Stovetop Pork Carnitas
This pork carnitas recipe uses the stovetop for tender, well-seasoned pork. Sure, you could sear it then cook it in the slow cooker… but why wash another dish when you could just finish it right in the pan. It’s flexible enough for tacos, burritos, nachos, or salads, making it a solid choice for freezing ahead of time.

Simple Stovetop Pork Carnitas
Equipment
- Heavy bottomed pot with lid
- food processor (or a sharp knife if you don't have one)
- Measuring spoons
- Wooden spoon or spatula
Ingredients
For the Rub
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon cumin seed
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 2 whole jalapenos
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Cooking the Pork
- 4 pound pork shoulder (trimmed of excess fat)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 orange (juice only)
- 2 limes (juice only)
- 1 cup chicken broth
For Serving
- warm tortillas, cilantro, diced onions, lime wedges
Want To Save This For Later?
You'll join my email list which you will love. And if you don't, unsubscribe in one click. ❤️
Instructions
- Prepare the pork. Pat the pork shoulder dry with paper towels and cut it in half to create two 2-pound portions.
- Season the pork. Combine the ground cumin, cumin seed, minced garlic, jalapenos, oregano, salt, and black pepper in a food processor. Pulse until a smooth paste forms. Then, rub this mixture all over the pork, ensuring it’s well-coated.
- Brown the pork. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Then, add the pork shoulder and brown on all sides, about 3-4 minutes per side, until a golden-brown crust forms.
- Cook the pork. Pour the chicken broth into the pot. Squeeze the juice from the orange and limes over the pork. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Let it simmer for 2-3 hours or until the pork is tender and easily shredded with a fork. If it’s not tender, continue cooking, checking every 30 minutes until it is.
- Shred the pork. Once the pork is tender, remove it from the pot and rest for 15-30 minutes. Using two forks, shred the pork into bite-sized pieces.
- Serve. Serve the shredded pork with warm tortillas, cilantro, diced onions, and lime wedges. You can also use the carnitas in tacos, burritos, or over nachos and salads.
Notes
I would love to tell you to use this for something like salads or rice bowls but I pretty much make it exclusively for nachos. And that’s okay. You can make it, divide it into little nacho-sized servings and put them in your freezer so you can have appetizers for dinner without worrying about cooking meat. Just a little tip from me to you.
Of course, if you’re the taco salad making type, all the better. Congratulations.

I’m confident you’ll find it just as delicious.
Key Ingredients and Tools
Pork shoulder: It’s great for carnitas because it’s fatty enough to stay moist while cooking slowly. You can find it in the meat section. If there’s no pork shoulder, pork butt works well too.
Cumin seed: It gives a bit of a different and deeper taste than ground cumin. Check the international or spice aisle, or visit a specialty grocery store. If you’re out of cumin seed, use more ground cumin.

Jalapenos: These add a light kick without being too strong. To reduce the heat, take out the seeds before using. If fresh jalapenos are hard to find, canned green chiles are softer.
Chicken broth: It brings moisture and flavor to the meat, making it tender and tasty. If you don’t have chicken broth, vegetable broth or water will do, but the taste might change slightly.
Heavy pot with a lid: A Dutch oven is good for evenly cooking pork and keeping it moist. If you don’t have one, you can use a slow cooker, but you must brown the pork in a pan first.
Fresh citrus (orange and lime): The juice helps make the pork tender and adds a fresh taste. You can use bottled juice if necessary, but fresh fruit is best for this recipe.
Troubleshooting and Help
No, you don’t have to trim all the fat—just the excess. A little bit of fat will melt into the meat as it cooks and add tons of flavor.
No worries! You can still make this without one. Just finely mince the garlic, jalapenos, and cumin seed by hand, then mix it with the other rub ingredients. It takes a little more effort, but the result will be just as tasty.
Definitely! If you want a slow cooker, brown the pork on the stovetop first (you’ll get that nice crust), then transfer it to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours until it’s tender enough to shred. If you’re a fan of slow-cooking and like something a little sweeter, try this slow cooker sweet pork recipe.
Yes, the magic happens when you cook it low and slow. It might be tempting to turn up the heat to speed things up, letting it simmer for the full time is important. If it’s not shredding easily, give it a little more time.
Yes! If you like some heat, leave the seeds in the jalapenos or even add a dash of cayenne pepper or chipotle powder to the rub. You can also serve it with a spicy salsa or hot sauce to let everyone customize the heat level.
Yes, and it’s a game-changer! After shredding the pork, spread it out in a single layer on a baking sheet and broil it for a few minutes until the edges get crispy. Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn—just enough time to add a little crunch.
You can’t go wrong with either corn or flour tortillas—it just depends on your preference. Corn tortillas give a more traditional, earthy flavor, while flour tortillas are soft and slightly sweet. Warm them up before serving for the best texture.


By Katie Shaw
Katie lives in Virginia with her husband, three daughters, a chocolate lab, and over thirty chickens. She loves creating simple tutorials for sourdough, bread, and soap. Her recipes, articles, and YouTube videos reach millions of people per year.