Every tortilla dreams of being stuffed with Carnitas. Picture seasoned pork slow-cooked into tender submission, gently shredded and pan-fried to golden, crispy perfection. Carnitas has that elusive combination of juicy and crispy that’s so irresistible. The best part of this Carnitas? 5 minutes prep!
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
Carnitas
Is there anything better in this world than pork slowly cooked until it’s crazy juicy and fall apart tender, then crisped to golden perfection?
Yes.
When it’s inside a taco. 😂
Carnitas is one of my specialities. I make this recipe often – for everyday purposes, a freezer standby and for taco-bar gatherings with friends!
The one and only Pork Carnitas
I went through A LOT of Pork Carnitas recipes before settling on this as The One. I’ve been loyal to it for over a decade because it ticks all my boxes:
✅ Extremely quick 5 minute preparation
✅ Made with easy to find natural ingredients
✅ Enough flavour to eat plain (and you will pick it out of the pan!)
✅ Subtle enough flavour so it can be used in any Mexican dish (over salting and over spicing is a common problem);
✅ Perfect caramelized brown bits while retaining the incredible juiciness from slow cooking;
✅ Perfect freezer food – reheats 100% perfectly; and
✅ Excellent food for gatherings – big batch recipe, stays fresh even hours after cooking it
What are Carnitas?
If you’re new to Carnitas, let me be the first to welcome you to your new addiction.
Carnitas are Mexico’s version of pulled pork. It’s the first thing you seek upon landing in Mexico. It’s why we trawled the back streets of Mexico City in torrential rains, hunting down a hole-in-the-wall carnitas joint that was popular with locals.
Made by slow cooking pork fully submerged in lard, this confit method of cooking yields pork that’s unbelievably rich and tender with loads of crispy golden bits.
Unfortunately for most home cooks, a huge cauldron of lard isn’t viable or practical.
But fortunately, it is possible to make carnitas that tastes very similar to authentic Pork Carnitas without gallons of lard. And it’s unbelievably simple.
How to make Pork Carnitas
Best Pork Cut for Pork Carnitas – for ultimate juicy pulled pork full of flavour, you can’t beat pork shoulder, aka pork butt. Bone in or out, it needs to be skinless so it can be rubbed with the Carnitas seasoning
Carnitas seasoning – rub pork with a simple spice mix of oregano, cumin, salt and pepper.
Flavour for cooking – top pork in slow cooker with onion, garlic and jalapeño, then pour over orange juice (the secret ingredient!). It sounds so simple, but with hours of slow cooking, mingling with the pork juices, it transforms into the most incredible braising broth that more than makes up for the absence of gallons of lard.
Slow cook until the pork is pull-apart tender and infused with incredible flavour
Pan fry until golden, doused with the juices from the slow cooker. Pan frying is so much better than broiling/grill or oven!
Can Carnitas be made in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker?
Yes! The outcome is exactly the same – no one can the difference once browned in the skillet. I make this in a pressure cooker when time is of the essence!
The BEST Pork Carnitas are browned in a skillet!
Don’t skip the step to brown the Pork Carnitas! This is the key that makes this the best Pork Carnitas you will have outside of Mexico.
Hand on heart, it is as good as the carnitas I had at a really authentic Mexican joint called Old Town Mexican Cafe in San Diego which is famous for its Pork Carnitas.
So if you think you’ve had great carnitas before, but you haven’t tried browning in a skillet, this is going to be a game changer!
What to serve with Pork Carnitas
While I have a great fondness and tendency to favour Tacos de Carnitas (Pork Carnitas Tacos), pork this juicy and full of flavour is highly versatile – plus it freezes 10000% perfectly.
I use Pork Carnitas to make Enchiladas, Burritos, Quesadillas, Sliders, Mexican pizzas. I toss them into my Mexican Fried Rice (don’t laugh, this is a firm favourite with many readers!), and I make Carnitas Plates – pile Carnitas over Mexican Red Rice with a side of Pico de Gallo or Guacamole, and steamed corn.
