Yield: 12 servings
Stovetop Pork Carnitas Recipe
⭐️Test Kitchen Approved!⭐️This tender and juicy pork carnitas recipe features slowly simmered pork in pineapple juice, garlic, and jalapeños, then crisped to perfection. Perfect for a taco night dinner topped with onions, cilantro, and your favorite salsa!
Ingredients
For the carnitas:
- 3 lb boneless pork shoulder, or pork butt, cut into 2-inch cubes
- 1 cup pineapple juice, or freshly squeezed orange juice
- ½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 jalapeños, seeded and diced
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- About 2 1/2 cups hot water, broth, or beer
For serving as tacos:
- corn tortillas
- cilantro
- onion
- lime wedges
- salsa, or hot sauce
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Instructions
- Place the pork in a large heavy bottomed pot. Add the pineapple juice, lime juice, garlic, jalapeños, cumin, salt and enough water to just barely cover the meat.
- Bring the pot to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for two hours. Don’t touch the meat.
- After two hours, increase the heat to medium-high heat. Continue to cook for about 45 minutes, until all of the liquid has evaporated, leaving only the pork fat. Occasionally stir and turn the pork during this process.
- Once all the cooking liquid has evaporated, let the pork cook and sizzle in the fat long enough to brown at the edges, turning pieces gently, as needed. The more you stir, the more the meat will fall apart and shred.
- Once the pork has browned and most of the fat has cooked off, it’s ready! Adjust seasonings to taste and serve as desired!
Video
Notes
Store: Transfer cooled leftover pork to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freeze: Frozen carnitas are your best friend for late-night dinners on lazy weeknights! Store cooled pork in freezer bags in serving-size portions for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or reheat straight from frozen.
Reheat: Sprinkle the carnitas with 1 teaspoon water and microwave for up to a minute. You can also reheat them in a pan over medium heat for 7 to 8 minutes. If frozen, add 3 to 4 minutes to the total reheating time.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving, Calories: 162kcal, Carbohydrates: 4g, Protein: 26g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.02g, Cholesterol: 68mg, Sodium: 451mg, Potassium: 487mg, Fiber: 0.2g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 38IU, Vitamin C: 8mg, Calcium: 20mg, Iron: 1mg