff if I don’t eat it all myself. Ha!
Hi Tisha! Thanks for the kind words! You can sign up to my mail list and you’ll get an email each time I do a new recipe! (PS It’s totally free 🙂 ) RTE Mail List Sign Up Form http://eepurl.com/4kKKD
hi Nagi,
do you add the pineapple chunks after you fry the pork,or can i fry it with the pork.
Hi! I haven’t tried this with pineapple but it would be lovely I think! I’d toss it in with the pork while searing, extra golden bits!
do i add any water slow cooker
Nope! The juice is enough liquid and the pork drops LOADS of liquid too!
Do you know how long I should cook this in an Instant Pot?
Hi Samantha! On the slow cooker setting, just follow the recipe as is 🙂 Or pressure cooker directions!
Hi Nagi,
I love your recipes, the oven chicken wings and saucy takeaway stirfry are delish! Our household doesn’t eat pork, so I am just wondering if I can sub pork with any other meat? All other meats are fair game, so to speak 😉
Just not sure what will give that winning combo that pork gives in this instance!
Ha! Got an unusual freezer stash? ☺️ To be honest, I am not sure how this would work with beef – I don’t think the flavourings will be strong enough. Other mainstream proteins like lamb and goat are also too strong flavoured, and chicken cooks too fast. Unfortunately I don’t know enough about venison, rabbit, boar and other game to know how this would work. It basically needs to be a fairly neutral flavoured protein with plenty of fat that can take a long cook time so it gives it time for the flavour to develop. I hope that helps some! I do have Mexican shredded beef and chicken recipes on my site, if that helps!
Hey Nagi thanks for getting back to me. I think venison would be no dice because its not fatty enough. Rabbit and hare have the same problem. Thanks for the tip though, I’ll check out the chicken and beef recipes too!
Hi Nagi, i must say your recipes are delish i frequent them often. i dont have a slow cooker, would this recipe be ok cooked in a Le Creuset? once again thanks for your recipes:-)
Hi Janet! There are directions in the notes for making this in the oven 🙂 Hope that helps!
Hi there! I made this carnitas recipe last year for the Super Bowl and it’s been requested that I make it again. It turned out absolutely perfect and delicious! There was an avocado cream sauce that was linked to this recipe that I made as well I thought but I can’t find it now. Any ideas on where I can find it again? Thank you in advance!!
Hi Melissa! I don’t have an avocado cream sauce recipe on my site but I do have an avocado dressing 🙂 And guacamole. Was it one of those?
In the video, did you use a pressure cooker?
Hi Leslie, thanks for the question, I get asked that all the time! My slow cooker is multi-functional – also a pressure cooker. But I slow cook this recipe – though it can be done in a pressure cooker too. 🙂 Directions in post.
Any problem or advantage to preparing the meat then letting it marinade in the fridge overnight?
Hi Larry! That will be totally fine but it definitely doesn’t need the marinating time 🙂 N x
Can I make this in a dutch oven? If so, what temperature and time should I cook? Thanks!
HI Stephanie! You sure can – please see the notes for oven directions 🙂
I made this with pork tenderloin in the slow cooker for 6 hrs and it did not dry and it was perfectly stringy, so yes you can use PT ?
Arlen, what setting did you use for the slow cooker? HIGH for 6 hours?
You ROCK Arlen, thanks for letting me know! And I’m jealous, your tenderloins must be much better than the ones I get here because mine would dry out terribly, they are basically zero fat!
I’m using a boneless 2.09 lb…. how long should I crockpot on high?
HI Jennifer – 4 – 5 hours 🙂 Needs the slow cooking time for flavours to develop.
I want to make this tomorrow and don’t have any oranges or orange juice. I’ll have some at the end of the cooking time. Can I substitute to make without oranges?
Hi Ruth! Actually, pineapple, apple or pear juice are great substitutes 🙂 You can’t taste the orange juice at the end, it’s more about having something slightly sweet in the liquid. Oh, or a sweet apple cider works great!
Nagi –
I stumbled across your recipe purely by accident, and the first time I made it (last weekend, for my inlaws) I didn’t brown the meat enough, or add enough of the remnant juices to it while I was browning it (even though you stress several times how important those two things are!) – the results were underwhelming. But, as I had committed to a fund-raising “Taco Friday” for today (for about 40 people at work), I spent evenings this week preparing the pork and freezing it, following your instructions. I wanted to list a couple of lessons that I learned from my experience for your readers.
First off, since I was trying to prepare 24 lbs of pork shoulder after work, I chose to try the electric pressure cooker option that you mentioned as an alternative to the crock pot. I was only able to do (1) shoulder a night (I have a 6-quart pressure cooker that an 8lb shoulder barely fit in); the cook time needed to get it to the “falling off the bone” state wound up being around 2:30 (roughly 17 minutes / lb). Once I had made all the meat, and had followed your suggestion to reduce the leftover juices, I reserved about 3 pints of it, and put it in the fridge. I followed your advice about putting some juices in with the meat before I froze it.
Today I took everything to work, and got out (2) large frying pans. I used a little vegetable oil, and set the burners to med-hi, as I browned the meat by batches. Once I got one side nice and brown, I started to ladle spoonfuls of the leftover juices onto the meat. That is definitely the step that imparts the flavor to the meat; the moisture evaporated out of the hot skillet, and made the entire office staff come in to see what was cooking.
It took about 90 minutes to properly brown and season all the meat; after I finished each batch, I put it back into the pressure cooker, and turned on the “warm” setting. I added a spoonful of juice on top of each batch after I put it in the pressure cooker. It was a huge success. One fellow had (10) tacos, and I received praise from others who also happen to barbecue professionally. High praise for your recipe, coming from them!
A quick comment about tasting the cumin: a few people guessed that it was in there, but it is in no way overpowering. Everybody was so surprised that there were so few spices in there – but the flavor, the texture, the moistness of the meat – all of it was excellent. If you like lime, then the lime wedges are a must. I put some salsa out, but most people just put a little white onion, a pinch of cilantro, and a sprinkle of diced Serrano peppers on them. I used corn tortillas, and had success warming them in the microwave, between (2) paper plates (reversed to form a small cavity) so that they didn’t break – about 1 minute for (10) tortillas. My thanks to you for your guidance in this recipe.
Woah!You’re amazing Sean, to make that much pulled pork for a fund raiser ❤️ Thank you so much for your comprehensive feedback! And WOW to the high praise from the BBQ professional *blush* / all credit to you! N xx