And of course, I eat it straight out of the skillet. 😂
And the best part?
• You’re just 5 minutes away from getting this Pork Carnitas in your slow cooker, pressure cooker or oven.
• It can be frozen without any loss of quality.
• There are easy ways to pan fry to golden perfection and still be juicy and fresh hours later – even after refrigerating.
There’s a reason I am rarely without a stash of Carnitas in my freezer!!! – Nagi xx
Mexican recipe favourites
Mexican Fiesta Menu and recipes
Carnitas
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!
Is that a pressure cooker in the video??
Yes and no! My slow cooker (Breville Fast-Slow Cooker) is like an Instant Pot. It’s multi-functional, a pressure cooker and slow cooker in one. Hence why it looks like a pressure cooker with the twisting top. The slow cooking function is no different to any standard slow cooker.
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Carnitas (Mexican Slow Cooker Pulled Pork)
Ingredients
- 2 kg / 4 lb pork shoulder (pork butt) , skinless, boneless (5lb/2.5kg bone in) (Note 1)
- 2 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 onion , chopped
- 1 jalapeno , deseeded, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup juice from orange (2 oranges)
Rub
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Rinse and dry the pork shoulder, rub all over with salt and pepper.
- Combine the Rub ingredients then rub all over the pork.
- Place the pork in a slow cooker (fat cap up), top with the onion, jalapeño, minced garlic (don’t worry about spreading it) and squeeze over the juice of the oranges.
- Slow Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 7 hours. (Note 2 for other cook methods)
- Pork should be tender enough to shred. Remove from slow cooker and let cool slightly. Then shred using two forks.
- Optional: Skim off the fat from the juices remaining in the slow cooker and discard.
- If you have a lot more than 2 cups of juice, then reduce it down to about 2 cups. The liquid will be salty, it is the seasoning for the pork. Set liquid aside – don’t bother straining onion etc, it’s super soft.
To Crisp:
- Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large non stick pan or well seasoned skillet over high heat. Spread pork in the pan, drizzle over some juices. Wait until the juices evaporate and the bottom side is golden brown and crusty. Turn and just briefly sear the other side – you don’t want to make it brown all over because then it’s too crispy, need tender juicy bits.
- Remove pork from skillet. Repeat in batches (takes me 4 batches) – don’t crowd the pan.
- Just before serving, drizzle over more juices and serve hot, stuffed in tacos (see notes for sides, other serving suggestion and storage/make ahead).
Recipe Notes:
1.5 – 3 kg / 3 – 6 lb: Cook time per recipe.
3 – 4 kg / 6 – 8 lb: Use large oval slow cooker, 12 hours on low. 2. Other cooking methods: Electric pressure cooker or Instant Pot: 1 h 30 minutes on high. Let pressure release naturally. Proceed with Step 5 of recipe. Stove pressure cooker: use a rack or balls of scrunched up foil to elevate it from the base OR add 3/4 cup of water. Cook 1 h 30 minutes. Proceed with Step 5 of recipe. Oven: Follow recipe but put pork in roasting pan. Add 2 cups water around pork. Cover tightly with foil, roast in 325F/160C oven for 2 hours, then roast for a further 1 to 1.5 hours uncovered. Add more water if the liquid dries out too much. You should end up with 1 1/2 to 2 cups of liquid when it finishes cooking, and you can skip the pan frying step because you will get a nice brown crust on your pork. Shred pork then drizzled with juices. 3. Taco Fixings: Diced avocado or make a real proper Guacamole, Pico de Gallo or Restaurant Style Salsa or even just sliced tomato, grated cheese, sour cream. Sliced lettuce or pickled cabbage / red onions would also be great, but unlike other tacos, you don’t need it for the texture because the carnitas have the crispy bits! Also see this Carnitas Tacos dinner spread. 