These flavorful pork carnitas street tacos are made with tasty and tender shredded pork, onions and cilantro wrapped in toasted corn tortillas. A finger-licking good meal for Taco Tuesday, Cinco de Mayo, or literally whenever the craving for Mexican food strikes. Gluten-free and dairy-free too.
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Jump to:
- Finger-Licking Good Tacos
- What is Carnitas?
- Why This Recipe Works:
- Ingredients You’ll Need:
- Recipe Notes + Substitutions:
- How to Make Carnitas Street Tacos (Step by Step):
- Dish by Dish Tips/Tricks:
- Other Mexican Recipes for Cinco de Mayo:
- Gluten-Free Dinner Recipes You’ll Enjoy:
- Carnitas Street Tacos (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
Finger-Licking Good Tacos
I’ve never been to Mexico before, and it’s certainly on my travel bucket list.
But more than hanging out an an all-inclusive resort sipping on free flow of cocktails by the beach at Playa del Carmen, I’m actually way more excited about exploring the towns and hitting the pavement to discover more of Mexican food.
I’ll admit that what I know of Mexican cuisine is mainly limited to guacamole, tortilla chips and tacos. But since we’re on the topic of tacos, can I just say what a delicious invention it is?
I mean, wrapping tender, fall-off-the-bone meat in warm tortillas, all of which you eat with your hands and devour promptly in a few seconds. A delicious meal for sure.
What is Carnitas?
Traditional carnitas is a Mexican dish that involves either braising or slow-roasting pork (typically pork shoulder) which has been generously seasoned with spices.
Once cooked until incredibly tender, the meat is then shredded or chopped into pieces, and then used as a filling for tacos, burritos or tamales.
If that sounds familiar, it’s because it’s Mexico’s version of pulled pork, with the main difference being that there’s no American BBQ sauce mixed with the meat.
Today, we’ll be making pork carnitas tacos, a common street food in Mexico that has made its rounds all across the globe and is now ubiquitous with Mexican fast food.
Why This Recipe Works:
- Simple Ingredients: The ingredients required for this delicious carnitas tacos recipe are easily accessible at the local grocery store (nothing fancy required!).
- Easy to Make: Preparing this Mexican version of pulled pork requires more patience than hands-on time, since the oven does most of the work to slow-roast the meat till super tender.
- Totally Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free: The best part is that this delicious pork carnitas street tacos recipe is 100% gluten-free and dairy-free (using gluten-free tacos instead of regular tacos made with wheat flour). This means that even those with Celiac disease or gluten or lactose intolerances can enjoy it without issues!
Ingredients You’ll Need:
Here’s a visual overview of the ingredients required for making carnitas street tacos.
(For exact measurements, please scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.)
Recipe Notes + Substitutions:
- Pork Shoulder: Traditionally, pork carnitas is made with boneless pork shoulder or pork butt (sometimes the names are used interchangeably) as they have higher fat content – these fattier cuts are ideal for being slow roasted as they result in fork-tender meat that can be easily shredded (which is exactly just what we want in carnitas). I don’t recommend using leaner cuts as those will result in drier meat.
- Orange: Use a fresh, whole orange. Ideally, since we are leaving the orange peel on, it is best to get organic oranges, or make sure to scrub the peel clean before using.
- Bay Leaves: Bay leaves add flavor to the pork as it cooks, so make sure to add it in.
- Spices: To season the pork shoulder, I’m using spices including cumin, paprika, coriander, garlic powder and taco seasoning for a big boost of amazing flavor. You can also add in black pepper or chili powder if you prefer.
- Oil: You can use any oil for searing the meat (sunflower oil, canola oil, avocado oil, olive oil etc).
- Onion: For the topping, I’ve used a diced yellow onion, but white onions or red onions will work just as well.
- Tortillas: I’ve used gluten-free tortillas to keep this recipe gluten-free (either yellow corn tortillas or white corn tortillas will work just as well). You can either buy storebought tortillas, or make your own homemade gluten-free corn tortillas. Alternatively, if you are not Celiac or gluten-intolerant, go ahead and use regular flour tortillas instead.
- Storing: If not planning on eating straight away, store the pork carnitas and tortillas separately until ready to eat. Store the carnitas in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in a nonstick skillet before assembling the tacos.
How to Make Carnitas Street Tacos (Step by Step):
1. Preheat Oven
Preheat the oven to 325F.
2. Season Pork
Mix salt, ground cumin, ground paprika, ground coriander, garlic powder, and taco seasoning in a small bowl. Coat each piece of pork shoulder in spices on all sides.
3. Sear Pork
Heat up the frying oil in a large skillet and sear the pieces of pork shoulder on all sides for 2 minutes to get a crispy crust, while the meat remains raw inside.
4. Transfer to Roasting Pan
Place the chunks of pork in a single layer in a roasting pan. Squeeze the orange juice from half the orange and pour into the pan. Add the remaining orange pieces to the pan.
