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Craving something hearty and delicious or need to feed a crowd? This carnitas recipe is a crowd favorite! Imagine the most flavorful pork, slow-cooked until tender, then crisped to perfection. It is one of my best recipes on the blog!
With just a little time and the right ingredients, you’ll create a mouthwatering dish that will impress your loved ones. You really can’t mess this up- I’ve included step-by-step photos and important tips. So roll up your sleeves, and let’s get into this carnitas recipe that will have everyone coming back for seconds!
What are Carnitas?
The term “carnitas” translates to “little meats” in Spanish. Carnitas are Mexico’s version of pulled pork, slow cooked in lard (pork confit) with traditional Mexican flavors. When done right, this dish is juicy & tender on the inside, and crispy on the outside. Every region has their own style of making it, but it is said to have originated in the state of Michoacán.
There are many ways to make carnitas, but most will argue that it is NOT carnitas if it isn’t slow cooked in manteca (lard). Although I agree with this, I have tried carnitas prepared in other ways and thought those were pretty tasty too. The slow cooker method is great, although I can taste the difference when lard is not used.
This recipe uses the traditional way of making carnitas, except that I don’t have a cazo (copper pot), which is traditionally used to make it. My dutch oven works just fine!
Ingredients:
- Pork butt- I dry brine large pork butt chunks in kosher salt for an hour before cooking. Over night in the fridge would be really great if you have the time. If you don’t have an hour to do this, that’s totally fine too. You may also use pork shoulder but I find that it doesn’t turn out as tender as pork butt since it has less marbling.
- Manteca- manteca is Spanish for lard, and a lot of people would argue that it’s not carnitas if it isn’t slow cooked in lard (confit). I’ve made carnitas many times using a completely different method and it’s still very good. But it is important to note that the traditional way to make carnitas is by slow cooking it in lard. I think it also gives it a more authentic taste.
- Seasoning- Salt, Mexican oregano, cumin, & black pepper
- Orange- use both the juice & peels!
- Aromatics- garlic, onion, bay leaves, and cloves. I’ve seen a lot of carnitas recipes that also add cinnamon. I’m personally not a fan but feel free to add a cinnamon stick in there as well.
- Evaporated milk- milk is a great tenderizer and I’m using evaporated milk because it goes through a process called fore-warming, which prevents it from curdling when introduced to high temperatures. You can use regular whole milk, but just be careful because it can curdle and turn sour when you pour it in. It’s best to add it in after the water and orange juice, since they will bring the temperature down a bit.
- Mexican Coca cola- add this in the last 20-30 minutes of cooking for color & flavor. I don’t like to add too much since it is sweet- half a bottle is enough.
Tips on how to make tender, juicy, & crispy carnitas
Here are some of my tips for making the best carnitas at home! The full recipe with ingredient measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the end of this blog post.
Make sure you get the correct cut of pork. For a long time I used to think pork shoulder and pork butt were basically the same thing, but they are not. Pork butt, often called “Boston butt” comes from the upper part of the shoulder and has higher fat content. Pork shoulder comes from the bottom shoulder and has less fat, so less marbling which means less flavor/tenderness.
Cut the pork butt into large chunks with flat, even surface areas so that they brown nicely. My pork butt was about 3.5 pounds and I cut it into 6 pieces.
Sprinkle kosher salt all over the pork and rest in the fridge overnight for the best results. This is called dry brining and allows the salt to penetrate the meat and give it more flavor. It will also help with browning. If you don’t have time to do this overnight, 1 hour rested on the counter is fine.
Use lard that has been rendered from your local butcher, or from the Mexican market. These are usually darker in color and give a better flavor. The white lard bought in grocery stores are usually hydrogenated and lack the flavor needed for carnitas.
During the first 40 minutes of frying, be sure to lift the pork pieces occasionally to make sure they are not sticking or burning on the bottom. If kept at 250 degrees Fahrenheit, you should only have to lift a couple of times. Try not to disturb the pork too often as it will prevent even browning.
Don’t worry if your pork doesn’t look like it’s getting enough color in the first 40 minutes. You don’t want them to brown too much or the outer layer will be too tough. It will take on more color after you add the coke.
After adding the evaporated milk, trust the process! If your heat is too high when you add it, it may look like it curdled, and for a good 10-20 minutes it is not going to look pretty. Be patient and let the evaporated milk do its job, which is tenderizing the pork even more.
During the slow cooking portion of this recipe, flip the pork as needed to get even browning on all sides. Keep the temperature between 200-220 degrees Fahrenheit.
Add the coke in the last 20-30 minutes of slow cooking for flavor and color. This is optional but highly recommended.
What to do with the leftover lard
Lard can be reused, but it degrades each time and also retains a strong taste of whatever it was used for originally. You should only reuse it once or twice.
I filter the lard and set some aside to refry leftover carnitas, but you could also just mix it in with the carnitas and store in the fridge that way. You don’t need a lot! Just enough so that you can add them directly to a pan to reheat them.
