Juicy and delicious, these healthy Pork Tenderloin Carnitas are fall-apart tender. Make delicious pork tacos or fajitas today with these healthy citrus-infused carnitas.

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Great tasting pork tenderloin carnitas infused with a spicy citrus flavor that are fall-apart tender and juice. A low-fat alternative uses chunks of pork tenderloin to replace the more traditional pork butt and no lard.
Easy to make by following the simple step-by-step photo instructions. It uses a Dutch oven to braise the pork than cook off the fluid to concentrate the flavors. And uses the fond from the evaporated spicy braising liquid to add extra flavor to the vegetables.
These carnitas will fit a healthy diet like a low-calorie or low-fat diet or even a low-carb keto diet.
It makes terrific pork tacos but has many other uses. Serve with refried beans and Mexican Rice. And it goes will with Pineapple Mango Salsa and corn chips.
Check out some other carnitas recipes, like Oven Baked Pork Carnitas, Crock Pot Pork Carnitas, or Chicken Carnitas AKA Carnitas de Pollo.
🐖Ingredients
- Pork tenderloin
- Chicken broth
- Vegetable oil
- Jalapeno - cored and seeded chopped
- Aromatics—onion and garlic
- Vegetables—bell peppers and onion
- Fruits—orange and lime
- Pantry ingredients—cumin, paprika, kosher salt, black pepper
- Tortillas and toppings—for serving
👨🍳How to Make Pork Tenderloin Carnitas
- Trim and cube a pork tenderloin then coat with mince jalapeno and garlic with spices.
- Saute the pork in a large Dutch oven for about 10 minutes than add chicken broth and juice of the orange and lime.
- Cover and bake Dutch in an oven for 2 hours undisturbed.
- Increase the oven temperature and remove the lid. Cook another 20 minutes until all fluid is evaporated.
- Saute trimmed bell peppers and onion.
- Remove the carnitas and add the veggies and scrape the fond loss with a wooden spoon to get that taste.
- Serve as tacos on tortillas with toppings of your choice.
✔️Tips
- You must have a pan that is stovetop and oven safe. Also, it must clean easily, or you will not be able to clean it after this cooking technique. A Dutch oven with a baked-on porcelain coating is ideal.
- Orange juice and lime juice can be used for fresh fruit. Garlic powder and onion powder can be used, also.
- You can add other spices to the braising fluid.
- You can simmer the fluid off on the stovetop or use the oven. As the fluid goes away, the flavors concentrate and produce a wonderful fond in addition to the concentrated flavor in the pork.
- You should never waste a good fond. I use the remaining fond to flavor the vegetables.
- I used citrus flavors added to the carnitas. What you use is a personal choice, but the tenderloin absorbs flavor well.
🍽️Serving and Leftovers
Serve the carnitas as shredded pork tacos on flour tortillas topped with sour cream, shredded cheese, and cilantro. Sides of refried or black beans, along with chips and salsa, are all I need.
If your carnitas are not browned well, you can shred them onto a baking sheet and place them under a broiler for a few minutes.
In addition to pork carnitas tacos, the pork can be used in burritos, on nachos, enchiladas, or other dishes.
Leftovers can be stored airtight in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or frozen for 3 months.
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Start with about 1 ½ to 2 pounds of pork tenderloin. I used one large, but two smaller ones would be okay—just a few more leftovers. Rinse and pat dry. Remove silverskin and extra fat. Cut into 1 ½ inch cubes.
Mince 1 jalapeno without seeds and 2 cloves of garlic.
Mixed pork, jalapeno, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, and paprika. Mix well until the pork is covered.
Add 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil to a porcelain-coated Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, saute the pork until well browned — about 10 minutes.
When pork is browned well, remove from heat. Add 1 ½ cup chicken broth and juice of one orange and one lime. Scrap the bottom of the pan to loosen up the built-up fond (browned bits and caramelized drippings on the bottom of the pan).
