Authentic Mexican Carnitas

This authentic carnitas recipe creates incredibly flavorful, tender Mexican pork! Make this recipe for family dinners or for a party crowd.

These Mexican carnitas may take a little longer to make, but the steps are very simple. We’re talking fried pork… crispy outside, tender and flavorful inside. When shredded and stuffed inside a taco with onion, cilantro and a squeeze of lime, it’s simply THE BEST.

By combining a few traditional cooking tricks such as a flavorful bundle of seasonings, this carnitas recipe makes a meal that is sure to become a favorite. I love making a LARGE batch and serving this for family, on Cinco de Mayo and potlucks because it feeds a crowd and the sides are endless.

It’s great to have leftovers, too. My Carnitas Enchiladas are a great way to stretch this meal.

Authentic Carnitas Recipe FAQ

Ingredients

• Boneless pork shoulder – also known as pork butt, cut into chunks for faster cooking

• Pork lard – this is what makes the meat crisp on the outside and tender on the inside

• Piloncillo – a raw form of pure cane sugar, also known as Mexican brown sugar

• Milk – adds extra flavor to the meat, helps break down meat proteins to get tender

• Seasoning bundle – garlic, orange, onion, bay leaves, Mexican oregano, cinnamon stick

Video: Making authentic pork carnitas

There are several different ways to make carnitas, including slow cooking or using a pressure cooker. I have those recipes already on the site here, check them out!

What makes this an authentic carnitas recipe is that the pork butt is going old school and boiling the dry rubbed pork  in lard. Using this method of cooking guarantees the perfect texture – tender and juicy pieces of meat with perfectly crisp edges.

To see the process of making an authentic carnitas recipe from start to finish, watch the video located in the recipe card at the bottom of this post!

Recipe notes and tips

Here are several more important tips for making Mexican carnitas:

• Preparing the pork butt

One of the most important steps is to dry brine the meat overnight. Doing this allows the salt to penetrate deep into the meat and lock in the moisture.

Simply rub kosher salt over all of the pork pieces and refrigerate in a sealed container for at least 12 hours.

• Cooking the meat

Before you get started, remove the meat from the refrigerator and let it rest on the counter.

Bringing the meat to room temperature first helps it cook more evenly. It also keeps the meat from seizing when added to the hot lard, which would prevent it from being melt-in-your-mouth tender.

Once you have everything boiling, keep an eye on the color of the meat. You may need to lower the temperature on the stove if the meat starts to brown too quickly.

• Finishing the pork carnitas

After the initial cook is done, add the milk. It will boil initially, but don’t let it continue to boil. Doing so will cause it to sour and curdle.

Watch the temperature during the final cooking process. The meat needs to continue to simmer, but don’t let it come back to a boil.

Let the pork shoulder cool before shredding. If you shred the meat when it’s still hot, the juices will escape and you’ll be left with dry carnitas.

How to serve authentic carnitas

Because the meat is so tender and flavorful, you’ll be tempted to eat it straight off the plate!

To make a meal out of your carnitas meat, shred and serve with:

• corn or flour torillas
• refried beans
• white onions, sliced
• fresh cilantro, chopped
• limes, sliced for squeezing over everything

Add extra fresh flavor with your choice of homemade salsas and spreads:

• roasted salsa verde
• roasted tomato salsa
• guacamole
• pickled carrots
• pico de gallo

If there are any leftovers, which is rare in my house, try using them to make a Cuban sandwich. It’s simply AMAZING!

This post, originally published on Kevin is Cooking April 20, 2020, was last updated with new content on Oct. 18, 2021.

Authentic Carnitas Recipe + Video

This authentic carnitas recipe creates the most tender pork you can imagine! Make it for family dinners or to feed a party crowd.

5 from 14 votes

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Course: Dinner, Main

Cuisine: Mexican

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours 10 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Servings: 10

Calories: 489kcal

Author: Kevin Is Cooking

Ingredients

Carnitas

• 6 lbs boneless pork shoulder (pork butt), cut into 3-inch chunks
• 1 tbsp salt

Seasoning Bundle

• 6 garlic cloves
• 1/2 orange
• 1/2 onion
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp Mexican oregano (See Note 1)
• 1 cinnamon stick

Frying

• 4 lbs pork lard (See Note 2)
• 2 oz Piloncillo or brown sugar (See Note 3)
• 1/3 cup milk

Serving

• flour or corn tortillas
• refried beans
• 2 white onions sliced
• 1 bunch of cilantro chopped
• 3 limes sliced
• salsa verde
• roasted tomato salsa
• guacamole
• pickled carrots

Instructions

• Rub the kosher salt over pork. Place in a sealed container and refrigerate over night.
• Remove pork from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature.
• In a large piece of cheesecloth, wrap the garlic cloves, orange, onion, bay leaves, Mexican oregano and cinnamon stick and secure with kitchen twine.

Frying

• Melt the lard in a large, heavy stock pot over high heat. Carefully add the Seasoning Bundle, piloncillo (or brown sugar) and pork chunks.
• Bring lard to a boil over high heat, lower to medium (adjust heat to medium low if pork turns brown too quickly) and cook, stirring often, for 90 minutes. Pork will turn a golden brown.
• Turn heat to low and carefully add the milk. Stir and it will boil slightly for 30 seconds. Simmer for 20-30 minutes until meat is fall apart tender when gently squeezed with tongs or fork.
• Carefully transfer pork from oil using a slotted spoon or spider to a serving platter lined with paper towels. Allow meat to cool slightly and shred by hand or using forks.
• Serve with hot tortillas, refried beans, sliced onions, tomato slices, cilantro, limes and salsas of choice.

Notes

1. Mexican oregano is a relative of Lemon Verbena and is native to Mexico. Similar in that it’s pungent like Mediterranean oregano, Mexican oregano has notes of mild licorice and citrus. Mediterranean oregano is a member of the mint family and most often is used in Greek and Italian recipes. Mediterranean oregano is the one most found in spice racks and supermarkets.
2. I buy ARMOUR Manteca/Lard in a 4 pound tub found near the butcher/meat section at my local market.
3. Piloncillo is cane sugar, similar in taste to molasses and can be found at most Mexican/Latin markets. It comes in a 8 ounce cone shape, wrapped in plastic. For this recipe you just need 2 ounces, I chop off a quarter chunk, or if I do not have any on hand, will substitute a 1/4 cup of brown sugar.
4. **NUTRITIONAL info is for carnitas meat only. Fat and calorie counts stated here are high and do not take into account the discarded fat it is fried in.
5. Slightly adapted from Gonzalo Guzman’s, Nopalito.

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Nutrition

Calories: 489kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 62g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 164mg | Sodium: 152mg | Potassium: 1100mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 55IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 3mg

Have you made this recipe? Let me know on InstagramTag @KevinIsCooking and hashtag me #keviniscooking!