Crispy Pork Carnitas
- PREP 20min
- COOK 3hrs 30min
- TOTAL 3hrs 50min
How to make carnitas that are unapologetically porky, juicy, and tender with crisped-up edges. This Mexican slow cooked pulled pork is surprisingly simple to make and delicious. I use an oven, but tips for using a slow cooker are below the recipe.
I love these served in homemade corn tortillas with fresh cilantro and chopped raw white onion on top.
You Will Need
4 pounds (1.8kg) pork shoulder with the fat left on, use bone-in or boneless
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 tablespoons avocado oil or melted pork lard
1 medium orange, halved, or 2 use clementines
Half large onion, quartered
5 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
Directions
Adjust an oven rack towards the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
Prepare the pork: Add one tablespoon of the oil to a wide, heavy-bottomed, oven-safe pot (like a Dutch oven). If you do not have a Dutch oven, see the tips for using a baking dish below.
Season the pork on all sides with the salt and pepper, and then place it into the pot with the fattiest side facing up. Squeeze the oranges over the pork. Scatter the squeezed orange halves, onion, garlic, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf around the pork.
Bake the pork: Drizzle the remaining two tablespoons of oil over everything. Cover the pot with its lid and slowly bake in the oven until the pork is fork tender, 3 to 3 ½ hours.
Pull the pork: Transfer the pork to a cutting board and cool until you can handle it. Pull the pork with forks or your fingers. Depending on your preference, you can separate the meat into larger chunks or smaller shreds. Discard the bone (if there is one), any connective tissue, and larger clumps of fat. I like leaving a few smaller bits of fat.
Strain the cooking liquid: Pour the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh strainer and reserve it for later. Discard the onion, oranges, and spices.
Make crispy carnitas: Spread the shredded carnitas on a baking sheet and pour enough of the reserved cooking liquid to moisten them. (If your cooking liquid has solidified, rewarm some of it in a small saucepan before adding it to the pork.)
Broil the pork: Set an oven rack 4 to 5 inches below the broiler and preheat it. Slide the pork underneath and broil until the pork crisps and caramelizes, 2 to 5 minutes. As you broil, stir once or twice, and keep a close eye on them, as they can burn or smoke quickly.
Serve carnitas in tacos, burritos, salads, rice, or with your favorite sides.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Serving suggestions: Make carnitas tacos with corn tortillas, cilantro, and raw white onion. Or serve them alongside Mexican rice, refried beans or black beans, guacamole, and salsa. For a green salsa, try our tomatillo salsa, or for a red salsa, see our easy salsa recipe.
- Storing: Homemade pork carnitas can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. I like storing the pulled pork and the cooking liquid in separate containers so that when it’s time to reheat, I can use some of the liquid to moisten the pork.
- Freezing: You can freeze them for up to 3 months. I add the pork to one freezer-safe container and the leftover cooking liquid to another, then freeze both. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheating: Reheat on the stovetop in a skillet over medium heat, adding a little reserved cooking liquid to keep them moist. Or reheat in a 350°F oven in a baking dish with a splash of cooking liquid. For crispy carnitas, after reheating, place them under the broiler (explained in the recipe above).
- No Dutch oven: Cut the pork into 2-inch chunks and arrange it in a large baking dish. Place the other ingredients around it, and then cover the dish with aluminum foil.
- Slow Cooker Carnitas: Season the pork and place it fat-side-up in your slow cooker. Squeeze over the orange and scatter the orange halves, onion, garlic, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf around the pork. Drizzle the oil over the pork, close the lid, and cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours. When the carnitas are fork-tender, shred them and then crisp them up using your broiler (as explained in the recipe).
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.