Name: Carnitas Tacos
Total time: 240 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 3.5 lb pork shoulder; 1 whole yellow onion; 8 clove garlic; 1 tbsp dried oregano; 1.5 tsp ground cumin; 3 leaf bay leaf; 1.5 tsp kosher salt; 0.5 tsp black pepper; 0.75 cup fresh orange juice; 1 cup chicken broth; 12 count corn tortillas; 1 whole white onion; 0.5 bunch fresh cilantro; 2 whole lime

← Recipes · Weeknight · Carnitas Tacos

520 cal48g protein22g carbs26g fat680mg sodium

Estimated, per serving — stays per-serving no matter how many you cook for.

From scratch240 min activeShortcut45 min active

Everyday 25nothing beyond the everyday cabinet

Same dinner, two honest roads — pick tonight's. Ingredients, steps, and your grocery list follow whichever you choose.

Carnitas Tacos

Nº 47 · No ratings yet

Cooked this? Members rate their week in about ten seconds →

Weeknight240 minComfortable cook

Serves−6+· written for 6 — change it and the ingredients follow

+ Add to my week♥ Favorite

↗ Share⎙ Print

Ingredients

Everything here is checked because you'll need it — uncheck anything you already have.

pork shouldercut into 3-inch chunks3.5 lb

yellow onionquartered1 whole

garliccrushed8 cloves

dried oregano1 tbsp

ground cumin1.5 tsp

bay leaf3 leaves

kosher salt1.5 tsp

black pepper0.5 tsp

fresh orange juice0.75 cups

chicken broth1 cup

corn tortillas12 count

white onionGarnishthinly sliced1 whole

fresh cilantroGarnish0.5 bunches

lime2 whole

Cook it to

Pork145°F / 63°C

Pork: then rest 3 minutes. USDA minimum internal temperatures. Measure at the thickest part, away from bone.

Allergies at the table? The final check is always yours. Ingredients and "may contain" warnings vary by brand — read every label, every time.

Goes well with

Most sides finish faster than the main — start the quick ones last so everything lands hot.

Need a conversion?Cups to grams, Fahrenheit to fan — convert anything at BetterCalculator.

Steps

1Pat pork shoulder chunks dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper.

2Heat a dutch oven or heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sear pork chunks on all sides until deeply browned, about 3–4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

3Add quartered onion and garlic to the pot, scraping up browned bits. Cook 2 minutes until fragrant.

4Return pork to pot. Add oregano, cumin, bay leaves, orange juice, and chicken broth. Stir to combine.

5Cover and transfer to a 325°F oven, or use a slow cooker on low. Cook for 3–3.5 hours until pork is fall-apart tender.

6Remove from heat and discard the bay leaves. Let cool slightly, then shred meat with two forks directly in the pot, discarding any large fat chunks. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.

7Warm tortillas in a dry skillet or over a gas flame until pliable.

8Serve carnitas in tortillas topped with sliced white onion, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.