Authentic Carnitas Recipe | Caramelized, Tender & Flavorful

An authentic Carnitas Recipe that is completely addictive! First, the pork carnitas cook slowly in an Instant Pot, in a Dutch oven, or your slow cooker. You pick your favorite! After shredding the tender pork, it gets crispy and caramelized under the oven broiler. This Mexican pulled pork is the perfect filling for tacos, burritos, or nachos. This is my most popular 2024 recipe for a reason…it’s the best!

What I Love About This Recipe

While there are a few extra steps to this slow cooker carnitas recipe, none of them are hard or time-consuming. And, the end result is out of this world. I have made these twice already in the past month and I have the fixings in the fridge for Round #3. The meat is completely melt-in-your-mouth because it is slow cooked, while the caramelization on the outside multiplies the amazing flavors. Our family has a hard time not eating it all before we get the chance to stick some in a homemade flour tortilla. And, if you want to make them even faster, just toss the cut of pork in with 2 tablespoons of my favorite Carnitas Seasoning recipe and 2 cups of water and braise.

Carnitas Michoacan History

The Mexican state of Michoacan is the true home of pork carnitas and most recipes you’ll find online have little to no resemblance to the original. That’s what makes this carnitas recipe an authentic one. It stays true to the original Michoacan recipe.

Some believe the original carnitas was first introduced by the Spanish in the 1500s who brought pigs from the Carribean to Mexico and the process of cooking pork in lard. However, it is more commonly believed the dish orginated from the French dish of Rillons de Tours and was brought over by the Spanish who knew it as Chicharrón de Tours which are cubes of pork belly that are caramelized through slow-cooking.

When it comes to my personal history with carnitas, you can find it in the comment section. If you are looking for some entertainment, take a quick jump into the comments of this carnitas recipe. Over the years, it has become a hotbed of political debate…alongside the rave reviews for the recipe. It just goes to show people will debate politics literally anywhere!

So, if you are brave enough to enter the comment section below, bring your sense of humor with you and remember good food brings people together and that is most important!

What are Carnitas?

Carnitas are a popular Mexican pulled pork dish. The meat is braised slowly in orange juice and seasonings until very tender and juicy on the inside, then broiled with some cooking liquid until crispy and caramelized on the outside. It is that last step under the broiler that distinguishes carnitas meat from other Mexican pork recipes and regular pulled pork. Some pork carnitas recipes call for the meat to be cooked in lard to get extra crispy.

The word “carnitas” translates to “little meats” in English. A perfect description because you’ll cut the large pork butt or pork shoulder into 2-inch pieces, then slowly cook them at a low temperature. Serve those little, bite-sized pieces of meat as a main dish, or as pork carnitas tacos, burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas or nachos.

 How to Make the Best Carnitas

Pork Carnitas Recipe FAQs

What to Serve with Pork Carnitas

When you are trying to decide which side dishes to serve with carnitas, think about layering the flavor of the carnitas with other dishes. Especially in Mexican cuisine, those sides are often stuffed inside a flour or corn tortilla and eaten in one bite. Your sides really do matter for carnitas.

Outside of the rice, tortillas, and guac shown above, a flavorful type of refried beans, black beans, or frijoles charros are traditionally paired with carnitas. Beans are an essential part of Mexican cuisine. Meat was more scarce so their primary source of protein were beans since they are a native crop in the Americas and have been consumed there dating back 7,000 years.

Besides these classics, I love Homemade Flour Tortillas, a serving of Cilantro Lime Rice or Mexican Barley Salad with Beans, Corn, & Jicama as perfect side dishes. A simple green salad with a favorite dressing also pairs well. My personal favorite is this Tomatillo Avocado Ranch Dressing. Want something super simple to serve on the side? Just open a can of black beans, heat them up in the microwave and add the juice of 1/2 lime and a teaspoon of cumin or chili powder.

If you have extra pork carnitas and want to use it in an entree I recommend trying my Carnitas Quesadilla with Caramelized Onions or Simple Pork Carnitas Enchiladas.

