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The perfect pork carnitas recipe that is crispy on the edges and moist and flavorful on the inside.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
This pork reminds me of the yummy pork carnitas you get when you order street tacos. Crispy on the outside edges, but moist and flavorful on the inside.
This delicious pork can be enjoyed on its own or used in tacos, burritos, quesadillas, on a salad, in enchiladas and more. You will want to make a big batch so you have plenty of leftovers to use.
What is Pork Carnitas?
Pork carnitas is a traditional Mexican pulled pork. Carnitas means “little meats” which describes how this pork dish is served, in small pieces. The meat is cooked slowly in orange juice, lard and seasonings until very tender and juicy on the inside. It is shredded and then broiled with some of the cooking liquid until the edges of the meat are crispy.
Ingredients Needed
- Lard. This recipe uses a pound, yes, a pound of Lard. Lard is not the same thing as Crisco but it is usually found in the baking aisle near the Crisco. The meat does not absorb the lard but it does give it great flavor. The lard is discarded at the end, it just helps create an amazingly tender and flavorful pork. Don’t skip this part!
- Pork. You can use a boneless pork shoulder, picnic or butt roast. My store also has a cut of pork called pork carnitas which I use. You want a cut of pork that has some fat on it, the fat gives the pork carnitas so much flavor.
- Orange Juice, fresh orange juice.
- Lime Juice
- Garlic, whole and garlic powder
- Onion
- Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
- Oregano
- Cumin
- Cilantro
How to Make Pork Carnitas
- Place pork, cut into 2 inch pieces into a heavy roasting pan.
- Add in lard, oranges, limes, onion, garlic and spices.
- Cover and bake at bake at 275 degrees F for five hours.
- Remove the pork from pan and cut up or shred to the desired size.
- Place on a baking sheet in a single layer and place under the broiler to crisp up the edges. You can lightly baste the pork with olive oil but I usually don’t.
Tips from leigh Anne
- Don’t skip the last step of putting the meat under the broiler. Crisping up the edges gives the carnitas so much flavor and I love the texture it gives too.
- Trust me on the lard or “manteca”. It is the traditional way of slow roasting carnitas. You can leave it out but you don’t get the same flavor without it.
Pair This With:
- Sprinkle with some cilantro and serve with a side of Mexican Rice or Cilantro Lime Rice, Black Beans and sliced avocado.
- We also loved in served as a taco on corn tortillas or flour tortillas as a taco.
- Top your pork carnitas with pico de gallo and/or guacamole.
- You can also enjoy it in a burrito, quesadilla or enchilada.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this in an Instant Pot?
It is very easy to make in the Instant Pot. Use the directions in this post.
Can I freeze pork carnitas?
Pork carnitas freezes great. The crispy edges of the meat will turn mushy though when frozen so skip the final step under the broiler of any meat you are going to freeze. Package the meat along with some of the cooking liquid (in another bag). When ready to serve, thaw in the refrigerator and then do the last step, adding the cooking liquid and putting under the broiler. It will last in an airtight container in the freezer for 2-3 months.
What is the best way to store leftover pork carnitas?
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Also save some of the leftover cooking liquid in another container to “rehydrate” the meat with before serving. You can rewarm under the broiler again to crisp up the edges if needed.
Check out more delicious pork recipes:
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Pork Carnitas Recipe
Ingredients
- 2½ – 3 pound pork butt carnitas or shoulder cut into large pieces at least 2×2 inches in size
- 1 pound lard cut into pieces
- ½ orange skin on, quartered
- 1 lime skin on, quartered
- 4 garlic cloves skins removed and slightly smashed
- 1 medium onion skinned and quartered
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
- In a 9x11x2 casserole dish or large roasting pan, place all ingredients.
- Cover with parchment and foil and bake for five hours.
- Remove from oven and scoop out meat.
- Place cooked pork on a foil-lined sheet pan, drizzle with some of the left over liquid and place under broiler for five minutes to crisp up the edges. Shred if desired.
- If the bottoms seem too wet, flip the pork and broil the other side for another minute or two. This step needs to be watched – you want the meat to caramelize without burning it or drying it out.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro
Tips & Notes:
- Don’t skip the last step of putting the meat under the broiler. Crisping up the edges gives the carnitas so much flavor and I love the texture it gives too.
- Trust me on the lard or “manteca”. It is the traditional way of slow roasting carnitas. You can leave it out but you don’t get the same flavor without it.
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Nutrition Facts:
Kirsten says
Just wondering if you think it could be cooked in a crockpot instead of the oven….
Leigh Anne says
Kristen, I did mention in the post that you could cook it in a crockpot but it might take a couple hours longer.
Kirsten says
Sorry! Skipped right to the recipe in this post:)
BRENDA says
Be sure to use lard that has not been partially hydrogenated!
Jennifer says
Just wondering about the lard. Do you cube it up and add it in with the other ingredients?