Smoked Pork Carnitas

These Smoked Pork Carnitas are packed with bold Mexican-inspired flavor, slow-smoked on your Traeger with a homemade rub until the pork is melt-in-your-mouth tender with perfectly crispy edges—perfect for the ultimate shredded pork tacos.

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Move over ground beef tacos…these smoked pork carnitas will be your new favorite for taco night! This delicious pork carnitas recipe is so full of flavor because it’s seasoned with a homemade rub and cooked in fresh orange and lime juices. It’s super simple to make and turns out perfect every single time. Make Mexican shredded pork for a super fun taco Tuesday, or as a great meal when you’re hosting guests.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It only takes 15 minutes to prep everything you need to make smoked carnitas. Of course, the cook time is long, but you can prep side dishes or kick back and relax while the smoker does all the hard work.
• This delicious recipe makes 12 servings! And you can easily double or triple it to have more than enough to go around at a party.
• Pork is an affordable selection of meat, making this a really affordable taco night recipe.

Ingredients for Smoked Pork Carnitas

• Boneless pork shoulder – Pork shoulder is best in this recipe. You can also substitute it for pork loin or pork butt.
• Mexican beer – The specific flavor profile of Mexican beer pairs beautifully with all of the other ingredients in this smoked carnitas recipe.
• Olive oil – You’ll use olive oil to baste the pork. Feel free to swap it out for avocado oil, melted butter, or vegetable oil. You can even use lard for this step!
• Garlic cloves – Mince fresh garlic cloves for the best flavor.
• Yellow onion – The mild flavor of a yellow onion will work best in these yummy pork carnitas.
• Fresh lime juice – I recommend squeezing fresh lime juice and not using the stuff from the bottle. Fresh juice just tastes better.
• Fresh orange juice – I recommend the same thing about orange juice. Grab a few oranges and get fresh juice for the best flavor.
• Spices – This mix of spices creates the most perfectly balanced rub to make flavorful pork carnitas using kosher salt, ground black pepper, dried oregano, chili powder, ground cumin and onion powder.

How to Make Smoked Carnitas

Brush the pork shoulder in olive oil. Mix all of the rub ingredients in a small bowl and rub it all over the pork until it is thoroughly covered.

Place the orange juice, lime juice, minced garlic, and thinly sliced onion into a large disposable pan.

Place the seasoned pork shoulder into the disposable pan and place it in preheated pellet grill for 4-5 hours.

Carefully remove the pan from the smoker and place the pork shoulder onto a cutting board. Cut the pork into evenly sized 2-3 inch pieces.

Put all of the pork chunks back into the pan.

Cover with aluminum foil and place the pan back into the pellet grill. Bump the temperature up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for 2 more hours until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 195 degrees Fahrenheit.

Remove the pan from the pellet grill and take the foil off the top. Allow the meat to rest for 30 minutes, then skim off the fat from the top and anywhere else in the pan.

Then, drizzle olive oil into a cast iron skillet and heat the pan over medium-high heat.

When the oil is hot, place the pork into the pan, along with a few tablespoons of the juices from the disposable pan.

Cook until the bottom of the meat is browned, then serve with tortillas and favorite taco toppings.

Storage and Reheating

FRIDGE: Place leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

FREEZER: Store leftovers in a freezer bag or airtight container and keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.

Reheat smoked carnitas in the microwave or oven until they are hot throughout.

What Is The Best Wood To Use For Carnitas?

We recommend a hardwood like hickory, oak or pecan for the best flavor.

Can I Prepare The Pork Ahead of Time?

Smoke and shred the pork a day or two in advance and then when you are ready to serve, reheat with the hot oil in your cast iron pan.

You’re going to love how simple this recipe is and how AMAZING the meat turns out! We can’t wait for you to try it.

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Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @gimmesomegrilling or #gimmesomegrilling so I can see your grilling masterpieces!

Smoked Pork Carnitas

Crispy shredded pork makes these easy Smoker Pork Carnitas perfect for tacos, salads and more!

