Carnitas Tacos
This easy-to-follow Carnitas Tacos recipe makes the BEST tacos. Slow cooked pork and your favorite toppings, this recipe will make Taco Tuesday even better.
Ingredients
For Pork
- 3 pounds pork butt cut into 2" pieces
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ large onion large diced
- 6 cloves garlic crushed
- As Needed water
Tacos
- 12 soft corn tortillas or flour tortillas
- As Needed fresh salsa like pico de gallo *see notes
- As Needed guacamole *see notes
- As Needed cheese like crumbled queso fresco or cotija
- As Needed chopped cilantro
- As Needed lime wedges
I always use Kosher salt in my kitchen! If using table salt, start with half the amount and adjust to taste, as it is much "saltier" by volume.
Instructions
Carnitas
- Season the meat with the salt and pepper. Heat a large dutch oven or pot over medium high heat. Add in the olive oil and begin browning the meat, working in batches if needed. Do not over crowd the pan, the meat will steam instead of brown.
- Once all of the meat is browned add in the onion and garlic. Cover the meat ½ way with water. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 1 ½ hours.
- After 1 ½ hours remove the lid and continue simmering (uncovered) on low for 1 hour or until the meat is tender and the liquid has evaporated. The fat that has rendered from the meat should be left.
- Remove the pork and shred. Add back to the pot and turn the heat to medium. If there is not enough rendered fat left in the pot, you can add in oil as needed.
- Crisp up the pork until it reaches your desired crispness.
- Continue stirring the mixture every so often until ready to use.
Warming Up the Tortillas
- In a small non-stick pan over medium heat begin warming up the tortillas. Cook each tortilla for 30 to 45 seconds on each side. Just long enough to make the tortillas pliable. Place them in a damp towel to keep warm.
Notes
Use a smaller pot for cooking the pork. The smaller the pot, the less water which means the water will evaporate faster and the pork will cook in its own fat. Which means better flavor!
The number of tacos this recipe makes varies depending on the size of the tortilla and the amount of meat used for each taco.
Here are a few recipes to try for toppings.
Guacamole
Pico De Gallo
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!