I’ve done a fair amount of hunting for the perfect carnitas recipes throughout the years and found the base for this recipe in my trusty Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook. The ingredients they used really weren’t all that different than the other recipes I’d tried, but as I picked a piece of flavorful, crispy meat off the pan, I knew I had found what I was looking for.
As I’ve made it again and again, I’ve tweaked a few things here and there (I added a little red wine vinegar to brighten it up a little and a few cloves of garlic) and it’s become one of our family’s favorite meals.
Ingredient Needed
- Pork – You’ll need 3 1/2 – 4 pounds of boneless pork butt roast (sometimes called boneless pork shoulder or boneless picnic roast).
- Onion
- Fresh garlic
- Fresh lime juice
- Red wine vinegar
- Oregano
- Cumin
- Bay leaves
- Salt and pepper
- Orange
- For serving – Small corn or flour tortillas, grated cheese (I like cotija), pico de gallo, mango pico de gallo, mint-pineapple pico de gallo, guacamole, sliced avocado, sliced white onion, sprigs of cilantro, fresh lime wedges, etc.
Instructions
- To start, place the oven rack in the lower middle position and preheat the oven to 300°F. Now, pork shoulder can be pretty fatty, and that fat’s going to come into play later. But I still like to trim the pork of excess fat (mostly the big globs on the outside) before I cut it into 2″ chunks.
- Place the pork in a heavy lidded pot like a Dutch oven. Add enough water to cover the pork and then add onion, garlic, lime juice, red wine vinegar, oregano, cumin, bay leaves, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, and the juice from the orange.
- After squeezing the juice from the orange, toss the rinds into the pork mixture and stir to combine. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven. Cook for about 2 hours or until the pork falls apart when poked with a fork.
- Use your fingers to pull apart the pork pieces, discarding any particularly fatty pieces (or removing the fat from them). Drizzle with the cooking liquid.
- Turn your oven broiler on high and place the pork in the oven for 5-8 minutes or until the pork starts to brown and the edges become crispy. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and use a spatula to flip the pork. Return to the oven for another 5-8 minutes, broiling until the pork is browned and crispy (but not charred, unless that’s your thing). Mine got a little blacker than I planned on, but it was still delicious.
- Serve in warmed tortillas with desired toppings. Makes about 12 servings.
Storing and Other Tips
- Store leftover meat in an airtight container and consume within 3-5 days for best results.
- This pork is fabulous served in tortillas, over rice, or on a salad. It pairs really well with Lime Cilantro Ranch Dressing Copycat Cafe Rio Dressing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes! Cook the pork one day, and make your sauce. Store separately and then combine and broil when ready to eat.
Can I make this a freezer meal?
While I have not personally frozen this pork, slow cooked meats tend to freeze pretty well. I would recommend cooking the carnitas all the way through as instructed and then freezing in food saver bags with as much air removed as possible.
Carnitas: Mexican Style Pulled Pork
A classic featuring tender pork shoulder, braised and broiled. Perfect for tacos, huevos rancheros or burritos.
Servings servings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 ½ – 4 pounds boneless pork butt roast sometimes called boneless pork shoulder or boneless picnic roast
- 2 cups water enough to cover the pork in the pot
- 1 onion (white or yellow) peeled and halved
- 4-6 cloves garlic smashed and peeled
- 2 tablespoons lime juice about 1 lime
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon oregano dry
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 orange
- For serving: Small corn or flour tortillas grated cheese (I like cotija cheese), pico de gallo, mango pico de gallo, mint-pineapple pico de gallo, guacamole, sliced avocado, sliced white onion, sprigs of cilantro, fresh lime wedges, etc.
Instructions
- Place the oven rack in the lower middle position and preheat the oven to 300℉.
- Trim the pork of excess fat and cut into 2" chunks. Place the pork in a heavy lidded pot like a Dutch oven. Add enough water to cover the pork and then add onion, garlic, lime juice, red wine vinegar, oregano, cumin, bay leaves, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, and the juice from the orange. After squeezing the juice from the orange, toss the rinds into the pork mixture and stir to combine. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- Cover the pot and transfer to the oven. Cook for about 2 hours or until the pork falls apart when poked with a fork. When the pork is fork-tender, remove the pot from the oven.
- Remove the orange rinds, onion, and bay leaves. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pork from the liquid to the foil-lined baking sheet. Set aside.
- Return the pot to the stovetop and bring the liquid to a boil over high heat. Boil for 8-15 minutes (longer or shorter if necessary) until the liquid is thickened and glaze-y and, when stirred, the spoon leaves a trail in the liquid (you should have about 1 cup of liquid).
- Use your fingers to pull apart the pork pieces, discarding any particularly fatty pieces (or removing the fat from them). Drizzle with the cooking liquid. Turn your oven broiler on high and place the pork on a baking sheet in the oven for 5-8 minutes, or until the pork starts to brown and the edges become crispy.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and use a spatula to flip the pork. Return to the oven for another 5-8 minutes, broiling until the pork is browned and crispy (but not charred, unless that’s your thing). Serve in warmed tortillas with desired toppings.
Notes
- Tortillas and toppings not included in nutritional value.
- Store leftover meat in an airtight container and consume within 3-5 days for best results.
- This pork is fabulous served in tortillas, over rice, or on a salad. It pairs really well with Lime Cilantro Ranch Dressing Copycat Cafe Rio Dressing.
Nutrition
Calories: 187kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 25g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.05g, Cholesterol: 79mg, Sodium: 89mg, Potassium: 495mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 32IU, Vitamin C: 8mg, Calcium: 33mg, Iron: 2mg
Calories: 187kcal
Cost: $8
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Questions & Reviews
This is the best!! I have made it a dozen times.
Hi! How would I adjust this recipe if I only have an aluminum pan instead of a Dutch oven? Will that work? Thank you!
You can do that step in any oven proof baking dish.
This is delicious and the glaze is AWESOME!!! Thank you for sharing it!!!
BOOM! Mind…blown. This carnitas recipe is amazing! Thanks for all you do, Ladies!!
This has been a long time favorite recipe. Tonight I tried it in the instant pot. Yum!!! I thought the flavors were a lot more intense and it turned out great in half the time!!!
This turned out very tender, but not very flavorful 🙁 Perhaps it needed more orange or lime, I don’t know. Maybe my fruits weren’t very acidic because they’re not in season. More salt, for sure. The good thing is that I can always squeeze a little extra orange/lime mixture over the carnitas before putting them under the broiler. I think that’ll help. Either way, they’re pretty good, but I have had better. Next time I’ll try it in the pressure cooker. That seems to ramp up flavors.
I’ve used this recipe at least a dozen times. Usually with a whole butt which weighs more than 3 lbs after boning. I increase both the citrus content and red wine vinegar as well as garlic and onions. you can never use too much garlic in this recipe. Finishing it under the broiler as directed is absolutely necessary, giving it a nice crust. In a taco, usually soft, or over rice is an excellent dinner. Ive tried other carnitas recipes, but I’ve found this one to be the one I like most by far.
I wanted to thank you again for this recipe. Whenever I’m too sick to manage the house we always make it because it’s so easy and everyone loves it. My teens even know it by heart so they can pitch in and prepare a great meal without much fuss.
My kids are finicky eaters and they loved it. My wife and I lived in San Diego for three years and she’s kind for saying it was the best she ever had. I loved it but I have to say the Tortilla Salsa Market on West Chase Blvd in El Cajon has the absolutely best Carnitas I have ever had. If only I could get their recipe.