Chicken Carnitas AKA Carnitas de Pollo

Just the title will get some people going. After all, carnitas are pieces of fatty pork cooked in more fat…right? But to me, carnitas are “little Mexican spiced up pieces of meat” so it fits, for me. With an infusion of great citrus flavor, you’ll love this healthier version of carnitas.

Based on my own Healthier Pork Carnitas with Pork Tenderloin , you can have a great Mexican meal on the table in less than an hour.

Rating:

This may be a little generous, but I loved the citrus taste and the fall apart chicken. I did put it in my top picks.

Notes: It is not only the chicken that makes this a five but the veggies. Cooked in the same pan, you get all the great spices and citrus taste in you meal.

Other Carnitas Options

Easy Oven Carnitas

Crock Pot Pork Carnitas

Healthier Pork Carnitas with Pork Tenderloin

Heat 1 T of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.

Trim and cut about 2 pounds of skinless boneless chicken breast (or thighs) into 1 to `1 1/2 inch cubes.

Mix the chicken with one t kosher salt, one t paprika, one t cumin and 1/2 t pepper. Stir well to coat.

Add the chicken to the hot oil and occasionally stir until browning well. About 7 minutes. You do not need to cook completely just brown.

While chicken is cooking, mince one jalapeno and two cloves of garlic.

After chicken is browned well (about 7 minutes) add the jalapeno and garlic and cook two more minutes.

Add one 14 oz can chicken broth and the juice of one orange and one lime.

Adjust the temperature to get a firm boil. Do not cover and do not stir. Just let it reduce to almost nothing. About 20 minutes. Your house will smell wonderful.

While the chicken is reducing, clean and slice one red pepper, one green pepper, and a large onion.

When the pan is almost dry, move the chicken to a plate and cover with foil.

Add the veggies to the pan over medium-high heat and cook until tender (about 7-8 minutes). Stir frequently and scrape some of the fond off the bottom of the pan. If needed add a couple of tablespoons of chicken broth for moisture.

Lots of great flavors here.

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4.41 from 10 votes

Chicken Carnitas AKA Carnitas de Pollo

A healthier version of carnitas infused with great citrus taste in less than one hour.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time40 mins

Total Time50 mins

Author: Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

Course : Main dish

Cuisine : Mexican

Keyword : Comfort Food, Healthy, Tex-Mex

Servings/Adjust Amount: 6 servings

6

Ingredients

• 2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breasts - or thighs
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 jalapeno
• 2 cloves garlic
• 14 oz chicken broth
• 1 orange - juice only
• 1 lime - juice only
• 1 green pepper
• 1 red pepper
• 1 onion - large

Instructions

• Heat 1 T of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.
• Trim and cut about 2 pounds of skinless boneless chicken breast (or thighs) into 1 to `1 1/2 inch cubes.
• Mix the chicken with one t kosher salt, one t paprika, one t cumin and 1/2 t pepper. Stir well to coat.
• Add the chicken to the hot oil and occasionally stir until browning well. About 7 minutes. You do not need to cook completely just brown.
• While chicken is cooking, mince one jalapeno and two cloves of garlic.
• After chicken is browned well (about 7 minutes) add the jalapeno and garlic and cook two more minutes
• Add 1 – 14 oz can chicken broth and the juice of one orange and one lime.
• Adjust the temperature to get a firm boil. Do not cover and do not stir. Just let it reduce to almost nothing. About 20 minutes. Your house will smell wonderful.
• While the chicken is reducing, clean and slice one red pepper, one green pepper, and a large onion.
• When the pan is almost dry, move the chicken to a plate and cover with foil.
• Add the veggies to the pan over medium-high heat and cook until tender (about 7-8 minutes). Stir frequently and scrape some of the fond off the bottom of the pan. If needed add a couple of tablespoons of chicken broth for moisture.

Nutrition Facts

Chicken Carnitas AKA Carnitas de Pollo

Amount Per Serving

Calories 178 Calories from Fat 18

% Daily Value*

Fat 2g3%

Saturated Fat 0.04g0%

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1g

Monounsaturated Fat 0.1g

Cholesterol 96mg32%

Sodium 351mg15%

Potassium 172mg5%

Carbohydrates 9g3%

Fiber 3g12%

Sugar 5g6%

Protein 34g68%

Vitamin A 1100IU22%

Vitamin C 99.8mg121%

Calcium 30mg3%

Iron 0.5mg3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Have a question or something not clear? Ask in the comments.

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Nutrition is for one serving. Number of servings is stated above and is my estimate of normal serving size for this recipe.

All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.

If you like this recipe or find it useful, the pleasure of a nice 4 or 5 rating would be greatly appreciated.