These Crispy Pork Carnitas are a longtime reader favorite and SO easy to make. The pork gently braises for hours in a Dutch Oven or Slow Cooker until fork-tender then finishes under the broiler until crispy. All you need are tacos and your favorite toppings. My favorite all-purpose recipe for meal prep, hosting, or gifting!
These Carnitas are the Perfect Recipe To Make When You Need to Hit the Easy Button on Dinner
Every time I make this pork carnitas recipe, I’m like, why don’t I make this more?! It’s a staple recipe that checks all the boxes: easy to make (with a hands-off braise and quick broil!), juicy and flavorful (thanks to a simple braising liquid!), and great for enjoying whichever way you please.
Since it’s so versatile, it’s also one of my favorite recipes to meal prep for the week, make for a crowd, or deliver to a friend who just had a baby or needs a comforting meal. It’s the perfect base for tacos, rice bowls, burritos, quesadillas, salads…pretty much anything!
Just let the oven do the work for a few hours, and you’ll have the absolute BEST tender shredded pork with crispy edges. Trust me, you’ll find yourself making this recipe over and over again.
Key Ingredients
The best meat for making carnitas is boneless pork shoulder, often called “Boston butt.” I prefer using boneless pork because you can cut it into large chunks for easy, even searing. You’ll need about 2 ½ pounds for this recipe, but if your pork shoulder is bigger, there’s no harm in having leftovers!
The key to amazing pork carnitas is a flavorful braising liquid that infuses the meat as it cooks. I build the liquid with rich chicken broth, orange juice for a little sweetness, lime juice for brightness, thinly sliced onions, smashed garlic cloves, dried bay leaves, and simple spices like cumin, dried oregano, and paprika.
How to Make the Best Pork Carnitas
This recipe starts in a heavy-bottomed pot like a Dutch oven, braising the pork low and slow until it’s tender enough to shred. Then the pork finishes on a sheet pan under the broiler for those irresistibly crispy edges signature to carnitas.
Step 1: Sear the Pork. The trick to the best braised carnitas is to sear the pork first. Do not skip this step!! Browning adds a deep, rich flavor, and you can totally taste the difference. Season the pork with salt, then sear each piece of pork in your braising pot until the sides are golden brown.
Step 2: Build the braising liquid. Add the orange juice, lime juice, chicken broth, and spices to the pot, then cook the pork in a 300 degree F oven for 3 hours. The low, slow heat gently breaks down the fat and tenderizes the meat until it falls apart. You can also use your Slow Cooker if you prefer not to have your oven on, but it will take longer – about 4-6 hours on high.
Step 3: Shred and broil until crispy. Once the pork is tender, move it from the pot or slow cooker to a sheet pan. Use two forks to shred the pork, pour the braising liquid back over the meat so it doesn’t dry out, then broil the carnitas in the oven until browned and crispy.
Serving Suggestions
The most classic way to serve pork carnitas is in a taco with quick pickled onions for a little crunch and a creamy guacamole. I also love making this recipe for burrito bowls with cilantro lime rice and black beans.
But you can keep going from there! These pork carnitas also make great quesadillas or nachos with your favorite melty cheese, breakfast tacos with scrambled eggs, or a healthy green salad with crunchy, cooling veggies like cabbage, tomatoes, corn, and avocado.
I hope you give these Crispy Pork Carnitas a try! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @allthehealthythings on INSTAGRAM. Your reviews and ratings help support All the Healthy Things and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you trust and love.
Print
Oven Braised Pork Carnitas with Crispy Edges
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stove Top / Oven
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
These Crispy Pork Carnitas are a longtime reader favorite and SO easy to make. The pork gently braises for hours in a Dutch Oven or Slow Cooker until fork-tender then finishes under the broiler until crispy. All you need are tacos and your favorite toppings. My favorite all-purpose recipe for meal prep, hosting, or gifting!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 2.5 pounds pork shoulder, cut into large chunks
- 6 cloves fresh garlic
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1 large white onion, sliced
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1/2 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
- Heat a dutch oven or large skillet over medium-high heat. While the dutch oven is heating, sprinkle the pork pieces liberally with salt. Once the dutch oven is hot, add in a tablespoon of avocado oil and then add the pork. Sear for 4-5 minutes on each side until browned.
