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!
This recipe is CRAZY GOOD!!! Used 10 lb pork shoulder, doubled everything in big crockpot and it has come out awesome! Moisture excellent, heat infused in every bite ( just wait for it!) and the true pork taste- fried and straight is exceptional! Nagi you are a culinary Godess! Will continue to try the rest of your recipes! Thank you thank you!
Oh wow, thank you so much! I love your enthusiasm, you sound like me when I’m talking about these carnitas!! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! And I am SUPER impressed that you made a double batch! I don’t think it would fit in my crockpot!!!! Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and let me know you loved it!
Trying this tonight
Oooh, hope you love it! 🙂
This is AMAZING my family is going to love this im taking it to a bbq for the 4th. We are going to use it to make pork sliders…. but I allready snagged some and made a pork and cheese burrito….. this is by far the best thing iv ever made thank u
Hi Mary! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Ooooh, burrito…..these carnitas are so perfect for that, and so many other things! Happy 4th of July! I hope you have a wonderful one! 🙂
I can not wait to try this! I know you gave tips if the pork is less than 5lbs as far as ingredients go but does the cooking time decrease as well??
Thanks!
Hi Michelle! Unless your pork is MUCH smaller, the cooking time can stay the same because slow cooking is very forgiving. The temperature is so low, even if you leave it on for longer than necessary, it doesn’t dry out. How small were you thinking? 🙂
Wow! Thanks for your fast reply. My roast is 2 1/2 pounds.
Hi Michelle! In which case, low for 6 hours in the slow cooker should do the trick :). In the oven, 2 hours covered then about 30 minutes uncovered might be enough. Hope you love it!
We just finished our dinner. The carnitas were a hit! We loved them!!
Thanks so much!
I’m SO GLAD Michelle! Thank you for taking the time to come back and let me know!! 🙂
I am about to get started! My question is – I am making these for burritos that will be frozen. I assume I don’t brown the meat before stuffing the burritos? Thanks, I’m very excited that I found this recipe.
Hi Jane! DEFINATELY brown before stuffing the burritos! The browning gives it extra caramelisation and therefore FLAVOR that you want trapped into those burritos! 🙂
If you are using orange juice (not from an actual orange), do you know how much would replace the oranges?
Hi Nicole! I use around 3/4 cup. Or even 1 cup is fine. 🙂
I have used your carnitas recipe over the last five and a half years and everybody loves it.
Thank you so much, I can’t wait to try it!
My question is before I start, Do I pan fry my Pork shoulder before I rub in the ingredients, I’m looking forward to making this.
Hi Margie! Nope, no pan frying of the pork BEFORE cooking. Just AFTER you shred. That’s the beauty of this recipe!!
The recipe wasn’t clear about when to pan fry. Glad I persevered in reading the comments or I would have done it all wrong.
Hi Kenna! I’m sorry you don’t think the recipe is clear enough about when to pan fry. I’m a bit out of ideas of how to rephrase it though! The pork should be pan fried after it is cooked and shredded, which is why the step is after step 6. 🙂 I’m glad you figured it out though! 🙂
I’m not a cook by any means (more of an “assembler” of prepared items, at best!) but had a hankering for carnitas, so I went online and found your recipe. Your recipe is fast, easy and verrrry flavorful – that’s a win in my book!
I’m so glad Mike! It’s ridiculously easy, isn’t it? Thank you so much for coming back to let me know you enjoyed it!! 🙂 N x
So easy to prepare and the flavour is fantastic. I highly recommend this recipe to everyone!!!!
Thank you Jane! I’m so glad you enjoyed it – thank you for coming back to let me know!! N x
Does it keep well in the fridge? I am hoping to make it one day before I plan to serve it and leave it in the fridge overnight…I am wondering if this will affect the taste. What do you think?
Hi Emma – doesn’t affect it at all! You can keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days. It is best if you can brown it in the pan just before serving, otherwise it losses the crispiness and caramelisation flavour in the fridge. 🙂 Far better to reheat in pan than the microwave!! N x
I’d love to make this for a graduation party as part of a taco bar. I am wondering if it would lose its crispiness if I made a double batch and put it in a crockpot to keep warm. Thanks.
