Welcome to our recipe page that's all about leftover pork carnitas! We're talking about how to make them and what to serve to go with them. Even how to serve them and even carnitas dinner ideas.
Like I said, this easy recipe is a delicious way to use up your leftovers and create a fabulous meal of leftover carnitas meat.
We're starting with leftover, cooked pork. And we're turning it into an a quick meal. But even if you've already got leftover carnitas meat...there's are several sections here that will help you. Read on for all the details and the printable recipe card too.
How to Serve Your Leftover Pork Carnitas Recipe
Once you've got those crispy carnitas, you've got all sorts of options. One of my favorite ways is the carnitas bowl shown in the photos. Add fluffy white rice to a bowl and top it with carnitas meat, ripe avocado, fresh tomatoes, green onions, sliced jalapeños and lime wedges. A little fresh lime juice over the whole thing brings all those flavors together.
Carnita Leftovers Ideas
But that's just one way to do it. Here are some other easy ways to serve pork carnitas:
- Carnitas tacos: Spoon the crispy pork into warm corn tortillas or flour tortillas. Add your favorite taco toppings like white onions, fresh cilantro, pico de gallo, salsa verde, sour cream or cotija cheese.
- Carnitas burrito bowls: Start with cilantro lime rice or Mexican rice. Add black beans or pinto beans, carnitas, avocado, homemade salsa and whatever fresh toppings your family likes.
- Pork carnitas quesadillas: Add carnitas and cheese between two tortillas and cook until the tortillas are golden brown and the cheese melts. Serve with salsa, sour cream or guacamole.
- Carnitas nachos: Spread tortilla chips on a sheet pan and top them with leftover carnitas meat, cheese, black beans and jalapeños. Bake until everything is hot and the cheese melts, then pile on the fresh toppings.
- Carnitas taco salad: Add warm carnitas to romaine lettuce with tomatoes, avocado, red onion, black beans and crispy tortilla strips.
- Pork enchiladas: Roll the shredded meat in tortillas, cover with green enchilada sauce and cheese, then bake until hot and bubbly.
That's the best part about making a batch of carnitas. The meat is the main ingredient, but it doesn't have to be the same meal every time. You can make tacos for taco night, turn the leftovers into burrito bowls the next day and still have a completely different dinner.
And if you've got picky eaters, set everything out separately and let everyone build their own tacos or carnitas bowls. Everybody gets what they want...and you don't have to make four different dinners. Win-win.
What to Serve With Pork Carnitas
Pork carnitas have a lot of flavor, so the best side dishes are usually pretty simple. Rice and beans are the obvious choices, but you've got plenty of other options depending on whether you're making a quick meal, taco dinner or feeding the whole family.
What to Eat With Carnitas
- Mexican rice: A classic side dish and a great way to turn carnitas tacos into a complete meal.
- Cilantro lime rice: The fresh lime and cilantro work really well with rich, savory carnitas. It's also the perfect base for carnitas bowls.
- Black beans: Keep them simple or season them with cumin, chili powder and a little lime juice.
- Mexican pinto beans: Another easy choice, especially for taco night. Refried beans work too.
- Mexican street corn: Sweet corn with a creamy, tangy topping is a great addition to crispy pork carnitas.
- Sweet potatoes: Roasted sweet potatoes or sweet potato fries give you that sweet-and-savory combination with the pork.
- Pico de gallo: Tomatoes, onion, fresh cilantro and lime add fresh flavors without making the meal heavy.
- Homemade salsa: Red salsa, salsa verde, tomatillo sauce or even pineapple salsa all work. Pineapple is especially good if you like a little sweetness with your pork.
- Avocado: Serve sliced ripe avocado like we did in the carnitas bowl, or make guacamole for tacos and tortilla chips.
- Fresh veggies: Tomatoes, romaine lettuce, red onions, green onions, poblano peppers or sliced jalapeños are all easy options.
- Warm tortillas: Warm corn tortillas are my first choice for carnitas tacos, but flour tortillas work just as well if that's what your family prefers.
- Tortilla chips: Add salsa and guacamole and you've got one of the easiest side dishes possible.
More Side Ideas
You don't need to make five different sides either. For a busy night, pick one starch, one bean or veggie... and a couple of fresh toppings. That's plenty.
And if you've got lots of leftovers, change the sides the next day. Serve this leftover pork carnitas recipe with rice and beans tonight, then pull out warm tortillas, salsa and avocado tomorrow. Same batch of carnitas...two completely different meals.
Carnitas Dinner Ideas
Now that you've got the carnitas and plenty of side dish ideas, let's put everything together. The nice thing about this versatile dish is that one batch of carnitas can turn into several completely different dinners.
Carnitas Dinner Ideas
- Taco Night: Serve crispy pork carnitas with warm corn tortillas, pico de gallo, fresh cilantro, white onions and lime wedges. Add Mexican rice and refried beans on the side for a complete taco dinner.
