Name: PORK CARNITAS RECIPE
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 2 Lbs. pork loin and pork butt in large cubes about 2 inches.; 1/4 cup of Lard (vegetable oil is OK); About 6-8 cups of water enough to cover the meat; 1 Tablespoon of salt; Optional: 3 cloves of garlic

4.59 from 55 votes

Jump to Recipe

Pork Carnitas Recipe

Pork Carnitas are pieces of pork meat slow-cooked in copper cauldrons in an open fire. Usually, most parts of the pork will be used, some will be cooked until tender, juicy and golden outside and other parts of the pork will be cooked until very crispy like chicharrones (pork skin).

To cook pork carnitas at home is a very easy task. There are lots of recipes that use herbs, and some of them even add milk or orange rind. And, of course, they can be added. But, as a friend of mine from Quiroga, Michoacán (a small town famous for its carnitas) told me some time ago: “People here just add salt, lard, and the pork meat”. Those pork carnitas are one of best!

This dish is best eaten when still warm over corn tortillas and a spicy or mild salsa.

I have two ways to cooks pork carnitas: One is using a cast iron pot over the stove and the other way is baking the pork using an oven bag. The reason of cooking it in an oven bag is because I live in a small apartment and cooking it in the bag will keep the grease smell contained in the bag. Please note that this is not the traditional way to cook Pork Carnitas, but rather just an alternate method I developed in absence of a copper cauldron and to avoid the greasy smell.

How to make Pork Carnitas Recipe

JUMP TO FULL INSTRUCTIONS

This recipe serves 6 as a main dish

DIRECTIONS:

In a large Dutch oven or Cast Iron Pot place the pork, lard, water, garlic, and salt. Cook covered on a medium heat to a boil. (Please check the ingredients list below)

Uncover and turn the heat to medium-high to reduce the liquid.The meat will start frying in its own fat and lard at this point. Carefully brown the meat at medium-low heat stirring frequently until pork is evenly browned.

Serve with hot tortillas and green salsa.

When you have another thing to do here is my oven baked pork carnitas.

Place the meat, 1/4 cup lard, 1 cup of water and 1 Tablespoon of salt in an Oven Bag, cook in a preheated oven at 350 for 2 hours. I place this package on a baking sheet or glass baking ware.

Take the bag out of the oven to drain must of the juices released by the meat, close the bag and place back in the oven for another hour or so until the meat is golden brown.

PORK CARNITAS RECIPE

Pork Carnitas are pieces of pork meat slow-cooked in copper cauldrons in an open fire. Usually, most parts of the pork will be used, some will be cooked until tender, juicy and golden outside and other parts of the pork will be cooked until very crispy like chicharrones (pork skin).

4.59 from 55 votes

Add to Collection

Print Pin Rate

Course: Pork

Cuisine: Mexican

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Servings:

Calories: 277kcal

Author: Mely Martínez - Mexico in my Kitchen

Ingredients

2 Lbs. pork loin and pork butt in large cubes about 2 inches.
1/4 cup of Lard vegetable oil is OK
About 6-8 cups of water enough to cover the meat
1 Tablespoon of salt
Optional: 3 cloves of garlic

Instructions

In a large Dutch oven or Cast Iron Pot place the pork, lard, water, garlic, and salt. Cook covered on a medium heat to a boil. Reduce to simmer for about 45 minutes until pork is almost tender.
Uncover and turn the heat to medium high to reduce the liquid.The meat will start frying in its own fat and lard at this point. Carefully brown the meat at medium low heat stirring frequently until pork is evenly browned. About 15 to 20 minutes. At this point do not over cook or you will get very dry meat.
Serve with hot tortillas and green salsa.

Now, when you do not have the time to be watching the meat or have another thing to do here is my oven baked carnitas.

Place the meat, 1/4 cup lard, 1 cup of water and 1 Tablespoon of salt in an Oven Bag , cook in a preheated oven at 350 for 2 hours. I place this package on a baking sheet or glass baking ware.
Take the bag out of the oven to drain must of the juices released by the meat, close the bag and place back in the oven for another hour or so until the meat is golden brown, using this method the meat will be tender and juicy.

Tried this recipe?Mention @Mexicoinmykitchen or tag #Mexicoinmykitchen!

