Leftover Turkey "Carnitas" Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to good carnitas? ›

Carnitas seasoning – rub pork with a simple spice mix of oregano, cumin, salt and pepper. Flavour for cooking – top pork in slow cooker with onion, garlic and jalapeño, then pour over orange juice (the secret ingredient!).

However, to make our carnitas recipe a little more home-friendly, we slow-cook our pork with a few aromatics and a few tablespoons of oil to keep it moist. Our method produces moist and tender pork that's not quite as rich as the traditional lard-cooked version but is still quite delicious.

Up to 3 Days Ahead: Braise the Double-Pork Carnitas; cover and chill in the braising liquid and rendered fat. The flavor gets better with time.

The orange juice in the cooking liquid provides acidity that helps break down the meat so it's extra tender and juicy.

Carnitas are a popular Mexican dish made with seasoned and slow-cooked pork, typically served in tacos, burritos, or on its own. If cooked and stored properly, carnitas can last for up to 4-5 days in the fridge.

If you make the carnitas ahead of time and keep them refrigerated, you can totally eat this salad without heating up the pork.

Carnitas, literally meaning "little meats", is a dish of Mexican cuisine that originated in the state of Michoacán. Carnitas are made by braising or simmering pork in oil or preferably lard until tender.

Add Onion, Garlic and Citrus: Place the seasoned pork in the bottom of the slow cooker then add garlic, chopped onions, orange juice, and lime juice around it.

Slow Cooker Carnitas Recipe FAQ

They cook at the same temperature over several hours either way. Can you overcook carnitas in slow cooker? Any cut of meat can become overcooked, even in the crockpot.

(Remember, you're already dead, so there's no risk of heart attack.) Yes, you could make carnitas using vegetable oil instead of lard.

How do you serve carnitas at a party? ›

Your carnitas may have come out dry by using the wrong cut of pork or overcooking. Follow these tips to ensure moist and tender carnitas: Use **pork butt instead of pork shoulder. Pork butt has more fat marbling throughout the meat so it stays juicier during cooking, whereas leaner cuts easily become dry.

It's also important to note that pulled pork or carnitas may look, smell, and taste just fine if left out at room temperature for longer than 2 hours. But per the USDA, pathogenic bacteria, which grow in the danger zone and cause food-related infections, don't affect the aesthetics of the food in question.

Adding the oranges is very much like braising pork Cuban-style for the traditional cubano sandwich. The milk acts as a tenderizer, a secret I learned while growing up watching dad make his carnitas which, by the way, were always exceptionally tender.

They are braised until they are fall apart tender. Then they get roasted in the oven to make the outside crisp. So part of them should be soft, and part of the outside should be crusty. Some recipes don't crisp up the meat at the end but authentic carnitas should be crispped.

Carnitas are so versatile, you can fill any burrito, taco, quesadilla OR use them as a topping for Nachos! Include them in a salad like this Chipotle Carnitas Salad! Serve them with the typical onion/cilantro topping typically seen served on Mexican food trucks OR a good Guacamole or Pico De Gallo!

To flavor carnitas all the way through, put them back in the braising liquid that has been reduced since cooking the pork. You can create a kind of glaze out of the braising liquid, and toss the shredded pork in that (defat the braising liquid before reducing it).