NEVER dump lard down your garbage disposal! Don’t let the stuff get into the pipes in your home at all. Allow the lard to cool and solidify, then throw it away in the garbage.
Pro Tip
My favorite way to reuse carnitas lard is to make refried beans! I’m pretty sure this is the secret to how some of the best Mexican restaurants make super delicious refried beans.
What to make with carnitas:
There are SO many ways you can enjoy carnitas. The possibilities are endless.
Here are some of my favorite things to make:
- Tacos
- Tortas Ahogadas
- Burritos
- Flautuas
- Taquitos
- Burrito bowl
- Empanadas
- Gorditas
- Enchiladas
- Quesadillas
Storing
One of the things I really love about this dish is that it freezes VERY well. If you have leftovers that is- you can portion them out and freeze to use for a quick lunch or dinner later.
To reheat, thaw out in the fridge then cook in a non-stick pan over medium-low heat, covered for 5-7 minutes. You can add a little water to the pan to add a little more moisture back to the carnitas if needed, but I don’t usually have to do this.
Other meats/side dishes to bring to the carne asada
Whether you’re having a taco night at home or hosting a carne asada, here are some of my other recipes you can make that are sure to impress!
Recommended
Traditional Carnitas (Mexican Pork Confit)
Ingredients
- 3 to 3.5 lbs pork butt , or pork shoulder
- 4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 lb lard
- 2 tsp Mexican oregano
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 5 cloves (spice)
- 1 orange
- 1 onion
- 5 cloves of garlic
- 2 bay leaves
- 5 oz evaporated milk
- 1/2 cup water
- 6 oz Mexican coca-cola
Instructions
- Cut your pork butt into large chunks. I had a boneless 3.5 lb pork butt and cut it into 6 even pieces.
- Cover in kosher salt for 1 hour. This is called dry brining and if I have time, I usually do this overnight in the fridge.
- Melt the lard in a large pot over medium heat. You can use a wooden spoon to check when it is hot enough- bubbles will float to the surface rapidly. *You only need enough lard to cover 80% of the pork- it does not need to be fully submerged. For 3 to 3.5 lbs of pork butt in a 10 inch pot, you'll need 1 lb of lard.
- Add the pork butt chunks and leave it for 20 minutes, picking up each piece occasionally to make sure the bottom does not stick/burn. Adjust the heat to medium low if it starts to brown too quickly. The temp should be around 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
- After 20 minutes, flip over and repeat on the other side. Don't worry if your pork doesn't look like it's getting enough color. You don't want them brown TOO much or the outer layer will be too tough. It will take on more color after you add the coke.
- Next reduce the heat, then add the onion, garlic, black pepper, cumin, Mexican oregano, cloves, and bay leaf, juice of an orange, the peels, water, & evaporated milk. Slow cook for 1 1/2 hours between 200-220 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add Mexican coca-cola and slow cook for another 20 minutes.
- Remove from pot and let it cool. The pork chunks should be so tender that you can see them jiggle when handling.
- Shred the carnitas easily with your hands and that's it! The inside should be super tender and juicy, and the outside crispy with a beautiful dark & shiny color. See notes below for ideas on what dishes you can make with carnitas.
Notes
- Tacos
- Tortas
- Burritos
- Flautas/taquitos
- Rice bowl
- Empanadas
- Gorditas (recipe for gorditas here)
- Enchiladas
- Quesadillas
Storing
One of the things I really love about this dish is that it freezes VERY well. If you have leftovers that is- you can portion them out and freeze to use for a quick lunch or dinner later. To reheat, thaw out in the fridge then cook in a non-stick pan over medium-low heat, covered for 5-10 minutes.Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is the second time making the carnitas. Easy recipe to follow and the results of my first attempt was a success! Family requested this again. So hopefully this time they will be just as good. Thank you!
omg,omg,omg,omg, so yummy. first tim3 making carnitas and They are the frkn BOMB!!!!
Hello, ready to drive brine my pork and was wondering is I could add the other spices to the rub as well for additional flavor?
Great recipe and best to keep simple with pico de gallo with corn tortillas and maybe sour cream. Delicious
Turned out fantastic.
The most tricky learnings for me were in the browning process. I found that with the lard on an electric stovetop dutchoven and this volume of meat I had to do it in two batches to avoid overcrowding. I also needed to crank heat to max for quite a while to get the heat needed for browning. At anything under max heat I was only reaching 200 farenheight and your meat will not brown. It wasnt until it got to 250 as the recipe suggests that rapid nice browning occurs.
Which happened very fast and leaves me wondering why you would need to be cooking at this temp for 40+ min because it would have scorched the life out of mu meat. Nonetheless a brown was achieved, though I do think my final result was a bit drier than it could have been. I also removed about 50% of the fat before adding the coke in the final hour.
Do you cover once slow cooking?
this is my first time doing carnitas and I believe they came out really good I’m on my last step on adding the half of the Mexican Coca-Cola I really like how she says everything in order and I believe it everything’s going to be good thank you very much for your recipe God bless.
have made this recipe a few times now, never disappoints! This last time I made it i used some of the pork to do Chile Verde. Next. Freaking. Level!!!
