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!
Oh, my, god!! These were absolutely amazing! I love how crispy the pork came out! Put it in a soft taco topped with fresh homemade salsa and homemade guacamole. Even my picky kids asked when I would make it again! Thank you!!!
I’m so glad to hear that Jessy! Thank you for letting me know! N x
I’ve made this 3 times now and I can’t seem to get the crunchy bits that come from the pan frying. I am using olive oil, high heat and pressing down with the spatula. How long should I do this? I feel like I am literally squeezing all of the juice out of the meat.
Hi Tonya, that is so weird! You made this with Pork shoulder / butt? Is it not going golden at all, like what you see in the photos??
I get a little browning but usually after frying for quite a while. Wasn’t sure if I should be frying for 2-3 minutes or like 5. I think what I used was labeled as a “chef’s prime roast”.
Did you preheat the skillet with oil before adding the pork??
When I use a “teflon” coated skillet browning occurs minimally. I would bring out the cast iron skillet (or similar) for this task, perhaps you can try it.
I would like to serve this at a picnic and keep it warm in the crockpot during the event. Do you have any suggestions so that it doesn’t dry out?
Hi Jeri! Brown it and place in crockpot to keep warm, keep some juices aside to pour over just before serving 🙂 The pork used in this recipe is lovely and fatty so the pork will stay juicy even when made ahead. 🙂
This recipe was absolutely delicious. I made it for my son and daughter-in-law. They wanted recipe. It was so easy to make and just simply tasty! Would definitely make again.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this! Thank you for trying it and coming back to let me know! N x
Hi
Can’t wait to try this recipe…..I’m a huge an off your website. Just wondering have you tried this using a pressure cooker. Does it come out just as good? I want to do this for a BBQ but will be strapped for time.
Sorry… Huge fan of your website…oops
🙂 Thank you Maro!! (I figured it out! 😉 )
Hi Maro! Yes I’ve tried this in a pressure cooker and it works great. Obviously as with ANY pressure cooked recipe because there is less time for flavour to infuse, it is not 100% the same. But the key step in this is the browning of the pork after shredding it and when you do that, it makes it so delicious anyway that the slight loss of flavour infusion is barely noticeable 🙂
My husband just smoke a pork shoulder roast. I so much pulled pork, I don’t know what to do with it. THese recipes look like they might work. What is your take? By skipping the slow cooker for the pork since it is already cooked.
Hi Jane! I have a whole collection of recipes using pulled pork you have browse through! https://innovate-pulse.news/category/pork-carnitas/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
This was so delicious! I made this over the weekend. I added a little extra garlic and some garlic powder (clearly, I love garlic), and my family thoroughly enjoyed it. We enjoyed it so much that I’m making it again today. In fact, it’s in the slow cooker as I type this. Thanks for this awesome recipe!
Thanks for trying my recipe Michelle! So glad you enjoyed it! N x
Hi Nagi! I tried your pulled beef last week which was the best thing ever! Today im trying out this pork recipe as it’s the first time I’ve ever attempted pulled pork! Do you shred the fat cap after as well or discard it as I’m a little put off with so much fat. It’s still quite thick and white. 3 hours to go? and then it’s burrito time.
Hi Jess! My fat mostly melts away so when it’s shredded and pan fried, it all disappeared. But you can definitely remove it if you have excess fat! 🙂
I made the carnitas as directed but I did not fry them. I cooked on low for 6 hours because my crock pot cooks very hot, but it came out great! My husband said they were the best carnitas he has ever had! My two boys ate it up and said the flavor was great and it smelled good while cooking. They kept asking when it would be done. i will definitely make this again. Thank you!
So glad Melissa! Thank you for trying my recipe and for coming back to let me know you enjoyed it! N x
Nagi, I’m back after making this recipe for the fourth time. I finally settled on the quantities for my two added ingredients: 1 tsp cardamom and 4 cinnamon sticks. And I use 1 tbsp salt for a 3 1/2 to 4 lb pork shoulder (I have a 5 qt. slow cooker). I just tasted the result, and it’s the best I can imagine. Now my friends have to once again put up with my bragging about your recipe for another week.
Woah! You ROCK Michael! Thank you for letting me know your extra additions, I’m going to try it too! N x
I have tried many online carnitas recipes and cooking styles. While this is not a traditional Mexican carnita style it is by far better than any carnitas I have ever had. Excellent seasoning and process for cooking a pork butt. I don’t comment on food blogs much unless it is really good and this is the best pork butt/shoulder I have ever had.
I’m a South Texas native and a real fan of this recipe. Thank you Nagi!
