Description
Mexican carnitas fajitas bring sizzling flavors from traditional kitchen techniques to your dinner table. Crispy pork, caramelized peppers, and warm tortillas create a memorable meal for friends and family.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 5 pounds (2.27 kg) pork butt roast or shoulder
Spices and Herbs:
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground peppercorn
- 4 bay leaves, fresh or dried
Aromatics and Citrus:
- 8 cloves fresh garlic
- 12 tablespoon minced onion
- 1 large sweet or red onion
- 1 large bell pepper, any color
- 2 large navel oranges
- 2 fresh lemons
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
Instructions
- Prepare pork by cutting into large, uniform chunks, ensuring even cooking and tender texture.
- Create flavor profile by grating garlic finely and extracting fresh citrus juices, then combining dry spices in a separate mixture.
- Heat Dutch oven on medium-high, searing pork chunks without additional oil until each side develops a rich, golden-brown crust.
- Sprinkle dry spices directly onto meat during searing process, then introduce citrus juice and minced garlic to enhance depth of flavor.
- Cover Dutch oven and transfer to preheated 325F oven, allowing pork to slow-cook for precisely 3 hours without interruption.
- Extract pork from cooking liquid, skim excess fat, and optionally reduce remaining sauce on stovetop for intensified taste. Shred meat thoroughly and reintroduce to liquid.
- Quickly slice onions and peppers into thin strips, sautéing until they achieve a soft, caramelized appearance.
- Transfer shredded meat into vegetable pan, then broil briefly to create crispy exterior. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve alongside citrus wedges for brightness.
Notes
- Master pork selection by choosing a cut with good marbling like pork shoulder for maximum tenderness and flavor depth.
- Control moisture during slow cooking by keeping the Dutch oven tightly sealed, preventing liquid evaporation and ensuring rich, succulent meat.
- Experiment with spice variations like adding smoked paprika or cumin for deeper complexity without overwhelming the citrus brightness.
- Customize dietary needs by substituting pork with jackfruit for a vegetarian version or using lean chicken for a lighter protein option.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 100 mg