- Add the garlic, onion, orange juice, lime juice, chicken broth, salt, bay leaves, and spices to the pot. Stir until well combined, cover with a lid, and the braise for 3 hours at 300 degrees.
- If you are using a slow cooker, once the pork has been seared, remove it from the pan and add it to the slow cooker. Next, add the remaining ingredients and cook the carnitas on high for 4-6 hours or until the meat is fork tender.
- Once the pork is tender and shreddable, remove it from your dutch oven or slow cooker and transfer the meat to a sheet pan. Use two forks to shred the meat and then pour the remaining braising liquid back over the meat. Broil the carnitas in the oven on high until browned and crispy. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Store any leftover carnitas in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days.
Freeze the carnitas for up to 6 months! When you’re ready to eat, thaw the them in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Reheat any the carnitas in a hot skillet until crispy and warmed through. I find the skillet is the best way to reheat the carnitas but the microwave will also work!
Recipe by: Ashlea Carver / All the Healthy Things | Photography by: Eat Love Eat
Delicious!
Made this last week and the whole family loved it. Super delicious as tacos and the leftovers were good on a salad and in fried rice. (Sounds crazy but it was super yummy.) thanks for a great recipe!
Absolutely flawless recipe, cannot believe how delicious my first attempt turned out! So versatile (eggs, bowls, quesadillas, etc.) and we are 100% including in our “usual” rotation from here on out! Thank you so much Ashlea!
These carnitas are soooo amazing! This is a go-to recipe in our house. I have loved every recipe I’ve ever tried of yours, but I’d say this one is at the top of the list!
Can I use pork butt instead of shoulder
Sure, Sarah! hope you love the recipe!
Made these for dinner last night and I think my husband wanted to marry me all over again. Haha! Seriously delicious and made enough for the two of us to be set for dinner tonight too. We did spanish rice with a salad last night, and tonight we are going to use it in a carnita bowl!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I love how the flavors all mingle after slow cooking for 5 hours!
This carnitas recipe is amazing! I’ve made it twice now, once in the slow cooker and once in the oven. Both times were equally great. Thank you for the recipe, Ashlea!
These Pork Carnitas have been made multiple times at my house. I cook them in the slow cooker and then broil them as recommended. We LOVE them in tacos, burrito bowls and simple nachos with fresh pico de gallo.
So happy to hear this has become a favorite for y’all, Jessica! Thanks for sharing!
Question, my family does not eat pork, what other kind of meat/ chicken should I use ?
Hi, Jenny – you could try using chicken thighs but the recipe will take much less time. I’d recommend trying the chipotle slow cooker beef recipe instead.
One time I thought I had pork in my freezer but it ended up being ribs, and I had promised Carnitas to my parents coming over for dinner! I had chicken thighs thawed, so used those instead. As Ashlea mentioned, it took way less time to cook but it was super flavorful and delicious with chicken thighs!
LOVE this recipe!!! It has become a staple in our household. It is just so easy and delicious, we literally make it almost every other week! Makes plenty for several meals so is a wonderful meal prep option
Yay! Happy to hear that, Annie! I’m so glad everyone enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for sharing!
This recipe was SO easy and delicious. DO NOT skip the broiling step – it truly makes this a 5+ star dish. Thank you Ashlea!
You’re so welcome, Claudia! Thank you for sharing!
Absolutely delicious & bursting with flavor. The pork done in the Dutch oven is so unbelievably tender, it just melts in your mouth. New favorite!
I’m so glad you liked it, Kelsey! Thanks for sharing!
Amazing recipe!!! Meat was so tender in less than four hours and full of amazing flavor. I am obsessed with this recipe and have been telling all of my friends about it! So so SO good.
I’m so glad you liked it, Ann! Thanks for sharing!
Now I understand why everyone LOVES this recipe! So good, and so so easy to prepare! Thank you so much for sharing this amazing staple recipe, Ashley!!
You’re so welcome, Lindsay! So happy you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for sharing!
I made this recipe last night and it was HANDS DOWN the best/ most successful carnitas recipe I have ever made. The carnitas turned out perfectly cooked and super tasty. I have tried many pork recipes where the meat turns out gummy/ flavorless- not this one! It is 100% going to be the recipe I use every time, forever. Thank you!
You’re so welcome, Materya! I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
So easy and delicious.
Thank you for sharing, Nicole!