4. Other Ways to use Carnitas: Burritos (switch for the beef), Quesadillas (baked version here), Enchiladas, Sliders, with Mexican Red Rice, in Taco Soup or Enchilada Soup. 5. Storing / Make Ahead: Crispiness is retained very well, main thing is loss of moisture as meat cools (happens with all meat, shredded meat cools faster). a) Best way to store: Shred pork but don’t pan fry. Keep pork and juice separate, refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months (for freezer, I put pork in containers/ bags and put juice in ziplock bags in the same container). Gently reheat juice to make it pourable (congeals when cold). Pan fry per recipe, drizzling with juice. b) Storing leftovers after pan frying: Keeps extremely well, but tends to lose juiciness when it cools down. Just drizzle with juice, cover with cling wrap and reheat – the crispy bits hold up very well. It’s not quite as crispy as when cooked fresh, but still seriously tasty. c) Brown pork a few hours ahead / keep warm: Works extremely well. Brown pork per recipe, then transfer to slow cooker on warm setting or food warmer and drizzle generously with juices to keep it moist. Cover loosely. As long as the pork is warm when served, it’s really juicy. The crispiness holds up extremely well. 6. Source: This is a recipe I’ve been making for over a decade now, with minor tweaks over time so I can’t remember the exact source. I want to say Rick Bayless but I can’t find the recipe, however, I did find this one from Food Network which is very similar. However, I’m not sure when it was published. 7. Nutrition per serving, pork only, assuming 12 servings. Calories is higher than it actually is because it does not take into account discarded fat.
Nutrition Information:
Carnitas recipe originally published 2014. Updated with new photos and video in 2018, and some housekeeping in March 2019. No change to recipe, I wouldn’t dare! This has been one of the all time most popular recipes since I first published it!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use pork tenderloin? Sorry to say it’s not suitable for this recipe. Tenderloin is too lean so the long cook time will dry it out. Also, it does not shred into strands well.
Just to confirm – no liquid other than the juice from the oranges?? Really? YES, really. 🙂 The small amount of liquid from the oranges is all you need to keep it from drying out while it comes to temperature, then while it cooks the pork will drop juices. When this finishes cooking you will have more liquid than you started with.
Will it taste of oranges???? Nope, not at all! It magically turns into the most incredible broth that is then poured over the shredded pork.
Can I cook a frozen pork? Please don’t! This will mess with the cook time a lot because it will take sooooo long for the middle of the pork to cook, by which time the outside will be overcooked and when you shred it, it will almost look like mush! The pork must be defrosted!
After I skim off the fat, do I include the onions garlic and jalapeños when topping the meat, or do I discard these and only use the juices? It is up to you! Because it’s been slow cooked, the onion etc is really soft and it just melds into the pulled pork. I don’t bother straining it, but you can if you want to.
Will this work with pork stew chunks? It will definitely work and still be tasty but won’t be quite the same because smaller pieces of pork will cook faster so you won’t get quite the same amount of flavour. 🙂
Just to confirm – no pan frying to brown the pork before putting it in the slow cooker? That’s right! You brown the pork AFTER it is cooked and shredded.
What size slow cooker do you use? Mine is 6 quarts / 6 litres. I use this Breville Fast / Slow Cooker (I’m in Australia) which I love because it’s a pressure cooker and slow cooker in one, plus it has a saute setting! It’s basically an Instant Pot – but without one touch cook functions (like rice etc).
Life of Dozer
I first published this recipe back in 2014, when I was new to blogging. I took sooooo long with the photos – prolonged torture for Dozer!
How long on low if I have a smaller cut (1.5 to 3 lbs? Sounds great by the way!
Low for 6 to 8 hours should be enough!