How to Make Instant Pot Pork Carnitas

Instant Pot pork carnitas are great because the pork butt does especially well in a pressure cooker. Depending on the size of the Instant Pot, you might need to reduce the size of the recipe. The recipe will fit inside a 6-quart Dutch oven so if the Instant Pot cannot handle that amount of ingredients, equally reduce the measurements accordingly, including the amount of pork. 

Also, reduce the amount of water by half if using an Instant Pot since little to no evaporation will occur while cooking. If you don’t reduce the water, there will be too much cooking liquid for Step 6, reducing it into the syrup at the end. The carnitas meat should cook for about 50-60 minutes and let it naturally release the pressure, which will take about 15-20 minutes. If you want a simpler recipe, I’ve recently posted an Instant Pot Carnitas recipe you can check out as well! Just remember to follow the last few steps and reduce the liquid and broil the meat so it is nicely caramelized.

How to Freeze Carnitas

Pork carnitas freeze very well, but it’s important to know how to do it correctly. Because the crispy pork meat will turn all mushy in the freezer, it is best to follow the recipe all the way to the end of step 6 and then stop. Package the cooked pork and the reduced cooking liquid into two separate freezer bags. Remove the excess air and lay them flat to freeze. 

When it comes time to serve the carnitas, let the two bags thaw in the refrigerator for a few days then finish the recipe starting with step 7. It will be perfect and no one will ever know the carnitas meat had been in the freezer for weeks.

How to Best Store and Serve Leftover Carnitas Meat

There is no denying this recipe for carnitas is best fresh and hot from the oven. However, if you are lucky enough to have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container or small bowl in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Because the carnitas meat will lose its crispiness in the refrigerator, be sure to add a few dashes of water to the pork so it won’t dry out when reheating. Spread the meat onto a baking sheet and place them back under the broiler until they crisp up again.

How to Make Slow-Cooker Pork Carnitas

While the original recipe calls for a slow braise in the oven, pork carnitas can find complete success inside a slow cooker or Crock-Pot as well. Just follow along with these tips to guarantee the crock pot carnitas will be great:

• Reduce the water to 1 ½ cups. Because a slow cooker uses a lower temperature compared to braising in the oven, little to no water evaporates during the cooking process. This leaves way too much liquid for step 4 of the recipe. 
• Use the low setting on the slow cooker for 6- 8 hours or the high setting for 4-6 hours. The end result should be super tender and easily fall apart. Don’t rush this step. Give it more time if needed.
• Follow all other instructions as written. Just don’t give up on that reduction of the cooking liquid in Step 4. It will take time due to extra moisture from cooking at a lower temperature.

Looking for More Mexican Recipes?

How to Make Carnitas in 10 Easy Steps

1. Place in a pot 4-5 lbs pork shoulder, cut into 2 inch cubes with 2 C water & 1 onion;
2. Add the spices 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 3/4 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp oregano, 2 bay leaves. You could also add a bit of chili powder too.
3. Juice of 1 lime, juice and peel of 1 orange
4. Bring to a boil, stir, cover, and put in 300 degrees oven for 2 hours until tender
5. Discard onion, orange, and bay leaves. Place pork on foil lined sheet
6. Shred pork into smaller pieces
7. Reduce cooking liquid until it becomes like a syrup
8. Pour over pork
9. Stir, add a bit more salt and pepper, and broil for 5-10 minutes on a baking sheet until browned
10. Enjoy!

Pork Carnitas Recipe

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Authentic Mexican pulled pork carnitas recipe are my most popular recipe for a reason!  Because they are the best 🙂

• Total Time: 3 hours
• Yield: Serves 12 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 4 pound boneless pork butt, fat trimmed and cut into 2 inch cubes
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 onion, peeled and halved
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 Tb fresh lime juice
• 2 C water
• 1 medium orange, juiced and keep the spent halves

