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Easy Pork Carnitas Recipe
5 from 54 votes

Easy Pork Carnitas Recipe

Easy Pork Carnitas Recipe features slow-braised pork shoulder seasoned with oregano, cumin, and paprika, cooked until tender and falling apart. The meat browns in a Dutch oven and is paired with sautéed sweet bell peppers for a flavorful, juicy filling ideal for tacos, rice bowls, or salad bowls.

Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
4 hrs 30 mins
Total Time
4 hrs 35 mins
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 459 kcal
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

  • 5 lb. pork shoulder aka Boston butt, bone-in
  • kosher salt
  • black pepper freshly ground
  • 1 T. vegetable oil
  • 3 c. chicken broth low sodium
  • 1 white onion peeled & quartered, or yellow onion
  • 1 T. dried oregano leaves
  • 1 tsp. cumin ground
  • 1 tsp. paprika
  • 3 to 4 sweet bell peppers I like to use a colorful variety
  • 1 T. butter
  • 1 T. olive oil

Instructions

for the pork:
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  1. Remove pork from refrigerator one hour before starting to cook. Rinse and pat dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle all over with salt and pepper, fairly generously.
  2. Preheat oven to 350° F.
  3. Heat a 5 to 7 quart Dutch oven over medium to medium-high heat. Add oil. When oil is hot and starts to shimmer, add pork. Cook until nicely browned and then turn, repeating that same process until all sides are browned. Add broth, onion, oregano, cumin, and paprika. Turn heat up a bit to bring liquid to a boil. Then spoon some of the hot liquid over the top of the meat.
  4. Place the cover on and transfer to preheated oven. Cook until meat is literally falling apart, about 4 hours, spooning liquid over meat once or twice during cooking.
for the sautéed sweet peppers:
  1. About half an hour before the meat is done, prepare the sweet peppers. Cut into long slices, about 1/4″ wide or so. Heat a wide skillet over medium heat - I like to use a large cast iron skillet.
  2. Add butter and olive oil. When the butter has melted, add the peppers, stirring to coat. Cook for about 10 minutes, letting them soften up.
  3. Then turn up the heat to medium-high. Let the peppers start to darken and char, stirring every couple minutes. Transfer peppers to serving dish.
to crisp the pork:
  1. When the pork has finished cooking, remove pot from the oven and place on stove top. Transfer meat to a platter. With a large spoon, push meat off the bone in chunks; discard bone and any large pieces of fat.
  2. Transfer pork back to French oven and turn on heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring with a large wooden spoon to break up pork, until liquid in French oven has almost entirely evaporated and meat begins to sizzle and caramelize, 5 to 10 minutes. The meat should pull into shreds very easily.

Notes

  • Serve with warmed small tortillas, sautéed peppers, and preferred taco toppings.
  • Also excellent over tortilla chips, in rice bowls, or as a taco salad base.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1 Calories 459kcal (23%) Carbohydrates 5g (2%) Protein 34g (68%) Fat 33g (51%) Saturated Fat 12g (60%) Polyunsaturated Fat 18g (106%) Cholesterol 129mg (43%) Sodium 153mg (6%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 2g (4%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 16 servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 459

% Daily Value*

Serving 1
Calories 459kcal 23%
Carbohydrates 5g 2%
Protein 34g 68%
Fat 33g 51%
Saturated Fat 12g 60%
Polyunsaturated Fat 18g 106%
Cholesterol 129mg 43%
Sodium 153mg 6%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 2g 4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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