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Crispy Tender Pork Carnitas Recipe Easy Homemade Mexican Flavor

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This crispy tender pork carnitas recipe delivers juicy, flavorful pork with irresistible crispy edges, perfect for taco nights and gatherings. It combines slow cooking for tenderness with a final crisp for texture, using simple pantry ingredients.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3–4 lbs pork shoulder (pork butt)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup orange juice (240 ml)
  • 1/4 cup lime juice (60 ml)
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup water or broth (240 ml)
  • Optional: 1 tsp ground coriander
  • Optional: 1-2 tbsp chipotle in adobo

Instructions

  1. Trim excess fat from the pork shoulder, leaving some fat for flavor. Cut into roughly 3-inch chunks to fit your pot (about 10 minutes).
  2. In a small bowl, combine cumin, oregano, chili powder, salt, black pepper, and optional coriander and chipotle. Rub the mixture all over the pork pieces, massaging it in well.
  3. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add pork chunks in batches to avoid crowding. Sear each side until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per side. Set browned pork aside.
  4. In the same pot, add diced onion and minced garlic. Cook until softened and fragrant, about 3 minutes.
  5. Pour in orange juice, lime juice, and water or broth. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up browned bits from the bottom.
  6. Add bay leaves and nestle the seared pork pieces into the liquid. Bring to a simmer, then cover with a tight-fitting lid.
  7. Transfer the pot to a preheated oven at 300°F (150°C). Cook for 2.5 to 3 hours, or until pork is tender enough to shred easily with a fork.
  8. Remove pork from the pot and place on a large baking sheet. Shred into bite-sized pieces using two forks. Discard bay leaves and skim excess fat from the cooking liquid.
  9. Spread shredded pork evenly on the baking sheet. Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through to crisp edges. Alternatively, crisp pork in batches in a hot skillet with a drizzle of oil until golden and crunchy.
  10. Serve immediately for best texture.

Notes

[‘Do not skip searing the pork to lock in flavor and develop caramelized edges.’, ‘Use fresh orange and lime juice for best flavor and natural tenderizing.’, ‘Watch the crisping stage carefully to avoid burning.’, ‘If pork looks dry after shredding, spoon some reserved cooking liquid back on before crisping.’, ‘Crisp in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding.’, ‘Leftovers store well in the fridge for up to 4 days; reheat by crisping again.’, ‘For longer storage, freeze shredded pork before crisping; thaw overnight before crisping.’]

Nutrition

Keywords: pork carnitas, crispy pork, Mexican recipe, slow cooked pork, easy carnitas, taco night, homemade carnitas

Find it online: https://islatable.com/crispy-tender-pork-carnitas-recipe-easy-homemade-mexican-flavor/