Pork Tacos (Carnitas)
Jun 14, 2021, Updated Mar 10, 2026
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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!
For more taco inspiration, try my beef barbacoa or slow cooker pulled pork for a delicious twist on taco night.
Pork Tacos Recipe
This Pork Carnitas recipe is a quick Mexican-inspired pork recipe made with pork tenderloin, citrus juice, brown sugar, and warm spices. The pork cooks until it’s tender enough to shred, then turns into crispy, juicy pork carnitas that are sweet, a bit tangy, spicy, and 200% delicious.
I usually serve the pork in soft flour tortillas to make pork carnitas tacos, but it’s also perfect for burrito bowls, burritos, and even salads.
If you’re not into pork, make my Instant Pot chicken carnitas! And beef fans, you should grab this crock pot carne asada recipe, shred it, and stuff it into tortillas.
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 want it done now! The pork is marinated or braised with seasonings, resulting in tender, juicy, flavorful shreds of – or small chunks – of meat. Typically pork shoulder or pork butt is used to make this dish, but today we’re going to use pork tenderloin because it’s quick.
Ingredients For Pork Carnitas
- Pork: You’ll need 1.5 pounds of pork tenderloin, cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Seasoning: Salt and freshly 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 and finely dice it.
- Garlic: Use minced fresh garlic.
- 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).
Tips for Success
- Pork options: Take inspiration from my Kalua pork (Hawaiian pulled pork), and use pork shoulder (butt). Keep in mind, depending on the cut of pork, you may need to adjust the cooking time if using something other than pork tenderloin.
- Don’t overcook the pork. You want the pork to be juicy and tender, and not tough and dry. The best way to gauge whether pork is done is to use a meat thermometer, and make sure its internal temperature reaches 145˚F.
- Alternative cooking method: Season the pork tenderloin with all the spices and cook it until done on the stove or in the oven. Then, shred the pork with two forks, or cut it into bite-sized pieces with a knife, and add it to a skillet to crisp it up in the citrus juice.
What to Serve with Pork Carnitas
- Tacos: Carnitas pork tacos are delicious stuffed with diced tomatoes, sliced avocado, corn kernels, salsa, and sour cream.
- Rice bowls: Serve the flavorful shredded pork over white or brown rice. Quinoa works great, too.
- Salad: Add pork carnitas to a Cobb salad or make a quick taco bowl with lettuce, fresh veggies, and warm shredded pork.
- Quesadilla: A pulled pork quesadilla? Yes, please! Crispy tortillas filled with melty cheese and shredded pork carnitas are hard to beat.
- Dessert: Finish the meal with a slice of easy tres leches cake.
Common FAQs
Absolutely! Follow the recipe, and use ground pork instead of pork tenderloin.
Sure, you can use lemon juice in place of lime juice, but just keep in mind that the taste will differ slightly due to the distinct flavors of each citrus.
You can serve pork carnitas in warm tortillas with salsa, cilantro, chopped onions, and guacamole. You can also serve them in a burrito bowl with fiesta rice or as a topping for salads. I will sometimes serve them alongside sweet potato wedges and tomatillo salsa.
Using orange juice in the liquid for carnitas tenderizes the pork, providing acidity that helps soften the meat, add flavor, and make it juicier.
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Quick Pork Carnitas Tacos
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds pork tenderloin, cut into small bite-sized pieces
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil, or olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 1 small lime, juiced
Optional
- flour tortillas, for tacos
- diced avocado
- pico de gallo
- cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
- Prep the pork. Cut up the pork tenderloin into small bite-sized pieces and season it with salt and pepper; set aside.
- Sauté the aromatics. Heat the cooking oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the diced onions to the heated oil and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 15 seconds or just until fragrant.
- Cook the pork. Add the diced pork to the skillet; season with brown sugar, oregano, chili powder, and cumin. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes or until the pork is cooked through.
- Add the orange juice and lime juice. Stir in the orange juice, then continue stirring and scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the lime juice and continue to cook for 2 more minutes.
- Finish and serve. Remove from heat. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust accordingly. Serve the pork in tacos, burritos, over rice, and/or on salads.
Video
Notes
- Pork Choice: You don’t have to use pork tenderloin. You can also use pork shoulder or any other boneless cut of pork, but remember that, depending on the cut, you may need to adjust the cooking time.
- Don’t Overcook: You want the pork to be juicy and tender, not tough and dry. The best way to gauge if pork is done is to use a meat thermometer – Pork is cooked through when its internal temperature reaches 145°F.
- Shredded Pork Method: Season the pork tenderloin thoroughly with all the spices before slicing it into pieces. Once cooked thoroughly, shred the pork using two forks or chop it finely with a knife. Afterward, return the pork to the skillet and let it simmer in the orange juice as instructed.
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.
How to Make Carnitas Tacos
It won’t take you more than 30 minutes to put these carnitas pork tacos together, and everybody will love them.
- Season the pork: Cut the pork tenderloin into pieces and season with salt and pepper; set aside.
- Sauté the onion and garlic: 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.
- Cook the pork: Add the diced pork to the skillet, season it with brown sugar, chili powder, and cumin, and cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the orange and lime juice. Add the citrus juices, then continue stirring and scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat. Taste for salt and pepper, and adjust before serving.
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat Leftovers
- Store leftover pork carnitas in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days or freeze them for 2 to 3 months. I suggest thawing them in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- To reheat, add the pork to a lightly oiled skillet on the stovetop set to medium heat and cook until warm. I suggest adding a squeeze of orange juice while it’s cooking.
This was amazing. The flavor was so good, we just wanted to keep eating the carnitas. We used “street taco” flour tortillas and home cooked refried beans.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the carnitas—and with homemade refried beans and street taco tortillas? Perfect combo! Thank YOU! 🙂
This looks delicious. How do I cook the pork to make the shredded pork version to avoid overcooking? I do not see the instructions for that version.
Thank you for your delicious recipes.
Hi!
For the shredded pork version, you’ll want to swap the pork tenderloin for a pork shoulder or pork butt since tenderloin doesn’t shred well because it’s too lean. I actually have a recipe for slow cooker mojo pork that’s very similar to carnitas and would work perfectly for tacos if you’re looking for that juicy, fall-apart texture. You can get it here: https://diethood.com/mojo-pork/
I hope that helps! Let me know if you give it a try. ☺️
What can you substitute for the orange juice to make these keto pork carnitas?
Hi!
You can swap the orange juice for a mix of fresh lime juice and a little orange zest.
This is a new recipe to add to the Taco Tuesday rotation! It has received 5-star reviews from family and friends. The flavors are surprisingly slow-cooked in a short time. I did have a few extra minutes, so I marinated my pork in the juices and spices for about 30 minutes. I strained the pork and added it to my onions and garlic. Once the meat was cooked, I added the juice spice combo and simmered a bit longer. Thank you!
That sounds delicious! Love how you added that extra marinating time to boost the flavors. So happy it was a hit with everyone! Thanks for sharing your twist! 😊
This was delicious and easy! Thanks for the recipe.
Thank YOU! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Loved this recipe. I live in Mexico and my Mexican boyfriend loved the flavor of these. I did add some fresh pineapple in addition to the other add ins.