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Carnitas Recipe

Handsome man wearing glasses and a blue polka dot shirt with a Williams Sonoma apron at a cozy kitchen counter.Jonathan Porter
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 45 minutes
Course dinner
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 12 servings
Calories 190 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 4 pounds pork shoulder cut into large pieces
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt plus more to taste
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 2 teaspoons crushed garlic
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • Juice of 1 medium orange
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 4 cans chicken broth (14 1/2 ounces each)

Instructions
 

  • Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the pork shoulder pieces with 1 tablespoon of the kosher salt. Brown the pork in batches for about 10 minutes, turning so all sides get a light color.
  • Once browned, add the chopped onion, crushed garlic, lime juice, orange juice, chili powder, dried oregano, and ground cumin. Stir for one minute to combine the flavors.
  • Pour in the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer for 2 1/2 hours until the pork is very tender.
  • Preheat your oven to 400°F. Remove the pork from the pot and let it cool slightly. Use two forks to shred the pork, keeping some of the cooking liquid.
  • Spread the shredded pork on a baking sheet, drizzle with reserved liquid, and bake for about 20-30 minutes, turning once to crisp the edges (add more liquid as needed to prevent it from drying out). If needed, use the broiler setting to make it even crisper.

Nutrition

Calories: 190kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 19gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 1034mgFiber: 0.5g
Keyword Carnitas Recipe
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