

These Mexican Pork Carnitas start with deliciously seasoned pulled pork that is folded into or piled onto homemade corn tortillas. Let everyone assemble their own using a variety of toppings.
For a fun Mexican Fiesta get everyone in the kitchen pitching in with the chopping and making homemade corn tortillas. The job is easiest using a tortilla press but they can also be flattened with your hands or the help of a rolling pin. Let everyone give it a try and you’ll see how many ways it can be done.
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Carnitas simply means ‘little meats’ and there are as many ways to season it as their are cooks. Some insist the meat be seasoned with nothing other than oranges and milk while others include spices and Mexican Coca-Cola. Coke in Mexico is made from cane sugar instead of corn syrup so has a slightly different taste. My recipe is made with regular Coke and that’s perfect for my everyday palate and cooking style.
The secret to pulling pork is to do it when it’s warm; just grab two forks and start pulling the meat apart. The job takes a bit of time depending on how finely you want the pork separated. The meat can be pulled in advance and reheated many hours later or even the next day. If you like kitchen parties time the meat to be done just as guests arrive and designate some carnivore to do this job.
Some cooks like the meat soft while others insist it be cooked again to brown the meat until it’s crispy with caramelized bits of deliciousness. We tried it both ways.
Authentic corn tortillas are made with masa harina and we love the unique aroma and taste. With a bit of effort you can set yourself up for making these and you’ll save time. Once you’ve done it a few times it’s easy to whip up eight tortillas. I describe my step-by-step process in this post on how to make Corn Tortillas.
The final dish is as individual as you. Don’t default to the usual taco toppings, try something different.
Some sources say Pork Carnitas must be topped with chopped white onion and fresh cilantro, so be sure to try that. I intentionally made small tortillas so we could experiment with the taste of different topping combinations. Try some of these:
Let me know in the comments below if you tried Pork Carnitas and what you did.
Click on the text in the photo to go to the recipe.
3-4 lb boneless pork shoulder (butt end), cut into large chunks |
1 Tbsp oregano |
1 Tbsp cumin |
1 Tbsp salt |
1 tsp pepper |
1 large onion, quartered |
8 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled |
finely chopped zest of 1 or 2 oranges |
¾ cup orange juice (about 3 oranges) |
¼ cup lime juice (about 2 limes) |
¾ cup regular Coke or Mexican Coca-Cola |
2 bay leaves |
TOPPINGS - minced white onion, lime wedges and chopped cilantro |
Ingredients |
Directions |
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