My husband loves Mexican food, he grew up eating street tacos in Escondido California. We live in NJ and he misses it, since he came here 16 years ago he haven’t found a place that sells authentic Mexican food. Every Friday is Friday tacos at home now and my husband keeps talking about the carne asada, I have never eaten it or hear of it before but I know this day’s you can find anything online and decided to look for it. First I wanted to know what kind of meat was (carne asada is a totally different meat for me) second how to prepared it. I found your recipe and I have to Thank you for sharing it. My husband took a bite just one bite and he said with a huge smile “this taste just like home”. For me is priceless to finally see him satisfy with Mexican food.
Oh wow Dimarie…..what a compliment! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and let me know!! 🙂 I have to say, I’m in Mexico right now and have had real Mexican pork carnitas a few times. The reality is, “ordinary” people can’t make pork carnitas the real authentic way which is slow cooked in pork lard. I don’t even know where I would find that much pork lard!! But having had the “real thing” several times in various cities in Mexico, it reconfirmed for me that this recipe is pretty darn close – certainly in flavour. Slow cooking pork in pork lard of course makes it even juicier because there is so much more fat. But this recipe is still darn juicy and a whole lot healthier too 🙂
Sorry, I know you weren’t after an essay! Please tell your husband that I was waiting to try real carne asada before I shared a recipe on my blog and that it will be coming in the next month or so 🙂 – Nagi
I’m going to make this tomorrow as a test run for my bunco group. I had pork carnita nachos once and I’m excited to make this myself!!
You will LOVE it!! I’m in Mexico at the moment and gorging myself on pork carnitas tacos 🙂 I wish I could make the real deal at home, but cooking a shoulder of pork submerged in pork lard is just not practical for the home cook!! This recipe really is the closest to the real deal 🙂
What about maybe adding a few tablespoons of bacon fat to the bottom of the crock pot?? It’s not basting it in pork lard but I would think they could be close.
Super excited to try this today!! I hope a mix of chili powder and chipotle will work as I just ran out of cumin…
Ooh, that’s an idea Amanda! And would you believe – I have a little tub of bacon fat I keep in the freezer??? I seriously do!! 🙂
Oh, my! Bring on the lard!
I’m making this tomorrow – can’t wait! I have an 8lb pork shoulder (pork butt) – how long do you think it will take to cook?
Woah!! Big pork! 🙂 I’d say 14 hours on low in the slow cooker or 5 hours in the oven. You could cut it into 2 pieces if you want it to cook faster. 🙂
I ended up cutting it in half and cooked it on low for about 11 hours. It was just amazing – so good! Thank you so much for this recipe!!
YAY! I’m so glad you loved it Sherry!
great carnitas! My kids love it!
Thanks so much Kristi! Glad the kids love them!
Hi, thanks so much for posting this recipe. I just put it in the crock this morning. I know you can fiddle with carnitas and I had to use up some stuff in my fridge – I added two diced tomatoes that were needing to go, and I had two green chilies peppers that I also had to use. I also used the jalapeno in the recipe. I didn’t have any minced garlic or orange juice, so I used garlic powder and the juice from the green chilies with about a tblsp of lime juice. I also used a pork tenderloin, but did not cut the spices in half. I hope I didn’t screw anything up! My daughter loves carnitas – this recipe looked so good – I’ll do my best to remember to let you know how it goes.
I hope you loved it Kimberly! And yes, fiddling with a base recipe is something I do myself so I thoroughly encourage it!! N x
Well, I promised an update and here it is – They came out FANTASTIC. I wanted to pan fry like you suggested, but the vultures were hovering over me as I shredded – they couldn’t and didn’t want to wait! I’ll try to do what’s left over tonight. Thanks so much for the recipe. It was great!
YAY!! So glad the vultures enjoyed it even without the pan frying! Next time smack their hands away – I promise promise that the pan frying is worth it 🙂 Takes these carnitas from great to “I’ll fight you for them” awesome!! N x
I have never had carnitas, but the recipe sounded amazing, unfortunately, I don’t cook much, but I thought I would give this a try. OMG…delicious. I will be making this often. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe.
