Tender, slow-braised pork shoulder shredded and crisped at the edges with bright citrus and warm spices, yielding juicy interior and caramelized bites. Ideal for tacos, bowls, or sandwiches and built to reheat well for weekday meals.
Citrus-Braised Pork That Shreds and Crisps into Perfect Portion Packs
Slow-braised pork shoulder brightened with orange and vinegar, shredded and tray-crisped so every bite is juicy inside and caramelized at the edges.
This recipe exists for the weekday scramble: a single, low-effort cook that yields flavorful, versatile protein you can reach for all week. The pork is seasoned with cumin and oregano, braised with onion, garlic, bay leaves and a hit of orange for brightness, then finished with a splash of apple cider vinegar so every mouthful tastes lively rather than heavy.
The method is forgiving: trim any long, hanging fat but leave enough for flavor, sear the shoulder until golden, then let it slowly braise in low-sodium chicken broth until fork-tender. Long, gentle cooking breaks down the connective tissue so the meat shreds into moist ribbons that soak up the citrusy, garlicky braising liquid.
What turns braised pork into true carnitas are the edges — after shredding, spread the meat on a tray and roast or broil just long enough for the bits to caramelize and crisp. The contrast between a melting interior and crunchy, caramelized edges gives you smoky, toothsome bites for tacos, bowls, or sandwiches.
Portion-packing is the point: divide the tray-crisped carnitas into containers for easy weekday assembly. The pork reheats beautifully and pairs with quick toppings — warmed tortillas, pickled onions, a squeeze of lime, or a simple slaw — so a few hours of hands-on work on a weekend becomes several effortless dinners.
Ingredients
How to Make Tray Pork Carnitas Portion Packs
- Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Pat the pork shoulder dry and trim any large hanging pieces of fat, leaving some fat for flavor.
- Mix the kosher salt, black pepper, ground cumin, and dried oregano and rub the seasoning all over the pork so it is evenly coated.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large ovenproof roasting pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and brown the pork on all sides, about 3–4 minutes per side, then transfer the pork to a plate.
- Add the onion (halved and sliced) and the garlic (crushed) to the pan and sauté 2 minutes until fragrant, then return the pork to the pan.
- Zest the orange and squeeze the juice over the pork, then pour in the chicken broth and apple cider vinegar and tuck the bay leaves into the liquid so the pork is partially submerged.
- Cover the pan tightly with a lid or foil and transfer to the oven; braise for 2½–3 hours until the pork is fork-tender and pulls apart easily.
- Remove the pork and discard the bay leaves; use two forks to shred the meat and stir it into the cooking juices, skimming any excess fat if desired.
- Spread the shredded pork in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and broil 6–10 minutes until edges are crisp, tossing once midway; alternatively crisp small batches in a hot skillet with 1 tbsp oil.
- Divide the carnitas into four portion containers with a little cooking juice reserved in each to keep meat moist; cool before sealing. Reheat in a microwave (2–3 minutes) or oven (350°F/175°C for 12–15 minutes) and serve in tacos, bowls, or sandwiches.
Recipe Card
Tray Pork Carnitas Portion Packs
Tender, slow-braised pork shoulder shredded and crisped at the edges with bright citrus and warm spices, yielding juicy interior and caramelized bites. Ideal for tacos, bowls, or sandwiches and built to reheat well for weekday meals.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 3 hr
- Servings
- 4
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Pat the pork shoulder dry and trim any large hanging pieces of fat, leaving some fat for flavor.
- Mix the kosher salt, black pepper, ground cumin, and dried oregano and rub the seasoning all over the pork so it is evenly coated.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large ovenproof roasting pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and brown the pork on all sides, about 3–4 minutes per side, then transfer the pork to a plate.
- Add the onion (halved and sliced) and the garlic (crushed) to the pan and sauté 2 minutes until fragrant, then return the pork to the pan.
- Zest the orange and squeeze the juice over the pork, then pour in the chicken broth and apple cider vinegar and tuck the bay leaves into the liquid so the pork is partially submerged.
- Cover the pan tightly with a lid or foil and transfer to the oven; braise for 2½–3 hours until the pork is fork-tender and pulls apart easily.
- Remove the pork and discard the bay leaves; use two forks to shred the meat and stir it into the cooking juices, skimming any excess fat if desired.
- Spread the shredded pork in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and broil 6–10 minutes until edges are crisp, tossing once midway; alternatively crisp small batches in a hot skillet with 1 tbsp oil.
- Divide the carnitas into four portion containers with a little cooking juice reserved in each to keep meat moist; cool before sealing. Reheat in a microwave (2–3 minutes) or oven (350°F/175°C for 12–15 minutes) and serve in tacos, bowls, or sandwiches.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates
- 7
- Saturated Fat
- 13
- Sodium
- 650
- Fiber
- 1.5
- Unsaturated Fat
- 28
- Protein
- 46
- Fat
- 41
- Cholesterol
- 140
- Trans Fat
- 0
- Calories
- 590
- Sugar
- 4