Thanks for trying my recipe! I’m so glad you enjoyed it 🙂 I know it’s not the authentic way of making carnitas, confit-ed in fat, but honestly, I am glad you agree that this is super tasty!! I just got back from San Diego and had carnitas at a place FAMOUS for carnitas, and I swear this is very similar!! Thank you for taking the time to come back and let me know you enjoyed this! N x
Would your recipe for shredded beef work as a cooking method before pan frying….I love the flavor of the shredded beef, and always wondered how it would work with pork?
Hi Brian! So you want to use this recipe for beef? If so, my initial thought is that the flavourings won’t be strong enough for beef because beef has stronger flavours naturally than pork. however you could most definitely do the pan frying step for beef using another Mexcian beef recipe, like this Shredded Beef one I have 🙂 -> https://innovate-pulse.news/mexican-shredded-beef-and-tacos/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Came across your recipe after purchasing a pork shoulder on sale and needing a recipe for some good carnitas. After making this last week I can confidently say that these were not good carnitas. They were AMAZING carnitas! In fact we liked them so much that I went back to purchase another pork shoulder just to make them again. I will be perusing your other recipes to see what other delicious meals you’ve shared..as this one knocked our socks off. would be proud to serve this to guests as it tops any carnitas I’ve ever had at a restaurant. =)
My notes:
I am not a huge fan of spicy foods so I cringed a bit at the thought of using a jalepeno but trust me on this, don’t skip it. It’s not overpowering at all..it just enhances the delicious flavor of this mexican dish. Also, I was a bit torn as to what toppings to try with it. I ended up just frying some flour tortillas, spooning the meat on, drizzling the sauce from the pan over the meat, and topping with some mild (because I’m a spice wimp) salsa. That was all it needed. Seriously, the flavor from the meat and juice is just incredible. Also, as the author notes, don’t skip the part on browning one side of the meat!!
WOO HOO! So glad you enjoyed this, thanks so much for trying my recipe Kari! N x
Hi Nagi,
I cooked the pulled pork the way you have the recipe with instructions. OMG it was soo good thank you for posting your recipe. I’m really glad i found you.
Thank you,
Yasmin
Thanks for trying this recipe Yasmin! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!!! N x
Hi, I’ve never made pulled pork tacos before, your recipe caught my eye cause I was looking for something different. I followed it exactly and served them with avacodo, sour cream, salsa and cilantro which we don’t really like, I told my family – let’s just try it. I didn’t put out any lettuce, tomatoes & shredded cheese like I always do. The tacos were fabulous & different. Everyone loved them, thank you for the recipe!
That’s so wonderful that you and your family enjoyed this Glenda! Thank you for taking the time to come back and let me know! N x
Hi Nagi! Can I cook this with a pressure cooker if I don’t have 6 hours?
Hi Emily! Just added it into the recipe 🙂 Around 1.5 hours on high in a pressure cooker, all in one piece with the bone in. If you cut it in half and it has no bone, around 70 minutes should do it!
Do the oranges actually give it an orange flavor or no? I am worried it will taste too orangey.
You wouldn’t even know there is Orange in it! It just adds sweetness and forms the flavour base, but definitely not an orangey flavour! 🙂
Great recipe- I’ve always done pork carnitas in the oven before. This
kept the apartment from heating up and the browning technique is awesome.
Only change I made is to final storage of the sauce- I separated the fat and
put the fat and liquid into separate ice cube trays, which then went separately into
plastic bags after freezing. I use the fat cubes as a substitute for bacon or lard
in many recipes (and it already has a lot of flavor). By keeping the liquid in cubes
you can then defrost the pork, brown it and THEN add a cube or 2. I pretty
much use this technique for all sauces and stocks (just remember to date and
label the bags). Rummage sales are a great place to get more ice cube trays-
label them and only use them for freezing stock or sauces as a bit of the flavor
gets into the plastic and will make regular ice cubes taste funky.
Thanks for trying this recipe Greg, I’m SO GLAD you enjoyed it! And thank you for coming back to let me know! N x
I would imagine that you would have to have a single layer of the shredded pork in your frying pan so does it take a few batches to brown it all (depending on your pan size) ?
Hi Kristin! Yup, it does, usually 3 batches 🙂 Doesn’t need to be a super thin layer, about 3/4″ thick works well! 🙂
Great, thanks so much for your quick reply 🙂
The recipe looks delicious and oh so simple! I have a pork sirloin (not a tenderloin) roast in the freeze about 4 lbs boneless. Is this still to lean for making carnitas?
Thanks…I can’t wait to make this!
Hi Pam! I’m sorry to say that sirloin is still too lean for this. Shoulder has fat marbled throughout it and that’s way you need to ensure it comes out beautifully juicy! 🙂 N x