• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

La Piña en la Cocina

Embracing my Mexican heritage and sharing all the wonderful flavors, colors and foods I grew up with. Join me on this journey as I also learn new foods and cooking techniques. Dedicated to my parents Ramiro and Blanca.

  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
    • Mexican at Heart
    • Media
  • Contact
  • Disclosure/Privacy Policy
Home » Pork~Cerdo » Sheet Pan Pork Carnitas

Sheet Pan Pork Carnitas

August 16, 2021Leave a Comment

136 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
https://animoto.com/play/MkwnQB0nlEzrSMWCQmBAeQ

Sheet pan carnitas coming up! Instead of pulling out the pressure cooker or slow cooker, let you oven do the work it was intended for! I know, I know, those other options may seem easier in some cases. The oven method exposes more of the meat surface allowing it to brown nicely. I don’t want to discourage you whichever way you decide to prepare them.

pork carnitas tacos up close

Brine! Brine! Brine!

Once I learned about brining and tested it, I was hooked! It adds so much flavor all through out the pork when I take the time to prepare it. The brine works great for these sheet pan pork carnitas. Great for chicken too!

pork carnitas tacos plated

Does The Brine Make It Too Salty?

I used to think that it would, but it really doesn’t. The sugar and salt balance each other out nicely. A highly seasoned brine is what you need to achieve the flavor through out the meat.

Pinterest image for sheet pan pork carnitas with header
sheet pan carnitas on baking sheet up close

Choose What Works Best For You

Not all of us have the luxury of working from home. Meal planning is a must when working outside the home. Eating out is nice once in a while, but I find it to be mostly disappointing, in most cases. If the pressure cooker or crock pot works best for your meal planning, then do that.

top view of brine
pork butt sliced in big chunks on cuttin board
pork in the brine in a large bowl
after draining the brine, the pork in a colander
Pork spread out on baking sheet seasoned with extra pepper
pork tightly covered with foil paper
after first hour of roasting, uncovered carnitas with onions and jalapeños added
Carnitas back in oven
sheet pan pork carnitas out of the oven after another 45-50 minutes
roasted carnitas on sheet pan up close
carnitas in serving dish
diced carnitas frying in cast iron skillet with onions and jalapeños
This was the next day with leftover carnitas. I diced them up and fried them with a little more lard. I added the jalapeños and spring onions.
Setting table with fresh garnishes and bowl of carnitas
Featured are pickled nopalitos, diced onion, salsa cruda, salsa macha, radishes, limes with carnitas, of course.
bowl of diced carnitas ready for tacos
Pork Carnitas taco up close with salsa cruda and salsa macha
The contrast of flavors and textures of the salsa macha and salsa cruda are so tasty! Oh, and the homemade tortillas didn’t hurt!
Pork Carnitas taco up close

Do You Love Spicing It Up?

The picture below is this same recipe, but using more spices on the pork. I used thick pork steaks with bone. After the brine, I seasoned them with granulated 2 tsps granulated garlic, 1 1/2 tsps cumin and 2 tsps chile ancho powder. I seared them well in hot pork lard then covered and roasted as instructed in the recipe below.

Seasoned Sheet pan pork carnitas
pork carnitas on sheet pan up close

Sheet Pan Pork Carnitas

I love my pressure cooker, but let's not forget that our ovens still do a beautiful job on our favorite recipe too! Sheet pan pork carnitas! So easy!
5 from 6 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours hours 25 minutes minutes
Brine The Pork: 1 day day
Total Time: 1 day day 2 hours hours 50 minutes minutes
Servings: 6 Servings

Ingredients

  • 2 tsps avocado or olive oil
  • 1/2 medium white onion, sliced
  • 2 serrano peppers sliced
  • 4-6 cloves of garlic
  • 1 1/2 tbsps salt
  • 1 1/2 tbsps sugar
  • Fresh ground pepper
  • 6 cups water
  • 3 pounds pork butt/shoulder sliced into 2 inch pieces
  • Pork lard melted
  • 3 jalapeños sliced into strips
  • 8 large spring onions

Instructions

  • In a medium pot, add the 2 tsps of oil. Heat to medium. Add the onion, garlic and serrano peppers. Saute for 6-8 minutes. Pour in the 6 cups of water. Mix in the sugar and salt. Add fresh pepper, to taste. Bring up to a light simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let brine cool completely.
  • Once brine has cooled, add the pork chunks, making sure they are completely submerged. Cover tightly and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours.
  • After pork has marinated, drain all the liquid away using a colander. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F while pork comes up to room temperature.
  • Transfer pork to a large sheet pan lined with foil paper. Season pork with fresh cracked pepper. Drizzle with some melted pork lard or avocado oil. Add sliced jalapeños and spring onions(if using). Cover tightly with foil paper and roast in the oven for 1 hour.
  • After an hour, remove the foil paper from carnitas. Turn oven temperature up to 450 degrees F. Return to oven and continue roasting until the liquid evaporates and carnitas begin to caramelize and brown. This may take up to 45-50 minutes. At this point, you will have to turn the carnitas every 5 to 6 minutes to achieve a crisp and brown exterior. I like to drizzle with a little lard or oil during the last 10 minutes. You can place them under the broiler for 1-2 minutes for extra browning.
  • Remove carnitas from oven and let them sit for 5 minutes. Serve as is or chop into smaller pieces for tacos. Serve with your favorite tacos fixings or with a side of rice and beans.

Notes

You can use this brine for thick pork chops, whole pork roast and chicken.
Tried this recipe?Mention @pinaenlacocina or tag #pinaenlacocina!

Like this:

Like Loading...

Filed Under: Pork~Cerdo, Tacos Tagged With: Carnitas, Pork, Tacos

Previous Post: « Salsa Cruda! Fresh Salsa!
Next Post: Barbacoa With Consomme »

Reader Interactions

Would Love to Hear From YouCancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Welcome!

Hi, my name is Sonia Mendez Garcia. My parents Ramiro and Blanca Mendez moved to the United States from Monterrey, Mexico in 1963. I am first generation Mexican American born in Los Angeles, California. Cooking has always been one of my passions in life. This is my journey and I can't wait to see what the future holds. Read More…

Never Miss a Recipe

Get all the latest directly to your inbox

View Privacy Policy Before Subscribing

View our privacy policy

Mariscos-Seafood

Chilean Sea Bass in Adobo

chilean sea bass plated

Crispy Masa Crusted Shrimp and Poppers

popper with cheese and bacon filling

More Ceviche & Aguachile!

aguachile verde in a heart shaped cazuela

Filetes de Pescado al Ajillo-Garlic Butter & Lime Cod

You might also like…

top view of chicken stew in a bowl

Chicken Stew-Estofado de Pollo!

Easy Queso Fresco Enchiladas

Smoked Beef Chuck Roast

Copyright © 2025 LA PIÑA EN LA COCINA

136 shares
MENU & SEARCH
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
    • Mexican at Heart
    • Media
  • Contact
  • Disclosure/Privacy Policy
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie Settings Accept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
Save & Accept
 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d

      Rate This Recipe

      Your vote:




      A rating is required
      A name is required
      An email is required