Carnitas — which means “little meats” in Spanish — is a Mexican pork dish, made with tenderloin, onion, garlic, orange juice and an assortment of seasonings. Traditionally, the meat in pork carnitas is shredded. I chose to simply cut it into bite sized pieces because I planned on using leftovers for a stir-fry.

Pork tenderloin is a popular ingredient in our household due to it being on special almost every other week; it’s easy to make and is extremely versatile. Seeing as Mexican food should be its own food group at this point when it comes to my diet, I was excited to make these pork carnitas.

Pork Carnitas

Ingredients

1 ½ lbs Pork Tenderloin, shredded or cut into small bite-sized pieces
Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste
2 Tbsps Avocado Oil (or Olive Oil)
1 small Yellow Onion, finely diced
4 Cloves of Garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Light Brown Sugar
2 tsps Oregano
2 tsps Ancho Chili Powder
½-1 tsp Ground Cumin
¼ cup Orange Juice
1 Small Lime, juiced

Salt, to taste

Optional

Low-Carb Flour Tortillas, for tacos
Avocado, diced
Pico de Gallo
Cilantro, for garnish

Instructions

Cut up the pork tenderloin into small bite-sized pieces and season with salt and pepper; set aside. Heat oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat.

Add diced onions to the heated oil and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 15 seconds, or just until fragrant.

Add pork to the skillet; season with brown sugar, oregano, chili powder, and cumin. Cook for about 10 minutes until pork is cooked through, stirring frequently.

Stir in the orange juice and continue to stir while scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add lime juice and continue to cook for 2 more minutes.

Remove from heat. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.

Serve in tacos, burritos, salads, or with/over rice.

Related:

Gochujang Pork and Peppers Recipe

Orange and Herb Pork Tenderloin Recipe

Delicious Pork Tenderloin with Mushrooms, Carrots and Onions