If you don’t cook much Patti, this is just about the simplest recipe you can make! 😉 N x
This looks incredible. Do you think that this would work for a work office party? I would have to reheat in a crock pot. Is it worth it? 🙂
YES it is!!! For an office work party, I would brown it before hand and keep some juices to drizzle over just before serving. It will stay quite crispy in a crockpot and the juices will make it nice and juicy again! 🙂
I never give reviews but I really enjoy this recipe, it’s even easy enough for me! I like to make tacos with a little coleslaw in it, very tasty. Thanks!
YAY! So glad you loved it Dave!! This really is a ridiculously easy for how amazing they taste!! I’m so glad you enjoyed it Dave, and thank you very much for making the effort to come back and let me know!
I just wanted to let you know I’ve been making this recipe for over a year since I found it on Pinterest. (I’m the one who uses orange juice and two 2.5 pork loins from trader joe’s). I seperate them in the serving sizes for two and freeze the portions. They are so good for last minute meals during the week! We eat them as tacos, and sometimes even with scrambled or over easy eggs. It’s one of our favorite meals. Thank you so much for sharing!
I eat carnitas with eggs too!!! So glad you love this Stacy!! I’m actually in Mexico right now and I can honestly say this recipe is as close to the “real thing” that is cooked in lard here in Mexico City. I can’t imagine getting enough lard to cook a whole pork shoulder the authentic way myself!! This recipe is definitely the closest to the real deal. 🙂 Thanks so much for your lovely message Stacy!!
I found this recipe over a year ago (in the one that adds regular OJ and two 2.5 pork loins from trader joe’s instead) and I just wanted you to know this is a huge freezer staple in our weekly meal prepping. 🙂 We have it with etts
My hubby tells me of an old mexican lady that would shred the pork, put some in a pan, and fry until crispy. Then she put it back into the rest with the juices in the slow cooker……voila, crispy bits! What do you think?
Oh my gosh! That’s what I do in this!!! WOW, I love hearing that story! 🙂
Thanks for the delicious recipe! I had to bring pork carnitas for our band at the high school football game. I was a little hesitant, since I’ve never made this before, but your recipe looked so mouth-watering, so I thought I’d give it a try. I followed your directions and made it in the oven. The pork was so tender and flavorful, and the crunchy bits put it over the top! The kids devoured it and every morsel was gone. Luckily, I saved some at home for myself and my family!
YAY! I am so glad you loved it Michi! Lucky band members!! N x
Hi Nagi,
I’m about to try out your recipe but have a quick question for you:
As I’m making in the oven, do I place the pork in the liquid inside the baking dish, or do I put the meat on the rack inside the baking dish?
Also, do I leave the fat on top of the meat, or should I take it off?
Thanks in advance!!
Hi Rob! Just plonk the pork IN the liquid. 🙂 No need for a rack! I leave most of the fat on (see note 3 of the recipe) because it adds flavour! But if you want to remove some of it, go ahead. 🙂 Just don’t remove ALL of it!!
I made this yesterday and intend to be eating quesadillas, nachos, enchiladas and taco soup for the rest of the week! And if I have any leftovers, they will be frozen! Thanks for the great recipe, it was a hit! Can’t wait to bring it to a potluck and impress my family and friends.
Cheers from Seattle, Washington!!
-Brie Blaschka-Mueller
I love hearing messages like this!! Isn’t it awesome?! I use it for so many things, it’s ridiculous 🙂 Thank you for letting me know you enjoyed it!! N x
Hi Nagi.
just for the record… im the guy who added Dukkah to your Crispy Rice Paper Fish Parcel recipe. I have to admit i was pretty chuffed that you thought so highly of my additions to the recipe. That is what prompted this reply to the Pork Carnitas. i have cooked this dish more than a few times now. i work in hospitality and the chefs in my venue add another ingredient into their pulled pork which adds a wonderful flavor so i have added it to your recipe also. Achiote Paste or Achiote Sauce. these are available from an online seller from the Sydney area at fireworksfoods.com.au .
however… the reason for this comment is to share a recipe that i use as a side dish with the Pork Carnitas… well in the first place anyways. It has been such a hit with my 12yo daughter that i now cook it as a main and use it in other dishes.
