Pork Carnitas

26 Reviews

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 3 hr 30 min
Ready In: 3 hr 45 min

“Many find carnitas a little dry or flavorless. These have a great, distinctive flavor and are requested by friends and family over and over. Serve with warm, fresh tortillas and salsa.” - by Nette

Adjust Servings

Adjust

Metric US

Original recipe yields 12 servings

Directions

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Heat the vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Season the pork shoulder with salt, then arrange the pork in the Dutch oven. Cook until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, lime juice, chili powder, oregano, and cumin. Pour in the chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and continue to simmer until pork is very tender, about 2 1/2 hours.
Transfer the pork shoulder to a large baking sheet, reserving the cooking liquid. Drizzle with a small amount of the reserved cooking liquid and lightly season with salt.
Bake the pork in the preheated oven until browned, about 30 minutes. Drizzle more of the cooking liquid on the meat every 10 minutes, and use two forks to shred the meat as it browns.

Nutrition

Amount Per Serving (12 total)

Calories
250 cal
12%

Fat
19.1 g
29%

Carbs
2.3 g
< 1%

Based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Share It

Reviews (26)

Rate This Recipe

CHIQUITAPLATANO

Oct. 9, 2011

"i havent tried the recipe but if anyone out there wants to make a variation to this recipe, i recently saw a Mexican friend making carnitas (a whole pig) and what he put in for seasoning was coca cola..." See more, limes and lemons, laurel leaves, and cooking wine. dont forget the salt and use its own drippings to keep it from being dried out, remember, carnitas werent meant to be diet food."

SarahMaeBe

Mar. 20, 2012

"I'm very happy with how our carnitas turned out! I used a tenderloin and substituted a dark beer for the chicken broth. Very tender and flavorful!..." See more"

jrricht1984

May. 16, 2012

"So moist and with great flavor. I never measure just cook by smell, but I upped the garlic, and used the juice of a whole lime. Went a little heavy on the chili powder and cumin, and only salted the..." See more meat before browning. Also threw in just a touch of cayenne for good measure. Came out awesome! I used a pork loin, so I just left the meat in the dutch oven and let it work, after about 2 hours it fell apart with just tongs and stirring. Put them in a flour tortilla with tomato, avocado, and a touch of sour creme. Served with beans and elotes made an awesome Mexican night in!"

More Reviews