These Pork Carnitas are a delicious Mexican dinner with juicy pork meat broiled to give it nice crispy edges. This can be made in an instant pot or slow cooker. Top with your favorite toppings!

carnitas with sour cream and guacamole

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PORK CARNITAS RECIPE

I can’t say enough about these carnitas. You know how much I love Mexican food. Something about juicy pork with just slightly crispy edges cooked in amazing spices and brightened with orange and lime citrus flavor is the full sensory experience!

WHAT ARE CARNITAS?

Carnitas are the Mexican version of pulled pork usually made from the pork shoulder or pork butt. Carnitas literally means “little meats”.

pork carnitas on a pan

WHAT CUT OF PORK SHOULD I GET?

If you’re like me, you hover over the meat section at your grocery store confused on what cut of meat to get. Look for boneless pork shoulder or sometimes called pork butt. I have used a pork tenderloin before but because it’s so lean it tends to come out dry.

HOW TO MAKE CARNITAS

pork shoulder

Start by trimming the visible fat off and cutting your pork into about 4-inch chunks. The large chunks helps make sure the spices all get distributed and that it cooks evenly.

spices

Add your dry rub spices: kosher salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, and chili powder.

pork with spices

Sprinkle the meat with the spices and toss gently.pork with spices and onion

Top with an onion cut into wedges and garlic. Pour orange juice, lime juice, chicken broth, and olive oil on top.

pork carnitas on a pan

PORK CARNITAS INSTANT POT

  1. Cook pork for an hour in the Instant Pot or 6-8 hours in the slow cooker and fall-apart tender. Once pork is done, remove the meat from the pot and shred with two forks, discarding any fat pieces.
  2. Reserve the cooking liquid in the pot for braising liquid. Line shredded pork on a baking sheet, pour 1 cup of juices on top and broil for 5-8 minutes or until the edges start to get crispy. That’s the best part!

carnitas with sour cream and guacamole

Serve! Add all the toppings and eat in a warm tortilla.

carnitas with sour cream and guacamole

HOW TO SERVE CARNITAS

Carnitas can be served on a salad, in a burrito, or in a taco. Top it with cheese, sour cream, homemade guacamole, and pico de gallo.

CAN I FREEZE CARNITAS?

This can also be refrigerated for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.

IS THIS KETO FRIENDLY?

Yes, just skip the tortilla. My Keto husband loads his meat with cheese, lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, and pico de gallo.

OTHER MEXICAN RECIPES:

carnitas with sour cream and guacamole

Pork Carnitas

4.35 from 61 votes
Crispy Carnitas are a delicious Mexican dinner with juicy pork meat broiled to give it nice crispy edges. This can be made in an instant pot or slow cooker. A great recipe fit for a Mexican restaurant. 
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 12 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 6-8 lb boneless pork butt or shoulder
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken broth or water
  • 1/2 cup orange juice, (about 1 orange)
  • 1/4 cup lime juice, (about 2 limes)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, cut in wedges
  • 4 cloves garlic

Instructions
 

  • Trim the fat from your pork and cut pork into 4-inch cubes. Place in instant pot or slow cooker. Sprinkle pork with the salt, oregano, cumin, chili powder, and pepper. Toss to coat.
  • Pour in the chicken broth, orange juice, lime juice, and drizzle with olive oil. Add the onion and garlic on top. Cook in the instant pot on high pressure for 1 hour, letting the pressure release naturally. For the the slow cooker, cook for 6-8 hours on low.
  • Preheat broiler and line two baking sheets with aluminum foil. Using a slotted spoon, remove the meat and shred with two forks, discarding any remaining fat. You will use the juice later.
  • Place shredded meat in a single layer on the pans. Pour about 1 cup of juices from the pot over each of the pans of pork. Broil one pan at a time for 5-8 minutes or until the edges are crispy. Toss with additional juices from the pan. Squeeze with more lime if desired and fresh cilantro. Serve on flour or corn tortillas with all of your favorite toppings.

Notes

This is how the macros were calculated with the marinade since not all of the marinade sticks. For a non-oil liquid based marinade (eg juices etc) assume 1/3 tbsp sticks to each 85 grams (3 oz) of meat.
Serving: 1/12 of the recipe, Calories: 39kcal, Carbohydrates: 0.5g, Protein: 2.4g, Fat: 3g
Cuisine: Mexican
Course: All Recipes
Author: Christy Denney
pork carnitas
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Christy Denney
Christy is the voice behind The Girl Who Who Ate Everything! She is no stranger to making meals that kids and adults will love. She grew up in Mesa, Arizona as the youngest of ten kids. She can always be found in her kitchen with music playing and cooking with her kids. She published her first cookbook in 2014. She loves party food that gets the conversations going!
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