Step by step recipe to make the best crispy pork carnitas in the oven, with a Dutch oven (or not), or even in the Instant Pot! Easy to make, with simple carnitas seasonings that are easy to find. We often serve this with horchata (or vegan horchata for a dairy-free alternative). After years of making these authentic pork carnitas, I can say that this is guaranteed to be the only recipe you’ll need! Not only are these so flavorful, but the carnitas are juicy and crispy, all at the same time. Whether you make Dutch oven carnitas or Instant pot pork carnitas, I will show you how to get perfectly crispy results, every single time. And serve it with a spicy margarita, and some dessert nachos or churros or margarita ice cream to round out a mega flavorful meal! 🙂 When it comes to pulled pork recipes, I am picky to a fault. So the fact that these carnitas are my absolute FAVORITE kind of pulled pork means that they are both ridiculously flavorful AND easy to make. With Mexican carnitas seasoning like cumin, coriander, and citrus flavors and more, it’s no surprise how flavorful these crispy carnitas are. I’ve perfected this recipe over the years, and it’s also become an often-requested crowd favorite.
Super easy to make – prep time is less than 30 minutes, even for a beginner (15 minutes if you’re an experienced home cook). Tastes just like the best, authentic pork carnitas, but without all the lard. An easy mix of carnitas seasoning makes this very flavorful. This recipe gives you step by step instructions on how to cook carnitas in a dutch oven or oven. Plus, it’s very easy to convert this recipe to make Instant pot pork carnitas (pressure cooker carnitas) as well! And I’ll show you how.
Dutch oven – in the oven Any oven safe dish – in the oven Instant pot or pressure cooker Slow cooker
You can also choose one of two ways to make the carnitas crispy and caramelized. Either pan frying or broiling the pulled pork. Carnitas seasoning – The spice mix for the pork cut is very simple. The seasoning includes a mix of,
Cumin Coriander Oregano Jalapeno or serrano peppers Black pepper or cayenne pepper (optional) Bay leaves (optional)
Some recipes call for chipotle chili mix, but I find that to be too overpowering. Salt and a little sugar are also added for seasoning. I add a little less salt during braising.
Water or stock Lime juice Orange juice Milk Tequila (optional!) Onions (yellow onions or red onions) Garlic
Next, add all the spices with the meat as well as salt and sugar, and mix to combine. I also like to add some lime zest, but that’s optional. Place all the meat in a dutch oven. Add the water, lime juice, orange juice, and milk, plus the onions, garlic and jalapenos. Stir to combine and cover the pot with the lid. If you don’t have a dutch oven, you can use an oven safe dish instead. You can cover the pot with foil instead of a lid as well. This is how I used to make pork carnitas in the oven before I bought my own dutch oven. Slow braise the pork in the oven for 3.5 hours. This will produce results similar to slow cooked carnitas. Once the pork is cooked, remove it from the oven. Let it sit for about 20 – 30 minutes. Remove the pork from the dutch oven and place it on a plate. You can also transfer all the onions, jalapenos and garlic as well – do not discard them! Place the dutch oven on the stove (or transfer the leftover liquid into a saucepan). Cook the liquid on medium high heat until you reduce the liquid to about 1.5 cups. This can take about 30 minutes. Once the mojo braising liquid is reduced, you’re ready to crisp up the pork. Place the meat in the pot of your instant pot and add the water, lime juice, orange juice, milk, onions, garlic and jalapenos. Mix well. Use the pressure cooking function. Cook on high pressure for 30 minutes, with a natural release of 15 minutes (or let it release naturally). Remove the pot, and fish out all the pork, onions, garlic and jalapeno and place them on a plate. Return the pot back to your instant pot and reduce the liquid to about 1.5 cups. I set the IP to the saute function for 30 minutes, and this is usually enough. Once the braising liquid is reduced, you’re ready for the next step! Line a baking sheet with some foil. Spread out the shredded pork carnitas on the baking tray. Set the oven to the broiler setting at 450 F / 232 C. Drizzle some of the reduced braising liquid over the meat and mix it in. Place the baking tray about 6 – 8 inches below the top element. Keep an eye on the pork until the meat starts to form caramelized bits. Don’t let the pork burn. Once the meat is caramelized, remove the tray from the oven quickly and mix the meat so that more of the carnitas can crisp up. Add a little more of the liquid before returning the pork to the oven. I like to repeat this another 1 – 2 times until I have caramelized the pork carnitas to my liking! The crispy pork carnitas are done when the pork has beautifully caramelized pieces of shredded meat, along with juicy pieces of shredded meat. Add about 1/4 cup more of the braising liquid at the end and let it be absorbed by the meat. Once the pan is heated, place some of the meat in the skillet in one layer. Drizzle some of the braising liquid with the meat and mix. Let it cook over medium heat until the pork at the bottom of the pan starts to caramelize. Once it has caramelized, transfer the meat to a dish, and repeat until you have caramelized all the shredded meat. After all the meat is caramelized, add 1/4 cup of the braising liquid and mix it in. You can also store carnitas in the freezer for up to 3 months! Here’s what I do: Portion the meat per meal, and place the carnitas in air-tight containers or ziploc bags. The portions that I know I will be eating within 3 – 4 days, I keep in the fridge, and the rest I freeze. To reheat – Simply reheat in the microwave, OR reheat in the oven. Pork carnitas tacos with corn tortillas (or flour tortillas!) – my favorite kind of pork tacos. You can even top them up with this delicious roasted tomatillo salsa verde too! Carnitas rice bowl with salsa and vegetables. Pork enchiladas with this green enchilada sauce. My husband’s favorite – Pork empanadas made with the Fish empanada dough recipe.
