Oven Braised Pork Carnitas
This Oven Braised Pork Carnitas recipe is absolutely incredible and perfect for taco night! The pork shoulder meat is so crispy yet tender, and absolutely full of flavor.
I love pork carnitas and is one of my favorite things to make when I get pork shoulder or pork butt from Costco. A lot of times I will smoke the meat, like I do in my Smoked Pork Tacos, but in the winter, I take it inside to the oven. Braising the meat with spices like cumin and chili powder, flavorful aromas like onion and jalapeno, and then the bright juice of lime and citrus pack the meat with flavor.
Love pork shoulder? Check out my BBQ Pork Taquitos, Braised Pork Ragu, and Slow Cooker Pork Banh Mi Sandiwches.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Flavorful - this caritas recipe is PACKED with flavors!
- Easy - braising might sound like a fancy term but I promise - it's easy! You essentially brown the meat and then throw the rest of the ingredients in the Dutch oven, and let the oven do the rest of the work!
- Crowd Friendly - this recipe makes a lot of meat, making it perfect for serving a crowd.
Ingredients
Pork Shoulder/Butt - boneless or bone-in pork shoulder or pork butt
Olive Oil - the pork gets browned in olive oil to give the outside of it a nice golden crust.
Kosher Salt - salt acts to bring out the flavors and tenderize the meat.
Spices - ground cumin, chili powder, and oregano give the pork the classic carnitas flavor.
Garlic - five cloves of fresh garlic add a ton of garlic flavor.
Beer - the acidity of beer tenderizes the meat along with adding a mild flavor.
Broth - a little extra braising liquid.
Onion and Jalapeño - both of these vegetables add flavor, along with heat from the jalapeño.
Variations
Add some Spice - if you want a spicier version of pork carnitas, you can double or triple the jalapeños, add a spicier pepper, or add some chipotle en adobo.
Step by Step Instructions
Photo 1. Cut the pork shoulder into large chunks. I usually do about 3-4 chunks. Sprinkle sea salt over pork shoulder. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the pork pieces and brown on each side, about 4-5 minutes on each side.
Photo 2. Remove from the heat and add beer, broth, onion, jalapeño, spices, garlic, orange juice, and lime juice.
Photo 3. Cover with lid and braise in a 300 degree oven for 2 to 2 ½ hours, or until the meat is fork tender.
Photo 4. Transfer the meat to a baking sheet and shred with two forks. Remove the remaining onion and jalapeño from the braising liquid in the dutch oven and simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes, until the liquid has reduced by about half.
Photo 5. Pour the reduced liquid over the meat and toss it well.
Photo 6. Broil for 7-8 minutes, or until the meat is crispy. Serve with lime wedges and enjoy!
Expert Tips
Storage - store leftover carnitas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. To get the meat crispy again, you can broil it, or air fry it for a couple of minutes.
Serving Suggestions - this meat is amazing in tacos (love it with corn tortillas!), quesadillas, burritos, burrito bowls with rice, beans, salsa, and guac, and nachos!
Recipe FAQs
Yeah that would work. I would recommend still browning the pieces before adding them to the slow cooker, and then cook on low for 7-8 hours. Then follow the instructions for crisping up the meat in the oven.
Carnitas have a lot of spices like cumin, chili powder, and garlic, along with lime, orange juice, and jalapeños. Pulled pork typically doesn't have as much flavor and is not crisped in the oven.
Yes, it works to freeze this meat. To reheat, thaw it out and then reheat in dutch oven with some added broth. Then crisp up in the broiler.
Other Taco Recipes to Consider
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #greensnchocolate.
Oven Braised Pork Carnitas
Ingredients
- 3 lbs pork shoulder or butt cut into chunks
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 12 ounce lager beer
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 yellow onion sliced
- 1 jalapeno sliced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 limes juiced
- 1 orange juiced
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F.
- Cut the pork shoulder or butt into 3-4 pieces. This time mine had a bone in it, so I only did 3 pieces, however typically I do 4. Either works!
- Heat Dutch oven over medium-high heat for 2 minutes to get it hot.
- Add the oil and then the pork pieces, browning on each side for 4-5 minutes, until there is a nice brown crust.
- Remove from the heat and add the beer, broth, onion, jalapeno, garlic, cumin, chili powder, oregano, salt, lime juice, and orange juice.
- With tongs, give it a little stir to tuck the pork into the liquid and get the spices distributed.
- Cover with Dutch oven lid and place in the oven.
- Braise for 2 ½-3 hours. The pork meat should be super tender and easy to pull apart with a fork.
- Remove the pork from the liquid and place on a baking sheet. Using two forks, shred the pork.
- Scoop out the onion and jalapeños from the liquid and place the Dutch oven over medium heat, cooking for 15 minutes to reduce the liquid by about half.
- Turn the oven onto broil.
- Pour the liquid over the shredded pork, toss it to combine well, and then broil for 5-7 minutes. The meat should be crispy on top but still super tender.
- Serve in tacos, quesadillas, burritos, rice bowls, nachos, or however you like!
Can you freeze this.
Yeah definitely. I would freeze in a freezer-safe container or plastic bag and then to reheat, add a little broth or water to it so it doesn't dry out.