This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Crispy, tender, and juicy Pork Carnitas have been one of my family’s favorite (and most frequent) meals for over ten years now. This is one of those recipes I love because it looks super impressive, but the actual work takes less than 30 minutes. It’s easier than you think.
Carnitas are hard to resist when they first come out from the broiler, juicy and tender with all those glorious crispy bits. But they’re even better as an ingredient, piled into street tacos or burritos. I’ve used this meat in countless meals. I even have a slow cooker pork carnitas recipe. But, no matter how I serve them, I always find myself stealing bites along the way!
Pork Carnitas
Growing up and living in the Southwest, I got to experience some incredible, traditional cuisine. My friend Sandra introduced me to slow cooker carnitas almost 15 years ago, and I’ve tried pretty much every possible variation since. But, this Dutch oven take on carnitas was love at first sight.
My recipe still incorporates some of the traditional elements like oranges and their juice. But, I’ve also made some changes to make it more approachable while still delivering the same fantastic results. This version puts all that incredible, pure pork flavor on full display. And, I can’t get enough!
Ingredients and Substitutions
The Meat – I use a 3-4 lb boneless pork shoulder or butt roast for this recipe. But, if using a bone-in cut of meat, it needs to be 1-2 lbs heavier.
Onion – Some other recipes don’t include onions, but I find that this aromatic makes a wonderful difference. I use a white or yellow onion here.
Lime Juice – I add 2 tablespoons of fresh squeezed lime juice. This is not a traditional ingredient, but I have found that the higher acidity helps this recipe achieve those perfect bites of melt in your mouth pork.
Oranges – As with traditional recipes, I include the juice and spent halves of 4 clementines. You can also swap these for 1-2 large oranges.
Water – I use water in this recipe instead of the traditional lard. The extra liquid helps with the reduction process on the stove.
Bay Leaves – I find that adding dried bay leaves to the pot while simmering the pork adds a very subtle earthy note to the meat and helps balance the other flavors nicely.
Seasonings – In my opinion, including a bit of cumin and oregano enhances the flavor of the meat. And, I always use kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper in my cooking.
Equipment List
How to Make Pork Carnitas
Warming the Oven: I preheat the oven to 300°F.
Prepping the Ingredients: While the oven heats up, I cut the pork into 2-3″ chunks. They don’t need to be perfectly uniform. I also peel, halve, and trim the ends off the onion.
Combining the Ingredients: I place all the ingredients except for the oranges into a large Dutch oven with an oven-safe lid.
Juicing the Oranges: I halve the oranges and squeeze them by hand into the pot. Then, I place the spent halves around the roast.
Cooking the Meat: Setting the pot over medium-high heat on the stove, I bring the contents to a steady simmer. Then, I cover the pot and transfer it to the oven to cook for about two hours.
Checking Doneness: I use a fork or tongs to test the tenderness of the meat after two hours in the oven. If it’s not falling apart, I let it continue cooking and check again in 15 minute increments.
Removing the Meat: I remove the pot from the oven, then set the oven to broil.
Pulling Apart the Meat: Using a set of tongs, I remove the pork from the pot. Then, I carefully break it apart into bite-sized chunks on a large baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.
I have made these 3 times in the last 6 weeks or so for company. They are beyond delicious! Preparation is so easy. I add about 3 cloves of crushed garlic. Reducing the liquid is key to amping up the flavor.
Reducing Liquids the Final Broil
Straining the Liquid: After straining the remaining contents of the pot, I keep only the liquid. Everything else gets discarded.
Reducing the Liquid: I place the pot on the stove over medium high heat to boil it down for 10-20 minutes, until the liquid is thick and syrup-like.
Coating the Meat: I transfer the meat to the pot of reduced liquid, then gently stir to ensure it is completely coated.
Crisping the Carnitas: I spread the bites of coated pork out across the baking sheet and place them under the broiler for up to 8 minutes, until golden brown and crispy on the edges.
Flipping the Meat: Once the meat has caramelized and crisped up a bit, I use a spatula or the tongs to flip the pork over to broil for another 6-8 minutes.
Serving the Meat: When the edges have caramelized a second time, I pull the sheet pan out of the oven. It’s now ready to serve!
Expert Tip
Let me just tell you, the kind of meat you buy matters. While pork shoulder and pork butt both come from the shoulder, pork butt (often called Boston butt) comes from higher on the shoulder and contains more intramuscular fat.
That marbling is exactly what I want for carnitas. It renders slowly, keeping the meat succulent. And, it helps create those coveted crispy edges while it finishes under the broiler. I strongly recommend using a pork butt, if you have the option.
Bone-In or Out – I prefer boneless cuts of meat simply for the ease. Bone-in meat is the more traditional option. But, either will work for the sake of this recipe. Just be sure to increase the weight if you’re buying bone-in meat.
Trim the Meat – Most of the time, I don’t have to trim anything. At most, I have to remove the very thick, hard surface fat. The rest of the fat will render during cooking, and it’s essential for flavor and crisping.
Reduce the Sauce – I typically gauge how close the sauce is to being reduced by swirling it with a spoon. I know the sauce has been reduced enough when it reaches the consistency of syrup. This lets it coat the meat more thoroughly.
Do Not Shred – While it might be tempting to shred the pork completely, I don’t do this. I only break it into bite-sized pieces. If you shred it too small, the broiler will dry it out completely.
