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.
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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!
Do you pour all the juice on the meat before you freeze? Can you still brown it once it’s thawed?
Hi Susie! I have instructions for freezing in the notes – best to keep the juice separate and brown after thawing 🙂
Hi Nagi!
I was wondering at what stage you would freeze the pork for this dish?
Looks delicious, can’t wait to give it a go.
Hi Jess! After it’s cooked – please refer to the notes for freezing instructions! 🙂
Hi Nagi! I just bought the 4-qt all-clad slow cooker and I think I’m going to use this as my first recipe! Quick question.. if I’m only using half the amount of meat (I’ll reduce the salt, I promise!), do I cook for half the time? Or still use the same cooking time? Is there a general rule for this in slow-cooking?
Thank you! So excited to try this!
Hi Ally! I recommend reducing the cook time by around 1/4, definitely not half. Hope you enjoy!
Quick question: Should I turn the pork butt over at some point? I put it in fat cap up and most of the meat is out of the bottom juices. Wondering if it matters or just keep it like is. it’s cooking in the crock pot right now and my house smells amazing. Can’t wait to try this.
Hi! Nope, just leave it as is. Everything gets flavoured by the juices when you pan fry!
Made this tonight and it is fantastic. I swear there was a party in my mouth every time I took a bite! Thanks for a great recipe. Used a regular pressure cooker using the recommended time specified and it was on the nose perfect.
I’m so glad to hear that! Thank you for letting me know! N x
How would this change for boneless pork shoulder? I am thinking of doing this for a party in a few weeks and know I can get 15lb boneless shoulder from Costco for a good price (need to make food for 150 people so will be buying a few of those). Would like to use a pressure cooker and slow cooker so cooking times for both will be great.
You can fit a 15 lb shoulder in your slow cooker??? I think 14 hours will do the trick. This will be maybe 2 hrs min in a pressure cooker. But I’d need to understand how it will fit – if you are chopping into large chunks, it may not need as long.
Thank you for the reply. I would be cutting it in half and cooking half in a slow cooker and half in pressure cooker. It would be whole. How would that affect the seasoning and cook time? Thank you for all of your advice. Can’t wait to test it this weekend for my party in a week.
Hi James! For seasoning, go by weight. So 7.5 lb in each which is only slightly larger than what I use. I’d do 12 hours for the slow cooker on low, and 1 hr 45 min in the pressure cooker.
I want to try this, but I want to put it in the pressure cooker and not sure how long to cook it any idea?
I have never cooked anything in my pressure cooker more than 50 minutes. An hour and a half for 5lbs of meat is way too long. I would try 50 minutes, test it for falling off the bone tenderness. Note: I have an electric Power Pressure Cooker XL 10 Quart set on “Meat/Chicken” and adjust the time to 50 minutes. I think you will be happy with the results.
Hi Dan! I made this recently in my pressure cooker – at a show when I was urgently needing to cook some quickly – and 1 hour 10 min was not long enough, I had to revert back to my usual 1 hr 30 min. 🙂 Maybe yours is a super powerful one – if so, am jealous!!!
I stand corrected. Pressure Cooker time: 90 minutes. After an hour, I put it back on for 30 minutes longer. Tasted great! I did need to reduce the liquid, pressure cooker lets none escape.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Dan, thank you for letting me know! N x
Stephanie,
Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 6 hours (or 1h 30 m in a pressure cooker on high).
4.Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 6 hours (or 1h 30 m in a pressure cooker on high).
5.The meat should be tender and falling off the bone. Remove from the slow cooker and let cool slightly.
I’m making this for a crowd and have a 9.4 lb shoulder (bone-in). Do you think I can double everything in the recipe and be successful? I’m nervous that the pork will take much longer to cook. I could try to cut the shoulder in two and cook the halves in separate cookers, but cutting through that bone might be challenging!
Hi Ashley – doubling the recipe is fine! It won’t take twice as long to cook, probably around 50% longer. 🙂
I messed up quite a bit but got the basics and it was still awesome! I am using grass fed pork and it wasn’t cheap so wanted it to be really good and it is! Thanks for the great recipe! Had this at a Mexican restaurant in July and it was outstanding, didn’t think I could match it, but with this recipe, I did!
It’s really a forgiving recipe!! I’m so thrilled to hear that you enjoyed this Sharon! THANK YOU for letting me know! N x
If I use half the amount of pork can I cut the cooking time in half too? I don’t want to dry the meat by overcooking it.
Hi Velia! Cut the cook time by about 25%, not half 🙂
Could I add Green or red peppers to the recipe? If so, how many would you recommend?
Hi Jennifer! I’ve never tried it but my initial thought is that it could affect the flavour of the juices which is quite key to the flavour of this dish. 🙂
You need to try these carnitas with homemade red pickled onions! It is the best thing in the world.I also make a quick cabbage slaw with a light vinegar and oil dressing.A squeeze of lime and avocado.. yum great recipe!
Oh YES to pickled red onions!!!
I have never commented or reviewed anything online, but this recipe deserves a moment of my time. I have made it several times and it has never disappointed. It is amazing and I have been hesitant to order pork carnitas at a Mexican restaurant since as I doubt they could even compare. I am interested to try a couple variations in the rub but it is perfectly great just following the recipe as is. And I agree, the pan frying at the end gives it just the tiniest bit of crunch at the tips and is the icing on the cake so do not leave that step out. This recipe will definitely be added to the family cookbook for years to come. Thank you for sharing!
I don’t usually bother to comment on recipes I find online, but I wholeheartedly agree that this has become a winner in my household, and I don’t think I’ve order pork carnitas at a restaurant since because I prefer this one! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed it – and thank you for taking the time to leave me a message! 🙂 N x
I’m so glad to hear that Lauren! Thank you so much for letting me know!! And you are bang on to liken the pan frying to icing on a cake 🙂 That’s EXACTLY what it is!!
I love this recipe! Unbelievable! I want to try different variations but, I might upset my wife. I’m cooking it over night for the football crowd tomorrow. My wife is using this recipe at her cafe next week, and I have no doubt that it’s going to be a hit.
Touchdown! 🙂 So glad you enjoyed it James, THANK YOU for letting me know! N x
I made this tonight and it was insanely good!!! In between each bite I kept announcing “that this was one of the best dinners we had ever made!” haha!
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe and all of the excellent tips about the juice (broth) and how to save the meat for later use.
How I stacked the taco was I did a layer of meat, then squeezed fresh lime juice on it, a small bit of mashed avocado that had been salted and peppered, a ton of very finely chopped purple onions, and then lastly I drizzled on the juice. YUM. I can’t wait to eat the left overs tomorrow. Seriously, this was delicious. Thank you! My carnitas fantasies have been fulfilled!
What a great base recipe for carnitas!
I made it once as presented and was impressed with the results. Then, on Wednesday, I made it again with the following adjustments and it….was….OTHERWORLDLY:
– First, I made a Mexican style rub for the pork out of the following: cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, granulated garlic, smoked paprika, and LOTS of ground chipotle pepper. The smokiness of the paprika and chipotles adds significantly to the flavor profile of the finished product.
– Second, I upped the jalapeno to 3 peppers. No, it wasn’t “too hot”. Hours in the slow cooker cuts the heat of the peppers dramatically and draws out their inherent sweetness. If you can find (or grow…) them, I recommend using a mix of red and green jalapenos. Red jalapenos are just green jalapenos that were left on the plant to ripen completely before being picked. They are less hot and have a brighter, more fruity flavor than the green ones. A mix of the two adds a great compliment to anything that calls for jalapenos.
– Finally, (and, IMHO, most importantly…) after removing the carnitas and shredding, I dumped the meat in a bowl and tossed with the juice of one lime. THEN I tasted, added pot juices as necessary, and pan-fried. See, my main complaint about slow-cooking is that flavors tend to become flat and muted after hours in the cooker, so doing a last minute addition to after cooking (be it salt, acid, heat…whatever) can really help transform the finished product. In this case, adding the citrusy brightness of lime to the carnitas made a WORLD of difference…and I suspect a combination of lime juice and tequila might be even better!
Oh well…next time!!!
Anyway. Thanks for the inspiration, Nagi! This one (with my additions… ;-)) is going into my ” ABSOLUTELY-must-have-dinner-ready-when-we-get-home-from-hockey-practice” file…and I won’t hesitate to trot it out whenever needed!!!
Thanks so much for all that insight!!! PS LOVE the “file” this recipe has made its way into! 😉 N x
Fantastic recipe! So easy and so tasty. Made with 1.5kg pork shoulder for three of us and didn’t get much leftover! I know I will make this again and again!
Woo hoo! Glad to hear Ikuko! N x
This recipe is wonderful. You are wonderful.
So delish!
Thank you for trying my recipe Clare! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! N x
I made this last night. I followed the recipe exactly. It was incredible!
Woo hoo! I’m so glad you enjoyed this Donielle, thanks so much for letting me know! N x
Question: Does everyone brown the pork in the pan before serving? Can it be served straight from the crockpot?
Hi Lynda! It is really tasty straight out of the crockpot with the juices poured over the meat once shredded but honestly, the golden bits are the crowning glory, just like Old Town Mexico Cafe in San Diego does them!
Thank you! We lived in Mexico for 3 years in the 90″s, so i am so excited to yry this!!