Delish Carnitas Burrito Recipe

This is the kind of burrito that makes you quietly close your eyes after the first bite. It’s juicy, crispy-edged carnitas tucked into a warm tortilla with rice, beans, melty cheese, and all the saucy, limey things. The pork is slow-braised with orange, garlic, and spices until it basically falls apart when you look at it—then we hit it under the broiler for that little crackle. It’s messy in the best way and tastes like Saturday night even when it’s Wednesday.

My husband calls this “Burrito Night: The Good One,” which is both rude to my other burritos and… fair. The first time I made it, I used tiny tortillas by accident (rookie move), and we had these ridiculous mini fat burrito nuggets that kept rolling off the plate. The toddler clapped every time one escaped. Now it’s a whole ritual: I crisp the carnitas while he warms tortillas on the burner and sneaks cheese straight from the bag. We wrap a few giant ones for dinner, then stash a stack for drive-thru energy on busy days. Family-approved chaos.

How to Make It

Grab a 3–4 lb pork shoulder (pork butt, same thing) and cut it into big chunks—like, generous fist-size. Salt it like you mean it. In a Dutch oven, toss in an onion (chunked), lots of garlic, orange juice, a splash of lime, cumin, oregano, bay leaves, and a little broth. Nestle the pork in, lid on, and let it braise at 300°F for about 3 hours until it’s shred-with-a-fork tender. No peeking every 5 minutes—go live your life.

Now the fun: strain off most of the liquid (save it), shred the pork, and spread it out on a sheet pan. Spoon a bit of the fat/liquid over the top (don’t be shy), and broil until the tips go frizzled and caramelized. Flip, repeat. That’s the crispy part that makes this a burrito worth texting people about.

While that’s happening, warm some big flour tortillas right over the burner or in a dry skillet. Prep fillings: cooked rice (I like a quick cilantro-lime sitch), warmed beans, shredded cheese, pico, salsa verde, avocado or guac, cilantro, pickled onions if you’re fancy. Pile it in—meat, rice, beans, cheese, saucy things—then roll tight: sides in, bottom up, tighten, finish the roll. If you want that diner-style seal, griddle it seam-side down in a hot skillet for 30–60 seconds. Eat immediately or wrap for later. Good luck not eating it immediately.

✔Ingredient Notes

– Pork shoulder (butt): The marbled one. Lean cuts go stringy and sad. If the label says “boneless pork shoulder,” that’s your winner.
– Orange juice: Classic carnitas move. It brightens and helps tenderize. Fresh is great; bottled is totally fine.
– Lime juice: Adds that little snap at the end so the pork doesn’t taste flat.
– Garlic + onion: The backbone. If your garlic is sprouting, just trim the green bit and keep going.
– Cumin + oregano: Warm, earthy, and essential. Mexican oregano if you have it; regular is fine too.
– Bay leaves: Quiet hero. Don’t leave them in the burrito unless you like crunchy surprises.
– Chicken broth: Just enough moisture for the braise. Water works in a pinch.
– Flour tortillas (12-inch): Bigger is better. Warm them or they crack and betray you.
– Rice + beans: Burrito scaffolding. I do cilantro-lime rice and either pinto or black beans.
– Cheese + salsas: Monterey jack or Oaxaca melts like a dream. Salsa verde, pico, hot sauce… bring the party.

✔Recipe Steps

1. Preheat oven to 300°F and cut 3–4 lb pork shoulder into large chunks.
2. Stir together 1 cup orange juice, 1/4 cup lime juice, 1 cup chicken broth, 1 onion (chunked), 6 smashed garlic cloves, 2 tsp cumin, 2 tsp dried oregano, 2 bay leaves, 1.5 tbsp kosher salt, and 1 tsp black pepper in a Dutch oven.
3. Nestle pork into the pot, cover, and braise 2.5–3.5 hours until fork-tender.
4. Shred pork, reserve 1/2 cup cooking liquid, and spread pork on a sheet pan; drizzle with some fat/liquid.
5. Broil 5–8 minutes, flip, and broil 3–5 minutes more until crispy-edged.
6. Warm 4–6 large tortillas; fill with rice, beans, carnitas, cheese, and toppings; roll tightly and griddle-seal if desired.

