Learn how to cook pork carnitas in the oven easily. Baked low and slow, they are crispy and tender with authentic flavor, but without lard or deep-frying. Follow this simple step-by-step recipe for perfect Mexican pork carnitas for tacos, burritos, and more.
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Featured Comment by PacifiCoast:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
" I've tried many ways of making Carnitas, pulled pork, pork shoulder, whatever you want to call it……THIS IS IT!!!!!!!!!! This no fail recipe has given me the keys to the kingdom"
Carnitas are a popular dish in every Mexican restaurant. I always order them, and now I can easily make them at home. Often called Mexican pulled pork, it differs from BBQ pulled pork in cooking methods and seasoning.
🤔Why you will make this recipe
- A simple, no-fuss recipe with basic ingredients and quick prep.
- Crispy pork carnitas without a slow cooker, frying, lard, or a greasy mess.
- Authentic Mexican flavor but in a home-cook-friendly way using your oven to cook pork butt low and slow for tender results.
- Baked on a rack for drainage of rendered fat and more even cooking—optional.
🐖Ingredients for Baked Pork Carnitas
🐖Pork Butt
Pork butt and Boston butt are the same. But pork shoulder (AKA picnic shoulder or picnic) is further down the front leg. It is also leaner and is better used as a roast or ham. Many people get the difference confused. For more info, see American Test Kitchen (subscription required).
✅Pro Tip: Use a boneless pork butt to simplify your life by letting the butcher cut the bone out, which can be more work than you appreciate.
🥣Seasoning
The seasoning of carnitas is highly variable. It can just be salt or lots of other spices and herbs. To keep the recipe more authentic, I have used only a few spices. Citrus fruit juice, like lime or orange, is a common flavor in authentic carnitas, which I have also included.
👨🍳Quick Overview: How to Make Carnitas in the Oven
1. Preparing the pork and seasoning
Cut a pork butt into 2-inch chunks. The coat the pork with lime juice and seasonings.
2. Preparing to bake
Transfer the meat to a prepared pan. A rack is preferred but not required. Cover the tray with foil.
3. Baking
Bake in a 250° convection or 275° conventional oven for 2½ hours, then remove the foil. Roast for about 2 more hours until the internal temperature of the biggest pieces is 195° to 200°. Rest for 10 minutes before serving.
For complete step-by-step instructions, scroll down to the printable recipe card or keep reading for tips, flavor options, and serving ideas.
🍽️Serving pork carnitas
Carnitas are one of the most versatile Mexican meats. They are shredded to serve. Pile it on tortillas with taco toppings for classic carnitas tacos. Use it in burritos, enchiladas, or quesadillas. On nachos and in a rice or salad bowl are my favorites. The possibilities are endless.
Serve with chips and salsa, Mexican rice, or refried beans.
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👍Carnita Recipes
Check out my other carnitas recipes, starting with Crock Pot Pork Carnitas, Healthier Pork Tenderloin Carnitas, and Chicken Carnitas AKA Carnitas de Pollo.
❄️Storage and reheating leftovers
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 days or freeze for 3 months. I generally shred and cool completely before freezing.
Reheating
If frozen, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Small amounts can be reheated in a microwave. Otherwise, shredded carnitas can be reheated on the stovetop or in the oven. If they need some crisping, turn on the oven broiler.
❓FAQs
Yes. Go ahead and cook them. Shred and let cool. If you are going to store them in the refrigerator for more than a few days, then freeze them.
These baked carnitas are already browned and moderately crispy, but if you want more crispiness, spread the shredded meat out on a baking sheet and broil it for a few minutes. This high heat creates delicious crispy edges, just like traditional carnitas.
The first step is to cook the proper cut of meat. The fat naturally present in pork butt will help prevent drying. Next, do not overcook—use an instant-read thermometer to check the final temperature.
If the leftovers dry, toss them with a bit of beef broth, spread them over a baking tray, and seal with foil. Bake at 250° until hot, remove the foil, and broil to crisp up for a few minutes.
Use a rack to lift the meat from the rendered fat and improve cooking on all sides without flipping. But it is not required.
If you skip the rack, flip the carnitas when you remove the foil covering.
🐖What are carnitas?
Known as "little meats" and sometimes called Mexican pulled pork, they can be found on the street in Mexico. They are cooked in large lard vats and roasted until crispy, not a good option for us home-cooking Yankees.
The most common home method is braising a chuck of pork butt in a spiced-up fluid of some type and then cooking off the liquid on the stovetop—a major mess. There is almost no mess with baking, and much of the fat drains due to the rack, so the "greasy factor" is markedly decreased.
📖The Recipe Card with Step-by-Step Instructions
How to Make Pork Carnitas in the Oven
Video Slideshow
Ingredients
- 3-4 pounds pork butt
- 1 juice of lime - or orange
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoons garlic powder - optional but recommend
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250° convection or 275° conventional.
- Prepare a sheet pan with foil and a rack. Give the rack a heavy spray of PAM. The rack is optional but suggested.
- Cut a 3-4 pound boneless pork butt into about 2-inch chunks. Trim big pieces of fat only. You could do bone-in butt, but you will make your life harder.
- Place pork in a large mixing bowl. Add the juice of one lime ( or orange) and mix well. Add 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon garlic powder (optional), 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Mix to coat.
