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!
Hi Nagi,
Thanks so much for the recipe!
I know you’ve probably answered this already but I can’t find anything. I’m just wondering what would you recommend to put with this in a taco?
Slaw, pickled red onion and coriander, any sauces?
Thanks for your help!
Hi Anna! I added a Note 4 to the recipe with suggestions and links! 🙂
HI Nagi, thanks so much for your reply, much appreciated! Sorry I missed it!
We have having a dinner party and thinking about making these fish tacos (in addition to these pork tacos):
http://www.sbs.com.au/food/recipes/fish-tacos
Do you think any of the condiments (cabbage salad, Baha sauce, chipotle salsa) would also go with the pork in a taco?
Sorry for all the questions and thanks again for your suggestions and help, much appreciated! : )
Happy to help Anna! YES all of those will go with pork carnitas just fine! Much fancier than what I usually do 😉
Would it work to use lime juice instead of orange juice?
Hi Justine! It’s a bit too sour for this recipe unfortunately. But if you are desperate, use 1/3 cup lime juice + 1/4 cup water and mix in 2 tbsp brown sugar.
Hello, I just joined a freezer meal club & was considering your recipe with the enchilada stacks and carnitas. If I need to prepare the pork to then immediately assemble freezer meals, can you tell me the best way? I saw variations as to eating it immediately versus reheating later but not necessarily assembling it into meals to freeze. I’m a newbie so I want to be sure I don’t ruin anyone’s dinner plans!!
Hi Marie! This won’t freeze well as a meal that can be reheated in it’s entirety i.e. with sides. If you freeze it, I recommend reheating once defrosted by pan frying to make it golden, per the recipe notes. 🙂
Hi! I’m super excited to try this recipe today, it sounds so delicious. I’ll probably serve it as tacos with some fresh ingredients like salsa, avocado, shredded lettuce, etc. I was thinking of making a nice fresh slaw to go on the side but was wondering what you typically service with this dish when you made it?? What are your suggestions??
Hi Christina! For a really easy dinner, I serve this with diced lettuce, avocado and slices of tomato with sour cream and cheese. If I want to make more of an effort, I make Pico De Gallo (see https://promotown.info/mexican-shredded-beef-and-tacos/%3C/a%3E%29 or Restaurant Style saucy salsa (https://promotown.info/salsa-super-easy-restaurant-style/%3C/a%3E%29 and/or Guacamole (this is a real proper version – https://promotown.info/best-ever-authentic-guacamole/%3C/a%3E%29 I hope that helps!
Can I use a pork tenderloin?
Hi Lori! I don’t recommend using tenderloin for this because it is so lean which means the shredded pork is quite dry. Also tenderloin doesn’t shred into strands like shoulder does. Sorry to disappoint! 🙂
I followed your recipe tonight for my family, which includes 2 picky little eaters….It was a hit! I was so happy with the taste of the pork, and everyone ate it up! My pork carnitas tacos were soooo good!!! Thank you so much for the recipe…this one was a keeper for my family…Definitely making it again.
Glad to hear even the PICKY ONES enjoyed this Cathy! Thank you for letting me know! 🙂
Okay, I went on the hunt for a good recipe to make carnitas after having a TRUE carnita taco from an amazing little mexican place. Sadly, I am not made of money, otherwise I would just leave it to the pro’s… But holy smokes, I think this recipe is equally as qualified to do the job as theirs! I made it just as the recipe called, and oh, it smelt amazing. And when I tried it, it was equally as amazing.
I think I added too much orange juice (didn’t have fresh oranges so substituted about two cups of normal OJ) as it was super liquid-y when it came out. Probably closer to three cups of juice. Maybe a little less. Not an issue for us though!
Another thing I do while pan frying to get that nice crisp is add fresh lime juice to the meat as well as cilantro, give it a good stir and let it cook in. This made it even better! Oh, heaven. I top mine with sour cream and avocado typically, and my hubby loves his with some grilled onions.
Now to figure out how to make homemade tortillas!
Only thing I would love to see added to the recipe how much juice we should substitute if we don’t have fresh oranges 🙂
Thanks for your lovely message Emily, thank you! Yes, 2 cups of OJ is a little too much 🙂 I think I get about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of juice out of 2 oranges. But I’m glad the flavour was still lovely! Thank you for the tip, I will update the recipe right now for the amount of OJ to use! N x
Nagi this is just what you said, a simple yet delicious recipe that can be used a number of ways. Great job and thank you! I make pulled pork all the time but usually for BBQ sandwiches. Now I have another choice for my family. I’m glad you demand the pan fry method. 🙂 That’s the way it’s done when served at a taqueria, right there on the grill. Today I’m trying this same prep method with a piece of top round.