I love carnitas and this recipe is excellent, rivaling Carnitas Suprema in Toppenish Wa.
I have made this a couple times now as written and it’s great every time. i am about to go for a 3rd, but with beef chuck roast. I have a relative who doesn’t eat pork, so I want to see if this works. I didn’t see any other review doing it, so any tips?
I’m dry-brining overnight. fingers crossed i don’t waste a chuck roast 😅
I didn’t like eating the orange peel. Yuck. J/K. Perhaps I missed it, but how did you prepare the onion? From the picture, it looks like you quartered it?
Very well written recipe, with easy to follow directions. I have a small suggestion. If you want to make a double batch, use 2 Dutch ovens. I tried making a double batch in a large stock pot. I did have enough lard to cover all the pork but it was very difficult to get it brown, and because of the amount of moisture in all that pork, I couldn’t get the temperature to rise above 212 degrees for quit a bit of the cook, even with a high BTU burner. Once it did start to rise, it did so very quickly. After that it was nearly impossible to keep it from sticking, so the bottom of the pot is a pretty big mess. It was still very tasty and tender, but missing that nice crispy outside. I’m sure this was more about my double batch than the recipe itself. I will definitely try again with a single batch! Thanks so much for the recipe.
Try doing a second quick fry in a skillet to great that crisp
I doubled the recipe for 6 lbs, but used 1.5 lb lard and browned 2 separate batches. Put everything back in together and it worked fine with the other liquids and ingredients. Easy shredding by hand and mouth-watering! Excellent for a first-timer, I would say so myself! The kids enjoyed (and cat had a taste).
I need to add : this comment cooking carnitas you need or it is better to use a Dutch oven that is either cast iron or heavy metal like magnalite or similar for heat consistancy and retention the thinner ones its harder to regulate the heat .
Just tried this and it was excellent. I think even better than my local Mexican restaurant! And it was pretty easy to cook too. This is definitely my go-to carnitas recipe now.
very good
I am curious about the addition of all of the ingredients such as evaporated milk and coke. How are you supposed to reuse the manteca as suggested? Won’t it be completely saturated with other things, or is there a step of removing the pork from the manteca and everything else is added to a different pot? Did I miss something?
Lid or no lid when simmering? Thank you. Looks fabulous!
Did you get an answer to lid on or off?… I want to try this recipe but not sure if I should cover with lid or not?..
I don’t think that it needs to be vovered
Lose the LARD. Smoke your meat and add the appropriate flavors and you will have much more enjoyable Carnitas. This recipe has so much fat and salt content I could barely eat one small taco. If your a roofing crew who just burned 9000 calories. This would be great. Otherwise. To much fat. But the flavor matches are spot on. No offense to the fine Carnitas cookers.
Idiot
Then it is no longer Carnitas. Call it something else out of respect for Mexicans, their culture and their heritage
Found the water thank you
WHERE AND WHEN do you add the 1/2 cup of water?
This is my go to recipe. its the best carnitas recipe ever and I can make it. its better than any I’ve had a restaurant. I have been using it for years.
After you have cooked the Carnitas, What do you use the cooking liquid for? Is there a sauce that you can make?
This is my second time making these using this recipe and they are delicious! This second time I doubled ALL the ingredients/spices except for the meat, used 3.5lbs pork shoulder, and the flavor is much better. Also used larger chunks of meat because the first time, the 40mins of frying dried them out really bad but this time they are absolutely perfect. Great recipe!
Question: I don’t do soda – drink or cook with – any substitute for the Coca Cola?
Thanks in advance.
It says that the Mexican soda is optional
I’m 75 years old, grew up in AZ, spend lots of time in NM and, while my memory may be a bit hazy, I’m pretty sure this is the best carnitas I’ve ever eaten. Presently working on my second batch and doubling up on the ingredients sounds like a real winner. Can’t imagine how much better it can get but I’m anxious to find out. Thank you for your wonderfully written recipe.
Really good! Instructions are super clear — just follow them.
Tried this last night — I’m a fan! The result was absolutely delicious and enjoyed by the entire family as tacos with Pico de Gallo.
If anyone is interested, I did try the slow cook using my convection oven. I would do it again and made the following notes for myself:
It is possible to do the slow cooking portions of this recipe using a convection oven. Maintaining an internal temperature, however, is not exactly straightforward and you will need to experiment with your oven to get the correct settings.
For our GE Profile convection oven, we need to do the following:
• Make sure the pot you are using is “oven safe.” A Dutch Oven is ideal.
• Preheat the oven to 400F.
• Use an electronic thermostat with the probe inserted into the center of the oil, not the meat. I set the desired temp to 225F so that it would beep if the mixture got too hot.
• After you transfer the Dutch Oven to the convection oven, it may take 30 minutes or more to bring the internal mixture up to desired temperature (the Dutch Oven is absorbing most of it.)
