Smoked Pork Carnitas
On February 13, 2024 (Updated May 11, 2024)
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These Smoked Pork Carnitas are a delicious, non-traditional way to enjoy carnitas. The slow smoke makes for a rich, melt in your mouth pork with crispy edges. Hop on this pork train and enjoy some great Mexican inspired flavors in the rub with a kiss of heat and a kiss of sweetness.
Can You Make Carnitas from Smoked Pork?
Heck yes you can. While smoking carnitas is not authentic, I still wanted to take those traditional flavors and add a kiss of wood smoke for something unique and delicious.
Traditional carnitas are braised in oil, low and slow, until the pork is fall-apart tender. We get the same results for this recipe by smoking low and slow and then doing a foiled braise. The seasoning blend includes a lot of traditional seasonings mixed in so we still get that classic carnitas flavor.
Finally, crisping the pork in fat is a super crucial last step. It gives you the coveted crispy edges and caramelized flavor that makes carnitas so darn craveable. Don’t leave this step out. It’s worth the extra time and effort to get the pork just right.
Smoked Pork Carnitas
Ever since I posted my recipe and video for Smoked Chile Verde, Todd has been on my case to smoke up some pork carnitas. I finally gave in to the pressure and created this recipe for smoked pork carnitas. This meal has Mexican-inspired flavors in the rub with a kiss of heat and a kiss of sweetness. It’s the perfect balance of flavors, and you’ll find it extremely family-friendly. We ate it for dinner that first night and shredded the meat for tacos. The next day we pulled it out and tossed leftovers on some homemade nachos. Everyone in the family loved this, and you’ll get a good amount of food for your buck.
Smoked Pork Marinade
The magic to these carnitas comes from the marinade. And luck for you, it only calls for 4 ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need for the marinade:
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 Tablespoons coarse kosher salt
- 2 limes, sliced in half and juiced
- 1 orange, sliced in half and juiced
Simply place the pork in a gallon-sized zip top bag, add the remaining ingredients, and allow the pork to marinate in the refrigerator overnight (around 12 hours).
Tips for Making Carnitas
So you’re ready to make your own delicious pork carnitas, eh? Well then, take a quick peek at these tips to ensure your meat comes out tasting completely divine.
- Crisp in batches. If you have more pork than you need, do the last crisping step in batches. Save the rest of the shredded pork and liquid/fat and crisp up right before serving. This is a great way to reheat it and the crisp edges are fresh and hot every time you want to eat.
- Keep dishes to a minimum. Braise in either a 12″ cast iron skillet or aluminum foil pans. I used foil pans because that’s what I had, but cast iron works great as well.
- Reserve the cooking liquid. You’ll use the oil on top to crisp the meat and the juices underneath to keep it moist and flavorful.
How to Make Pork for Tacos
- Marinate. Place the pork shoulder in a large zip top bag and sprinkle on all sides with kosher salt, then pour over the orange and lime juice. Place the orange and lime rinds in the container with the pork, and then let it marinate for a good 12 hours to let all those flavors soak into the pork.
- Season and smoke pork. Preheat your smoke to 225 degrees F. Remove your pork from the marinade and pat it dry. Combine all of the ingredients for the pork seasoning in a small bowl. Drizzle the pork shoulder with cooking oil and then season the pork on all sides with the dry rub. Smoke with the lid closed for 5-6 hours, until the internal temperature of the shoulder reads about 165 degrees F.
- Braise pork. Transfer pork shoulder to an aluminum pan and pour vegetable oil on in, then place bay leaves and cover with foil. Increase your smoker to 350 degrees F. Place covered pork, close the lid, and smoke until your pork reaches 203 degrees F, about 3-4 hours.
- Rest and shred. Rest the meat at room temperature for at least an hour before shredding. Shred the meat and remove the large bone and any fat or gristle and discard the bay leaves. Save any liquid for the next step.
- Crisp pork. Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Use a spoon to separate the oil and fat from the pan drippings. Drizzle the skillet with the saved cooking fats. Place the shredded pork into the hot oil and cook for 2-3 minutes, flipping pieces occasionally to ensure even browning.
- Enjoy. Serve immediately in tacos or burritos, on nachos, or plain. Drizzle more of the reserved cooking liquid, as desired.
More Tasty Pork Recipes
Oh baby, I love me some smoked pork. If you find yourself looking for some tasty smoked pork to make this week, look no further than these other popular recipes from Hey Grill Hey:
Smoked Pork Carnitas Recipe
Now that you can smoke carnitas like a pro, you can have delicious tacos anytime. Make sure to check out the Hey Grill Hey app for over 500 more amazing BBQ recipes just like this one. They’re all ready for you to try with easy, step-by-step instructions, and many even have how-to videos. Download it now and get started.
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Smoked Pork Carnitas
Video
Ingredients
- 1 7-9 pound bone-in pork shoulder
Marinade
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 Tablespoon coarse kosher salt
- 2 limes sliced in half and juiced
- 1 orange sliced in half and juiced
Seasoning
- 1 Tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons coarse black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon granulated onion
- ½ teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- ½ teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Braise
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ cup vegetable oil
Instructions
- Marinate the pork. Place the pork shoulder in a large zip top bag or other food-safe container. Coat with cooking oil and sprinkle the shoulder on all sides with kosher salt and pour over the orange and lime juice. Place the orange and lime rinds in the container with the pork and refrigerate for 12 hours (typically overnight).1 7-9 pound bone-in pork shoulder, 1 Tablespoon coarse kosher salt, 2 limes, 1 orange, 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- Preheat the smoker. Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees F with your favorite hardwood. I recommend pecan or oak for this recipe.
- Season the pork shoulder. Remove your pork from the marinade and pat dry. Combine all of the ingredients for the pork seasoning in a small bowl. Drizzle the pork shoulder with the 2 Tablespoons of cooking oil and spread all around. Season the pork on all sides with the dry rub.1 Tablespoon dark brown sugar, 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt, 2 teaspoons coarse black pepper, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon granulated garlic, 1 teaspoon granulated onion, ½ teaspoon chipotle chili powder, ½ teaspoon dried Mexican oregano, ½ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- Smoke. Place the pork shoulder on the smoker and close the lid. Smoke for approximately 5-6 hours, or until the internal temperature of the shoulder reads about 165 degrees F.
- Prep to braise. Transfer the pork shoulder to an aluminum pan and pour the ½ cup of vegetable oil over the top. Place the bay leaves on top and cover tightly with foil.2 bay leaves, ½ cup vegetable oil
- Braise the pork. Increase the heat on your smoker to 350 degrees F (this step can also be completed in the oven) and put the covered pan inside and close the lid. Allow to cook for an additional 3-4 hours or until the pork shoulder reaches an internal temperature of 203 degrees, or your thermometer probe slides into the meat like it is sliding into softened butter.
- Rest and shred. Rest the meat at room temperature for at least an hour before shredding. Shred the meat and remove the large bone and any fat or gristle and discard the bay leaves. There will likely be a lot of liquid in the aluminum pan, do not discard this liquid! It is delicious and you’ll need it in the next step.
- Crisp the pork. Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Use a spoon (or fat separator) to separate the oil and fat from the pan drippings. Drizzle the skillet with 1-2 Tablespoons of the cooking fats. Place the shredded pork into the hot oil and cook for 2-3 minutes, flipping pieces occasionally to ensure even browning.
- Serve and enjoy. Serve immediately in tacos or burritos, on nachos, or plain! I recommend having the reserved cooking liquid on the side to drizzle on, as desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made this over the weekend with costco pork shoulders. they are not bone in but came out great. I tripled the marinade and the rub to cover the pork shoulders inside and out. smoked in the traeger using knotty wood almond pellets and I finished it off in a large ceramic casserole dish covered in foil and in the oven. no reason to waste pellets on that part. had lots of juices and the flavors came out great!
Did this recipe today. Came out fantastic. For never having made carnitas I sure easily matched or beat the local taco shops here.
Once again a home run. My mom does not really like pork but she absolutely loved your smoked carnitas. Leftovers for breakfast this morning. Thanks once again.
So why braise instead of just running it through at 225 until it reaches the proper IT? Are we avoiding a thick bark on purpose? Thanks for the recipe!
If you want pulled pork, go for it. The oil braise is what makes carnitas
Which type of wood would you recommend for smoking? Pecan? Or a more traditional BBQ smoking wood like oak or mesquite?
Pecan would work great! Any wood you mentioned would be fine. Be careful with mesquite though, it can be super strong.
I made this, I marinated a little longer, almost a full day because of unforseen work obligations and followed the recipe word for word. The pork finished in the oven for the last step as suggest for an option. I finally pulled it out at 230 am! The wife joking cried as the whole house was filled with the delicious aroma that engulfed the entire house. It came out perfectly…moist, tender, floavorful, I suggest trying the recipe exactly before experimenting!
If I wanted to add some salsa verde to the braising liquid (sort of a mash-up recipe with your smoked chili verde recipe, posted on October 10, 2019), would that be a good idea, or a really bad idea? If it’s a good idea, how much would you add, and should anything else be changed up?
You totally could. Pour 1/2 cup to a cup or so over the top with the oil.
Thanks much! Can’t wait to try this!
This is AMAZING!! How many pounds of pork would I need to feed 8 people for carnita’s? Average 3 tacos per person?
We made a six pound shoulder last night, had pulled pork sandwiches for two, again tonight 3 sandwiches and plus I sent some home with my friend. We’ll have it for carnitas tomorrow night, for two
10lbs should be plenty. Use the small corn tortillas and do them street taco style. Great with Pico de gallo or salsa verde! A dap of guacamole really tops them off well. Cooking time was 8 hours total in our electric smoker.
Plan an lb per person minimum. Increase if you’re getting a bone in shoulder or the shoulder looks especially fatty.
It came out super tender and delish! I braised with a little OJ and milk
Was skeptical when I made this recipe about a year ago. It is absolutely fantastic! I have been making this at least once a month ever since!! Give it try!! It will become your favorite go to recipe!!