Description
Tender, flavorful, slow-cooked carnitas made effortlessly using sous vide, finished with a crispy sear for irresistible crunch and juicy interiors.
Ingredients
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon chicken soup base (such as Better Than Bouillon®)
1 medium orange, sliced
3 large bay leaves
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, or as needed
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with water and insert your sous vide immersion cooker. Set temperature to 165 °F (74 °C).
- In a small bowl, mix granulated garlic, ground cumin, salt, oregano, coriander, black pepper, and cinnamon.
- Rub or sprinkle the spice mixture over the cut pork. Add orange slices and bay leaves in the sous vide bag. Seal using a vacuum sealer.
- Submerge the sealed bag into the water bath and cook for 24 hours, flipping halfway through.
- Remove pork from the bag. To crisp:
- Stovetop: Heat vegetable oil in a cast-iron skillet until smoking. Fry pork pieces 1–2 minutes until edges are crispy.
- Broiler: Spread pork on a baking sheet and broil 3–4 minutes until golden and crispy.
Notes
- Add smoked paprika or chipotle powder for extra heat.
- Swap orange for lime or grapefruit slices for a citrus twist.
- Include garlic cloves or thyme sprigs in the bag for depth.
- Toss finished carnitas in salsa verde or BBQ sauce for a saucy version.
- Serve in tacos, burritos, bowls, or on nachos.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 24 hours
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Sous Vide
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/12 of recipe
- Calories: 310 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 410 mg
- Fat: 21 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 3 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg
