It doesn’t get much simpler or more delicious than tender and flavorful pork Carnitas. This delicious shredded pork is flavored with Mexican spices and can be served in tacos, burritos, quesadillas, tamales or salads.
My saving grace as a busy mom is recipes I can prepare first thing in the morning in the slow cooker, or 30-minute meals I can throw together easily after work!
Who needs a Mexican restaurant when you can make it so much better at home, with really simple pantry ingredients? I know you’re going to love theses carnitas!
Why I love this recipe:
- 5 minute prep time, and you can cook carnitas in the oven, slow cooker or in the instant pot!
- Versatile: serve them in just about anything from tacos, burritos, tamales, quesadillas or burrito bowls.
- Freezer friendly
How to make Carnitas (slow cooker method):
- Season pork. Trim and discard excess fat from the pork. In a small bowl, combine chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Generously season the pork on all sides.
- Add onion, garlic and citrus. Place the seasoned pork in the bottom of the slow cooker and add garlic, chopped onions, orange juice, and lime juice around it.
- Cook. Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.
- Shred. Remove pork from the slow cooker, shred the meat, and return it to the pot. Taste and add more seasonings or salt and pepper, if needed.
Broil (optional). At this point you can eat the pork as is or, to be truly authentic, you can place the meat on a baking sheet and broil it for 2-3 minutes until the edges are crispy.
For tacos, serve inside warm corn tortillas, garnished with cilantro.
To make in the Instant Pot:
Prepare and season the pork the same, inside the instant pot. Add an additional cup of water or chicken broth to the pot. Cook on Manual/High pressure for 70 minutes. When timer beeps, allow the pot to naturally release pressure, about 15 minutes longer. Remove lid and shred the meat. Broil if desired.
To make in the Oven:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Cut the pork into 4 pieces (this will allow it to cook faster and more evenly in the pot). Season the pork on all sides and place in pot. Add an additional cup of water/broth to the pot. Prepare and season the pork the same, but cut it into a few large chunks to fit evenly into a dutch oven pan or oven-safe pot. Bake for 3-3/12 hours, until tender.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To make ahead: Add everything to the pot, cover and refrigerate for 1-2 days before cooking (depending on the freshness of your ingredients).
To freeze: Allow the pork to cool completely, then store in a freezer safe container or bag for up to 4 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. To rewarm, spread the meat on a baking sheet with a little of the juice and reheat at 400 degrees F until warm, about 10-15 minutes.
Serve Carnitas with my other favorite Mexican recipes, like:
Guacamole
Love your slow cooker? Try these:
- Slow Cooker Lasagna
- Slow Cooker Creamy Ranch Pork Chops
- Slow Cooker Pot Roast
- Slow Cooker Ribs
- Slow Cooker Three Cheese Ziti
You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST for more great recipes!
Carnitas
Tender and flavorful pork Carnitas can be made in the oven, slow cooker or instant pot and are veratile to serve with tacos, burritos, quesadillas and more!
Print Pin Rate Add to My Meal PlanServings: 8
Calories: 230kcal
Video
Ingredients
- 4 pounds pork shoulder
- 2 Tablespoons chili powder
- 4 teaspoons ground cumin
- 3 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
- 2-3 teaspoons salt or more, to taste
- 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 4 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 onions roughly chopped
- juice from 2 large oranges
- juice from 2 limes
Instructions
- Trim and discard excess fat from the pork.
- In a small bowl, combine chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Generously season the pork on all sides.
- Add the seasoned pork to the bottom of the slow cooker. Add garlic, chopped onions, orange juice, and lime juice.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.
- Remove pork from the slow cooker, shred the meat, and return it to the pot. Taste and add more seasonings and salt and pepper, if needed.
- At this point you can eat the pork as it, or (to be truly authentic) you can place the meat on a baking sheet and broil it for 2-3 minutes until the edges are crispy.
- Serve with a side of authentic Mexican rice and refried beans.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
Notes
Oven method: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Cut the pork into 4 pieces (this will allow it to cook faster and more evenly in the pot). Season the pork on all sides and place in pot. Add an additional cup of water/broth to the pot. Prepare and season the pork the same, but cut it into a few large chunks to fit evenly into a dutch oven pan or oven-safe pot. Bake for 3-3/12 hours, until tender.
Instant Pot: Prepare and season the pork the same, inside the instant pot. Add an additional cup of water or chicken broth to the pot. Cook on Manual/High pressure for 70 minutes. When timer beeps, allow the pot to naturally release pressure, about 15 minutes longer. Remove lid and shred the meat. Broil if desired.
Make ahead Instructions: Add everything to the pot, cover and refrigerate for 1-2 days before cooking (depending on the freshness of your ingredients).
Freezing Instructions: Allow the pork to cool completely, then store in a freezer safe container or bag for up to 4 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. To rewarm, spread the meat on a baking sheet with a little of the juice and reheat at 400 degrees F until warm, about 10-15 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 230kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 92mg | Sodium: 722mg | Potassium: 589mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 625IU | Vitamin C: 3.6mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 3.1mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag @TastesBetterFromScratch on Instagram #TastesBetterFromScratch!
Amanda says
Delicious! Even better as leftovers!
Lauren Allen says
Thanks so much!
Christy C Anderson says
This is one of my go-to recipes for feeding a big group. A huge hit at parties, potlucks, etc. I’ve yet to come home with leftovers, even after double batches!
Lisa says
My family loved the pork carnitas! We ate the meat with tortillas the first night and served it over rice and black beans the second night. Delicious!
Lauren Allen says
Love that idea! So happy to hear you liked them–thanks for coming back to comment.
December says
Can I use a pork loin? Trying to use what I have. 🤔
Kelly says
I’ve made the carnitas twice in a month served in a bowl Chipotle style with white rice, black beans, guacamole and topped with cilantro and green salsa! My family loves it!! Thank you
Lauren Allen says
That sounds delicious! I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed this recipe.
Martina says
Sooo delicious! And super easy as well. Loving this entire week worth of amazing meals! Thank you so much
amanda says
about to make this! how long do u leave the pork in the oven if doing it this way? thanks x
Lauren Allen says
Bake for about 3-3/12 hours, until tender.
Meg says
These pork carnitas are a definite keeper says my son that is a food shows junky and likes to cook himself. I could not find the right size pork shoulder roast at the store. They had pork shoulder steaks. I bought these, cut out the bone, and dredged each steak through the spices. I cooked for 6 hours on low then shredded and broiled. Better tasting than many Mexican restaurants. Go the extra mile and broil. I love this website. Tried an entire meal plan the family is happy.
Trisha says
I was interested in making a pork loin in the instant pot.
I’m going to set it for 7 minutes, letting it slow release.
I saw 70 minutes & thought it was an error but maybe that was a huge pork roast.
Could you let me know? I don’t want pork jerky!
Lauren Allen says
7 minutes will not be enough time to for the instant pot. It will need around an hour, depending on how large the roast is.