• After the mixture has reached the desired temp, set a time for 1 ½ hours and adjust the oven temperature as needed to maintain the internal mixture temperature. For our oven, any temperature between 250F and 300F would maintain the internal temperature of 214F.
• After the 90 minutes are over, you must remove the pot from the oven to add the Coke. Then, reinsert the pot back into the oven. You lose about 20F degrees doing this but there won’t be enough time to recover the temperature if you increase it. Don’t worry, just put it back in and the internal temperature will go back up to about 214F by the time the 20 minutes are up.
I found this easy to do in the Convection oven but I learned a lot about how the oven regulates temperature. The only drawback I noticed was that some of the exposed orange, onion, and meat pieces sticking out above the lard level tended to singe a little. Since the entire pot is in the oven, it is difficult to push those pieces back into the lard without losing the internal temperature.
Best of luck and thanks for the recipe. Richard
Ok, Stella trusting the process. I’m about to brine the pork. I’ll let you know the fabulous results.
Was a big hit both at work for Cinco de Mayo and at home (left overs). Will do this again.
Thank you so much for the recipe, very well explained and delicious. I ended up making 10 pounds. Everyone loved it!
I’m from Guadalajara myself and felt like I was cooking something my grandma would make.
Followed the recipe. The pork had flavor, but was dry and a little tough.
A pork butt and a pork shoulder is the exact same cut of meat. A pork butt is not actually its butt. Great recipe
Brian R– you’re not quite right. The butt is a specific part of the shoulder. It’s higher up.
The reason pork shoulder was called Boston butt is because they were shipped in butts from Boston. Butt is just an old term for barrel. Not a part of the shoulder.
The pork shoulder is the upper part of the shoulder containing more fat, pork butt is the lower portion of the shoulder holding less fat. There is a difference in the meats. This coming from an Ex Swine handler. But overall I 100% agree great recipe.
Same question as Trqci do I drain the lard before putting all the other ingredients in to slow cook? Or is it mixed with the kilk and everything?
Hi! Thank you for the recipe. There is a pretty big caffeine sensitivity in my family. Could I leave out the coke or replace it with something else? Thanks!
You could add the flavorings, so maybe something like coriander seed, nutmeg, cinnamon, orange and lemon peel in a flavor bag, juice of 1 lime and a splash of naranja agria (also known as bitter orange). You’d also need to factor in the sugar, but that would be a pretty spot on replacement, with a bit more work. I’d also add in 6 oz of water as well. I make my own soda at home, and these are the flavorings I use with a few tweaks since this is used for a recipe and not as a drink.
very traditional right weighted do it except for the evaporated milk very good recipe
haha supposed to say the right way to do it
Do drain and filter the lard before adding the other ingredients?
I do alot of cooking for family and.friends and I have.to say this was definitely the.BEST does not even need to be.reheated in juices to get brown and crisp outside. AMAZING flavor. This is a keeper. Thanks
So easy, with simple everyday ingredients. Very delicious and moist!
Hands down this is the best carnitas recipe EVER!
cooked this tonight and it was absolutely delicious. The meat was so juicy and tender
Perfect carnitas recipe.
My wife’s family (from Michoacan) makes carnitas for New Years every year since before I’ve known her. We’ve been together since 1983 and this year we couldn’t make it to the festivities. I tried your recipe at home for my first time making carnitas and my wife loved them. She knows carnitas and these are good.
Will there be any liquid left after cooking? Can I re-use the lard to other dishes? Doesn’t it need any sauce? All this time I thought carnitas has some kind of sauce in it.
I have unused duck fat from another confit experience. Can it be used in this recipe?
Hi Jimmy, I have never tried using duck fat for carnitas but I’m sure it would still be delicious. Maybe with a slightly different flavor. Duck fat can be substituted for lard at a 1:1 ratio here 🙂
I need to make this dairy free. Would you suggest using evaporated coconut milk or skipping the evaporated milk altogether? Thank you!
Hi Vero, I would just skip it altogether 🙂
Will it make a difference if I used a sour orange? Will that change the flavor or the acidity in the dish any?
this is an excellent recipe to get authentic Mexican carnita flavors. The lard is the difference and the tip to use left over lard for refried beans is how to get authentic flavor as well. I also use it to make my Mexican rice…adds a depth of flavor that tomato sauce alone can’t deliver.
Hi Jenny, thanks for leaving a comment. I never thought to also use the leftover lard for Mexican rice, definitely going to try that next time!
I’ve made this about 5 times since I found this recipe, sooo good! And very easy. Comes out amazing.Every. Time. Making this again TODAY!
Excellent recipe! Thank you for sharing, Stella 🙂
This is one of absolute favorite recipes – My go-to whenever I make tacos.
we made this and did the over night salt, we couldn’t hardly eat it it was way too salty and even rinsed it off after cooking, definitely wouldn’t recommend doing this over night, we are trying again but just for a hour
I’ve never had anyone say this, but I can definitely see this happening if table salt was used or the pieces were cut too small.
