Juicy, tender, melt-in-your-mouth bits of pork shoulder. That's dutch oven carnitas in a nutshell. There slow-cooked, ready to warm your soul, and I just can't get enough. The cumin and citrus scream Mexican flavors, while still being subtle enough to be child-pallet friendly.
It's one of those dishes that doesn't actually take that much prep time but needs to spend a solid few hours in the oven or a crockpot. This makes it a perfect Saturday or Sunday night dinner go-to for us.
🥘 Equipment
This Dutch Oven Carnitas recipe obviously requires a dutch oven. Perfect for a low and slow cooking method. That's what results in that fork-tender texture everyone is looking for. You start this recipe on the stovetop to brown all the pork and then need to finish it gently on low heat.
For this recipe, I use a Dutch Oven because it can do both! Don't get caught up in the name or the preconceived notion that they are expensive. While yes, some Dutch Ovens are $300+, you can find a wide variety in the $40-$50 range and they are more than adequate.
🔪 Ingredients
Here is a quick checklist to make sure you have everything you need for this recipe!
- Pork Shoulder - boneless is easier
- Orange Juice - or fresh oranges
- Chicken Stock
- Red Onion
- Bay Leaves
- Cumin
- Oregano
- Garlic
- Olive Oil
- Fresh Ground Pepper
- Kosher Salt
👩🏼🍳 Chef Tip
The small batch browning of the pork shoulder is mission-critical! You can't buy the flavor this step provides. There is no spice you can add. It's a labor of love and you will be able to taste it!
📖 Instructions
Let's get started! Prep your onion by cutting it into ⅛ths, cutting through the root of the onion. This way the root will hold the onion together a bit. Set Aside.
Cube up the pork shoulder into chunks around 2-3" cubed. Buying a boneless pork shoulder makes this step 10 times easier! The more similar in size, the more evenly they will cook.
🔥 Searing
Put your dutch oven on high heat. Add olive oil to coat the bottom. Season the first batch (6-7 pieces) of pork liberally with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. We will only be adding small batches of the pork to the pan at a time.
👉🏼 If we overcrowd the pan we won't get the brown crust we are looking for. Add the pork to the pan and DON'T move it around. Let it sit for 3-4 minutes or until it releases from the pan by itself and has a nice golden brown color.
Flip each piece, but don't stir/move them all around. Just a simple turnover. Once they have browned on the second side, remove them and set them aside. Repeat this process until all your pork has been browned.
Once all your pork has finished browning, return it back to the dutch oven with the red onions and garlic.
Braising
Add orange juice, chicken stock, cumin, oregano, and bay leaves. Mix until distributed. Bring to a simmer and then cover with the lid. (I like to put foil on my lid so it doesn't get as dirty).
Move to 350-degree oven for 3-4 hours or until fork tender.
Once fork tender, remove the pork and put it into a deep-sided pyrex style dish, and cover to keep warm.
🔥 Ruducing & Crisping
Take the remaining liquid in the pot and put it back on the stove to reduce it by about 75% or as much as you can without burning. Once it's nice and thick, pour that delicious liquid back over the pork. Mixing together and breaking the pork into smaller pieces at the same time.
Turn the oven on broil, and put the pork mixture back in the oven for just a minute or two. DO NOT TAKE YOUR EYES OFF IT. It will go from perfect to burnt in less than 1 minute. Note: this whole step is optional if it seems scary.
🎥 Video
We put together a quick video for you to walk you through each step! This will give you a pretty solid idea of what you are getting into...
🌮 Building Your Plate (or Bowl)
When it comes to putting together your dinner you have so many options here. Whether you want to stay classic and serve with a corn tortilla that's lightly toasted, serve over a rice bowl, or even a salad, you can't really go wrong.
The finishes/toppings range from salsas, avocado, sour cream, and cilantro. A squeeze of fresh lime for good measure. Jon who has been better lately about not eating as many carbs normally goes the salad route and puts his on a bed of baby spinach but still added all his favorite toppings.