The recipe is Mexican Black Beans, and we use it with the Pork Carnitas or as a topping for Nachos or even on Tacos etc.
the recipe is as follows… i hope you enjoy
Ingredients
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained (Mexican section of Coles/Woolies or even in the Asian grocery stores)
1 small tin of corn kernels
1 red onion, diced
4 garlic clove, minced
1-2 tblsp tomato paste
Squirt of BBQ sauce to taste
1-2 tblsp of your favorite hot chilli sauce (or more if you like it spicier)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon light olive oil or butter
¼ cup chicken broth (use vegetable broth to keep this vegetarian)
Salt to taste
Instructions
Heat oil, or butter, on medium heat in a saucepan. Add onion, garlic and cumin and sauté until fragrant and soft.
Add black beans, and corn, hot sauce, tomato paste, BBQ sauce, chicken broth, and salt and bring to a rapid simmer.
Reduce the heat so that the pot comes to a simmer, cover and let it cook for about 15 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
Serve topped with shredded lettuce, fresh coriander, diced tomato, and shredded cheese and Uncle Bens mexican brown rice.
Hi Michael! I replied to your email! This recipe looks fantastic, I will be SURE to try it soon!!!
Thanks for the recipe – I made this the other week and it was delicious!! It was my first time making carnitas. I halved the recipe for 2 of us with leftovers. You are right that browning is key – I crisped it up in my cast iron and it was amazing. I served my boyfriends with tacos and I served mine over a salad with taco toppings for a healthy low carb dinner! I used the juices as a “dressing” and it seriously did not need anything else. I was snacking on the pieces of crispy pork straight from the pan it was so tasty.
I KNOW! I do that too, I grab the really golden crispy bits I see in the pan!! I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thank you for coming back to let me know!!
Hi,
Great recipe! We served this pork right out of the slow cooker and it was so perfect. Love how simple and easy it was to make 🙂
Here’s my post about it: http://busymomrecipes.com/dinner/slow-cooker-pulled-pork-2/
Thank you so much!!! I’m off to have a read!! N x
No jalapeno in yours? 🙁 That’s what makes this ‘carnitas’ and not just pork tacos 😉
Check again, Car….I do see there is a jalepeno added to the recipe 😉 Something tells me you might add extra! Can’t wait to try this!!!!!
Car, I meant to have a happy face on there…..I’m not sure that is one. Sorry!
Made this for a football party; BIG HIT. Its is very good and extremely flavorful. Also, it feeds an army. Awesome recipe.
YES YES YES!!! 🙂
Fantastic! This was sooooo good. Made it yesterday and my family really liked it. Will be making again!
YAY! I am so glad you and your family enjoyed it!! N x
I couldn’t resist trying your recipe it sounds so delicious…….I am trying this right now just switched the slow cooker on. I love Mexican food, however I have used what I have in the cupboard so my jalapeño is from the jar (couldn’t find the fresh one in the shop, I live in UK). I have prepared in a different way as I have used shoulder steaks in stead of the shoulder cut, I also browned the steak before putting in the slow cooker, so I am waiting to see the result in about 8 hours…….
Oooh! I can’t wait to hear what you think!!!
hi Nagi, We devoured it, was very good, even with my variation…. I confess I was nervous about the outcome as I did not follow the recipe to the letter, so I fried the meat in oil sweet paprika, smoked paprika and chilli powder and added chopped coriander at the end with lime wedges. Thank you very much for sharing your recipes as you have inspired me.
The way you fried it with extra flavours would add even MORE flavour into this!! I am so glad you loved it Ady! N x