Place covered in a 325° oven (no need to preheat) for 2 hours undisturbed.
After 2 hours, increase the oven temperature to 425° and remove the lid. Cook another 20 minutes or so until all fluid is gone.
While the carnitas are finishing in the oven, cut up one green pepper, one red pepper, and one large onion and saute with 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat until tender and browning.
Remove the carnitas and if there is any fond in the pan, add the veggies and scrape the fond loss with a wooden spoon to get that taste.
Make pork carnitas tacos with tortillas with toppings of your choice. Or use in many other dishes.
📖 Recipe
Pork Tenderloin Carnitas
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pound pork tenderloin
- 1 jalapeno - cored and seeded chopped
- 2 cloves garlic - minced or crushed
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 1 ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 orange
- 1 lime
Vegetables
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 1 red pepper
- 1 green pepper
- 1 onion - large
Serving
- tortillas and topping
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Start with about 1 ½ to 2 pounds of pork tenderloin. I used one large, but two smaller ones would be okay—just a few more leftovers. Rinse and pat dry. Remove silverskin and extra fat. Cut into 1 ½ inch cubes.
- Mince 1 jalapeno without seeds and 2 cloves of garlic.
- Mixed pork, jalapeno, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, and paprika. Mix well until the pork is covered.
- Add 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil to a porcelain-coated Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, saute the pork until well browned — about 10 minutes.
- When pork is browned well, remove from heat. Add 1 ½ cup chicken broth and juice of one orange and one lime. Scrap the bottom of the pan to loosen up the built-up fond (browned bits and caramelized drippings on the bottom of the pan).
- Place covered in a 325° oven (no need to preheat) for 2 hours undisturbed.
- After 2 hours, increase the oven temperature to 425° and remove the lid. Cook another 20 minutes or so until all fluid is gone.
- While the carnitas are finishing in the oven, cut up one green pepper, one red pepper, and one large onion and saute with 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat until tender and browning.
- Remove the carnitas and if there is any fond in the pan, add the veggies and scrape the fond loss with a wooden spoon to get that taste.
- Make pork carnitas tacos with tortillas with toppings of your choice. Or use in many other dishes.
Your Own Private Notes
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- Remember that pork tenderloin is not a pork loin.
- I suggest a good porcelain-coated Dutch oven or you may well ruin your pan.
- Vary the spices as you want.
- Good refrigerated or 3-4 days. You can freeze the meat for a 3 months
- Nutritional information is for meat, seasoning, and vegetables but does not include tortillas or other serving options.
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Originally Published July 7, 2013. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Kandy McDonald
Can I use a different kind of pan? I really don't want to purchase another, porcelain coated. I have too many pans already.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Kandy,
The porcelain was recommended to help clean up. Use any pan you think you can clean but I have see recipes like this ruin other pans.
Dan
Jane
So I am using a tenderloin that is 1.15 ounces. How long do you think I should cook it in the oven?
Love your site!!
DrDan
Hi Jane,
I would probable cut back the cumin and paprika a bit but otherwise not change anything. Even that is optional. No change in cooking time.
Dan
Debbie and Emily
My daughter and I made this last night. We felt like we were having dinner in a restaurant! Was delicious! We are very excited to have found your recepies and will be trying more. THANK YOU!!!!
DrDan
I love carnitas and this way I allow myself that more often.
Thanks so much for the note.
Dan
Megan
Seriously one of the best things I've ever made! And I never comment on recipes. The flavor and moist-fall-apartness is awesome! and very healthy too:) my husband and 2 year old loved it (I left off jalapenos because of my kid) Thanks for sharing!
James Dunn
Nice. Really works for me. Yum!
DrDan
Thanks for the comment, I really REALLY like this one and its very healthy.
DrDan
Tiago
Can you convert this to a slow cooker recipe?
DrDan
No, not a good conversion. You all the browning that is most of the flavor. You can't get that in a crockpot.