Description
Traditional Carnitas is a classic Mexican dish featuring tender, slow-cooked pork shoulder that is shredded and crisped to perfection under a broiler. This recipe combines aromatic spices, citrus juice, and a slow oven braise to create juicy, flavorful pork carnitas perfect for tacos, burritos, or your favorite Mexican-style meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 4 lbs pork shoulder (also known as pork butt), cut into large chunks
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 onion, peeled and quartered
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 orange, juiced and halves reserved
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
Optional Serving Ingredients
- Corn tortillas
- Diced onions
- Chopped cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Salsa
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C) to prepare for slow cooking the pork.
- Brown Pork: Heat vegetable oil in a large oven-safe pot over medium-high heat. Brown the pork shoulder chunks on all sides in batches if needed, then remove and set aside.
- Sauté Aromatics: In the same pot, add the quartered onion and smashed garlic. Sauté until fragrant and lightly browned, about 3 minutes.
- Add Pork and Orange: Return browned pork to the pot. Pour in the orange juice and place the reserved orange halves in the pot to infuse flavor.
- Season: Season with sea salt, black pepper, dried oregano, ground cumin, and chili powder. Stir well to coat the pork evenly.
- Add Broth and Simmer: Pour in chicken broth and bring the mixture to a simmer on the stovetop.
- Oven Cook: Cover the pot and transfer it to the preheated oven. Cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours until the pork is tender and easily shredded.
- Shred Pork: Remove the pot from oven, discard orange peels and onions, then shred the pork directly in the pot using two forks.
- Crisp Pork: Preheat your broiler on high. Spread the shredded pork on a baking sheet and broil for about 5 minutes until the edges become crispy.
- Serve: Serve the crispy carnitas in warm corn tortillas topped with diced onions, chopped cilantro, lime wedges, and salsa as desired.
Notes
- For extra flavor, allow the pork to marinate in the seasoning and orange juice mixture for a few hours before cooking.
- Use an oven-safe heavy pot such as a Dutch oven for even cooking.
- If you don’t have a broiler, you can crisp the pork in a hot skillet or under an air fryer for a few minutes.
- Leftover carnitas can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
- To reduce fat, trim excess fat from the pork shoulder before cooking.
