Authentic carnitas are a Mexican culinary treasure—tender, flavorful pork that’s been slow-cooked until it practically melts in your mouth. This traditional recipe uses a time-honored technique of cooking pork shoulder in its own fat, creating that signature rich flavor and impossibly tender texture. While it requires patience and time, the result is absolutely worth the wait. Carnitas are perfect for tacos, tostadas, or served alongside pickled red onions for a bright, tangy contrast.
What makes carnitas truly authentic is the low-and-slow cooking method that renders the fat and breaks down the connective tissue, resulting in meat so tender it shreds with the gentlest pressure. The combination of fresh herbs, citrus, and aromatics infuses every bite with genuine Mexican flavor. This isn’t a quick weeknight dinner—it’s a labor of love that rewards you with restaurant-quality results you can serve to impress family and friends.
Making carnitas at home might seem intimidating, but I promise it’s simpler than you think. You’ll need a heavy pot or Dutch oven, quality pork shoulder, and patience. The technique is straightforward: combine everything in your pot and let the oven do the work. Once you master this authentic carnitas recipe, you’ll find yourself making it again and again. Serve with warm tortillas, fresh cilantro, lime wedges, and your favorite toppings for an unforgettable meal that tastes like you’ve been cooking all day.
For complementary sides, consider pairing your carnitas with fresh chickpea salad or traditional Mexican rice. The beauty of carnitas is their versatility—they’re equally at home in a casual taco bar or on an elegant platter. This recipe makes enough to feed a crowd, and it freezes beautifully, so you can make it ahead for entertaining or enjoy leftovers throughout the week.
Ingredients
- 4-5 pounds pork shoulder (also called pork butt), skin removed, cut into 3-inch chunks
- 1 pound pork lard or bacon fat
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, for heat)
- 6 garlic cloves, smashed
- 4 bay leaves
- 2 dried guajillo chiles, seeded and roughly chopped
- 1 dried ancho chile, seeded and roughly chopped
- 1 orange, halved
- 1 lime, halved
- 1 white onion, halved
- 4 fresh thyme sprigs
- 4 fresh rosemary sprigs
- 1 cup chicken or pork broth
- Warm corn or flour tortillas for serving
- Fresh cilantro, diced white onion, lime wedges, and salsa for topping
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C). Pat the pork chunks dry with paper towels—this helps achieve better browning.
- In a small bowl, combine kosher salt, black pepper, cumin, oregano, and cayenne pepper. Rub this seasoning mixture thoroughly over all the pork pieces, making sure every surface is well-coated.
- In a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or roasting pan, melt the pork lard over medium heat until it’s completely liquid.
- Working in batches, carefully place the seasoned pork chunks into the hot fat. Don’t overcrowd the pan—you want each piece to have contact with the heat. Brown the pork on all sides for about 3-4 minutes per batch until deeply golden. This step develops flavor and color that will carry through the final dish.
- Once all pork is browned and back in the pot, add the smashed garlic cloves, bay leaves, chopped guajillo and ancho chiles, halved orange, halved lime, halved onion, thyme sprigs, and rosemary sprigs.
- Pour the chicken or pork broth around (not over) the pork, allowing it to pool in the bottom of the pot. The broth will help create steam and prevent sticking, but you want the pork cooking primarily in the fat, not braising in liquid.
- Cover the Dutch oven with a lid or heavy-duty aluminum foil. Place it in the preheated 300°F oven.
- Cook for 3.5 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally (about every 45 minutes) to ensure even cooking and that the pork is submerged in the fat. The pork is done when it’s incredibly tender and shreds easily when pressed with a fork.
- Carefully remove the pot from the oven. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked pork to a large serving platter or shallow baking dish.
- Strain the cooking fat through a fine-mesh strainer into a separate container, discarding the solids (garlic, herbs, chiles, citrus, and onion). You should have about 1 cup of beautiful, flavorful rendered fat.
- Pour about 1/2 cup of the reserved fat back over the warm pork, allowing it to coat and keep the meat moist and tender.
- If you prefer crispier carnitas, transfer the pork to a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook for 5-8 minutes, stirring frequently, until some edges are browned and crispy. This step is optional but creates wonderful texture.
- Serve the carnitas warm in soft corn tortillas with fresh cilantro, diced white onion, lime wedges, and your favorite salsa.
- Any leftover carnitas can be stored in an airtight container with some of the cooking fat for up to 5 days in the refrigerator, or frozen for up to 3 months.
Pro Tips
- **About the Meat**: Pork shoulder is the traditional cut for carnitas because it has enough fat and connective tissue to break down during cooking, creating that signature tender texture. Don’t use lean cuts like pork tenderloin.
- **The Fat is Essential**: Authentic carnitas are cooked in lard or rendered pork fat. This isn’t optional—the fat is what creates the incredible flavor and texture. You can find quality lard at most grocery stores, or ask your butcher.
- **Temperature Control**: The low oven temperature (300°F) is crucial. Higher heat will toughen the meat instead of making it tender. Use an oven thermometer to ensure accuracy.
- **Citrus and Aromatics**: The orange, lime, bay leaves, and dried chiles infuse the pork with authentic Mexican flavors. Don’t skip these—they’re not garnish, they’re foundational to the recipe.
- **Make-Ahead Option**: You can prepare carnitas completely one day ahead. Store them in their fat in the refrigerator, then reheat gently before serving. The flavors actually deepen overnight.
- **Serving Variations**: While traditional carnitas are served in warm tortillas, they’re also delicious on crispy tostadas, in quesadillas, atop salads, or alongside rice and beans for a heartier meal.
- **Rendering Your Own Lard**: If you want to be truly authentic, ask your butcher for pork fat trimmings and render your own lard at home by cooking it slowly over low heat for several hours.
- **Storage**: Reserve the rendered cooking fat—it’s liquid gold for cooking. Strained and stored in a covered container in the refrigerator, it keeps for weeks and adds incredible flavor to beans, potatoes, or scrambled eggs.
- **Crispy Finish**: For the crispiest carnitas, finish them in a hot skillet just before serving. This creates textural contrast while keeping the interior impossibly tender.
- **Dietary Notes**: This is a naturally gluten-free dish. Ensure your broth and any spices are certified gluten-free if needed.
- **Scaling the Recipe**: This recipe easily doubles for large crowds. Simply use a larger Dutch oven and add proportionally more ingredients. Cooking time may increase slightly.
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