One of my favorite ways to enjoy carnitas is in a low carb bowl with all kinds of sides. Combine the carnitas with beans, salsa, pickled onions, avocados and lime and you have the Ultimate Low Carb Carnitas Bowl.
Quick Summary: Pork shoulder braised with orange, thyme, and spices until tender, then seared until crispy. Serve in tacos or as a slow-carb burito bowl with beans, avocado, and pickled onions. Prep: 30 min | Cook: 2+ hours | Serves: 10
Jump to: RECIPE | What are Carnitas? | Building the Bowl | Searing Carnitas | Cooking with Lard | FAQ
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What are Carnitas?
Carnitas means “little meats,” but the name doesn’t really describe it. Carnitas is pork shoulder that has been braised slowly with orange juice and spices until fall-apart tender, then seared in a hot skillet until the edges crisp and caramelize.
The key to the carnitas is the final searing step. After the long braise, spread the shredded meat in a hot skillet with a little lard and let it sit undisturbed until crispy on the bottom.
That crispy layer is what elevates carnitas from ordinary braised pork to something memorable.
I serve carnitas two ways: in tacos with fresh tortillas for those who want them, or in low-carb bowls with refried beans, avocado, pickled onions, and lime.
I love Chipotle and will still opt for their burrito bowl (without the rice) if I’m out and about, but if you have the time for cooking carnitas, this low carb carnitas bowl puts Chipotle to shame.
Interested in the Slow Carb Diet? Check out this comprehensive E-Guide on Fat Loss through a Slow Carb Diet.
What Makes Great Carnitas?
Three elements define excellent carnitas:
The braise: Pork shoulder simmers with orange juice and zest, thyme, bay leaves, and spices until completely tender. This takes about 2 hours.
The sear: After braising, the meat is spread in a hot skillet and cooked until crispy on the bottom. This step is essential and often skipped at restaurants.
The fat: Traditional carnitas use lard for both browning and searing. Lard has a high smoke point, adds flavor, and creates better crispiness than oil.
How do You Modify Burrito Bowls for Low Carb?
The carnitas themselves are naturally low-carb. The challenge is what you serve them with.
Carnitas bowls often include corn and rice (and of course tortillas). These ingredients are not considered low carb, slow carb or keto however, and they aren’t really necessary for a flavor-packed bowl.
If you really love tortillas and still want a low carb dish, you can try store-bought low carb tortillas or this homemade recipe.
Building the Ultimate Carnitas Bowl
As noted above, there are plenty of slow carb options for making great burrito bowls. Here is how I build my favorite low-carb burrito bowl:
Layer your bowl with:
- Base: Refried beans. This recipe for refried beans from Serious Eats is excellent.
- Protein: Seared carnitas: Here is my recipe for perfect seared carnitas.
- Creamy: Sliced avocado or guacamole
- Tangy: Pickled onions (essential). Here is a quick recipe for pickled onions.
- Fresh: Homemade Salsa fresca (or other salsa), cilantro, lime wedges, radishes
- Spicy: Homemade Chile Oil (Salsa Macha), sliced jalapenos
- Optional: Store-bought Cotija or Oaxaca cheese
The pickled onions are non-negotiable. Their tangy crunch balances the rich pork perfectly.
Of course, the star ingredient is the pork carnitas. Please refer to my other more detailed recipe on and why using a bit of lard in doing so is compliant with low carb cooking.
How to Make Seared Carnitas
The detailed instructions are in the recipe card below. In short:
- Brown pork shoulder pieces in batches in a Dutch oven with lard.
- Remove meat, sauté onion and garlic in the drippings.
- Return meat, add orange zest and juice, water, thyme, bay leaves, oregano, salt, and chile spice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer 2 hours until very tender.
- Uncover and cook 15-20 more minutes until most liquid evaporates.
- When ready to serve, heat lard in a skillet, spread meat in a single layer, and cook undisturbed until crispy on the bottom (about 5 minutes).
How do You Cook with Lard?
Lard has an undeserved bad reputation. Some facts:
- Lard contains no trans fats
- It’s 60% monounsaturated fat (higher than butter at 45%)
- High smoke point (375°F) makes it ideal for searing
- Neutral flavor when properly rendered
For carnitas, lard creates better crispiness than oil. If you prefer not to use lard, refined olive oil or avocado oil work, but the results won’t be quite the same.