- Transfer the meat to the prepared pan. Distribute evenly, but the largest chunks in the corners. Cover with foil and roast in the oven for 2½ hours, then remove the foil
- Roast for about 2 more hours until the internal temperature of the biggest pieces is 195° to 200°. Note: If you are not using a rack, you should flip the pork when removing the foil cover.
- Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- The recipe calls for a 3-4 pounds pork butt, but you can use a bigger butt with no problem. A bone-in butt is fine, but just more work.
- The thicker pieces of pork should be placed in the corners and along the outside edge of the tray.
- Time estimates are based on 2 to 2½-inch chunks of pork. Smaller chunks will cook much faster.
- You can do this without the rack, but the bottom will be set in the fat and drainage. If you are not using a rack, you should flip the pork when removing the foil cover.
- The final temperature endpoint is the most important part of this recipe. Never cook by time alone.
- Serve as carnita tacos, burritos, fajitas, rice bowls, and more
- Good refrigerated for 3-4 days or frozen for 3-4 months.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Editor's Note: Originally Published October 1, 2017. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
MissyG says
Best Carnitas (pulled pork) I have ever made. I used the prep instructions and ingredients in this recipe and used Dr Dan’s oven roasting instruction for his pulled pork post which actually isn’t a whole lot different than what’s here.
My cut pork butt chunks were about 2 ½“ x 2” due to the size of my roast and I did the lime juice and seasoning thing mixed in a bowl, covered it and let it “brine” in the fridge overnight. I put them on a rack over a baking sheet (meat still cold as I had to leave the house right away) right before placing them in a cold oven set at 250°F Convection. I should disclose that the actual oven temp was at about 225°F as my oven automatically drops the temp 25° when the convection option is chosen.
It took only 3 hrs and 50 min to come to 200-203° and was perfect! The pork cubes had a beautiful crust on the outside and was just right in texture, fat, moisture, and flavor on the inside. I wouldn’t change a thing.
Once they came to temp, I let them sit uncovered in the oven with the door cracked open for 1 ½ hours before shredding. I didn’t wrap them because I personally wanted the crust to remain as is and not get soft or soggy. That’s just my personal preference though. If you want all of the meat soft than wrap them.
When shredding they had that authentic shredded chunk with crust effect that I was after. Again, I wouldn’t change a thing.
Thanks DrDan for such a great and simple recipe. This is going in my personal recipe catalog for sure!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi MissyG,
Welcome to the blog.
I'm glad I could provide you a roadmap to get some great carnitas. I do love crusty carnitas but our restraints have great tasting carnitas but not much crust. Great job there.
Thanks for the note and rating. And an extra big thank you for giving detailed instructions for other reader.
Dan
MissyG says
I just realized I goofed on the roasting instructions because I was in such a hurry to leave the house this morning. I did a cold oven instead of preheated as well as not adjusting my Convection oven temperature up 25°. So, even though I loved the outcome of what I did today, I’m excited to try it the right way next time that DrDan has listed. Maybe it will be even that much better
PacifiCoast says
I've tried many ways of making Carnitas, pulled pork, pork shoulder, whatever you want to call it......THIS IS IT!!!!!!!!!!
This no fail recipe has given me the keys to the kingdom. I am now the master of pulled pork sandwiches and other things pork-licious. No more nights of salivating over the pork that I've tasted in other places, NO; this is the one.
Thank you, very much, for sharing!
Nanci B says
I have been looking and looking for this recipe. Trying it this weekend. I will let you know how it goes, but I have looked at enough recipes to know......This is it!!!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Nanci,
Welcome to the blog.
I think you will enjoy it.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Morgan says
Made this for me and my husband earlier tonight. It came out absolutely amazing! I had a 4.5 lb pork butt and added more spices accordingly. Even the piece I sliced much thinner than the other ones came out nice and juicy.
I put the carnitas on toasted Hawaiian burger buns with spicy homemade coleslaw, some salsa verde, and melted colby jack cheese. Delicious sandwiches to prep in advance for the work week.
Thanks for posting, will be sure to use this for years to come.
DrDan says
Hi Morgan,
Welcome to the blog.
I seem to always do "good" with pork butt. But I think it is a meat that just comes out great as long as you do the "low and slow" think. I usually order carnitas in Mexican restraints but this is a good substitute.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Elizabeth says
I did this, it was heavenly. I used a quarter cup red wine and juice from one lime, overnight then drained right before it went in the oven. I'm definitely doing it again.
Emeline says
Hello can i use pork cushion instead of the pork butt and please please i like the recipe for pozole but no corn T hanks love your site!!!!!!! keep it up great !!!!
DrDan says
Hi Emeline,
Welcome to the blog.
Pork cushion is a triangular muscle that is considered by some to be part of the pork butt. It is in mamy ways simular to what most think of as pork butt. I have never used it since it is just not commonly avalible around here. But it should cook about the same so I'm 95% sure it would be great.
I will look into pozole recipes... but no promises.
Thanks for the note and suggestion.
Dan
Steve says
Can you freeze these? A 4 point pork shoulder makes too much for 2. Thank you.
DrDan says
Hi Steve,
They should be good refrigerated for 2-3 days and about 2-3 months in a freezer.
Dan
Jennifer says
Wonderful and easy to follow recipe. Will make again again. Thank you!
DrDan says
Hi Jennifer,
First, sorry for the delayed reply.
I love carnitas. I have note really understood why this recipe isn't more popular but I'm glad you found it and enjoyed it.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Gus Chavez says
Thank you for this beautiful dish I just made it today it was
a delicious dish. will be making it again and again tks again