Juicy and crispy, tender Mexican pulled pork is one of my absolute favorite dinners, and best of all? This easy carnitas recipe can be cooked 3 ways: in a slow-cooker, Dutch oven, or an Instant Pot.
Preheat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the center position.
In a large Dutch oven, combine the bay leaves, oregano, chili powder, kosher salt, cumin, pepper, cayenne pepper, onion, orange juice and rind, lime juice and chicken stock.
Nestle in the meat, cover, and roast for 2½ to 3 hours or until the pork is very tender and can be pulled apart easily with a fork. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pork to a large baking dish or rimmed sheet pan, discarding any large pieces of fat. Use two forks to shred the pork into 1-inch pieces. Generously brush the meat with reserved liquid.
Turn on the broiler. Broil the shredded meat until the edges are crispy and caramelized, 5-8 minutes. Remove the baking dish from the oven and using a spatula, flip the meat over. Broil for 5 more minutes, or until crispy on top.
Use the carnitas as desired. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Nutitrion
Calories: 293 calories
Carbohydrates: 4 grams carbohydrates
Protein: 27 grams protein
Fat: 19 grams fat
Saturated Fat: 6 grams saturated fat
Cholesterol: 84 milligrams cholesterol
Sodium: 433 milligrams sodium
Sugar: 2 grams sugar
Reviews
Mark on 2025-12-22 (5 stars): I never write reviews, but this recipe is fantastic. Thanks for sharing
Carla Arellano on 2025-12-21 (5 stars): This was delicious! After reading one comment about adding dried red chiles I did just that...toasted, soaked, blended and strained. The gravy in the pot was so good we spooned it over polenta.
Thank you!
ROXANNE REEVES on 2025-12-18 (5 stars): quick and easy recipe. I cooked it on the stove. This recipe is a keeper. the juice was delicious and I am using it to cook the rice. That was a comment by another cook, who also left a 5 star review.
Maria on 2025-12-06 (5 stars): I loved your recipe. I added one cinnamon stick which was truly captivating. I kept the juices and used some of it to cook the rice. The rest, I plan to use it in soups, green beans, yellow squash, etc. Will follow you for you are inspiring me to get back to cooking---- I am 86 and healthy
Ken Emerson on 2025-10-12 (5 stars): I have used this recipe as my base for carnitas since the covid shutdowns. The only change I have made is instead of using the powdered spices, I use a mixture of dried chilies, toasted, braised in chicken stock and then blend them in a blender. Using chilies allows me to decide how spicy it will be - either a low, smokey kick or an intense after kick that sneaks up on you that you finally notice after wiping the beads of sweat from your forehead.
Orla on 2025-10-12 (5 stars): Im from Northern Ireland, so Mexican isnt something easily accessible here food wise, hence the search for great recipes to try, and I LOVE this recipe - Its so good my brother asked for the recipe. ! Its cheaper to make than Birria as beef cuts are dearer to buy, not to mention theres less prep work, so when Im craving Mexican on a budget I make this for tacos!
Katey on 2025-09-19 (5 stars): 10/10 in instapot! After I took out the meat to broil, I measured the amount of juice remaining, added rice and cooked back in the instapot. The rice with seasonings and little bits of meat was the best Ive made!
Jo Ann on 2025-09-19 (5 stars): I made two pork butts today one for my house and one for my son's house, this is his favorite dish and he will only want me to use your recipe. This came out so good I can't wait to have it tonight.
Jazz on 2025-09-19 (5 stars): I followed the directions exactly as written and let me tell you, the carnitas were delicious! My small family loved them and I was able to make about 3 different meals out of them. I made carnitas tacos, tortas and quesadillas. So versatile. Thank you for the excellent recipe!
Kevin on 2025-08-05 (5 stars): Fantastic! Will definitely make this one again. Followed the slow cooker method and crispy carnitas taco recipes and it turned out great. It' so nice to find recipes that have thought and testing behind them.
