Transform tender pulled pork into the most delicious leftover pulled pork carnitas! They’re crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and loaded with flavor. Add them to tacos, enchiladas, nachos and more for a versatile, flavorful dinner the whole family will love! {Gluten-free}
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Crispy Carnitas from Leftover Pulled Pork
I love making pulled pork for so many reasons! You almost always end up with lots of leftovers, and they’re always great for a quick sandwich or nachos. Although regular pulled pork can be used in lots of different ways, these leftover pulled pork carnitas are the very best.
They’re made by slowly cooking a pork roast in the slow cooker with citrus juices and Mexican spices until the meat falls apart. Then, you crisp up the meat on the stove or in the oven for crispy pork carnitas to serve on nachos, pizza, nachos, or anything else!
It’ll be your new favorite way to use up leftover pulled pork!
Why We Love These Leftover Pulled Pork Tacos
- So easy to make: Since this recipe uses leftover carnitas meat, you don’t have to bother with any raw meat at all. It takes just a few minutes of effort to turn your leftovers into the best pork carnitas tacos, nachos, burrito bowls, and more. It’s the perfect easy dinner for a busy weeknight!
- Two methods: There are two easy ways to make these leftover pork carnitas. The first option is to toast the pork in a pan with a little hot oil until it’s nice and crispy. If you want to make a bunch to feed the whole crew, toast it up in the oven and use the baking time to prep your toppings!
- So much flavor: The meat mixture is already seasoned to perfection from slowly cooking in lime juice, orange juice, and delicious spices. The toasting process gives the pork a crunchy bite. Top it all off with your favorite fixings, like fresh salsa verde, avocado, lime wedges, diced onion, and jalapenos for even more flavor. This pork carnitas recipe is so flavorful!
Ingredient Notes
- Olive oil: Use olive oil or avocado oil to toast up the leftover pork.
- Pork carnitas: Make a batch of my easy slow cooker pork carnitas and either toast them the same day or use this recipe for the leftovers.
- Salsa: Pick your favorite salsa. The pork tastes amazing with salsa verde, but you can really use any type!
- Avocado: Cut your fresh avocado into thin slices or mash it for guacamole.
- Tomato: Sprinkle some diced tomatoes over pork nachos or enchiladas.
- Lime: Roll and slice fresh lime into wedges to squeeze over your plate.
- White onions: Finely dice white onion for a bright, refreshing flavor.
- Cilantro: Fresh cilantro adds a wonderful fresh flavor that takes this easy recipe over the top. Feel free to use parsley instead.
- Jalapeno peppers: These are completely optional. Fresh or pickled jalapenos are a great garnish.
- Cheese: Serve shredded cheese. Aim for a good melting cheese like white cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Oaxacan cheese or sprinkle on some Cotija cheese for some Mexican flair.
- Tortillas: Choose small tortillas for tacos or enchiladas. Either corn or flour will work just fine.
How to Make Leftover Pulled Pork Carnitas – Step-by-Step
To crisp on stove top:
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large non stick pan or well seasoned skillet over high heat. Spread leftover pulled pork in the pan and drizzle with some of the cooking juices. Cook until the juices evaporate and the bottom side is golden brown and crusty. Turn and just briefly sear the other side – you don’t want to make it brown all over because then it will be too crispy and may dry out. We still want some of the juicy and tender pieces.
Remove pork from skillet and set aside. Repeat in batches (I do about 4 batches), making sure that you don’t overcrowd the pan.
To crisp in oven:
Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray or line with parchment paper. Transfer the pork to the prepared baking sheet.
Pour about 1 cup of the liquid from the slow cooker over the pork to infuse extra flavor. Broil for 5-10 minutes on high heat until the pork becomes golden brown and crispy on the edges.
To serve:
Season with a little extra salt and pepper, if desired. Just before serving, drizzle over more juices and serve hot, stuffed in tortillas, burritos or salad with your favorite toppings.
Keep scrolling to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!
Recipe Tips:
- The amount of carnitas this recipe makes will depend on how much leftover pulled pork you have.
- The pulled pork tends to taste better after sitting for a couple of days. For the most flavorful pork, cook it up in advance and serve up the leftover pulled pork carnitas a couple of days after.
- When crisping up the pork, be sure that you don’t crowd the pan or the pork won’t get as golden brown and crispy.
- I used a pork shoulder with the bone since a bone-in cut can help infuse more flavor into the meat.
