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    Home » Meals » Supper

    Easy Pork Carnitas

    Published: Jun 1, 2022 by Kim This post may contain affiliate links.

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    Easy to make pork carnitas in a roaster oven. A delicious rub of salt, oregano and pepper to bring this main dish to its fullest flavor.
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Pork carnitas in a clear dish with tortillas nearby.

    This easy to make Mexican recipe will be a favorite at your house. The best part? It doesn't heat up your kitchen and it is so simple to put together! Easy Pork Carnitas made in the roaster - you will love it!

    Delicious roaster pork carnitas that is so full of delicious flavor.

    So incredibly delicious and so incredibly easy, this easy pork carnitas cooks in a roaster so it doesn't heat up your kitchen. The flavors all have time to blend together for this Mexican favorite.

    What I also like, is the Pork Shoulder that is used (also called Pork Butt) is often on sale so it makes this recipe cost effective for the family. Remember, the cost may seem higher than you normally pay for meat, but if you can get several servings out of it, it is worth the cost.

    This pork butt cost about $10 and we got a supper and several servings for lunch out of it for my family of 6. (Should I add, I have two distance runners and a wrestler in our home? They eat a lot!)

    Ingredients

    • 3-4 lbs Pork shoulder (also called pork butt)
    • Onion
    • Orange bell pepper
    • Orange juice (best freshly squeezed from an orange - about 1 ½ oranges)
    • Olive oil
    • Dried oregano
    • Black pepper
    • Coarse salt

    I really recommend the coarse salt instead of the regular table salt. If you don't have the coarse salt, table salt will work, but the coarse salt makes a nice coating on the outside and adds a definite flavor enhancement.

    Why a roaster?

    Roaster Ovens are like a miniature oven that cooks on your countertop and is great for roasts, pork, we like cooking potatoes in it as well. (Works the same as the crock pot baked potatoes.)

    It isn't something I use often, but for large baked ham or a turkey, or in this case pork, it frees up your oven and also doesn't heat up your kitchen. The roaster oven is more energy efficient than running your oven. I would not be without one.

    Electric Roaster Ovens come in a variety of sizes and prices so be sure to look for one that fits your needs. The roaster I have is large and I recommend one of that size.

    Let's talk about the rub

    Any meat recipe that starts with a rub has got to end well, wouldn't you agree? When you put a rub on a meat, it does a couple of things. For one, it adds flavor to the outside of the meat. Also, it can help make that crust on the outside of the meat that most everyone loves.

    When using a rub, you should let the rub sit on the outside of the pork for at least 15 minutes to let it go to work. If you don't have time, that is okay, put it right into the roaster. But, if you have at least 15 minutes, let the rub hang out for a while.

    Salt being adding to the outside of a pork shoulder.
    Adding the rub to the pork shoulder for the carnitas.

    The rub is a blend of oregano, course salt and pepper. Some mixes it all together in a bowl then pats it on the meat. I added them one at a time. Either way works.

    Make sure to cover the entire pork thoroughly.

    Pork coated with a seasoned rub.
    Fully coated with a seasoned rub.

    While the pork is sitting for 15 minutes, you can cut up the peppers for the carnitas.

    Time to roast

    Place the roast in the roaster oven and top with the sliced peppers, onions, and orange juice.

    onions and peppers in a roaster with a pork shoulder.
    The peppers and onions add such great flavor to the carnitas.

    When using orange juice, you will want enough juice for about ½ cup to start. I like using freshly squeezed orange juice for this but in a pinch, you can use regular orange juice.

    Just squeeze (pour) the juice over the top of the pork then cover with the lid.

    Cooking time

    We like to cook meat low and slow so I put this pork in about 10:30 and it didn't come out until about 4:30. So 6 hours. The temperature was at 300 degrees.

    shredded pork in a baking dish.
    The rub makes the outside crust of this pork so flavorful!

    After the pork is done cooking, take it out and shred it. There will be some fat in the meat, and according to your tastes, you can take it out or leave it.

    We always take it out.

    Pin for later

    picture of pork carnitas in a baking dish with tortillas, green onions and lemons nearby.

    📖 Recipe

    Pork carnitas in a clear dish with tortillas nearby.

    Easy Pork Carnitas

    Easy to make pork carnitas in a roaster oven. A delicious rub of salt, oregano and pepper to bring this main dish to its fullest flavor.
    No ratings yet
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    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Keyword: mexican dish, roaster
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 6 hours hours
    Resting: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 6 hours hours 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 15 servings
    Calories: 186kcal
    Author: Kim Strawn

    Equipment

    • 1 Electric Roaster

    Ingredients

    • 4-5 lbs Boneless Pork Shoulder Also called Pork Butt
    • ½ cup onion chopped
    • ½ orange bell pepper sliced
    • ½ cup orange juice freshly squeezed
    • ¼ cup coarse salt
    • 3 teaspoon ground black pepper
    • 3 teaspoon dried oregano
    • 3 tablespoons olive oil

    Instructions

    • Place pork on a cooking sheet
    • Rub olive oil over pork
    • Rub the coarse salt, pepper and oregano all over the pork. You can add more of the spices if it does not cover the pork
    • Let sit for 15 minutes while you chop the peppers and onions.
    • Add the pork to the roaster and turn the roaster on to 300°
    • Put the onions, peppers and orange juice to the top of the pork
    • Cook for 6 hours or until pork is falling apart. Internal temperature should read 180° to pull apart properly
    • Pull apart meat and serve on tortillas, bread or on rice

    Notes

    FAQ below the recipe card!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 186kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 1952mg | Potassium: 496mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 143IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg

    FAQ

    Do I add liquid to the bottom of the roaster, such as water so the pork doesn't dry out?

    No, you don't need to as the fat in the meat will be plenty of liquid. However, if it makes you nervous, you can add about a cup of water to the pork.

    I think the pork is cooking too fast/too slow. What should I do?

    Just like every oven is different, every roaster is different. If you want to turn up the heat a little, go ahead and same with turning it down. Keep watching it, if you need to.

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    Hey There, I'm Kim! A taco fan, cookie eater and beach goer. I'm also a mom to 4 growing kids so I understand busy! Here you will find recipes that are quick, simple and can get on the table fast. We are so glad to have you here. Click here to read more about me.

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