Pork Carnitas Street Tacos Recipe
These carnitas street tacos are made with juicy, slow-braised pork shoulder, then broiled until perfectly crispy around the edges. Served in warm tortillas with diced onion, cilantro, lime, and salsa verde, these easy homemade pulled pork carnitas tacos are perfect for Taco Tuesday, family dinners, and feeding a crowd.
Servings: 12 tacos
Calories: 321kcal
Equipment
- Sheet Pan
Ingredients
For the Carnitas:
- 3-4 pounds pork shoulder
- 1 Tablespoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon Mexican oregano
- 1 Tablespoon cumin
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 onion chopped
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- ¾ cup orange juice freshly squeezed
- ¼ cup lime juice freshly squeezed
- 1 cup chicken broth
For the Tacos:
- 12 tortillas corn or flour
- 6 cups pork carnitas shredded
- white onion diced
- ¾ cup salsa verde
- ¾ cup fresh cilantro roughly chopped
- 2 limes cut into wedges
Instructions
For the Carnitas:
- Preheat oven to 300°F. Trim excess hard fat from pork shoulder and cut into 3-inch chunks.
- Combine spices in a small bowl. Pat pork dry, then coat all sides with the seasoning mixture, pressing it into the meat.
- Place pork in a Dutch oven with bay leaves, onion, garlic, orange juice, lime juice, and chicken broth. Cover and bake for 2½–3 hours, until the pork is fork-tender and easily shreds.
- Remove pork from the Dutch oven and rest for 5 minutes. Shred into bite-size pieces with two forks and discard bay leaves.
- Turn oven to broil and place a rack 6–8 inches from the heating element. Spread shredded pork onto a sheet pan and spoon a few tablespoons of cooking liquid over the meat. Broil for about 5 minutes, until the edges are browned and crispy.
For the Tacos:
- Warm or toast tortillas in a dry skillet.
- Assemble carnitas tacos by filling each tortilla with about ½ cup of shredded pork carnitas, diced onion, cilantro, and a drizzle of salsa verde. Serve with a lime wedge.
Notes
- Watch the broiler carefully. Carnitas can go from perfectly crispy to burnt very quickly under the broiler.
- Keep the toppings simple: Let the carnitas shine with diced onion, cilantro, fresh lime, and your favorite salsa. I especially love salsa verde with pork carnitas tacos.
- To store leftovers, allow the carnitas to cool completely then place in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 321kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 1028mg | Potassium: 83mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 339IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 2mg