What to Serve It With

– Chips and tangy salsa verde or pico
– Elote or a quick corn salad with cotija
– Crunchy slaw with lime crema
– Ranch-style beans or charro beans
– Margaritas, agua fresca, or a cold beer

✔Tips & Mistakes

– Don’t skimp on salt. Bland pork is a tragedy. Taste and adjust after shredding.
– Warm those tortillas. Cold tortillas crack; warm ones hug.
– Broiler = crispy magic. Spoon a little fat over the pork before broiling for the best frizzled bits.
– Don’t overfill. I do about 3/4 cup filling per 12-inch tortilla, then squeeze and roll tight.
– Save the braising liquid. A splash revives leftovers and keeps everything juicy.
– If using a slow cooker, skip extra broth (pork releases plenty). Crisp in the oven after.

✔Storage Tips

Carnitas keep in the fridge up to 4 days, or freeze 2–3 months. I spoon a bit of the cooking liquid over the top before chilling so it reheats like it’s brand new. Reheat in a hot skillet or air fryer for those crispy edges again. Assembled burritos last 2–3 days wrapped tight in foil; reheat in a 350°F oven for 12–15 minutes or skillet-sear. Cold burrito from the fridge? Weirdly delightful. Breakfast burrito with leftover carnitas + eggs the next morning? No notes.

✔Variations and Substitutions

– Chicken carnitas: Use boneless skinless thighs; reduce braise to ~1.5 hours or use Instant Pot.
– Instant Pot: 35 minutes high pressure + natural release, then broil to crisp.
– Slow cooker: 6–8 hours on low; finish under the broiler.
– Citrus swap: Add a splash of grapefruit or a bit of pineapple juice if you’re short on orange.
– Low-carb: Skip the tortilla and make a burrito bowl with shredded lettuce.
– Dairy-free: Leave off the cheese/sour cream and add avocado crema with coconut yogurt.
– Gluten-free: Use large GF tortillas or wrap in warm corn tortillas (taco style).
– Beans/rice: Pinto ↔ black; cilantro-lime rice ↔ Spanish rice; quinoa if that’s your vibe.

Frequently Asked Questions

Delish Carnitas Burrito Recipe

Juicy, crispy-edged pork carnitas wrapped in warm flour tortillas with rice, beans, cheese, and fresh toppings. A restaurant-style burrito you can make at home.

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Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 hours hours 55 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Calories: 120kcal

Ingredients

 

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Main Ingredients

• ▢ 3 pound pork shoulder (boneless, trimmed) also called pork butt
• ▢ 2 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢ 2 teaspoon ground cumin
• ▢ 2 teaspoon dried oregano
• ▢ 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ▢ 2 tablespoon vegetable oil divided
• ▢ 0.75 cup fresh orange juice
• ▢ 0.25 cup fresh lime juice
• ▢ 1 cup yellow onion, chopped
• ▢ 4 clove garlic, minced
• ▢ 2 leaf bay leaf
• ▢ 6 tortilla extra-large flour tortilla (10-inch)
• ▢ 3 cup cooked white rice, warm preferably cilantro-lime
• ▢ 2 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
• ▢ 2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• ▢ 1.5 cup pico de gallo
• ▢ 1 cup sour cream
• ▢ 0.5 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• ▢ 0.5 cup pickled jalapeño slices optional
• ▢ 2 avocado ripe avocado, sliced

Instructions

Preparation Steps

• Pat the pork dry. In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, and chili powder. Rub the mixture all over the pork.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear pork on all sides until well browned, about 6 to 8 minutes total.
• Add orange juice, lime juice, onion, garlic, and bay leaves. Scrape up browned bits. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook at a gentle simmer on the stovetop or in a 325°F oven until fork-tender, 120 to 150 minutes.
• Transfer pork to a bowl and discard bay leaves. Shred with two forks. Simmer the braising liquid uncovered until reduced by about half. Moisten the pork with 0.5 cup of the reduced liquid.
• Crisp the carnitas: Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Spread shredded pork in an even layer, drizzle a few tablespoons of reduced liquid, and cook without stirring until the edges brown and crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Toss and repeat once.
• Warm tortillas: Wrap in foil and heat at 350°F for 5 to 8 minutes, or warm individually on a dry skillet until pliable.
• Assemble each burrito: On a warm tortilla, layer about 0.5 cup rice, 0.33 cup beans, 0.75 cup carnitas, a generous sprinkle of cheese, spoonfuls of pico, a dollop of sour cream, cilantro, jalapeños, and avocado.
• Roll tightly: Fold the sides in, then roll from the bottom up to enclose the filling. For a sealed finish, toast seam-side down on a skillet for 1 to 2 minutes.
• Serve hot with extra pico and your favorite hot sauce.

Notes

Slow cooker option: Add seasoned pork, juices, onion, garlic, and bay leaves to a slow cooker and cook on Low 8 hours or High 4 to 5 hours, then crisp in a skillet. For meal prep, keep carnitas and toppings separate and assemble just before serving.