Carnitas

Name: Carnitas
Total time: 3 h
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Cuisine: mexican
Ingredients: 3 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch chunks; 1 tablespoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), plus more for seasoning; 1 teaspoon black pepper, plus more for seasoning; 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano; 1 navel orange, quartered; 1 white onion, quartered; 7 garlic cloves, crushed; 1 cinnamon stick, broken into 2 pieces; 1 bay leaf (dried or fresh); 1/4 cup neutral oil, such as safflower or canola; Warmed tortillas, chopped white onion, chopped cilantro, sliced avocado and lime wedges, for serving

By Kay Chun

Updated June 21, 2022

Total Time: 3 hours
Rating: 4(1,134)
Comments: Read comments

Carnitas (or “little meats”) are a traditional Mexican dish of cubed pork shoulder braised with spices and citrus until tender. Fresh orange, crushed garlic, earthy oregano and aromatic cinnamon and bay leaf create a rich and fragrant braising liquid that imparts its savory flavors into the pork as it cooks. There’s very little hands-on work involved, and the carnitas can be made a day ahead. Store the pork in the liquid overnight, then gently reheat before serving. A final finish under the broiler creates a golden, crispy exterior on the meat.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

3pounds pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch chunks
1tablespoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), plus more for seasoning
1teaspoon black pepper, plus more for seasoning
1½teaspoons dried oregano
1navel orange, quartered
1white onion, quartered
7garlic cloves, crushed
1cinnamon stick, broken into 2 pieces
1bay leaf (dried or fresh)
¼cup neutral oil, such as safflower or canola
Warmed tortillas, chopped white onion, chopped cilantro, sliced avocado and lime wedges, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large Dutch oven, combine pork, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper and the oregano, and toss to evenly coat the meat in the spices. Squeeze orange juice all over the pork and add the juiced orange quarters to the pot. Add onion, garlic, cinnamon stick and bay leaf, and toss until well incorporated, nestling everything in an even layer. Drizzle oil evenly over the meat. Cover and braise in oven until pork is tender, about 2½ hours, stirring once halfway through the cooking.
Step 2
Heat broiler to high, setting a rack 6 inches from the heat source. Transfer pork to a rimmed baking sheet and shred the meat. Strain juices from the pot through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, pressing on the solids; discard solids. Skim fat from top and reserve the juices.
Step 3
Broil pork until golden and crisp in spots, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer carnitas to serving plates and drizzle with some of the reserved juices. Serve warm with tortillas and toppings of choice.

Ratings

4 out of 5

1,134 user ratings

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Comments

Chad3 years ago

This is pretty spot on, but in Texas, cooks season and fry the meat in lard in the Dutch oven. Then they add the juices and a little Mexican coke to the lard to make a braising liquid. Then transfer the Dutch oven to the oven to finish. You get the crispy at the beginning when frying. You’ll loose some after braising so some cooks will still broil at the end.

Leslie3 years ago

I make carnitas in my slow cooker all the time. This recipe looks good but I would use sour orange if you can get it. If not add some lime juice. And no cinnamon! About six hours on low. Be sure to do the broiling for authenticity but we often don’t bother and everyone loves them anyway.

Tamara3 years ago

For those asking- Slow cooker the whole pork shoulder until it easily shreds with a fork. Use some of the pan juices to fry up quickly in a cast iron pan if not wanting to use the broiler. Serve with fresh salsa, greens, red onions, crema, guacamole and a hit of lime with a margarita for a fantastic meal!

Mary2 weeks ago

Hopefully I’ll find my own comment/note to refer to easily. I cooked the meat in an instant pot for 45 minutes then let it sit for nearly 5 hours, and otherwise followed the recipe. Except that I used orange juice instead of an orange. Very good!

Norma3 months ago

I skipped the broiler step and instead moved the dutch oven to the stove top. I used a slotted spoon to remove the orange and cinnamon pieces. Then I browned the carnitas in their own liquid (no Coke). The liquid mostly reduced from this step which allowed me to finish the browning to a nice semi-crispy exterior, with tender meat within. I also experimented by adding a few boneless chicken thighs to the pork at the beginning of the cooking stage. They came out great as well!

MW3 months ago

I found this quite bland. I usually can't help but eat bits of carnitas while I'm shredding the meat, but not with this batch. Even with the addition of lime, salsa verde and sour cream it was just meh. I added a can of chipotles in adobo (chopped fine) and more orange juice (for a bit more sugar to caramelize) before broiling and that helped. But I won't be making this again.

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