Carnitas
Crispy pork carnitas are the best taco topping! This stovetop method is so easy and it's my favorite way to make authentic carnitas at home.

Ingredients
6 servings
Instructions
- Trim the pork of excess fat and cut into 1-inch cubes.
- TO MAKE ON THE STOVE (see Notes section for alternative methods): Place the pork in a large pot. Zest the orange directly into the pot, then squeeze in the juice.
- Add the garlic, onion, chipotle chile powder, cumin, oregano, salt, black pepper, cinnamon, and cloves. Pour in enough water so that the pork is barely submerged.
- Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium or medium-low, maintaining a steady simmer. With a spoon, skim off and discard any foamy scum that rises to the surface.
- Let simmer uncovered for 1 1/2 hours, adding a little more water as needed to keep the pork lightly submerged (it's OK if a few small areas poke through the surface of the liquid; you may not need to add any.
- Increase the heat to medium high. Continue cooking 20 to 30 minutes more. All of the liquid will cook away (it looks like a ton of liquid, but it will!). Stir often, until the meat breaks apart in places and has crispy pieces throughout. If at any point the meat threatens to really burn, splash in a little water and scrape the bottom of the pot. To serve, pile meat into tortillas and add toppings of choice.
Nutrition per serving
259kcal
💰 Cost Estimate
Total Ingredients
$1535.00
$1535.00
Per Serving
$256.00/serving
$256.00/serving
🏠 Savings
~$3070.00 vs buying!
~$3070.00 vs buying!
📋 Price Breakdown (67% ingredients detected)
| Ingredient | Amount | Subtotal |
|---|---|---|
| to 4 pounds pork shoulder | 1.5 | $165.00 |
| orange | 1 large | - |
| garlic | 6 cloves | $1185.00 |
| onion | 1 large | $50.00 |
| chipotle chile powder | 2 tsp | $1.00 |
| ground cumin | 2 tsp | $53.00 |
| dried oregano | 2 tsp | $60.00 |
| kosher salt | 1 tbsp | $5.00 |
| ground black pepper | 0.5 tsp | $11.00 |
| ground cinnamon | 0.25 tsp | $3.00 |
| ground cloves | 0.25 tsp | $2.00 |
| Corn tortillas | - | - |
| Pickled Onions | - | - |
| Cilantro | - | - |
| Guacamole | - | - |
*Estimated market prices, may vary by region
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