Similar Recipes You’ll Love
Mexican food is so easy to adapt to a low carb lifestyle! Here’s some other Mexican dishes that fit a low carb lifestyle:
- Spicy, smoky pumpkin ancho soup
- Mexican Fruit Salad with Ginger Lime Dressing
- Fideo Soup using shirataki noodles
- Slow Cooker Cochnita Pibil
Check out our Mexican Recipe catalog of recipes for over 70 recipes for street food, traditional Mexican fare, and Mexican celebration recipes.
FAQ
Yes. Brown the meat first, then transfer everything to the slow cooker on low for 8 hours. You’ll still need to sear in a skillet at the end for crispiness.
Yes. Pressure cook on high for 60-90 minutes depending on the size of your pork pieces. Finish by searing in a skillet.
The braised meat (before searing) keeps refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 3 months. Sear just before serving for best texture.
Boneless pork shoulder (also called pork butt). It has enough fat to stay moist during the long braise.
The sear creates crispy, caramelized edges that contrast with the tender interior. Without it, carnitas are just braised pork. With it, they’re exceptional.
Both are slow-cooked pork, but the seasonings differ. Carnitas use orange and Mexican spices. Cochinita pibil uses achiote paste and is traditionally wrapped in banana leaves.
Ultimate Low Carb Carnitas Bowl
Equipment
- microplane Or zester
Ingredients
- 1 orange
- 2 tablespoon lard olive oil if you must
- 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast cut into 1-2 inch pieces
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups water
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon chile pepper spice choose a spice that meets your heat preference
- 1 Tbsp lard or oil
For the Slow Carb Bowl
- 1 cup refried beans see notes to make from scratch
- 1 avocado sliced or cubed
- 2 limes cut into wedges for individual squeezing
- 1 cup pickled onions see link above to make from scratch
Instructions
- Zest an orange and then squeeze the juice from the orange. Add them together in a bowl and set aside.1 orange
- In a large Dutch oven (or heavy-bottomed pot), heat 2 Tbsp lard over medium-high. Add the meat, a little at a time, being careful not to crowd. Cook first layer of meat until browned, remove and cook next layer of meat until browned and then remove.2 tablespoon lard, 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast
- When meat is browned and removed to a plate, add the onion and garlic to the Dutch oven. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. Return meat.1/2 cup chopped onion, 3 cloves garlic
- Add the reserved orange zest and juice and the next 6 ingredients to the Dutch oven (through the chile pepper). Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and cover. Simmer for 2 hours.2 cups water, 4 sprigs fresh thyme, 2 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon chile pepper spice
- Bring back up to a gentle boil and cook, uncovered 15 to 20 minutes more or until most of the liquid is evaporated, stirring occasionally. Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaves and either go to the next step or store the meat until ready. The meat can be stored at this point in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- When ready to make the carnitas, heat 1 Tbsp lard over medium heat in a large skillet. Using a slotted spoon, remove the meat from the sauce and spread it in a single layer in the skillet. Cook 5 minutes or until meat starts to crisp, turning occasionally (may need to do this in batches).1 Tbsp lard
- Serve with refried beans, avocados (or guacamole), lime wedges, jalapeno pepper, and pickled onions.1 avocado, 2 limes, 1 cup pickled onions
Notes
Refried Beans (from scratch) for the Ultimate Carnitas Bowl
(Recipe from Serious Eats) COOKING WITH LARD Here are some of the documented benefits that I have been able to find including on the Coast Packaging web site:- Lard is not a typical saturated animal fat, because pure lard contains no trans fats.
- Lard is 60 per cent monounsaturated fat, which is associated with a decreased risk of heart disease, whereas butter is 45 per cent monounsaturated fat.
- Lard’s smoke point is high, about 190C (375F), making it the ideal frying oil because it makes fried food lighter, fluffier, and crispier in a shorter time, without burning and turning carcinogenic.
- Pork lard is odourless and tasteless when rendered properly.
- Lard and butter have the same trace amounts of cholesterol — about 95 milligrams per 100 grams of fat.
Dorothy Stainbrook says: 