Pork Carnitas

Whether you throw the meat in your slow cooker all day or zap it in the Instant Pot when you walk in the door, you’ll have a delicious dinner on the table in no time when you make Pork Carnitas for your family. Nothing could be easier or more delicious! An incredibly versatile meat dish, the carnitas can be served on tacos, bowls, enchiladas, burritos, salads, soups, and more! You will find a thousand uses for this recipe.

Prepping meals ahead of time and getting them into the freezer saves me over and over! I do not want to the be the “drive-thru” mom, but I also need to keep my kids’ medical appointments, therapies, and practices on schedule.

It’s a busy life, this mom gig! So anything I can do to make weeknights easier is a must, and that’s how the Freezer Meals 101 Club was born. I love that I get to share with you all the recipes, tips and tricks I learned out of sheer necessity.

If you want more recipes to try, check out our Make Ahead Mexican Manicotti Bake or these Mexican Cornbread Muffins.

Pork Carnitas Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 lbs. boneless pork shoulder or butt
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 jalapeño, finely chopped and seeds removed
• 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 tsp. soy sauce
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. lime juice
• 3 Tbsp. orange juice
• 2 bay leaves

How to Make Pork Carnitas

Assembly Instructions

1. Place pork, diced onions and jalapeño in large resealable bag.
2. In a bowl, mix together tomato paste, soy sauce, spices, and brown sugar. Add to the bag.
3. Pour in olive oil, bay leaves, lime juice, and orange juice.
4. Remove excess air, seal and freeze.

Cooking Instructions

1. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
2. Cook in slow cooker on low for 7 hours.
3. Shred with a fork or hand mixer.
4. Remove bay leaves.
5. Put the meat on a foil lined tray.
6. Spoon some of the juices over top.
7. Broil 5-10 minutes until the edges of the meat start to brown.

Alternative Instant Pot Instructions

1. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
2. Remove roast from bag and cut into 3 or 4 even sized chunks.
3. Add bag contents and roast into the instant pot.
4. Lock cover and seal steam nozzle.
5. Choose the meat setting for 50 minutes.
6. When pressure releases, shred pork.
7. Remove bay leaves before serving.
8. Broil 5-10 minutes until the edges of the meat start to brown.

What is a Pork Butt?

It actually comes from the same section as the pork shoulder and isn’t anywhere near the backside of a pig the name implies. And it makes an excellent choice for pulled pork, because it cooks up so beautifully tender when it is cooked slow.

Don’t I need to add liquid?

No. You may add half a cup of liquid to the Instant Pot if you are worried, but no liquid is necessary at all for the crockpot since so much liquid will cook out of the meat as the fat renders. Trust me, you are going to have a lot of juice.

Do I have to brown the meat at the end?

No. You’ll miss the bit of char and caramelization it adds, but when you are short on time, the meat definitely comes out of the crock pot safe to eat.

Pork Carnitas Recipe Ideas

Kick up the heat with red pepper flakes, ancho chili powder, or a dash or two of hot sauce.

A dash of liquid smoke in the slow cooker will give the meat that smoky flavor you crave without all the fuss of smoking meat for hours.

If you don’t already have the spices needed, you can save money by purchasing one all-purpose pork rub and adding brown sugar. Just replace teaspoon for teaspoon.

How to Serve Pork Carnitas

We love to serve the pork carnitas in flour tortillas and provide the toppings our family loves, which include guacamole, salsa, tomatoes or pico de gallo, cilantro, avocados, limes (for juicing), and cabbage slaw. This way everyone can build their own.

You’ll find so many ways to use this meat though! Besides tortillas, you can serve it over rice, bake the meat in enchiladas with sauce, or use it on top of your salad. This delicious pork carnitas meat can even be used to make nachos or make a baked potato extra special! It works perfectly well on buns with bbq sauce too. Every time you make the meat, you can serve it a different way and never get accused of making the same old thing all the time.

How do I store Pork Carnitas?

The leftover meat should be refrigerated and will keep for a couple of days in an airtight container. Reheat it in a skillet, oven, or microwave. My kids especially love to reheat in the oven over a bed of nachos and topped with cheese and sweet bbq sauce.

What to Serve with Pork Carnitas

Traditional pork carnitas on tortillas as tacos can be served alongside chips and salsa, homemade guacamole, Mexican rice, black beans or pinto beans, or a fresh salad with chili ranch dressing, and fresh fruit salad.