Making these right now. Soooo hoping they come out good. They already smell delicious
You clearly used the wrong salt or didn’t measure correctly. There is no way 4tsp of loser salt would be too salty for 3 pounds of meat.
hi Stella! making this tonight for the 1st time. it’s okay to reuse the lard even with the added spices and such? I’m new to cooking with lard 🙂
I always cut my salt back but I have learned using Diamond Crystal Salt is the ONLY Kosher salt worth its salt if you will.
I refer to it as Red Diamond as it comes in a Red box. It is about 2x the price of Morton Kosher but since figuring it out and making a different dish with Morton type and gagging I ONLY use “Red Diamond”. I had to order it from Amazon. I thought this dish was the bomb. a beautiful perfect dish.
Both are perfectly nice tasting kosher salts but vary dramatically in quantity required. Due to the differences in their crystal structure 1 tsp diamond = 2 tsp morton in terms of taste of saltiness (thereabouts). Usually impossible to know what recipes are referring to, so always just better to salt to taste anyway.
Can I brown the meat for less time in the lard then put in slow cooker for the rest of the cook? Last minute event and don’t have all that time to do this exactly according to directions. Would like to cook in crockpot the majority of the time/overnight.
After shredding we lay the meat out on a baking pan and give it a quick turn under the broiler to add some crispness. watch closely, though, you don’t want to over do it.
This might be what I am missing. otherwise the recipe was Bellisimo!
Question
How sweet are these? I’m not a huge fan of sweet meats or BBQ but I love carnitas. I’ve never had them with Coke that I’m aware, of so now I’m intrigued.
Hi Olivia, I wouldn’t describe this recipe as sweet. Coke is commonly added to carnitas for color, flavor, and tenderizing. I only add half a bottle so the sweetness is just enough to balance the flavors, but not enough to make it sweet. Hope this helps!
Not sweet at all, I made this recipe and now I am sold. It was soooooo delicious
Just the BEST thing I have ever made! I see it all the time on videos but now it is something that I will continue to make for fun and special occasions. I am surprised how the meat does not become greasy at all. And the evaporated milk, where did it go?? It evaporated into deliciousness. I did go out and find a legit mexican coke, I wonder how the domestic one would fare?? Any thoughts or experience to share?
Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Absolutely phenomenal carnitas recipe! I’m so happy I stumbled upon it. This will definitely be a new go to in my household.
Wow, it just worked! I never had proper carnitas, I’m from central Europe and all the mexican restaurants are just crappy here. This was my 5th attempt to make it myself and with this, mixed with some proper salsa verde, cilantro in homemade tortillas, I feel like this made it to my top 5 food ever! Thank you so much!
this might sound like a stupid question, but do you take the pork out of the lard before adding the spices, juice, water, and evaporated milk?
No you leave it in the lard the whole time.
This recipe was amazing, couldn’t have asked for a more delicious and fairly straight forward recipe. Definitely plan on making again (and I took your tip and used the leftover strained lard when I made beans). Thank you for sharing this!
I couldn’t get the meat to brown. I wish I cut into thicker chunks. I was only able to fit half of my pork in the pot, so I will try again. Any tips to get better browning?
you can try browning in a pan. Then transfer to a pot. Make sure to deglaze your pan with some water and add it to the pot too. you don’t want all that flavor to go to waste! 🙂
My first time and wow, the flavor was great and meat so tender! Excellent recipe!
Also don’t crowd the pot or the meat will just braise and not brown.
I haven’t tried this recipe yet but I’m going to!! I’ve tried making carnitas in the past but not like this. Now this might sound like a stupid question but on one of the steps you say to slow cook the pork, do you mean slow cook on the stove, and if so on the low setting or do you mean slow cook in crockpot on low setting?? Please help!!
This is a stovetop recipe, not for a slow cooker. Never tried but I don’t know if putting lard in slow cooker is a good idea or even possible.
It would be slow cook on the stove.
dumb question, after adding all the ingredients, do I cover the pot
I did not.
not the author but belei e this is the best Carnitas recipe ever!
When cooking in batches should we add more coke and oranges and everything else everytime ? or will the lard retain those flavors
can also cook them concurrently in separate pots but would like to limit the amount of dishes after
this is my go-to carnitas recipe. Thank you so much. Making my 4th batch now, and I can barely wait to eat some.
Do you begin cooking the pork at room temp?
It’s almost always going to best to cook meat when at room temperature. The muscle structure will constrict less.
made her previous carnitas recipe countless times so thought I’d try the updated traditional version and it’s just as good/even better ! always a crowd pleaser whenever I make it 🥹
There’s a simple solution to the issue of milk curdling. You simply need to warm the milk and water before adding it to the confit. I put all my additional ingredients into a pan to warm them, then I whisk the warm contents into the conditioner. No curdling.
sorry… whisk the liquid into the confit. (autocorrect got me!)
This is my go-to recipe for carnitas and it turns out perfect every time! Easy to follow instructions, authentic and delicious!
Absolutely so delicious and such an easy recipe to make … reheats well too!! Only way my 2 year old will eat pork so far
definitely plan on trying this recipe. I would like to know if I can substitute oat milk in place of evaporated milk?
