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Crispy Pork Carnitas Tacos Recipe Easy Homemade with Tangy Pickled Onions

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Tender, slow-cooked pork shoulder finished with crispy edges and topped with tangy pickled onions, perfect for easy and flavorful tacos.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 to 3 pounds pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat
  • 1 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 4–5 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1½ teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or avocado oil)
  • 12–16 small corn or flour tortillas
  • 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
  • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • ½ cup water
  • A handful fresh cilantro, chopped
  • Optional toppings: sliced radishes, avocado slices, crumbled queso fresco, hot sauce

Instructions

  1. Trim excess fat off the pork shoulder and cut into large 2-inch chunks. Season with salt, pepper, cumin, and oregano.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown pork pieces in batches, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
  3. Lower heat to medium, add minced garlic and sauté until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Pour in orange juice and lime juice, scraping browned bits from the pot.
  4. Return pork to pot, add bay leaves and about 1 cup water to almost cover meat. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 2 to 2½ hours until fork-tender.
  5. While pork cooks, combine apple cider vinegar, water, sugar, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Add sliced red onions and marinate at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or refrigerate overnight.
  6. Remove pork with slotted spoon, discard bay leaves, and shred with forks. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Crisp shredded pork in batches, pressing down and cooking 3-5 minutes per side until golden and crispy.
  7. Warm tortillas in a dry skillet or over low flame until pliable. Keep wrapped in a towel to stay soft.
  8. Assemble tacos by piling crispy pork on tortillas, topping with pickled onions, cilantro, and optional toppings. Serve immediately with lime wedges.

Notes

Save some cooking liquid to moisten pork before crisping if dry. Do not skip the crisping step for best texture. Pickled onions taste better after overnight marinating. Leftovers reheat well in a skillet to maintain crispiness. Slow cooker can be used but finish pork in skillet for crisp edges.

Nutrition

Keywords: pork carnitas, crispy pork tacos, pickled onions, slow cooked pork, easy tacos, homemade carnitas, Mexican tacos

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