Carnitas Seasoning
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Bring the taste of your favorite taco shop home with this Carnitas Seasoning recipe. It’s the perfect blend of spices to make flavorful Mexican pork carnitas every time. With bold, smoky, and slightly spicy notes, it’s easy to mix up in just 5 minutes and adds delicious flavor to carnitas made in the oven or in a slow cooker!
Why you’ll love this seasoning mix
As someone who loves cooking with big, bold flavors, I’m constantly mixing up homemade seasoning blends to add more flavor to simple meals.
You’ll love this seasoning mix because after you mix it up, you only need 7 ingredients to make an authentic carnitas recipe in the oven, or in a slow cooker. The spice mix will last up to 6 months in the pantry, so you can make a double batch and keep it on hand anytime you want to make a quick and delicious carnitas dinner!
It’s both flavorful and simple. No complex ingredients or hard-to-find spices in this mix, just 7 pantry staple dried herbs and spices that you probably already have in your kitchen!
Ingredients
Here I explain the best ingredients for this carnitas seasoning recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For the exact ingredient measurements, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Chili powder – be sure to use chili powder, NOT chile powder! Chili powder is a blend of ground dried chili peppers with other spices. Chile powder is straight blended dried chiles and is much spicier than chili powder.
- Mexican oregano – while there is a difference between Mexican oregano and traditional oregano, you can use them interchangeably in this recipe if you don’t have Mexican oregano on hand. Mexican oregano is a bit stronger in flavor, but their shared peppery flavor, means that you can use either one and end up with similar flavors.
- Garlic powder (or granulated garlic) – the only difference between granulated garlic and garlic powder is that the powder has been ground finer, than the granulated garlic. I prefer to use granulated garlic because it’s less likely to clump over time, than garlic powder.
- Onion powder (or granulated onion) – the only difference between granulated onion and onion powder is that the powder has been ground finer, than the granulated onion. I prefer to use granulated onion because it’s less likely to clump over time, than onion powder.
- Salt – I prefer either kosher salt or sea salt, over table salt, because of their coarse texture and superior flavor.
- Ground cumin – adds a rich, earthy, and nutty element to the spice blend.
- Black pepper
I like to buy the spices in large bulk containers, either online or at Costco. It saves money and I know I’ll always have them on hand to mix up my favorite seasoning blends or to refill smaller spice jars.
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl.
- Store in an airtight container in the pantry for up to 6 months.
Easy as that you have a simple carnitas seasoning blend, ready to sprinkle on pork and make flavorful carnitas!
How to make carnitas
Below I’ll give a quick run-down of how to use this seasoning mix to make homemade carnitas. If you’d like step-by-step photos and more detailed instructions, check out my pork carnitas recipe post.
- Cut a 4 pound boneless pork shoulder into large chunks. Rub 8 tablespoons of the carnitas seasoning mix on all sides of the pieces of pork.
- Heat ¼ cup vegetable oil in a large dutch oven on the stove over high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the seasoned pork and cook on all sides for 2-3 minutes per side or until the pork is browned on all sides.
- Add ¼ cup lime juice, ½ cup orange juice and 1 ½ cups chicken broth. Bring the liquid to a boil. Once boiling, add 1 cinnamon stick and 3 bay leaves. Cover the dutch oven and transfer it to a preheated 325°F oven to cook for 3 hours.
- After 3 hours, remove the pork from the oven and turn the oven from bake to broil on high. Arrange one rack in the oven approximately 6-8 inches from the top.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaves from the dutch oven. Use tongs to remove the tender pieces of pork from the liquid and place them on a cutting board. Use two forks to shred the pork, then transfer it to a large rimmed baking sheet in an even layer. Pour ¼ cup of the liquid from the dutch oven over the pork on the baking sheet.
- Place the pork under the broiler in the oven for 2-3 minutes, or until slightly crispy. Serve the crispy carnitas in tortillas with toppings like cilantro, onion, salsa, or guacamole, to make carnitas tacos. Or serve the pulled pork in burritos, quesadillas, on top of nachos, or in burrito bowls.
Recipe notes
This recipe makes 8 tablespoons of carnitas seasoning. I recommend using 2 tablespoons of seasoning per pound of pork. If using this recipe to make carnitas with 4 pounds of pork, you’ll use the entire seasoning mix in one use.
If you’d like to make a double batch of the seasoning, simply click the 2X button in the recipe card below. The ingredient amounts in the recipe card will automatically update to accommodate the new serving size. Store extra seasoning in an airtight container, like an 8 ounce mason jar, in the pantry for up to 6 months.
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Carnitas Seasoning
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons Mexican oregano
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder, or granulated garlic
- 1 tablespoon onion powder, or granulated onion
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients. Use immediately or store in the pantry for up to 6 months.
Notes
- This recipe is gluten free, and contains no added sugar, making it perfect for a whole30 or keto diet.
- To make a smoky carnitas seasoning, replace the chili powder with chipotle pepper powder.
- To make a spicy carnitas seasoning, add 1-3 teaspoons of cayenne pepper to the seasoning blend. For a medium spice level, add 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper. To make it hot, use 3 teaspoons cayenne pepper.
Nutrition Facts
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