Recipe FAQs
Carnitas are a traditional Mexican dish prepared using a specific mixture of spices and seasonings, whereas pulled pork can be any type of pork loin cooked down until it falls apart. Another key difference is that you typically roast carnitas in the oven or on the stove until nice and crispy before serving. The toasting process adds a wonderful texture to pair with your toppings. Meanwhile, regular pulled pork is usually quite soft.
There are two main reasons: adding flavor and breaking down the meat. Since orange juice is mildly acidic, the citric acid will help tenderize the pork as it slowly cooks. The orange juice flavor will also work its way into the center of the loin, adding flavor to every bite.
Yes, you can definitely freeze your leftover carnitas if you have too much! However, if you’re already reheating leftovers from a previous night, it’s not recommended to store those leftovers for later. It’s best to cook just as much as you need and roast any leftover pork from your original batch later on. Basically, just heat what you can eat right now!
There are two main ways to reheat pork for carnitas! First, you can roast it in the oven on a baking sheet. Broil it until the meat becomes nice and crispy. You can also gently fry the meat in a skillet for smaller batches. The main goal is to dry out the meat slightly and add a nice, crisp texture that makes it more fun to eat.
Storage Guidelines
Store leftover meat in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. If you roast the meat on the same day you slow cook it, you can store the leftover carnitas in the fridge. However, if you are reheating leftovers from another night, it’s best to only reheat as much as you need for one meal. It’s not recommended to reheat previously cooked meat multiple times.
You can also freeze leftover pork carnitas in an airtight container in the freezer for 2-3 months. Thaw before roasting or reheating.
Carnitas Toppings
These easy pork carnitas taste amazing with lots of toppings, like:
- Any type of salsa or pico de gallo
- Diced onions
- Black beans
- Sour cream
- Shredded cheese
- Crumbled Cotija cheese
- Fajita veggies (sauteed red onions and bell peppers)
What to Serve with Pork Carnitas
Carnitas can be served in so many delicious ways. They can be scrambled in eggs or rolled and baked into the best enchiladas. Great creative with it!
Try them:
- With slaw (try this cilantro lime slaw)
- With pineapple mango salsa
- In lettuce wraps
- Cilantro lime rice
- Air fryer sweet potatoes
- Crunchy taco shells
- Tortilla chips
- Soft corn tortillas
- Flour tortillas
Recipe Variations
- Pork carnitas nachos: Top your favorite tortilla chips with salsa and pork carnitas, then broil them until the cheese melts. Sprinkle with your favorite toppings and serve!
- Pork enchiladas: Roll the leftover pork in flour or corn tortillas, then cover with enchilada sauce and cheese and bake. They’re great with Spanish rice and beans.
- Carnitas bowls: Serve the carnitas and beans over a bed of rice and pile on your favorite toppings. These are great for easy weeknight dinners!
- Leftover shredded pork tacos: Toast up some tortillas and add your favorite toppings for the most wonderful appetizer or entree!
More Similar Recipes
- Pulled Pork with Homemade BBQ Sauce
- Crockpot Pulled BBQ Beef
- Crock Pot Taco Meat
- Crockpot Mexican Casserole
- Authentic Mexican Chicken Fajitas
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Easy Leftover Pulled Pork Carnitas
Ingredients
For pulled pork carnitas:
- Healthy pulled pork recipe
- Olive oil or avocado oil
- 12 Small tortillas corn or flour
For topping:
- Your favorite salsa
- Avocado slices
- Diced tomato
- Lime wedges
- White onions finely sliced or diced
- Cilantro leaves
- Sliced jalapeno peppers
- Grated cheese
Instructions
- To crisp on stove top:
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large non stick pan or well seasoned skillet over high heat. Spread leftover pulled pork in the pan and drizzle with some of the cooking juices. Cook until the juices evaporate and the bottom side is golden brown and crusty. Turn and just briefly sear the other side – you don’t want to make it brown all over because then it will be too crispy and may dry out. We still want some of the juicy and tender pieces.
- Remove pork from skillet and set aside. Repeat in batches (I do about 4 batches), making sure that you don’t overcrowd the pan.
- To crisp in oven:
- Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray or line with parchment paper. Transfer the leftover pulled pork to the prepared baking sheet.
- Pour about 1 cup of the liquid from the slow cooker over the pork to infuse it with extra flavor. Broil for 5-10 minutes on high heat until the pork becomes golden brown and crispy on the edges.
- To serve:
- Season with a little extra salt and pepper, if desired. Just before serving, drizzle over more juices and serve hot, stuffed in tortillas, burritos or salad with your favorite toppings.
Notes
- The nutritional values are a rough estimate based on 1/12th of the pulled pork and one corn tortilla. The toppings are not included in the nutritional information since quantities may vary.
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