Nutrition

Pork carnitas recipe

Wasn’t that easy? I think so.

What is your favorite way to eat carnitas? Here is an idea to use any leftovers: Pork in Tomato Sauce

Share on your social networks; it only takes 5 seconds. Thanks! EN ESPAÑOL.

Comments

Axel Francisco
May 13, 2018 at 1:06 am
Quick question? Do you think there is a way to do this same recipe in a crock pot and then crisp it up in a cast iron skillet?
- mmartinez
  May 14, 2018 at 7:25 am
  Hello Axel,
  Yes, you can cook the pork carnitas in the slow cooker on high for about 4-5 hours and finish the process on a cast iron frying pan on the stove.
Stella
June 26, 2018 at 6:58 pm
Hola Mely!!! I tried this recipe with pork under belly and it was so delicious. It was so great to find a recipe that doesn’t require having a slow cooker! I am just teaching myself how to cook and there are so many times when I wish I could return to CDMX for a street taco… Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Matt Shepherd
August 13, 2018 at 3:30 am

Outstanding! So easy! So delicious!
- mmartinez
  August 13, 2018 at 4:21 pm
  Hello Matt,
  I hope you enjoy this easy Carnitas Recipe. Happy cooking!
Gina Bisaillon
September 1, 2018 at 4:53 am

Thank you! I hope David Lebovitz reads your blog – last week he published a carnitas recipe that was full of spices, on his very popular blog. I couldn’t resist commenting about how they are made in Mexico, where I lived for 20 years.
As for me, I don’t have access to cooking bags, but I’m thinking of trying parchment tied up with string as for mixiote – what do you think?
- mmartinez
  September 1, 2018 at 8:42 am
  Hello Gina,
  The irony of this is that David Lebovitz just mentioned a couple of days ago on his IG account that Carnitas is one of his most popular recipes. I haven’t seen his recipe, but I understand people that are not Mexican giving a recipe their own twist. The idea of using the bag came to me after living for so many years in a small apartment that used to get full of all the cooking aromas. You for sure can use other things like you mentioned, parchment pepper, banana leaves or aluminum foil, but make sure to unwrap in the final cooking stage to give the meat that crispy texture.
  Thank you for stopping by. Happy cooking!
Chris Casey
December 31, 2018 at 8:46 pm

Happy New Year!! I have been cooking carnitas for more than 20 years. i lived in central California for several years and enjoyed many ways of making this wonderful treat. I use garlic, onions,Oregano, a few chipotle peppers in adobo and of course salt. I save the cooking broth and boil my beans in it. We usually make tacos or tortas with the meat. We never have much left so I can’t offer suggestions about left overs!! THANK YOU so much for your terrific recipes. I will try eveyrone that I don’t already have in my file!!
- mmartinez
  January 2, 2019 at 11:36 am
  Hi Chris,
  Cool additions to your carnitas. Have fun cooking!
Arturo marez
January 22, 2019 at 6:46 am

Ricas , excelente receta , gracias por compartir
Jessica
March 31, 2019 at 3:55 pm

I made this the first time with pork loin and was too lazy to make salsa verde. I was pretty happy with how they turned out other than my leftovers being a little dry and missing the salsa. The second time I used pork butt and did make the salsa verde and it was exactly what I was going for. It didn’t get dry reheating for work lunch. I will always use pork butt in the future, unless trying to make a less delicious but less fattening version. I only have a cast iron skillet that’s too small to cook them in from start to finish and the liquid did not reduce in my stainless steel pot, so after about 2 hours, I browned the pieces in my cast iron skillet in vegetable oil. I couldn’t find lard and used vegetable oil instead. SO GOOD. Thank you for your recipes
Inga
May 12, 2019 at 12:20 pm
Simply amazing! ! ! Best carnitas recipe I’ve ever had outside of a restaurant!! I did mine oven style and it’s great!! Everyone who has tried it thinks we bought it from a restaurant and brought it home!! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!!
- mmartinez
  May 16, 2019 at 11:36 am
  Hello Inga,
  Thank you for taking the time to come back and share your experience using the Carnitas recipe.
Inga
May 12, 2019 at 12:47 pm
By the way I also did not have a baking bag. Instead I covered mine with tinfoil..