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.
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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
So easy and soooo delicious!! It turned out super tender and flavorful! I served mine on corn tortillas with pickled onions, avocado, cotija cheese , and a green salsa.
Outstanding
I have made this recipe multiple times and it is always delicious. I make it in a crock pot and then broil to crisp it up.
Guests always comment on how delicious this is.
so glad you loved it!
I use the slow cooker option for making this recipe. Sometimes I make a big batch for my bf so when I go out of town for a work trip, he has it to use multiple days for tacos, salads, etc. We love it! Versatile and delicious!
THIS RECIPE!! So simple and fabulous! I had carnitas from Costco at a friend’s house and my stomach didn’t like them cause they had maltodextrin! This recipe is clean and incredibly flavorful! Thank you for another great recipe!
so glad you loved them, Dottie!
Man, this was great. I put some barbecue sauce on the side if anyone wanted to use it and people asked for the recipe before they left. Good job!
Big hit with the family. Putting it in the broiler to get it crispy was a fantastic idea
Amazing! Always comes out so incredibly delicious and is so freaking easy!
This recipe is great, and the carnitas was delicious! One problem I had. I used my 6-3/4 Le Creuset dutch oven. All the liquid was gone and the dutch oven was burned on the bottom and sides. No liquid whatsoever! I was shocked because it smelled so good during the 3 hour recommended cooking time. Has anyone had this happen?
Hi, Jannae! I’ve never had that problem before. The only thing I could think of is the oven temperature being a bit too high.
These were excellent! Such a great flavor and the directions were very helpful. Thank you!
Because I hate to waste, I rendered fat from the think layer on the outside of the pork butt I bought. It was enough for this meal and plenty for future meals. The fat made for a thick, golden crust on each side of the pork when searing, and I didn’t feel the broiling was necessary. I used the Dutch oven, so all in one pot – less clean up. Thanks for this great recipe! It fed a crowd, and everyone raved.
I would definitely recommend the broil step next time. Adds a delicious crunchy and crispy element to the dish. An all time favorite with my family
This was super easy and it turned out so flavorful! It was a big hit and we will definitely be making this recipe again!
This is one of my favorite recipes and definitely my favorite thing when I have pork in the house! This particular recipe has become a staple in our home!
This is super tasty and very easy to make! I was surprised by the flavor combination but it turns out really excellent. I’ll be making this again, it’s the best for tacos!
These are the best carnitas I’ve ever made! I have cooked them several times now and I’m finally leaving a well deserved review. I deleted my other carnitas recipe bookmarks. Thank you Ashlea for a fantastic meal my family loves!
I’m so glad y’all loved this one, Sarah! Thanks for sharing!
It was a huge hit! Easy, fun to make and versatile. Will definitely make again!
I’m so glad you loved this one, Megan! Thanks for leaving a review!
WOW! A total winner. I made about 6 lbs. so we could have leftover. Super easy and really flavorful. The finishing under the broiler gave the mear amazing texture. I will be making this again and again.
Why have I waited so long to make this!?!? Absolutely perfect 🤩 made in the slow cooker following your instructions and had no problem. Will make on repeat at our home. Thank you
This looks so good. Can you make carnitas using pork tenderloin or does it have to be pork shoulder?
I recommend using pork shoulder for this recipe, Debra!
So easy and delicious! I didn’t have limes on hand, so I doubled the orange juice and added a tiny splash of apple cider vinegar. Was short on time too, so I followed the instant pot directions that another commenter (Clare) mentioned, and it turned out great. Broiled some up for tacos today in toaster oven…yum! Will try in Dutch oven and with the lime juice next time. Can’t wait to use these in salsa verde enchiladas. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
I’m not really the type of person to leave reviews, if I see a recipe I’d like to try then I try it and if I like it, add it to the home meals I make and if not, just move on but for this recipe I just loved it so much had to leave a review. If you’re doubting the recipe just try it, definitely turned out great for me, wish I’d have found this sooner would be my only complaint.
I’m so happy to hear you loved this recipe, Dee!