Juicy pork is seasoned with citrus and spices to create ultra-flavorful Mexican inspired pulled pork, or Pork Carnitas! Make pork carnitas tacos for a quick dinner, or throw it in a burrito bowl for an easy lunch!
Easy Pork Carnitas Tacos
Any pulled pork fans out there? I hope so, because my Pork Carnitas recipe will be an absolute thrill for you! This Mexican inspired pork recipe has flavor like you would not believe.
Pork tenderloin is seasoned with salt and pepper, brown sugar, chili powder, orange juice, lime juice, and more. To summarize, these crispy, juicy pork shreds are sweet, a tad tangy, a little spicy, and 200% delicious. Yes, that’s double delicious.
Most of the time when I make pork carnitas, I pack the meat into soft flour tortillas to make pork carnitas tacos. They are unbelievable – no words can describe the incredible flavors and textures. And when you pile some sour cream, sliced avocado, and diced tomatoes on top? Flavor. Explosion.
Pork carnitas is also great in burrito bowls, regular burritos, salads, etc. It doesn’t matter what you put it in as long as you experience the amazing-ness!
Not into PORK?! Try my Instant Pot Chicken Carnitas! 😋
What Are Carnitas?
Carnitas is basically shredded or pulled pork. Or in this case, it’s pork cut up in small pieces because we want it done quickly, and we wanted done now! The pork is marinated or braised with seasonings, and the result is tender, juicy, flavorful shreds of – or small chunks – of meat!
Typically pork shoulder/pork butt is used to make this dish, but today we’re going to use pork tenderloin because…quick. Also? Pork tenderloin has a much lower fat content, so it’s a little healthier. It will still get nice and juicy though, don’t worry!
Recipe Ingredients
Pork carnitas require pork tenderloin, a few seasonings and spices, and some fixings for tacos – that’s it! Here’s what you’ll need to round up on the counter before starting:
- Pork: You’ll need about 1.5 pounds of pork tenderloin, cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Seasoning: Salt and fresh ground black pepper (to taste), oregano, ancho chili powder, and ground cumin.
- Cooking Oil: I generally use avocado oil or olive oil.
- Onion: Grab a small yellow onion, finely diced.
- Garlic: Minced.
- Sugar: Round up some light brown sugar before starting.
- Citrus: You’ll need some orange juice and the juice of a small lime.
- Optional: Flour tortillas (for tacos), diced avocado, pico de gallo, and cilantro (for garnish).
How to Make Pork Carnitas Tacos
Pork carnitas is a quick dinner recipe. It won’t take you more than 30 minutes to whip these tacos together, and everybody will love them. Picky eaters stand no chance against these flavorful pork tacos!
Here’s the step-by-step guide to making pork carnitas:
- Season the Pork: Cut up the pork tenderloin and season with salt and pepper; set aside.
- Cook the Onion: Heat olive oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add onions to the oil and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 15 seconds, or just until fragrant.
- Add Pork to the Skillet: Season with brown sugar, chili powder, and cumin. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, or until pork is cooked through.
- Stir in Orange Juice: Continue to stir and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add lime juice and continue to cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust accordingly.
Tips for Success
Pork carnitas tacos are so easy you’ll want to make them every night! Or is that just me…
Anyway, these are some tips and tricks I have on making the best pork carnitas tacos:
- What If I Don’t Have Pork Tenderloin? That’s alright. You can use pork shoulder (butt), or really any other cut of pork. Keep in mind, depending on the cut of pork, you may have to adjust the cooking time if using something other than pork tenderloin.
- Don’t Overcook the Pork: Easy to say, but not always easy to do! You want the pork to be juicy and tender, though, and not tough and dry. The best way to gauge if pork is done is to use a meat thermometer, and make sure the pork reaches 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Alternative Cooking Method: Season the pork tenderloin with all of the spices before cutting it into bite-size pieces, and then cook until done. Then, shred the pork with two forks, or cut it with a knife, and add it back to the skillet to cook in the orange juice as described.
Serving Suggestions for Pork Carnitas
I already touched on how to serve pork carnitas a little bit, but let’s go more in-depth! Here are some of my favorite ways to use up this pork recipe:
- In Tacos/Burritos: Pork carnitas tacos are really good! Dice up some tomatoes, slice up an avocado, find some corn kernels, and grab some salsa and sour cream. Then, build yourself a delicious pork taco, and dig in! You can do virtually the same thing, but in burrito-form, too.
- Over Rice: If you want to keep things simple, serve your flavorful shredded pork over a bed of white or brown rice. Quinoa will work, too.
- In Salads: Another way to keep things simple is to add the pork carnitas to an easy salad – make a bed of lettuce, dice up some extra veggies, add the pork, and voila! Lunch or dinner.
- In Quesadillas: A pulled pork quesadilla? Yes, please! Cheesy shredded pork is so, so good.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Store any leftover pork carnitas in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. It may lose some of its juiciness, but it will still taste great.
- To reheat pork carnitas, put the pork back in the skillet on the stovetop over medium heat. Cook until warmed through. You may need to add a little extra liquid – possibly some orange juice or a little bit of cooking oil.
Can I Freeze Extras?
- Absolutely you can! Freeze your leftover pork carnitas in an airtight container, once it has cooled completely. It will last for 2 to 3 months in the freezer.
- When you want to make some more tacos, or just dig into some pulled pork, let it thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat.
ENJOY!
Quick Pork Carnitas Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds pork tenderloin, cut into small bite-sized pieces
- salt, to taste
- fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil, or olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 1 small lime, juiced
- low carb flour tortillas, for tacos
- diced avocado
- pico de gallo
- cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
- Cut up the pork tenderloin into small bite-sized pieces and season with salt and pepper; set aside.
- Heat oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat.
- Add diced onions to the heated oil and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 15 seconds, or just until fragrant.
- Add pork to the skillet; season with brown sugar, oregano, chili powder, and cumin. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, or until pork is cooked through.
- Stir in orange juice; continue to stir and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add lime juice and continue to cook for 2 more minutes.
- Remove from heat. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust accordingly.
- Serve in tacos, burritos, over rice, and/or on salads.
Notes
- NET CARBS: 10 g
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
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More Pork Recipes to Try
Looking for more easy pork dinner ideas? I’ve got a couple! Check out these ones:
