Delish Carnitas Burrito Recipe

This is my messy, juicy, weekend hero burrito: tender citrus-and-garlic carnitas wrapped up with fluffy rice, melty cheese, beans, and all the saucy things. The pork braises low and slow till it basically sighs apart, then we hit it under the broiler for those crispy, caramelized edges that make you feral in the best way. Plan on about 3 hours mostly hands-off, and you’ll get 8 generous burritos that taste like your favorite taco truck parked in your kitchen.

My husband is embarrassingly loyal to these. He’ll “taste test” four times while the pork crisps and then build his burrito like it’s a competitive sport. The kids? They pick out the onions and somehow still inhale two halves each. We’ve done these on Friday nights, Saturday game days, and that one Tuesday when I forgot about piano lessons and dinner turned into a hands-only burrito bar on the counter. Zero regrets.

How to Make It

Okay, so grab a 3–4 lb pork shoulder (also called pork butt). Cube it into big chunks—nothing fussy, like 2–3 inches. Toss the pork with a quick rub: 2 teaspoons kosher salt, black pepper, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, and a sneaky pinch of cinnamon (trust me). Into a Dutch oven it goes with half an onion (thick slices), 5 smashed garlic cloves, 1 bay leaf, juice of 1 big orange (about 1/2 cup), juice of 1 lime, and 1/2 cup chicken broth. If you only have oranges that taste meh, add 1 teaspoon brown sugar for balance.

Slide it into a 300°F oven, covered, for about 2.5–3 hours, till it’s fall-apart tender and you can shred it with a fork without trying. Now the fun part: fish the pork onto a sheet pan, drizzle a couple spoonfuls of the cooking juices (and a tiny splash of oil if you’ve got lean pork), then broil it on the top rack 5–8 minutes, tossing once, until the edges go crispy and browned. Don’t wander off. The broiler moves fast and slightly chaotic, like me.

While the pork gets its tan, warm up large flour tortillas (10-inch) so they’re bendy. Set out your fixings: 2 cups cooked rice, 1.5 cups black or pinto beans, 1.5 cups shredded cheese, pico or salsa, chopped cilantro, sour cream or crema, maybe some pickled onions if you’re extra. Build it: warm tortilla, a line of rice, a scoop of beans, a handful of carnitas, cheese, sauces, whatever makes your heart yell. Tuck, fold, roll tight. Toast the burrito seam-side down in a hot dry skillet 1–2 minutes for that little crunch. This makes about 8 hefty burritos. Active time: 25 minutes; cook time: 3 hours; total: about 3 hours 25 minutes. Worth every second.

✔Ingredient Notes

– Pork shoulder (butt): Fatty enough to stay juicy. If it’s very lean, add a tablespoon of oil or a bit of lard before broiling so you still get crispy edges.
– Orange + lime juice: The citrus magic. No oranges? Use 1/2 cup pineapple juice or a mix of extra lime and a teaspoon brown sugar. It shouldn’t taste sweet—just round.
– Cumin + oregano: The backbone. If your oregano smells like dust, it’s time to replace it. Fresh spices make a ridiculous difference here.
– Cinnamon pinch: Not dessert-level. Just a whisper that makes people go, “what is that?” in a good way.
– Bay leaf + garlic + onion: Fragrance squad. Don’t skip the bay; it’s subtle but stabilizes the whole flavor.
– Chicken broth: Keeps things saucy. Water works if you bump the salt a hair.
– Flour tortillas (10-inch): Warm them so they don’t crack. Gluten-free tortillas work; warm extra so they behave.
– Rice + beans + cheese: Choose your own burrito adventure. Spanish rice, cilantro-lime rice, black or pinto, cheddar, jack, Oaxaca—no wrong moves.
– Salsas + extras: Pico, salsa verde, hot sauce, pickled jalapeños, sour cream/crema, avocado. Build the burrito of your dreams.

✔Recipe Steps

1. Preheat oven to 300°F and set a rack in the middle.
2. Cut 3–4 lb pork shoulder into 2–3 inch chunks; season with 2 tsp kosher salt, pepper, 2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp oregano, and a pinch of cinnamon.
3. Add pork to a Dutch oven with 1/2 sliced onion, 5 smashed garlic cloves, 1 bay leaf, juice of 1 orange, juice of 1 lime, and 1/2 cup chicken broth.
4. Cover and braise 2.5–3 hours until fork-tender; remove pork to a sheet pan and roughly shred.
5. Spoon a little cooking liquid over pork; broil 5–8 minutes, tossing once, until edges are crispy and browned.
6. Warm 8 large tortillas; fill with rice, beans, carnitas, cheese, and toppings; roll tightly and toast seam-side down in a dry skillet 1–2 minutes.

