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    🏠Home » Recipes » Mexican Recipes

    Pork Tenderloin Carnitas

    Jan 27, 2023 · Modified: May 23, 2023 by Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan · 11 Comments

    Recipe Table of Contents    
    4.43 from 14 votes

    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.

    park carnitas taco on a white plate-2
    Jump To:
    • 🐖Ingredients
    • 👨‍🍳How to Make Pork Tenderloin Carnitas
    • 🍽️Serving and Leftovers
    • 🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
    • Recipe
    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    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

    1. Trim and cube a pork tenderloin then coat with mince jalapeno and garlic with spices.
    2. Saute the pork in a large Dutch oven for about 10 minutes than add chicken broth and juice of the orange and lime.
    3. Cover and bake Dutch in an oven for 2 hours undisturbed.
    4. Increase the oven temperature and remove the lid. Cook another 20 minutes until all fluid is evaporated.
    5. Saute trimmed bell peppers and onion.
    6. Remove the carnitas and add the veggies and scrape the fond loss with a wooden spoon to get that taste.
    7. 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

    How to serve pork tenderloin carnitas?

    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.

    What to do with leftover carnitas?

    Leftovers can be stored airtight in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or frozen for 3 months.

    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.

    Healthy Recipes, Low Fat Recipes, Mexican Recipes, Pork Tenderloin Recipes
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    🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions

    pork tenderloin and carnita ingredients

    Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

    pork tenderloin trimmed and cut into cubes.

    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.

    dicing jalapino on black board

    Mince 1 jalapeno without seeds and 2 cloves of garlic.

    Mixing cubes of tenderlion with spices in clear bowl

    Mixed pork, jalapeno, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, and paprika. Mix well until the pork is covered.

    browning tenderloin in the Dutch oven

    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.

    adding orange juice to browned meat

    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).

    a red Dutch oven in the oven

    Place covered in a 325° oven (no need to preheat) for 2 hours undisturbed.

    cooked pork in Dutch oven uncoverd in oven

    After 2 hours, increase the oven temperature to 425° and remove the lid. Cook another 20 minutes or so until all fluid is gone.

    cooking peppers and onion in fry pan

    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.

    adding cooked veggies to dirty Dutch oven

    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.

    Pork tenderloin carnitas on a red plate

    Make pork carnitas tacos with tortillas with toppings of your choice. Or use in many other dishes.

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    Recipe

    park carnitas taco on a white plate-2

    Pork Tenderloin Carnitas

    From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
    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.
    Tap to leave a Rating
    4.43 from 14 votes
    Print Email CollectionCollected
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 2 hours hours 35 minutes minutes
    Servings #/Adjust if desired 4 servings

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Convert to Metric
    • 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
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
      pork tenderloin and carnita ingredients
    • 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.
      pork tenderloin trimmed and cut into chunks
    • Mince 1 jalapeno without seeds and 2 cloves of garlic.
      dicing jalapino on black board
    • Mixed pork, jalapeno, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, and paprika. Mix well until the pork is covered.
      mixing chunks of pork butt with spices in a white bowl
    • 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.
      browning tenderloin in Dutch oven
    • 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.
      red Dutch oven in the oven
    • After 2 hours, increase the oven temperature to 425° and remove the lid. Cook another 20 minutes or so until all fluid is gone.
      cooked pork tenderloin in Dutch oven uncoverd in oven
    • 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.
      cook peppers and onion in fry pan
    • 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.
      added cooked veggies to dirty Dutch oven
    • Make pork carnitas tacos with tortillas with toppings of your choice. Or use in many other dishes.
      park carnitas taco on a white plate-2
    See the step-by-step photos in the post. Some recipes have an option to display the photos here with a switch above these instructions but the photos DO NOT print.

    Your Own Private Notes

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    Recipe Notes

    Pro Tips

    1. Remember that pork tenderloin is not a pork loin.
    2. I suggest a good porcelain-coated Dutch oven or you may well ruin your pan.
    3. Vary the spices as you want.
    4. Good refrigerated or 3-4 days. You can freeze the meat for a 3 months
    5. 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

    Nutrition Facts
    Pork Tenderloin Carnitas
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 307 Calories from Fat 99
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 11g17%
    Saturated Fat 5g25%
    Cholesterol 111mg37%
    Sodium 701mg29%
    Potassium 996mg28%
    Carbohydrates 14g5%
    Fiber 3g12%
    Sugar 7g8%
    Protein 38g76%
    Vitamin A 1399IU28%
    Vitamin C 91mg110%
    Calcium 49mg5%
    Iron 3mg17%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Serving size is my estimate of a normal size unless stated otherwise. The number of servings per recipe is stated above. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
    Course : Main Course
    Cuisine : Mexican

    © 101 Cooking for Two, LLC. All content and photographs are copyright protected by us or our vendors. While we appreciate your sharing our recipes, please realize copying, pasting, or duplicating full recipes to any social media, website, or electronic/printed media is strictly prohibited and a violation of our copyrights.

    Originally Published July 7, 2013. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.

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    1. Kandy McDonald

      March 09, 2023 at 9:30 am

      Can I use a different kind of pan? I really don't want to purchase another, porcelain coated. I have too many pans already.

      Reply
      • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

        March 09, 2023 at 9:35 am

        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

    2. Jane

      April 09, 2017 at 6:10 pm

      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!!

      Reply
      • DrDan

        April 09, 2017 at 8:10 pm

        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

    3. Debbie and Emily

      October 02, 2016 at 4:49 pm

      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!!!!

      Reply
      • DrDan

        October 04, 2016 at 7:48 am

        I love carnitas and this way I allow myself that more often.
        Thanks so much for the note.
        Dan

    4. Megan

      March 30, 2016 at 8:42 pm

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
    5. James Dunn

      March 02, 2014 at 12:03 pm

      Nice. Really works for me. Yum!

      Reply
      • DrDan

        March 02, 2014 at 12:08 pm

        Thanks for the comment, I really REALLY like this one and its very healthy.
        DrDan

    6. Tiago

      December 05, 2013 at 10:24 pm

      Can you convert this to a slow cooker recipe?

      Reply
      • DrDan

        December 06, 2013 at 7:07 am

        No, not a good conversion. You all the browning that is most of the flavor. You can't get that in a crockpot.

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