I would not use oat milk in place of evaporated milk. You can just leave it out if you prefer!
LOVE LOVE this carnitas recipe. Saw it way back on instagram and decided to make it for super bowl, I did it the day before to allow myself some time (used meat for tacos next day) .
Mexican Coke was a nice touch. these were a hit and will definitely make again.
Best carnitas! I love dipping a tortilla in the oil before frying it to make a crispy taco.
These are the BEST carnitas I’ve ever had. The first time made, they were gone instantly. I’ve made them several times since and always double it, they’re phenomenal, everyone loves them!
I’ve made more carnitas in the last few years then I ever have before so good
Loved this recipe so easy to follow but best of all So delicious
seriously my go-to carnitas recipe! I grew up in So Cal, so after moving out of state it was hard to find a spot with carnitas that scratched the itch. now I have zero worries because I just make it myself lol. Thank you so much, Stella for sharing your amazing recipes and creations!! Love always, @jenchonbomb
My go-to carnitas recipe. Best !
This is the best carnitas recipe, omg i love it
I’ve tried many carnitas recipes but this is hands down theeee best! Flavors are deep and texture is ALWAYS perfect. This dish is a crowd pleaser every time I make and pairs perfect with pickled red onions. Thank you for sharing this gem 🫶
This recipe is delicious! When I was a kid, my dad used to make carnitas on a disco (obtained from a tractor by means I am unaware of) outside with at least four blocks of Manteca. This recipe reminds of those nights! The addition of orange was an unexpected and welcome twist that added complexity to the dish’s flavor. I love to make this recipe for the most special occasions!
I have made this so many times, the recipe is spot on! Perfect to save in the freezer and when ready, thaw out and reheat. The taste gets better and better!
I have made this 3 times and absolutely LOVE it! It is not a quick and easy recipe, but if you value authentic, amazing flavor, then this is worth it and a recipe to try! The flavor was so good I could eat it every day. My son actually ate the leftovers so quickly I was mad at him because I wanted to eat them! I couldn’t blame him-it is that good! Thank you for sharing such a wonderful recipe! All your recipes are so flavorful!
My go to carnitas recipe- I make it with my adult daughter’s when they come visit.
I made this. It turned out amazing!
Used the authentic manteca from my local carniceria (Sonoma, Ca) (don’t tell my wife).
You website is on my shortlist every week.
Thank you.
I’ve made this recipe a dozen times and the family loves it every time! My oldest asks for it when he comes home from college. Thank you so much for sharing such a fabulous recipe!!
This is my go-to carnita recipe!
Thanks for sharing
Out of all my saved recipes of yours, this one is my absolute favorite!! So easy and simple to do that I honestly was in disbelief the first time I made them. I’ve now made it about 6 times 😍 They always come out perfect and so flavorful! Thank you for sharing your amazing recipes 🫶🏼
I’ve made a couple of your recipes and they are delicious this one is one of my favorites reminds me of the carnitas my grandma use to make. When I saw you shared this one I knew I had to try it and it has been the best one I love it I’ve made it more than once!
Love the recipe!!!! Everyone loved it!! Thank you
I love all your recipes!! But this one is an A+! My son is autistic and he does not eat meat but every time I make this specific dish following your recipe he always wants to eat! Thank you so much for sharing recipes! 🥲🫰
This is the first recipe I watched and tried by you and it’s been a favorite in our home.
Thanks for sharing the best recipes!
This is my all time fave recipe~ I’m allergic to regular oj so I use blood orange juice and this is my absolute favorite go to recipe of yours
Just made this tonight! One of my go to recipes- turns out amazing every time!
I love this recipe so much! I literally make it every other week in bulk!
This was my favorite recipe of yours so far! I’ve made it several times and it never fails me. Thank you!!
Fantastic recipe! So easy to follow and delicious results
I was afraid of the condensed milk but you were right! Excellent recipe, thank you!
My pork is brining in the fridge. Tomorrow is the big day ! FYI… I live in Southern California and went to a local Mexican Market today for some of the items. They had the brown lard and the bottle of Mexican Coke I bought does have Cane Sugar !
Hot tip… I bought 2 pork butts and rendered my own “lard” by cutting it in small pieces and starting it on low heat with a bit of oil.
I’ve made this recipe 3x already and it is amazing!! So thankful to have found this 🙂
I’ve done pork butt with shio koji and I’ve made your carnitas before. I may experiment with shio koji instead of the brine and then go into the rest of your recipe. Maybe will make it even more tender/salty? Oh and I don’t know about calling this “pork confit” 🙂 It kinda is but carnitas is carnitas.
If you don’t drain the lard prior to adding the extra flavors and ingredients like the milk, how do you save it for future use since the spices, soda and milk will now be mixed in.
If you don’t want those flavors transferring to whatever you want to reuse it for, then you shouldn’t use it. Those ingredients do not alter the flavor so much that it can’t be used for something like refried beans or reheating the carnitas. And you also shouldn’t reuse the lard more than once or twice.
