After experimenting with numerous varieties of spices to flavor Pork Carnitas, this is by far the simplest and most delicious one that I’ve made. With just 4 main ingredients (plus salt and pepper), it’s hard to mess this up! I remember including this during my meal prep sessions almost every other week in the past month and I never got tired of eating it.
To kick off the launch of my new site, Cook and Savor, I’m celebrating with a big batch of these Pork Carnitas, Roasted Tomatillo salsa, and fried plantains. Don’t miss broiling the carnitas at the end to caramelize the onions and give the pork a nice crispy crust.
In the next few weeks, I’ll be slowly transitioning my first blog, Paleo Foodie Kitchen into Cook and Savor. All the recipes you’ll find here are 100% gluten-free, Paleo-friendly or can be adapted to Paleo. I’ll also be writing about meal prep tips, kitchen hacks, organization and so much more. Lots of cool new stuff are coming up and I can’t wait to share them with you.
Now on to the Pork Carnitas recipe!
Pork Carnitas
Ingredients
- 3 lbs pork shoulder or butt cut into 2-inch cubes
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium onion thinly sliced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 375F.
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In a large bowl, add all ingredients. Mix well.
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Place seasoned pork pieces on a baking sheet. Arrange them evenly in one layer.
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Tightly cover the baking sheet with foil and punch 8 holes on top using the tip of a knife.
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Bake in the oven for 1 1/2 hours.
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Remove foil and cut up the carnitas into bite-sized pieces.
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Turn oven on high broil. Return the pan to the oven and broil for 3 - 5 minutes or until it's crisped up to your liking.
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Let cool before serving.
I took this out of the oven without broiling it or cutting it up. My husband and 2yo thought it was delicious as is. The onions are so sweet! Thank you for sharing.
Yes you can omit broiling it at the end. I’m glad your hubby and 2 year old enjoyed them!
What do you use to accompany the carnitas? What’s the tomatillo sauce for? Thanks in advanced!
I usually eat it with roasted potatoes or rice. Its great with the tomatillo sauce on top!
HI Jenny,
I made this dish and it tasted amazing however the onions were burnt before any broiling was done. I feel maybe the dish needs some liquid in it to prevent this -what do you think?
thanks!
Hi Allison! You may want to make sure your baking pan is on the middle rack in your oven so the onions don’t burn. Since it is cooked covered with foil, it produces moisture and generates a good amount of liquid already so no need to add any liquid. Hope this helps!
thanks Jenny. I did follow the instructions in the recipe and my oven doesn’t run too hot, so I have no idea why the onions burnt.
Can you try to arrange the onions on top of the carnitas vs on the edges of the pan next time?
This is the best and easiest recipe anywhere. It’s family friendly and easy to double or triple batch and super tasty..
Im glad you love it!
This recipe is on repeat at our house. So good. We love pairing it with tortillas, rice, cauliflower rice and some sharp cheddar cheese. Sometimes I may even make a chipotle mayo to top it off with. DELICIOUS!