Thanks again, Nagi!
Yay! So glad you enjoy this Frank, thank you so much! N x
My boneless pork shoulder came with string/netting around it. Do I keep this on for the slow cook or remove before cooking??
Hi Kate! Please remove it 🙂
Can you please tell me if I can use Sour Orange that comes in a bottle instead of the oranges.
Hi Heidi! Sorry to say that I don’t know what sour orange tastes like. If it tastes like orange juice, then that will be just fine. If it is quite sour, I suggest adding sugar or honey until the sweetness is akin to orange juice! 🙂
Hi Nagi, just wondering if I make this the day before, do I just pull the pork & then refrigerate overnight keeping the liquid separate until the next day? And would you recommend I fry it off before I refrigerate or when I reheat it & ready to serve? Mine is in the slow cooker right now, and smells delis – can’t wait to taste it!
Hi Andrea! I added a Note 4 which has comprehensive info for making this in advance 🙂 The best option is definitely to keep the juice and pulled pork separate, then fry it off just before serving! Hope you love it! N x
Fabulous, thank you so much Nagi 🙂
I loved this recipe I was a little afraid it wouldn’t have enough flavor so I cut the pork shoulder into big chunks and it was delicious. My whole family loved it and could not stop eating it. I was already full by dinner time because I couldn’t stop picking at it while I was shredding it!!! Will definitely make again. Thank you for the recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Alexa!!! 🙂
Hey! I made this overnight in my slow cooker and (8 hours on low) followed the recipe to a tee only thing is I used slightly smaller piece of pork (1.7kilos) and the sauce has completely charred, it’s pretty much evaporated and I have no liquid! Pork is great, especially the middle is extra juicy.
Do you know what I could change next time to stop this happening again? Or how I could fix it before tonight!
Thanks so much
Hello Bek. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but if you had char, then it means your slow cooker is leaking steam because the thing with slow cookers is that all the moisture is TRAPPED inside! 🙁 To avoid this happening again, you will need to add extra liquid into your slow cooker – even water will be fine. You should do that for every slow cooker recipe because it means all your sauces are reducing too much because of escaping steam! 🙂
Hi!! I have a 2.5lb pork loin roast. I know pork shoulder/butt would be better but it’s what they had. I’m doing a lime and orange combo. Should I cut down to 6hrs because it’s smaller?
Hi Meaghan! Unfortunately I really don’t recommend using loin because it’s a lot leaner, it won’t work well for shredding. But if you really want to try it, then yes, 6 hours should be just right. 🙂
I have 12 people who will be at dinner on Saturday night. The recipe says it yields 10-12 servings. Would that translate to 10-12 tacos? Or maybe a couple of tacos per person?
Hi Ashten! Nope, this will serve 10 to 12 people – as in 3 to 4 tacos per person. Once shredded it makes a lot and not much is required per taco!
Whoops. I mean INCREDIBLE
<3 :)
I was nervous about this recipe but oh my gosh! These were absolutely increfible. We used two very large oranges and I added a little Ancho chili pepper. These were to die for!!! I am.married to a mexican man. His family always makes authentic mexican goodness and I am always afraid to even try, but this!!!! I am soooo glad I came across this recipe! Yummmmmm
Thank you Kayla, I’m so glad you enjoyed this! Thank you for letting me know!
I’ve made this several times. It’s one of my favorite meals, and everyone that has tasted it loves it! I serve it with sliced radishes, avocados, and queso fresco (because my daughter needs cheese on everything).
So glad you enjoy this Daniel! THANKS for letting me know!
Made this in the slow cooker today for your other recipe to be enjoyed tonight, Pulled Pork Enchiladas! Soooo good and flavorful already – can’t wait to taste it in the enchiladas! Thank you!
these receipt look delicious can’t wait to try them
Thanks Rachel! So happy to hear you enjoyed it! N x
This looks fantastic! I have browsed several similar recipes and settled on yours to try for a party I am planning. I would like to prepare it the day before and refrigerate until the party the following evening. All guests and myself will be attending an event beforehand so I want to be able to just pull it out and place it in an electric roaster to heat up when we get home. Do you think the crispiness will survive a nite in the fridge? I really don’t want to lose that, as we all know it’s the best part! Also would you retain the liquid to add right before reheating?
Hi Tim! I think it will be just fine overnight, you still get that gorgeous caramelisation flavour and while not quite as crispy as straight off the stove, all the flavour is there. I would retain SOME liquid to add right before reheating but it’s still nice to cook it in the skillet with some liquid because it adds flavour which caramelises into the pork!