So to be clear before I start. i do not drain the lard when adding everything? i only drain, filter and store the lard when i am finished cooking and ready to serve?
Thats correct 🙂
My pork is dry brining in the fridge! I can’t wait to taste 👅 it!! I cut out the bone. Do you have any suggestions for using it somehow??
Thanks for the recipe! 8)
I cooked the bone right with everything else, the marrow adds a wonderful depth of flavor!
Question – do you simmer for the 1.5 hours or just keep on low heat? assuming simmer but wasn’t sure! TY!
The initial fry should be about 250 degrees (first 40 minutes). The rest should be at 220 degrees Fahrenheit which is kind of between “low heat” and a “simmer.”
I can’t, I don’t think I will ever make carnitas another way. It was so fall apart tender but still had that craveable crunch. It tasted so damn good I wanted to just stand there and fill up just picking at it. I’m so glad I found this recipe!
awesome recipe. thanks! I’m going to be cooking a large family gathering, so I’m gonna do about 8 lbs of pork shoulder. I’m concerned about fitting everything on the stove. could I do the first step of browning in batches on the stove, and then transfer everything to a deep pan and put in the oven to finish for the last hour or so?
Hi Peter, you can definitely do that but my only concern is that this is a recipe that kind of needs to be babysat. You need easy access to the pot to move the pork around occasionally to make sure it isn’t burning or sticking to the bottom too much. When you stick it in the oven, set the temp to 225 for the slow cooking portion. Then when you add the coke, crank it up to 275 for the last 20 minutes, checking on it a few times. Hope this helps!
What do you do with the lard after cooking? just throw away? just wondering
I filter it out and re-use some of it for refrying leftover carnitas. Lard can be reused, but the quality degrades each time and you shouldn’t use it with heat over 360 degrees Fahrenheit. It can also retain a strong taste so whether you can re-use it depends on what you want to use it for. Hope that helps!
Is the 4 tsp salt listed in the ingredientsv for dry brining 3 lb of meat? Is any other salt added during cooking? If I don’t dry-brine, when do I add the 4 tsp of salt?
No other salt is added. Follow the recipe as written even if you are not dry brining over night. You can cook the pork shoulder right after adding salt to it.
Absolutely fabulous recipe!! Is the recipe intended for 4 people? How much raw pork would I use for 12 people?
It depends what else you are serving this with. Are they for tacos? For 12 people I would double the recipe, but you will still have leftovers. They freeze extremely well.
This recipe was fantastic! I will definitely follow this again. I used an 8lb pork butt that had a bone that I cut out and 2lbs of pork belly and 2lbs of lard was a bit too much. After taking the bone out I probably had 6 pounds of pork butt, I didn’t weigh it. I wasn’t seeing the browning I expected based on pictures in this recipe. I removed at least 8 oz of lard after about an hour and then I was getting the browning. I doubled everything else in the recipe and flavors seemed great. This reheated very well in small portions in a skillet for tacos all weekend.
Hi – making this today. If I double the recipe (and thus lard as well), do I double the spices/coke/orange?
Hi Christina, I would double just about everything except for the lard. With the lard, it really depends on the size of your pot. You need just enough lard to cover about 80% of the pork in the pot. Don’t focus too much on this detail- it doesn’t have to be an exact amount, just make sure most of the pork is submerged in the lard. I recommend using as wide of a pot as you have- 10 inches is ok but 12+ is better.
Once you fry the meat pieces, could you transfer it and the remaining ingredients to a slow cooker?
I have not done this but I don’t see why not. My only concern would be that the heat may not be high enough in a slow cooker, especially for the last 20 minutes when the Coca-cola goes in. Use the highest setting for the slow cooker to be safe.
Literally AMAZING!! I forgot to add the Coca Cola at the end and the meat was still so flavorful and tender. Seriously, make this. Best recipe ever. 10/10. It was such a hit in my house. I’m Mexican and this is how carnitas should taste, juicy and fatty.
After brining but before browning do you wipe the excess salt off or cook with it intact? Does it liquify while brining?
Maybe a huge batch tomorrow first time 🙌🏽
Hi Justin, do not remove the salt. It will dissolve into the pork shoulder and you won’t be able to brush any off anyway. Good luck with your large batch!
love this recipe! but I need to make a 12lb pork roast and would like love a agusted recipe for this Please 🙏 and thank you!
Strange question: can I cook them in something other than Manteca? I know they won’t be authentic, and I’ve made this recipe 3 times and we love it, but the smell of the Manteca makes me feel so sick… I can’t stand it. Any other option that would yield similar results?
You can use vegetable or canola oil. Many people do, although it is not the traditional way.
Amazing. Definitely add the cinnamon. I use 2 sticks, and OMG…its amazing.
We have moved far from any Mexican shop worth its salt (pun intended!). I have been searching and searching for a recipe that will give me the nostalgic taste of home and boy was this one it. These are the absolute *closest* I have ever come to replicating those perfect carnitas we always bought on Saturday mornings. I followed your directions specifically with no changes, and they actually simmered longer while we waited for rice and beans to finish cooking. It was just perfect. Thank you for sharing.
