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4.34 from 9 votes

Smoked Pork Carnitas

These Smoked Pork Carnitas are packed with flavor and offer a Mexican flair to traditional barbeque. Rich, melt in your mouth pork.....perfect for tacos or on its own!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time6 hours
Course: Main Course
Servings: 12
Calories: 174kcal
Author: The Cookin' Chicks

Ingredients

  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 4 tablespoon seasoning, plus desired amount for outside of meat *we use Chupacabra, any seasoning works
  • 3-4 lb pork loin *or pork shoulder works

Instructions

  • Using an injection tool, inject mixture into meat.
  • Using additional seasoning, coat the outside of the meat liberally.
  • Place seasoned, injected pork into aluminum cooking pan.
  • Add additional water or orange juice to cover the bottom of the pan to about 1/2" deep.
  • Place pan onto smoker for about 4 hours on low setting (180 degrees on Traeger)
  • After 4 hours, turn up heat to 225 degrees and cook until pork is fork tender (we took ours all the way to internal temp of 204, normal temp for pulled pork)
  • Remove pan from smoker and let meat rest for about an hour, allowing meat to continue soaking up juices.
  • Shred meat using two forks or a set of meat claws (link above)
  • Heat up a cast iron skillet on the grill or stove top.
  • Once hot, toss in the shredded pork and cook over medium-high heat until crispy.
  • Remove from heat and serve in tacos, enchiladas, nachos, etc.

Nutrition

Calories: 174kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 57mg | Potassium: 499mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 171IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @TheCookinChicks or tag #TheCookinChicks!