Hi Leann! This is perfect for taco bars! It depends how long you are keeping it in the crockpot 🙂 I tend to make masses of it and pile it on a plate then microwave it to warm it up. I think if you then popped it in the crockpot to keep warm while being served I think that will be fine! I just wouldn’t leave it for hours leading up to serving time because I think it will sweat inside the crockpot and lose some crispiness. Hope you love it!! This recipe is a blog favorited! N x
I just wanted to thank you for sharing this recipe. I have made it a few times, and this is the ONLY recipe my family likes.
We just don’t know which way we like it better, in the oven or slow cooker!
I will definitely be looking for more of your recipes!
And our chocolate lab gets so disappointed cause there is never leftovers for him! (He does get bites during dinner tho!). Thank u!
You mean he gets the bits that “accidentally” falls on the ground during dinner? He he!! My dog’s favorited is dinnertime with LOTS of kids around. He lies at their feet and hoovers up the incredible amount of food that drops on the ground! I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed it! Thank you so much for coming back to tell me, makes my day! 🙂
One word to describe your recipe “Compliments”. I made it for a family gathering with coconut lime and cilantro rice, corn on the cob and a simple salad and everyone at the table had happiness stamped all over their faces. Your trick with pan crisping the pork was perfect. I had only had it crisped in the oven and you are so correct in saying that the pork stays moist without the oven drying it. The juice kept as a pour over was a great idea also. At the risk of going on and on I will end by saying it was a hit and helped make the dinner successful. Thank you for sharing it.
Hi Lynn! Thank you so much for coming back to let me know how much you and your family enjoyed it! Wow, what a spread you put on. I love the sound of that rice! I’ve just popped that on my list of things to make 🙂 Sounds like you had a wonderful family gathering! Thanks again for letting me know you loved it! N x
Looks delicious, I’m going to try it today! I have one question though……do you pan fry once you shred it up with the forks? I was reading the article and must have looked right over that part, thanks!!
Hi Phillip! Glad you like the look of this! Yep, you pan fry after shredding it. The pan frying is the CROWNING GLORY of this! Hope you love it! 🙂 N x
Love your cooking!
Thank you so much Jean! Makes my day, getting messages like this! 🙂 N x
Hi, this looks amazing. I’m going to make it for friends tomorrow. I would like to prep everything in my crock pot then just set it on low before going to work tomorrow. Do you think putting the rub on tonight and everything else in there will make a negative difference? Seems like it should be fine but I don’t want to mess it up. Thanks!
Hi Janeen! It’s fine to put everything into the slow cooker pot tonight, then cover and pop it in the fridge until tomorrow until you are ready to turn the crock pot on. 🙂 Hope you love this as much as I do! N x
I just served this with thick tortillas as the meat for family taco night. We all, including our 2 and 5 year olds, loved it. Used a 4 lb boneless pork shoulder butt and followed all directions, doing the prep work for the rub, and chopping the night before and slow cooking during the day. Delicious and easy. Thanks for sharing!
I am SO HAPPY too hear that your family enjoyed it!! Thank you so much for coming back to let me know! N xx
I tried out my new slow cooker with this recipe today and I was hugely impressed – it was absolutely delicious, thank you! I served mine with apple coleslaw, brioche buns and corn on the cob. I shall definitely be trying out more of your recipes.
Hi Joy! I am so glad you enjoyed it!! It’s incredible, isn’t it? The amount of flavour you can get with such little effort! Thank you so much for coming back to share your feedback! Love that you served it up as sliders. Mmmmm….you’ve inspired me! 🙂
That poor dog, all he/she wants is to eat that pulled pork. Haha. I can’t wait to make this. I’ll have to make a smaller portion without any sauce for my pup, otherwise I’m going to have some serious begging on my hands.
Doesn’t matter how small a batch you make, your pup is going to be gagging for some!! What kind of pup do you have? N x
I. Am making this as we speak I can’t wait to try it tomorrow I’m cooking the meat on low while I sleep 🙂
Oooh!! Can’t wait to hear what you think!! 🙂
Haha, I’m sure! I’ve got an adorable little Siberian Husky 🙂
Oooh, I almost got a husky from the pound! Someone got in before me 🙂 Huskies are beautiful!
have a luncheon on Saturday and really want to take this! Wish me luck
You don’t need luck!! Pinky swear, it’s super easy! 🙂