I have been researching recipes and I think I have decided to try this one. I’m making a lot for a celebration of life for my very dearest and best friend ever, who passed 17 days ago. Thank you for the recipe, I hope I don’t screw it up.
these are the best carnitas I’ve ever had! l didn’t have any cola so I used a scant tablespoon of brown sugar. I’ll try the Mexican cola next time. thank you so much!
So…3 cloves of garlic or 5? 8?
It’s cooking now.
I added 9 ( I like garlic) I also added jalapenos and one Serrano. (I like heat)
I will let you know how we liked it!
Hello Amy, the ingredient list states 5 cloves of garlic and 3 “cloves,” as in the spice. They are not the same thing. Hope that helps!
3 cloves of what spice?? the black pepper?
this is definitely being made today! I have most of the ingredients on hand, except the lard and Mexican Cola.
Is there a difference between Mexican and American Cola?
Thank you!!!!😁
The name of the spice is called cloves. The difference between American and Mexican cola is that the former uses corn syrup. Mexican cola uses real cane sugar.
can I fry pork in Dutch oven on the stovetop, then cover and transfer to the oven at 220 degrees for slow cooking portion? I am asking because I feel it would be difficult to regulate the tempature on the stovetop.
The ingredient list calls for 2 oranges, but the directions call for the juice of one orange and the peels. So is it juice of one orange the the peels of 2? Can you clarify please? And, what spice would you substitute for mexican oregano if it is not available?
Thank you.
Hi Karen, you just need one orange. If you can’t find Mexican oregano, I think marjoram might be the best substitute. Mexican oregano can be bought online if that is an option for you as well.
How much and what kind of salt do you brine the pork with in the brine stage? I have over 3 lbs of pork butt and will likely salt tonight and leave until tomorrow morning to cook. I would hate to oversalt the meat because there’s no coming back from that kind of mistake. I do have Diamond kosher salt which is less saltier than Morton’s. If I have between 3 and 4 lbs of pork shoulder meat, would I need to go heavier on the spices? Finally, I have no Coca Cola…I have a can of Sprite or Pepsi. Is either of those acceptable?
I use 4 tsp of Morton coarse kosher salt. For your amount of pork, I would just add a pinch more of all the spices. The salt does most of the work. Pepsi will work just fine. Hope this helps!
Simply the most amazing carnitas I ever made . Thanks for your recipe . I’m m from south texas – Harlingen , and this carnitas are as good or better than anything I have tasted in restaurants. !
Maybe a dumb question but is this cooked entirely uncovered as the pictures suggest? Or should I cover the pot for last two hours or so when simmering?
Hi David, not a dumb question at all! I will make sure to edit the instructions to make this more clear. You should cook this uncovered the whole time. Cooking it uncovered will allow for more browning and deeper flavors. Hope this helps!
I’ve tried a few of you recipes and this one is hands down a fave in my household! So flavorful and the meat just falls a part beautifully!
I think you left out when to add the Mexican oregano. I assume you add it in with the rest of the spices, right?
Hi Daniel, yes thank you for letting me know! I fixed the instructions 🙂
I am drooling is I am reading this recipe. I love Carnitas and I’m so excited to try this recipe. My question is where do you find Mexican Coca-Cola?
I get it from my local Mexican market- Northgate. If you can’t find it, regular coca-cola is totally fine. I am not 100% sure but I’ve been hearing lately that Mexican cola is no longer made with cane sugar (which is why it is better), so it might not matter that much.
I knew it would be good as I used lard and all the authentic ingredients. Tasted a piece right before adding the Coca Cola when almost and had to slap myself!! Thanks for the recipe… this my go to when u want carnitas. I cooked Carnitas before but it wasn’t this good!!
This was so good! Like, as good as anywhere I’ve ever had. The only thing I did differently was put a little crisp on it in a pan before putting it in tacos. That’s how my grandma made it. Thanks for posting this!
I have been looking for this particular recipe my whole life. you nailed it! Its so great!
Thanks!
I made this for a birthday party/graduation celebration and it was a hit. It was absolutely perfect in every way.
I held the cooked carnitas in a crock pot for a few hours and added some chicken broth to keep it moist.
I made two modifications: 3 cloves instead of 5 and 1 orange instead of 2.
Great recipe and explained well. I’m hungry reading it. Thanks for sharing it.
A clarification…. Do you leave the salt on after brining, and do you drain the excess lard after the pork is seared?
Thanks,
P.
Yes leave the salt on, no need to rinse it off. Do not drain off the lard- the pork needs to cook in it the entire time. Hope this helps!
Gracias las voy hacer el domingo….. gracias x la receta muy bien explicada…
Excellent recipe and a huge hit at our house! I have cut back to two cloves and one large orange per batch and it seems to be the way we like it. Boiling the meat in lard makes a huge difference. It’s a keeper!
Omg, I can’t believe I just made carnitas ??