Prep:15 minutes mins

Cook:6 hours hrs

Resting Time:30 minutes mins

Total:6 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

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12

Equipment

• Pellet grill
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Cast iron skillet
• Basting brush
• Citrus juicer
• Cutting Board
• Sharp Knife
• Small bowl
• Disposable aluminum pan
• Meat Thermometer

Ingredients

• ▢ 3-4 pounds boneless pork shoulder
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 12 ounces Mexican beer
• ▢ ½ cup fresh orange juice about 3 oranges juiced
• ▢ ½ cup fresh lime juice about 3 limes juiced
• ▢ 5 garlic cloves minced
• ▢ 1 yellow onion sliced
• ▢ Chopped fresh cilantro to garnish optional
• ▢ 12 Flour or corn tortillas to serve

Rub

• ▢ 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢ 2 teaspoons chili powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ▢ 2 teaspoons ground cumin

Instructions

• Preheat the pellet grill to 225 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the beer, orange juice, lime juice and minced garlic into a large grill safe disposable pan. Add thinly sliced onions to the mixture.
• Brush pork with oil, completely covering.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the rub ingredients and rub well all over the pork.
• Place the seasoned pork in the pan.
• Cook on a preheated pellet grill for 4-5 hours or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Carefully remove the pan from the grill and place pork shoulder on a cutting board. Cut the meat into 2-3 inch pieces, being sure to keep the pieces evenly sized. Return the pork chunks to the pan.
• Cover the pan with aluminum foil and return to the pellet grill. Turn the temperature up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for about 2 hours until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 195 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Remove the tinfoil from the pan and allow the meat to rest for about 30 minutes.
• Remove pork chunks from the pan, reserving the juices in the pan, and shred the pork.
• After the pan of juices has set, skim off the fat from the top and remove any fat from the pan.
• Next, drizzle some olive oil in a cast iron skillet. Heat the pan on your stove top over medium-high heat or place it back on the smoker at a temperature of 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• When the oil is hot, place the smoked pulled pork along with a couple Tablespoons of reserved juices in the skillet. Cook until the bottom of the meat is browned. Serve with tortillas and toppings.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 193kcal (10%), Carbohydrates: 5g (2%), Protein: 26g (52%), Fat: 6g (9%), Saturated Fat: 1g (6%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.03g, Cholesterol: 68mg (23%), Sodium: 457mg (20%), Potassium: 506mg (14%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 1g (1%), Vitamin A: 133IU (3%), Vitamin C: 9mg (11%), Calcium: 24mg (2%), Iron: 1mg (6%)

© Gimme Some Grilling ®

We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box is calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.

How to Serve Smoked Pork Carnitas

Top your smoked pork tacos with cheese, cilantro, lime juice, guacamole, and any other toppings you like such as pico de gallo and diced onion. This smoked salsa would taste amazing. You can also serve some tasty side dishes like Mexican street corn salad or this tasty grilled corn salad.

We love making some smoked queso dip to snack on before we eat smoked pork tacos too! This corn salsa is another great appetizer option. Whatever you pair it with, these carnitas are mouthwateringly good!

Don’t forget to serve guests a tasty margarita or a refreshing paloma.

More Great Smoked Pork Recipes

• If you’ve got leftover pulled pork, you need to repurpose them and make Pulled Pork Enchiladas! With only 4 other ingredients, you can whip these up in no time at all and everyone will be raving about this meal.
• Check out this Smoked Pork Butt next time you are having a backyard cookout. Guests will rave about the flavor and how moist this turns out. This is also a very beginner friendly recipe.
• Pork Chops don’t have to be tough and dry! Smoking is a great way to enjoy this cut of meat while keeping them moist and tender with that added smoky flavor.
• Hosting a party and want to wow your guests with a unique appetizer? Pork Butt Burnt Ends are just what you need to put on the smoker this weekend! They are saucy, crispy and oh so flavorful.