I am an absolute sucker for Carnitas Street Tacos. If I see them on a menu anywhere, the chances of me ordering them are usually very high. This recipe yields perfectly crispy, yet tender and flavorful chunks of pork that are ideal for street tacos. Using very simple ingredients and a little bit of time creates a really special dish.
For those unfamiliar, "carnitas" is Spanish that translates to "little meats", but is typically refers to seasoned chunks of pork that are slowly braised and then quickly pan fried until crispy. Traditional carnitas are cooked entirely in their own fat. Understandably, not everyone has access to, or the desire to use that much lard. This recipe uses the fat that is already included in the Boston butt, as well as some chicken stock. This provides plenty of flavor and keeps everything super moist and tender.
Preparing the Carnitas
This recipe starts with cubing and dry brining a 6-pound pork shoulder (aka Boston butt) the night before you plan to cook. Cut your pork into 1 to 2-inch cubes, and salt with ½ teaspoon per pound of meat. Place the salted meat on a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet and put it in the fridge overnight, uncovered.
Pro tip: Look for a boneless pork shoulder, as it's significantly easier to work with for this recipe. Bone-in is ok, you just have to deal with cutting around an awkward shoulder blade bone when cubing.
Dry brining is the best method to season an entire cut of meat. Salt penetrates every square inch of the meat and helps add flavor to the whole dish. The salt draws out excess moisture, which in turn dissolves the salt and then re-incorporates the salty liquid back into the meat via osmosis. For more information about this method, check out my salt guide for a deep dive into the science behind dry brining. There is a lot of great info there.
The next day, rub the pork with a mixture of toasted and ground whole cumin seeds, whole coriander seeds, black pepper, chili powder and oregano. This adds a subtle warming spice to the dish but isn't overpowering. Toasting and grinding whole spices are not necessary for this recipe. Feel free to use pre-ground spices, and skip the toasting, just cut the measurements in half.
Cooking Methods
The braising ingredients consist of chicken broth, orange and lime juices, a quartered onion, garlic cloves, and bay leaves.
Add all of the seasoned pork to a large, heavy bottom pot or Dutch oven; add chicken stock; one quartered onion; the juice of two oranges and limes; 6-8 cloves of garlic; and 3 bay leaves. Bring the mixture to a slight boil, then transfer the whole dish to a warm oven to braise, partially covered, for two to two and a half hours until tender. At this point, remove the citrus husks. You now have two options:
- You can pan-fry the pork in batches in a cast-iron skillet or griddle and serve.
- Or you can partially cover the pot and lower the oven temperature to 160-170 °F (as low as it will go). Let these continue to cook and marinate in their own drippings until you are ready to pan-fry and serve. You can hold at this temperature for several hours or up to overnight. This intensifies the flavor and tenderness, but is entirely optional.
Street Taco Assembly
To make traditional carnitas street tacos, pile as much pork as you want onto a freshly made Homemade Corn Tortilla (or one of my Beef Tallow Flour Tortillas), top with minced onions, chopped cilantro, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Corn tortillas are the traditional choice, however, my wife really likes flour tortillas. I have to say, it is very difficult to tell which version is better! If you try both options, let me know in the comments below which one you prefer. Adding a drizzle of Mexican Crema and Red Taquería Salsa takes these to an entirely new level.
Did you make this recipe for Carnitas Street Tacos?
Let me know in the comments below how yours turned out, and don't forget to leave a rating!
Recipe
Carnitas Street Tacos
Equipment
- 1 Small Saucepan
- 1 Large Heavy-Bottom Pot or Dutch Oven
- 1 Large Cast Iron Skillet or Griddle
Ingredients
Carnitas Ingredients:
- 6 lbs. Pork Shoulder or Boston Butt Preferably Boneless
- ½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt Per Pound of Meat For Dry Brine
- 2 Cups Chicken Broth
- Juice of 2 Oranges
- Juice of 2 Limes
- 1 Yellow Onion Quartered
- 6-8 Whole Cloves of Garlic Peeled
- 3 Bay Leaves
Pork Rub:
- 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
- 2 Teaspoon Oregano
- 1 Tablespoon Whole Cumin Seeds Toasted and Ground
- ½ Tablespoons Whole Coriander Seeds Toasted and Ground
- ½ Tablespoons Whole Peppercorns Toasted and Ground
Taco Assembly
- 16 Homemade Corn Tortillas Or store-bought
- Carnitas Meat
- Yellow Onion Minced
- Cilantro Minced
- Lime Wedges
- Mexican Crema
- Red Taqueria Salsa
Instructions
Braising Instructions:
- The night before cooking, cut pork shoulder into 1 to 2-inch cubes.
- Apply salt to pork and mix into the meat to coat evenly.
- Put seasoned pork on a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate overnight, uncovered.
- The next day, preheat your oven to 325⁰F.
- In a small sauce pan, toast whole cumin seeds, whole coriander seeds, and black peppercorns over medium-high heat for approximately 1-minute. Grind with a pestle and mortar, or a spice grinder and mix with chili powder and oregano. (Toasting whole seed seasonings is not completely necessary. Feel free to use pre-ground seasonings, just reduce the measurements by half).
- Remove pork from fridge and apply rub, mixing and massaging into the meat until evenly coated.
- Add meat, chicken broth, juice of two oranges, juice of two limes, quartered onion, garlic cloves, and bay leaves to a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil.
- Transfer to oven and braise, partially covered for 2 ½ hours, stirring occasionally until tender.
- Remove from the oven and discard the bay leaves.
Optional Rest:
- Optionally, reduce heat to 160 - 170⁰F and keep pork warm until ready to serve. Temperature can be held for several hours (recommended) up to overnight.
Street Taco Assembly:
- Either directly after braising, or resting overnight, preheat a large cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Fry pork in batches until edges are crisp but still tender in spots, approximately 5 - 8 minutes per batch.
- Place fried pork on tortillas and top with finely minced onions, cilantro, and lime juice.
- Optional toppings include, hot sauce, salsas, pickled onions, jalapenos, Mexican crema, and cotija cheese, etc.
Brittany says
Best carnitas I’ve ever had!
Sarah says
These are amazing! So tender and juicy, bonus it feeds a crowd!
Spencer Klickman says
They're pretty much my favorite thing ever!
Michelle says
I have eaten these at Spencer's for supper before and they are so delicious! They were so good that I started throwing rocks at other tacos. 😉
Try this recipe!