What to Serve It With

– Chips + salsa verde or pico (I always run out of salsa first).
– Street corn or a simple limey cabbage slaw for crunch.
– Quick guac and pickled red onions—top-tier.
– A limey margarita or a cold sparkling water with a squeeze of grapefruit.

✔Tips & Mistakes

– Don’t skimp on salt early. Under-seasoned pork tastes shy.
– Broiler timing is everything—walk away and you’ll get charcoal. Ask me how I know.
– Warm tortillas = no rips. Nuke under a damp towel or toast quickly on a skillet.
– Roll tight: tuck the sides in, then roll like you mean it.
– Save the braising liquid. It’s liquid gold for reheating.

✔Storage Tips

Leftover carnitas keep 4 days in the fridge in a sealed container, with a splash of the cooking juices to keep it lush. Reheat in a skillet to re-crisp or air fryer for 3–4 minutes. Freeze carnitas (not the tortillas) up to 3 months—flat in freezer bags is the move. Assembled burritos? Wrap in foil and chill 2–3 days or freeze; reheat in a 350°F oven 20–25 minutes. Cold burrito from the fridge at 11 p.m.? Honestly, still fantastic. Breakfast move: reheat carnitas with scrambled eggs and hot sauce. No wrong answers here.

✔Variations and Substitutions

– Slow cooker: 7–8 hours on Low or 4–5 on High; broil to crisp after.
– Instant Pot: 45 minutes High Pressure, natural release 15; broil to finish.
– Chicken version: Use boneless thighs, reduce braise to about 35–45 minutes (or 10 minutes IP).
– Spicy: Add chipotles in adobo (1–2 chopped) to the pot. Smoky heat = chef’s kiss.
– Citrus swap: Grapefruit + lime is zippy; pineapple juice works too (go easy so it’s not sweet).
– Dairy-free: Skip the cheese/sour cream and add avocado or cashew crema.
– Gluten-free: Use sturdy GF tortillas or make bowls with rice/greens.
– Out of broth: Water + extra 1/4 tsp salt does the trick.

Frequently Asked Questions

Delish Carnitas Burrito Recipe

Juicy, crispy pork carnitas tucked into warm flour tortillas with rice, beans, melty cheese, and fresh toppings. A crowd-pleasing burrito that’s great for meal prep and freezer-friendly.

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Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 hours hours 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Calories: 120kcal

Ingredients

 

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Main Ingredients

• ▢ 3 lb boneless pork shoulder cut into 2 inch chunks
• ▢ 2 tbsp vegetable oil divided
• ▢ 2 tsp kosher salt
• ▢ 1 tsp black pepper freshly ground
• ▢ 2 tsp ground cumin
• ▢ 2 tsp dried oregano Mexican oregano if available
• ▢ 1 large yellow onion sliced
• ▢ 6 clove garlic smashed
• ▢ 0.75 cup orange juice fresh if possible
• ▢ 0.25 cup lime juice
• ▢ 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• ▢ 2 leaf bay leaves
• ▢ 6 large flour tortillas 12 inch, warmed
• ▢ 3 cup cooked white rice warm
• ▢ 2 cup black beans rinsed and warmed
• ▢ 2 cup Monterey Jack cheese shredded
• ▢ 1.5 cup pico de gallo
• ▢ 1 cup sour cream
• ▢ 1.5 cup guacamole
• ▢ 0.5 cup fresh cilantro chopped
• ▢ 1 pepper jalapeño finely chopped, optional

Instructions

Preparation Steps

• Pat pork dry. In a bowl, toss pork with salt, pepper, cumin, and oregano until evenly coated.
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Sear pork in batches until deeply browned on all sides, about 8 minutes total. Transfer browned pork to a plate.
• Add onion and garlic to the pot and sauté 2 minutes. Return pork to the pot. Stir in orange juice, lime juice, chicken broth, and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer.
• Cover, reduce heat to low, and braise until the pork is fork-tender, about 2.5 hours. Alternatively, bake covered at 300°F for the same time.
• Remove pork to a tray and shred with forks. Discard bay leaves. Simmer cooking liquid uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes to reduce slightly.
• Heat remaining 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add shredded pork in an even layer and ladle in a few spoonfuls of reduced liquid. Cook until edges crisp and caramelize, 3 to 5 minutes. Toss and crisp briefly again.
• Warm tortillas, rice, and beans. Place a tortilla on a work surface and layer rice, beans, carnitas, cheese, pico, cilantro, sour cream, and guacamole in the center.
• Fold the sides over the filling, then roll tightly from the bottom up. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
• Optional: Toast burritos seam-side down in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden, 1 to 2 minutes per side.
• Serve hot with extra salsa and lime wedges if desired.

Notes

For meal prep, wrap assembled burritos in foil and refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 months. Reheat in a 350°F oven until warmed through. Adjust salt if using regular-sodium broth.