Kids love them in tacos or burrito bowls. It's just a super versatile delicious dinner that can be customized for everyone.
🥗 Side Dishes
Whenever we make our Dutch Oven Carnitas we always have a few other things we make alongside it. Homemade Guacamole is a given, and so is our light brown rice recipe with the addition of a little lime and cilantro.
However, we keep our pickled red onions and pickled jalapenos in the house at all times. Seriously. If we start running low, I make another batch. They are too easy and too delicious to live without.
📖 Recipe
Dutch Oven Carnitas
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 pounds Pork Shoulder - boneless is easier
- 3 tablespoon Olive Oil
- Kosher Salt
- Fresh Ground Pepper
- ½ cup Orange Juice
- 1 quart Chicken Stock
- 1 Red Onion
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 2 teaspoon Cumin
- 2 teaspoon Oregano
- 1 tablespoon Garlic
Instructions
- Prep your onion by cutting it into ⅛ths, cutting through the root of the onion. This way the root will hold the onion together a bit. Set Aside.
- Cube the pork shoulder into chunks around 2-3" cubed. The more similar in size, the more evenly they will cook.
- Season the first batch (6-7 pieces) of pork liberally with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.
- Put your dutch oven on high heat. Add olive oil to coat the bottom.
- We will only be adding small batches of the pork to the pan at a time. If we overcrowd the pan we won't get the brown crust we are looking for.
- Add pork to the pan and DON'T move it around. Let it sit for 3-4 minutes or until it releases from the pan by itself and has a nice golden brown color.
- Flip each piece, but don't stir/move them all around. Just a simple turn over.
- Once they have browned on the second side, remove and set aside.
- Repeat this process until all your pork has been browned.
- Once all your pork has finished browning, return it back to the dutch oven with the red onions.
- Add orange juice, chicken stock, cumin, oregano, and bay leaves. Mix until distributed.
- Bring to a simmer and then cover with the lid. (I like to put foil on my lid so it doesn't get as dirty).
- Move to 350-degree oven for 3-4 hours or until fork tender.
- Once fork tender, remove the pork and put it into a deep-sided pyrex style dish, and cover to keep warm.
- Take the remaining liquid in the pot and put it back on the stove to reduce it by about 75% or as much as you can without burning.
- Once thick, pour that delicious liquid back over the pork. Mixing together and breaking the pork into smaller pieces at the same time.
- Turn the oven on broil, and put the pork mixture back in the oven for just a minute or two. DO NOT TAKE YOUR EYES OFF IT. It will go from perfect to burnt in less than 1 minute. Note: this whole step is optional if it seems scary.
- Enjoy with corn tortilla, avocado, and anything else that makes your soul happy.
Video
Notes
- This can be crockpot friendly but only to a certain point. I 100% recommend still browning the pork in a pan, and then deglazing the pan (adding some chicken stock to get all the brown bits off the bottom). Reducing the liquid at the end is still an option, but you'd need to transfer that liquid back into a pot on the stove.
- If you don't have a dutch oven, I would recommend looking into one. You do NOT need to spend $300+ on a Le Creuset. I have a link to a dutch oven that's under $50 here.
- You don't have to broil the reduced liquid if you don't have time or are nervous, but it browns the remaining sugars in the sauce and gives it a little crispy texture at the same time. I recommend trying it at least once.
- Don't snack on the pork the whole time the sauce is reducing. It's a rookie mistake and you won't be hungry for dinner. I have learned this lesson many many times.
Nutrition
Handy Tools
Want to take your cooking game to the next level? Here's a list of some of the tools I use every time I make this recipe that help make this a breeze!
[…] Table. Tender, full of flavor, and wildly versatile. I have a whole recipe dedicated just to this Dutch Oven Carnitas, so if you want to save it separately, this is your moment. Seared and then slow-cooked in orange […]