Spicy Carnitas Recipe

Spicy carnitas recipe oven style, irresistibly delicious and insanely easy! According to my husband, this is an even BETTER than restaurant-quality pork carnitas recipe!

Carnitas dinner is what I order at Mexican restaurants every time. I love it! However, I know that it is customary in Mexico to serve it untrimmed. Because of this, I find myself trimming it myself (as I do not like to eat all that fat) and half of my serving is then wasted! With this easy carnitas recipe, you cook the pork with the fat on to get the added flavor, but before you crisp it, you trim that unwanted fat away! You are left with AMAZING flavor, just the right amount of spicy from the FIVE jalapenos and perfectly lean servings!

Not to mention, that pork shoulder is almost always on sale (I usually grab it when it’s buy one-get one)! So making it at home not only allows you to add MORE flavor and reduce the amount of fat, but you also SAVE MONEY! Carnitas dinners at the restaurant are around $17-$24! For a bone-in 8lb shoulder at the store, I usually pay around $20 (and then GET ONE FREE!). That’s 24 servings or $0.83 a serving! Can’t beat that!

So let’s get to it then and talk about what all you need and need to do for this spicy carnitas recipe!

Equipment Needed:

• Large Roasting Pan
• Aluminum Foil
• Skillet

Shopping List:

• 8 lb Pork shoulder/butt **bone in
• 1 tbsp Salt
• 2 tsp Black pepper
• 3 tbsp Dried Oregano
• 3 tsp Ground cumin
• 4 tbsp Minced garlic
• 2 Md White onions **chopped
• 5 Jalapenos **Sliced
• 1.5 c Orange juice 
• 1/4 c Olive Oil

Instructions for this Spicy Carnitas Recipe:

For Baking:

1. Preheat oven to 325F.
2. Pat the prok dry with a paper towel.
3. Rub all over with salt, pepper, oregano and cumin.
4. Place in roasting pan, fat side up.
5. Spread minced garlic all over the top of the meat and press in with hands.
6. Chop onion and jalapeno and scatter in pan around pork.
7. Pour orange juice and water over pork.
8. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
9. Bake in preheated oven for 2.5 hours.
10. Remove foil and return to oven for another 1.5 hours or until internal temperature reaches 145F.

For Crisping:

1. Heat skillet with olive oil over medium heat.
2. Remove pork from roasting pan.
3. On a cutting board, trim off unwanted fat and cut into cubes/shred pork off of the bone.
4. Remove onions and jalapenos from remaining liquid. Set aside.
5. Skim/strain fat from the remaining liquid. Set aside strained liquid..
6. Cover the bottom of skillet with prepared pork and turn up to medium high heat. (Only fry what you are serving. If you are serving it all, this may take 4-5 rounds.)
7. Fry until browned (about 3-5 minutes).
8. Flip and add desired amount of onions and jalapenos. Fry for 3 more minutes or until slightly browned.
9. Add some of the juices to the pan. Stir to coat and then serve!

Notes:

• Storing/Making Ahead: Complete all baking instructions. Shred/cut pork into cubes, remove onion and jalapeno, and strain remaining juices. Store in separate air tight containers in fridge for up to 4 days. Complete remaining instructions for crisping when serving.
• Freezing: Store separately in air tight containers. Freeze for up to 4 months.
• Shredded carnitas method: Trim fat and cut meat off the bone. Using two forks, shred meat.
• Cube carnitas method: Trim fat and cut from bone. Cut pork into cubes (about 2″x2″).

Serving Suggestions:

1. Tacos (shred carnitas method): diced onion, fresh cilantro, pico de gallo, salsa, sour cream, tomato, avocado, cheese, pickled cabbage/red onion, shredded lettuce.
2. Dinner (cubed carnitas method): Plated with refried/black beans and rice. Serve with a guacamole salad and soft tortilla shells.

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. What do I do if I don’t have much liquid left when I remove the aluminum foil? A. IF this happens, simply add some more water to the pan.
2. Can I make this recipe with boneless pork? A. Absolutely! You may need to adjust the cooking time though because it will cook quicker without a bone. (At 325F: bone in pork: 25-30 min/lb – boneless: 18-20 min/lb)

Enjoy this recipe?

Make sure to check out these other Mexican cuisine favorites from Struggle Shuttle:

Homemade Black Bean Corn Salsa

Easy Chicken Barbacoa Recipe

I LOVE hearing for YOU! Please let me know what you think about this spicy carnitas recipe in the comments!