Carnitas are a one-pot Mexican dish made by slowly cooking seasoned pork in oil or lard. After some time and TLC, you’ll watch the meat go from simmering to frying, leaving you with tender chunks and crisps bites of pork – the perfect filling for a taco. We love the combo of pickled onions, sour cream and avocado for toppings.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 2 hr 30 min |
| Active: | 15 min |
| Yield: | 8 to 10 servings |
Ingredients
- 3 pounds fatty boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch chunks
- Kosher salt
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil or lard
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- Large pinch crushed red pepper
- Small pinch ground cloves
- 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 3 bay leaves
- Juice of 2 limes
- Two 3-inch strips orange peel
- 1/2 small white onion, finely chopped
- Soft corn tortillas, for serving
- Suggested toppings: sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro, pickled onions, chopped avocado and pico de gallo
Instructions
- Toss the pork with 2 teaspoons of salt. Transfer to a 6- to 7-quart Dutch oven or pot along with the oil, oregano, red pepper, cloves, garlic, bay leaves, lime juice, orange peel and onion. Cover with 4 to 5 cups of water. Bring to a high simmer, then reduce the heat to low, partially cover the pot and simmer gently, checking occasionally to give it a stir, until the pork is tender and just beginning to fall apart, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Fish out the bay leaves and orange peel. (The pork will not look super-attractive at this point but don’t panic!)
- Remove the lid and increase the heat to medium-high. Simmer vigorously, stirring frequently, until all of the water has evaporated, leaving only the oil, and the pork has browned and begun to fry slightly at the bottom of the pot; continue to cook, scraping up the bottom of the pot frequently to release the fried bits, 30 to 40 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the pork from any remaining oil in the pot.
- Serve with tortillas and suggested toppings to make tacos.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 10 servings |
| Calories | 468 |
| Total Fat | 40 g |
| Saturated Fat | 9 g |
| Carbohydrates | 4 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 0 g |
| Protein | 24 g |
| Cholesterol | 97 mg |
| Sodium | 402 mg |
Reviews
Just made it a third time yesterday. Would I make it 3 more times? No, I’d make it 330 more times. Or 3300 more. I used oil, 1/2t crushed red pepper, tiiiiiny bit of cloves, bathtub worth of roasted garlic, juice of 1 lime & 1 lemon and 2 obese yellow onions. Next time I plan to use 1t crushed red pepper. Yum to the MAX. Gracias. Grazie. Merci.
Amazing
This is beyond mouthwatering delicious! Followed the recipe as is and love it. Highly recommend this recipe!!
Great. The amount of water suggested was way to much, I used only two cups. I placed my Dutch oven in the oven at 325, easier than watching the stove. At the end I used a fat separator so I could save some broth for a sauce.
Easy and delicious!Wish I had a pot big enough to double the recipe!!
My cut of pork was larger than the recipe called for, but we made adjustments. This dish was delicious!
Great recipe! Turned out perfect!
Wow this recipe is fabulous! Once you get the browning near the end, the meat is just delicious!
This recipe for carnitas is so easy and super tasty! The only trouble I have had with it is the recipe calls for a little too much salt, I always use a bit less then called for or the meat is way to salty.
Perfect carnitas recipe! Fell off the bone. Authentic flavor.