- Carnitas Burrito Bowl: Start with cilantro rice or fluffy white rice. Add black beans, carnitas meat, ripe avocado, tomatoes and green onions. Top it with salsa, sour cream or cotija cheese.
- Loaded Carnitas Nachos: Spread tortilla chips on a sheet pan. Add the meat with beans and cheese. Jalapenos if you want them too...Bake til hot. Add pico de gallo, avocado and your favorite toppings.
- Carnitas Quesadilla Dinner: Make crispy carnitas quesadillas and serve them with Mexican street corn, salsa and sliced avocado. This is also a great way to stretch a smaller amount of leftover carnitas.
- Carnitas Taco Salad: Skip the tortillas! Serve those warm carnitas over lettuce. Top that majesty with black beans, tomatoes, red onion, avocado and crispy tortilla strips. Add salsa or a creamy dressing on top.
- Pork Enchilada Night: Roll carnitas in tortillas. Cover them with red or green enchilada sauce and cheese. Bake until bubbly. Serve with rice, beans or a simple salad.
- Quick Carnitas & Rice: Serve the carnitas over white rice with whatever fresh toppings you've got. Add a squeeze of fresh lime juice and dinner is done.
You can also set everything out buffet-style. Then folks and do their own thing. This is freaking awesome for picky eaters...and it's one less thing for you to worry about at dinner time.
A batch of carnitas is also great for meal prep. Cause you don't have to eat the same thing over and over. With all the ideas listed...that can even cover a whole week.
Recipes for Leftover Carnitas
So you turned your leftover pork into carnitas...and now you've got a leftover pork carnitas recipe. That's actually a good problem to have. Store the leftover carnitas meat in an airtight container in the refrigerator. THEN turn it into another tasty recipe the next day.
Carnitas Dinner Ideas
- Carnitas Breakfast Tacos: Warm the shredded meat in a skillet until the edges crisp back up. Add it to warm tortillas with scrambled eggs, cheese, avocado and hot sauce.
- Carnitas Quesadillas: Add leftover carnitas and cheddar cheese to flour tortillas. Cook in a frying pan until the tortillas are golden brown and the cheese melts. Serve with sour cream, homemade salsa or pico de gallo.
- Pork Enchiladas: Roll the carnitas in tortillas, add green enchilada sauce and cheese and bake until hot and bubbly.
- Loaded Sweet Potatoes: Split baked sweet potatoes and fill them with warm carnitas. Add black beans, green onions, avocado or your favorite toppings.
- Carnitas Nachos: Scatter tortilla chips over a baking sheet, then add carnitas meat, beans, cheese and jalapeños. Bake until everything is hot, then add your fresh toppings.
- Carnitas Grilled Cheese: Add a small amount of carnitas between slices of bread with plenty of cheese. Grill until the bread is crispy and the cheese is melted.
- Carnitas & Eggs: Reheat the pork in a cast iron skillet and serve it with fried eggs, warm tortillas and salsa for an easy breakfast or dinner.
- Carnitas Pizza: Use the carnitas in place of your regular pizza meat. Add red onions, green chiles and cheese, then drizzle with salsa verde after baking.
And don't forget the freezer. If everybody is tired of carnitas... don't keep serving the poor things until nobody ever wants to see them again. Freeze what's left in meal-size portions instead.
Then the next time you need a quick meal on a busy weeknight, you've already got flavorful pork ready for tacos, burrito bowls, quesadillas or whatever sounds good.
Recipe
Easy Leftover Pork Carnitas Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups shredded pork
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Pinch red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
Skillet
- Shred the leftover pork or cut it into small pieces.
- In a small bowl, combine the orange juice, fresh lime juice, garlic cloves, chili powder, cumin, oregano, kosher salt, black pepper and optional red pepper flakes.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large frying pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the shredded pork and pour the citrus juice and spice mixture over the meat. Toss well.
- Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. The pork will be hot and most of the liquid will have cooked away.
- Spread the carnitas meat into a single layer. Let it cook without stirring for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the bottom develops crispy edges.
- Flip sections of the pork and let the other side cook until golden brown. Add the remaining olive oil if the pan gets dry.
- Finish with additional fresh lime juice if desired and serve hot.
Oven
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Combine the orange juice, lime juice, garlic and seasonings in a small bowl.
- Toss the leftover pork with the citrus mixture and 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- Spread the pieces of pork in a single layer on a baking sheet or sheet pan.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the pork is heated through.
- Turn the broiler to HIGH. Broil for 2 to 4 minutes, watching closely, until you have crispy pork carnitas with browned edges.
- Toss the pork and return it under the broiler for another minute if you want even more crispy perfection.
Air Fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 375°F.
- Combine the orange juice, fresh lime juice, garlic and seasonings.
