30-minute carnitas tacos

quick and simple

Click here for the WTC recipe index! And, as always, there’s a link to a printer-friendly PDF of this recipe down at the bottom of the post.

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Carnitas are one of the first recipes that I really mastered. I absolutely love them. Slow-roasted pork butt seasoned really simply and cooked in citrus so that it becomes incredibly flavorful and tender.

They have been my go-to for countless dinner parties, tiny carnitas tacos were on my menu when I had a catering company in San Diego, and there’s even a recipe for chipotle carnitas in Just Married. I’m telling you — I. Love. Carnitas.

The only problem? They take hours and hours to cook. A few years ago I came up with this version that cooks them in about two hours instead of four to six, but a two hour cook time is not a timeframe I’m interested in when I *don’t feel like cooking.*

But this week I had a lightbulb moment: I could use the exact same cooking method that we used for the beloved 30-minute bo ssam to make 30-minute carnitas! Instead of using fatty pork butt, we use lean pork tenderloin, which takes just minutes to cook.

It’s not traditional, but it is delightful, and I can’t wait for y’all to make them.

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i’m not in the mood for tacos

What?! Is that even a thing? But fine. Here’s what to do with your carnitas instead:

• Make burrito bowls! Cook a big pot of rice, sauté some thinly sliced bell peppers and onions, and make Chipotle-style burrito bowls.

• Lettuce wraps!

• Just serve the carnitas as your meat main dish with a side of roasted or sautéed vegetables. They’d be great with roasted potatoes or sweet potatoes and a big leafy salad.

• Carnitas quesadillas: Tons of cheese, tons of meat, sprinkle some cilantro in there. I made a lot of carnitas quesadillas with leftovers from testing and they are DELISH.

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picked red onions are life

Yes, you’ve seen this recipe for pickled red onions before! They are a perfect zippy, crunchy topping, and you’ll probably see them here again! They made their debut in the recipe for chipotle black bean flautas. A different P.R.O recipe popped up in the Souvla salad. Might I recommend throwing either or both of those recipes on your meal plan this week so that you can make good use of those pink beauties?!

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how do i warm up tortillas?

Never serve your tortillas cold, they’ll be very dry. Here are my favorite ways to warm them:

• Over the gas burner: turn your gas burner onto medium and cook the tortillas for about 30 seconds (or until lightly charred) per side. Use tongs to flip them over.

• In the microwave: wrap about 10 tortillas in a slightly damp paper towel or clean kitchen towel. Microwave for 45 seconds, or until warm.

• In the oven: wrap about 10 tortillas in aluminum foil, then warm them for 15 minutes in a 300°F oven.

• Cheesy tortillas: this is the most delicious, most time-consuming method. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of shredded cheese such as cheddar into a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Place the tortilla over top of the cheese. Once it has melted and stuck to the tortilla, flip it over for another 20 seconds or so to heat the other side. YUMMM.

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30-minute carnitas tacos

Serves 4

~30 to 45 minutes active cooking time