Pour in 1/4 cup water and add the bay leaves.
5. Roast Until Tender
Cover the pan with foil and roast for 2 hours. If the pork shoulder is still not as soft as you want after 2 hours, you can increase the roasting time by another hour.
6. Shred Pork
Remove the pieces of pork from the pan with a slotted spoon and place the meat in a bowl. Using a fork, shred the slow-cooked pork shoulder and add a little braising liquid to make the meat even juicier.
7. Toast Tortillas
Fry the tortilla on both sides in a skillet, brushing it a little with the sauce that remained after roasting the carnitas.
8. Assemble Tacos
Place 3-4 tbsp of pulled pork on half of the tortilla. Top with remaining sauce if necessary. Add chopped onion and chopped fresh cilantro (or your favorite toppings). Serve the carnitas tacos with the remaining sauce, sour cream, and lime wedges.
Dish by Dish Tips/Tricks:
- Cook Low and Slow: Make sure not to rush the process of cooking the pork – it needs to cook at a low temperature so that it will be soft and tender.
- Season Well: Make sure to season the meat well so that you get plenty of flavor, because tasteless meat will just spoil your tacos!
- Add Some Heat: If you like your pork street tacos hot, then feel free to drizzle on some hot sauce over the meat once you’ve assembled the tacos.
Other Mexican Recipes for Cinco de Mayo:
- Easy Mexican Rice (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
- Homemade Corn Tortillas (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
- Corn Tortilla Chips (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
- Salsa Fresca (Pico de Gallo)
- Homemade Churros (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
Gluten-Free Dinner Recipes You’ll Enjoy:
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PrintCarnitas Street Tacos (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
- Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
These flavorful pork carnitas street tacos are made with tasty and tender shredded pork, onions and cilantro wrapped in toasted corn tortillas. A finger-licking good meal for Taco Tuesdays, Cinco de Mayo, or literally whenever the craving for Mexican food strikes. Gluten-free and dairy-free too.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 orange, cut into pieces with peel on
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 bay leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon taco seasoning
- 1 tablespoon oil, for frying
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- Fresh chopped cilantro for serving
- 6 gluten-free corn tortillas
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 325F.
- Season Pork Shoulder: Mix salt, ground cumin, ground paprika, ground coriander, garlic powder, and taco seasoning in a small bowl. Coat each piece of pork shoulder in spices on all sides.
- Sear Pork: Heat up the frying oil in a large skillet and sear the pieces of pork shoulder on all sides for 2 minutes to get a crispy crust, while the meat remains raw inside.
- Transfer to Roasting Pan: Transfer the pork to a roasting pan. Squeeze the juice out of half an orange and pour into the pan. Add the remaining orange pieces to the pan. Pour in a 1/4 cup water and add the bay leaves.
- Roast Until Tender: Cover the pan with foil and roast for 2 hours. If the pork shoulder is still not as soft as you want after 2 hours, you can increase the roasting time by another hour to 3 hours.
- Shred Pork: Using a fork, shred the pork shoulder and add a little sauce to make the meat even juicier.
- Toast Tortillas: Fry the tortilla on both sides in a skillet, brushing it a little with the sauce that remained after roasting the carnitas.
- Assemble the Carnitas Tacos: Place 3-4 tbsp of pulled pork on half of the tortilla. Top with remaining sauce if necessary. Add chopped onion and chopped cilantro. Serve with the remaining sauce, sour cream, lime, and cilantro.
Notes
Pork Shoulder: Traditionally, pork carnitas is made with pork shoulder or pork butt (sometimes the names are used interchangeably) as they have high fat content – these cuts are ideal for being slow roasted as they result in fork-tender meat that can be easily shredded (which is exactly just what we want in carnitas).
Orange: Use a fresh, whole orange. Ideally, since we are leaving the orange peel on, it is best to get organic oranges, or make sure to scrub the peel clean before using.
Bay Leaves: Bay leaves add flavor to the pork as it cooks, so make sure to add it in.
Spices: To season the pork shoulder, I’m using ground cumin, paprika, coriander, garlic powder and taco seasoning for a big boost of flavor.
Oil: You can use any oil for searing the meat (sunflower oil, canola oil, avocado oil, olive oil etc).
Onion: For the topping, I’ve used a diced yellow onion, but white onions or red onions will work just as well.
Tortillas: I’ve used gluten-free tortillas to keep this recipe gluten-free (either yellow corn tortillas or white corn tortillas will work just as well). You can either buy storebought tortillas, or make your own homemade gluten-free corn tortillas. Alternatively, if you are not Celiac or gluten-intolerant, go ahead and use regular flour tortillas instead.
Storing: If not planning on eating straight away, store the pork carnitas and tortillas separately until ready to eat. Store the carnitas in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in a nonstick skillet before assembling the tacos.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 150 mins
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: Mexican
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