- Toss the shredded pork with the seasoning mixture and 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- Arrange the carnitas in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Work in batches if necessary.
- Air fry for 5 minutes, toss and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, until the pork is hot with plenty of crispy edges.
- Serve immediately with lime wedges.
Slow Cooker
- The slow cooker is a great way to season and reheat a large batch of carnitas, but you'll still need one extra step for crispy carnitas.
- Add the leftover pork to the crock pot.
- Combine the orange juice, fresh lime juice, garlic and seasonings. Pour the mixture over the pork and toss.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 1 to 2 hours, just until the pork is hot and has absorbed some of the amazing flavors.
- Transfer the pork to a sheet pan using a slotted spoon.
- Spread it into a single layer and broil for 2 to 4 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and crispy.
- Don't slow cook the pork all day. Unlike a traditional slow cooker pork carnitas recipe...this one doesn't start with raw pork shoulder or pork butt. We're starting with pork that's already cooked. A short time is all we need to turn it into easy pork carnitas.
Instant Pot
- You can also use an Instant Pot or pressure cooker to quickly season and reheat the leftover pork before crisping.
- Pour 1 cup of water into the bottom of the Instant Pot and add the trivet.
- Place the leftover pork in an oven-safe bowl that fits inside the pressure cooker.
- Combine the orange juice, lime juice, garlic and seasonings. Pour the mixture over the pork and toss.
- Place the bowl on the trivet and lock the lid.
- Cook on HIGH pressure for 2 minutes.
- Carefully perform a quick release.
- Transfer the carnitas meat to a baking sheet and spread it into a single layer.
- Broil for 2 to 4 minutes, until you have juicy pork carnitas with crispy edges.
- Instant Pot Note: We're using steam to reheat the pork rather than pressure cooking the meat from scratch. Keeping the leftover pork above the water helps prevent it from becoming waterlogged.
Freezer Meal
- Freeze before crisping: Combine the leftover pork with the orange juice, fresh lime juice, garlic and seasonings. Transfer the meat mixture to a freezer bag or freezer-safe airtight container. Remove as much air as possible and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat and crisp using the skillet, oven or air fryer directions above.
- Freeze after cooking: Cool the carnitas completely and transfer them to a freezer bag or airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. For the best results, reheat the pork in a hot cast iron skillet with a little olive oil to bring back those crispy edges.
Video
Notes
If your pork is already well seasoned, taste before adding the full amount of salt and spices.
For crispy edges, don't crowd the pan and let the pork sit against the hot surface before turning.
Don't overcook it—the pork is already cooked. Just heat, season and crisp.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Recipe Notes
- What kind of leftover pork? Leftover pork roast, shredded pork and regular pulled pork are all a perfect base. Pork shoulder, pork butt and Boston butt work especially well because they have enough of their own fat to stay juicy when reheated.
- Pork loin or pork tenderloin: You can use lean leftover cuts too. Just add a little extra olive oil and watch the cooking time closely so the pork doesn't dry out.
- Already seasoned pork: Taste your leftover meat before adding the full amount of salt and Mexican spices. You can always add more.
- Orange juice: The orange juice adds citrus flavor and a touch of sweetness. Don't add so much liquid that you're braising the pork all over again.
- Fresh lime juice: Lime adds acidity that balances the rich pork. Serve the finished carnitas with extra lime wedges.
- For crispy carnitas: The best way to get crispy edges is high heat and space. Don't crowd the pan or sheet pan, and don't constantly stir the pork. Give it time against the hot surface.
More Notes:
- Don't overcook it: This is the big one. We're transforming already-cooked pork, not making slow-cooked pork carnitas from raw pork shoulder. Heat it, flavor it and crisp it. Then stop.
- Carnitas tacos: Serve the crispy pork carnitas in warm corn tortillas with white onions, fresh cilantro, pico de gallo, salsa verde and your favorite taco toppings.
- Carnitas bowls: Make the meal shown in the photos with fluffy white rice, ripe avocado, tomatoes, green onions, jalapeños and fresh lime.
- Burrito bowls: Cilantro lime rice, black beans or Mexican pinto beans, carnitas, fresh toppings and sour cream make an easy meal for busy weeknights.
- Meal prep: Store leftover carnitas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat them in a skillet or air fryer for the best texture.
Wrappin' Up Leftover Pulled Pork Carnitas Recipe Details
There you go! Lots of info on leftover carnitas recipes. Maybe more than you needed but it covers a LOT of bases.
You've got multiple dinner ideas, several lunches and even a couple breakfasts. And bunches of delicious sides. Plus, lots of ways to cook it and freezer meal directions too.
So try it. Don't avoid the monster size Boston butt roast next time you see one go on sale. You'll be able to make an amazing array of Mexican dishes. And stock the freezer too!
Enjoy!