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Instructions

1. Prep: Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat to 300 degrees.
2. Combine all the ingredients in a large Dutch oven, including the spent orange halves and juice.
3. Braise: Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, uncovered. Once it simmers, cover pot and transfer it to the oven. Cook until the meat falls apart when prodded with a fork, about 2 hours.  You can also complete this step in a crock pot set on high for 6-7 hours.  You will have more liquid to reduce in the next step however.
4. Reduce: Remove the pot from the oven and turn on the broiler. Use a slotted spoon to remove the meat from the pan and place it on a large foil-lined jelly roll pan.
5. Remove and discard everything from the pot except for the cooking liquid. Place pot over high heat on the stove and boil until it thickens and syrupy, about 20 – 30 minutes. You should have about 1 C of liquid remaining when it is finished.
6. Shred: While the liquid is reducing, use two forks to pull each cube of pork into three equal sized pieces. Once the liquid has reduced, gently fold in the pieces of pork into the pot. Try not to break up the pork any further. Taste and add additional salt and pepper.
7. Broil: Spread the pork back onto the foil lined pan and evenly spread the meat around so there is a single layer of meat. Place the jelly roll pan on the lower middle rack of the oven and broil until the top of the meat is well browned and edges are slightly crisp, about 5 to 8 minutes. Using a wide metal spatula, flip the pieces of meat and broil the other side until well browned and edges are slightly crisp, 5 to 8 minutes. Serve immediately in a tortilla with all your favorite toppings.

Notes

For Instant Pot Carnitas instructions

For Slow Cooker Carnitas instructions

(recipe adapted from Cooks Illustrated)

• Author: Carole Jones
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Braised
• Cuisine: Mexican

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/12th
• Calories: 365
• Sugar: 1 g
• Sodium: 389 mg
• Fat: 27 g
• Saturated Fat: 10 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 2 g
• Fiber: 1 g
• Protein: 27 g
• Cholesterol: 0 g

Carnitas Recipe Modifications and Enhancements

With many of my recipes and this one included, I like to keep things simple with ingredients and steps. However, there are times when you have some extra time or are feeling ambitious and want to make a recipe extra “chef-ey”. If that is the way you are feeling with this carnitas recipe here are some of my modifications:

• Tweak the seasoning – add 1 cinnamon stick and 5 cloves of garlic along with the other spices to the pot for extra flavor
• Use chicken stock instead of water. Using chicken stock instead of water will add even more flavor. You can use vegetable stock too. I do not recommend beef stock as it has a stronger flavor and will change the overall taste of the carnitas. If you use bouillon just remember that it can make the dish salty so you might want to reduce the amount of salt.
• Sear or grill the pork before braising. If you sear the pieces of meat in the dutch oven with a little oil or on the grill prior to braising it will add even more flavor. Doing it in the dutch oven is best because you get all those bits that stick to the bottom of the pan. Work in small batches so the meat is only in one layer. You can sear each piece for about 2 minutes on each side, remove and then start the next batch. Add more oil as needed. You do not need to cook the meat, just get a nice sear on at least two sides. Once all the meat is seared, add the water first so you can scrape up those yummy brown bits on the bottom. Then add the meat and seasonings and continue with Step 3.

Carnitas Recipe Substitutions

As with any recipe we often forget things when shopping or thought we had something in the pantry when we did not. Instead of running off to the store or here are some ways you can substitute ingredients in this crispy pork carnitas recipe.

• Season with just chili powder and salt. If you do not have all the seasonings you can remove the black pepper, cumin, bay leaves and oregano and use 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of chili powder. Did you know that chili powder is made of ground chili, oregano, cumin and sometimes garlic or onion powder? So this is an easy substitution that will keep the flavor very similar.
• Use orange juice. If you do not have an orange or limes you can use orange juice instead. Substitute the 2 tablespoons of lime juice and whole orange with its juice for 1/2 cup of orange juice.
• Chicken Carnitas anyone? Believe it or not one time I was all set to make this recipe and went to the store to get a pork butt and they were sold out! My kids were expecting carnitas tacos and to be honest I was craving it more than anyone else. I decided to try chicken thighs instead and it was really easy. To make chicken carnitas simply swap out the pork but with boneless, skinless chicken thighs and keep these other few points in mind.
  • You can cut the thighs in quarters or leave them whole. If the chicken thighs are whole they shred nicely if the thighs are quartered it is a little trickier because the pieces are smaller.
  • Reduce the braising cooking time by 30 minutes.
  • Follow all remaining steps.
    • I still reduced the cooking liquid after they were done braising and broiled the chicken carnitas to get that nice crispy caramelization.