Description
This traditional Carnitas recipe features tender, flavorful pork shoulder slow-cooked with a blend of spices, citrus juices, and aromatics, then crisped for the perfect texture. Serve in warm corn tortillas with your favorite toppings for an authentic Mexican feast.
Ingredients
Scale
Pork and Spice Mix
- 4-5 pounds boneless pork shoulder
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
Liquids and Vegetables
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- Juice from 1 large orange
- Juice from 1 lime
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1-2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
For Serving (Optional)
- Warmed corn tortillas
- Lime wedges
- Red onions
- Avocado
- Cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C). If using a slow cooker instead, refer to the notes below for alternative cooking times.
- Prepare Pork: Cut the pork shoulder into 4 smaller pieces, removing any string wrapped around the roast, but keeping all fat intact to ensure juicy meat.
- Season Pork: In a small bowl, mix chili powder, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper. Coat each pork piece thoroughly with the spice blend and place them into a Dutch oven.
- Add Aromatics and Liquids: Scatter chopped onion, jalapenos, and minced garlic over and around the pork. Pour in chicken broth, orange juice, and lime juice to add moisture and flavor.
- Cook Covered: Cover the Dutch oven with a lid and place in the oven. Cook for 2 hours to allow the pork to tenderize and soak up flavors.
- Cook Uncovered: Remove the lid and continue cooking for an additional 1.5 hours, allowing the pork to become fall-apart tender and the liquid to reduce slightly.
- Shred Pork: Remove pork pieces from the pot and place them on a baking sheet. Using two forks, shred the meat into bite-sized pieces. Ladle about 1 cup of the remaining cooking liquid over the shredded pork to keep it moist, tossing to coat evenly.
- Crisp the Carnitas (Optional but Recommended): Choose one method:
- Oven method: Move the oven rack to the top third and set the oven to broil. Broil the shredded pork on the baking sheet until crispy edges form, checking after 5 minutes and broiling longer as needed.
- Skillet method: Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, add shredded pork and some cooking juices or oil/lard if needed, and cook in batches until the edges become crispy.
- Serve: Spoon the crispy carnitas onto warmed corn tortillas and garnish with lime wedges, red onions, avocado, cilantro, or other desired toppings.
- Store Leftovers: Keep leftover cooking juices mixed with shredded pork to maintain moisture. The cooled juices will congeal into lard, which adds rich flavor when reheating your leftovers.
Notes
- You can substitute chili powder with a mix of smoked paprika, cayenne, and ancho chili for a different flavor profile.
- Adjust salt to taste, especially if using salted chicken broth or serving with salty toppings.
- For a slow cooker method, cook pork on low for 6-8 hours or until tender, then proceed with shredding and crisping as described.
- The fat left on the pork shoulder is essential for juicy, flavorful carnitas and for crisping the shredded meat.
- Leftover cooking juices can be refrigerated and used as cooking fat (lard) or to keep the meat moist when reheating.
