Taco Tuesdays: Carnitas

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-04-03 · Updated 2026-04-03

Slow-cooked pork carnitas with citrus zest, served in warm tortillas with pickled onions and avocado crema. This Mexican recipe, ready in about 120 minutes, pairs pork shoulder, orange zest, garlic cloves for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 280 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs pork shoulder
• 1 tbsp orange zest
• 3, minced garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 small, thinly sliced onion
• 1, mashed avocado
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 6 small tortillas

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Instructions

1. Step 1: In a bowl, mix orange zest, garlic, orange juice, salt, and pepper. Rub mixture into pork, cover, and refrigerate 8 hours.
2. Step 2: Heat 2 tbsp oil in a Dutch oven. Brown pork 5 minutes, then add onion. Cook 5 minutes until softened.
3. Step 3: Add 1 cup water, cover, and simmer 1.5 hours until pork shreds. Let rest 10 minutes, then shred with two forks.