Serving Suggestions
This delicious meat is so incredibly versatile. I serve it on top of a carnitas salad bowl, piled high in carnitas street tacos, and even with eggs and potatoes in a carnitas breakfast skillet.
And, pork carnitas goes well with every side dish you could want in a homemade Mexican meal. We enjoy it with chipotle lime rice and Mexican street corn dip. My boys like to drizzle it with homemade queso blanco dip. Then, if I’m feeling fancy, I whip up a batch of arroz con leche for dessert.
Make Ahead & Storage
Make Ahead: Absolutely! This is a terrific recipe to make in advance.
How to Store: I allow the meat to cool, then store it in an airtight container. It will keep for several days in the fridge. If I am lucky enough to have a lot of leftovers, I also portion some of it out into freezer-safe bags where it will keep for several weeks.
How to Reheat: To warm the leftovers back up, I recommend heating the carnitas in a skillet on the stove. This helps recreate the crispy edges that I think make this meat so incredible.
More Pork Recipes
Frequently Asked Questions
Trust me on this. The peels release aromatic oils and add a gentle bitterness to balance the pork fat. While it isn’t a requirement, I do recommend trying it!
I flip the pork when it gets those glorious golden brown edges. After flipping, I test the meat as it gets more caramelized to make sure that it’s still juicy and tender when I pull it out of the oven.
If the carnitas are not crisping under the broiler, then I spread them out a bit more on the pan, even going so far as to use two pans and alternating them in the oven, in order to allow for enough space around the pieces of meat. Proper airflow is critical for getting the results I want.
Pork Carnitas
Ingredients
- 4 pounds boneless pork shoulder or butt roast fat trimmed slightly and then cut into large 2-3" chunks (they don't need to be perfect)
- 1 onion ends cut off, halved and peeled
- the juice of 1 medium orange or 4 tiny clementines save the spent halves
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 cups water
- 2 bay leaves
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
- Adjust the oven rack to the lower middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Combine all the ingredients (including the spent orange halves) in a dutch oven or a large pot with an oven-safe lid. Bring the pot to a simmer over medium high heat. Once the pot is simmering, move the pot to the oven and cook for about 2 hours, until the meat is fork tender and falling apart.
- Remove the pot from the oven and preheat the oven to broil. Use a slotted spoon or a set of tongs to remove the meat from the pot and place it on a large foil lined baking sheet.
- Discard everything else in the pot, leaving only the liquid. Place the pot over high heat on the stove, for about 10-20 minutes. Boil it until the liquid is thick and syrup-like. There should be about 1 cup of liquid left in the pot.
- While the liquid is boiling and reducing, use the tongs or a pair of forks to very gently pull each piece of pork into 3 pieces. Avoid shredding the pork at this point, it will be very tender.
- Once the liquid has become thick and syrup-like, remove from the heat and place the pork back into the pot with the liquid. Gently fold the pieces into the liquid and try not to break them up further. Transfer the coated pork back onto the baking sheet, spreading it in just one layer across the pan. Place the baking sheet back in the oven on the same lower middle shelf.
- Broil for 6-8 minutes, until the meat is quite browned and slightly crispy on the edges. Remove from the oven and use your tongs or a large spatula to flip over each piece. Return the pan to the oven and broil the other side for 6-8 minutes, until both sides are well-browned and the edges are crisp. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
recipe slightly adapted from and with thanks to Cooks Illustrated via My Kitchen Escapades {originally posted 12/15/12 – recipe notes and photos updated 1/5/26}
Forgot to add a rating in my last comment, obviously 5 stars!
What are spent orange halves?
Squeeze the juice out of the orange and then you’ll drop the “spent” or “empty” halves of the orange into the pot for added flavor.
Only reason for a 4 is because I’m making it right now. You say not to break it up any further while coating and spreading it on the foil lined pan to broil it but your pics say otherwise. I’m going to tear it up some in order to get it to look like your pics before and after it is broiled.
Yes, you’ll break it into pieces, but you’ll want to try not to shred it completely.
I make this often and it is amazing! Even better then what we have had at our favorite restaurant!
What high praise! Thank you, Pam.
Your pictures show the pork butt in large pieces, yet your direction are confused. In the ingredients, you say to cut the pork into 2-inch pieces, but your picture doesn’t show that until the broiling finish. You also refer to 3 pieces after cooking the oven. WTF.
I’m sorry to hear the directions were confusing for you, Mark. You’ll begin by breaking the raw pork roast into chunks of meat approximately 2-3″ in size. That’s how it is initially cooked. (In the photo in the Dutch oven with the oranges, the meat is all in a pile and smothered in seasonings, so it’s hard to see how small they are. AFTER it roasts in the oven, you’ll use tongs to pull each chunk of meat into about 3 pieces, making them bite-size. That’s what is pictured on the sheet pan. I hope that explanation helps, let me know if you have further questions!
What is the very first thing on the list of ingredients?
4 lb boneless pork shoulder or butt roast fat trimmed slightly and then CUT INTO LARGE 2″-3″ CHUNKS (they don’t need to be perfect).
This looks AMAZING! Can it be cooked in a slow cooker and then browned in the oven ? It’s to hot here to have the oven on to long.
Yes, it will work nicely that way. I have the slow cooker directions here: https://barefeetinthekitchen.com/slow-cooker-pork-carnitas-recipe/
I need a video..pleasssse!!!!!