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Level up your favorite Mexican dishes with this super simple homemade carnitas seasoning. It’s the key ingredient to making the best pork carnitas, but can also be used with chicken, steak, tacos, quesadillas and more. You only need simple pantry ingredients you likely have right now.
I love any Mexican recipe, but this crispy instant pot carnitas recipe is one of my favorites. The seasoning in that recipe is the inspiration for this one!
Carnitas is a traditional Mexican dish that consists of slow-cooked pork — usually pork shoulder (pork butt). To prepare carnitas, cook pork for several hours in a combination of seasonings and orange or lime juice.
I wanted to create the most flavorful seasoning for carnitas at home, so you can use it in carnitas, or to season your favorite Mexican food. Try it on carne asada tacos, shredded beef enchiladas, healthy chicken enchiladas, or ground pork tacos.
Need another homemade seasoning? Try elote seasoning, blackening seasoning, or steak seasoning!
Need a recipe for your carnitas seasoning? Try these Instant Pot Carnitas or make a Chipotle carnitas burrito at home.
What Is Carnitas Seasoning Made Of?
Here are the simple ingredients for this carnitas seasoning. A good seasoning blend is the secret great carnitas. Jump to recipe card for exact measurement.
- Ground cumin: Adds a warm and slightly nutty taste.
- Dried oregano: Slightly bitter and slightly sweet.
- Salt: We used Kosher salt for this recipe.
- Smoked paprika: Made from dried and smoked red bell peppers or chili peppers, it’s smoky and has a little heat.
- Garlic powder: Very pungent, but is milder than fresh garlic.
- Onion powder: Has a slightly sweet flavor that’s similar to cooked or caramelized onions.
- Chili powder: Popular in Southwestern dishes, it has an earthy and smoky profile.
- Black pepper: Gives a slight spice and adds depth to the blend of spices.
How to Make Carnitas Seasoning
Here are the simple steps to make carnita seasoning. Jump to the recipe card for printable instructions.
- Measure out all of the ingredients into a small bowl.
- Stir well to combine all of the spices. Use immediately or store in an airtight jar or plastic bag. Use as needed.
Quick Tips and FAQs
Really good carnitas have a generous amount of spices rubbed into the meat. To take the flavor to the next level, cook the meat slowly in orange or lime juice. To lock in all that flavor, sear the meat before cooking then broil it at the end. Color equals flavor! If you need more flavor after cooking, stir the spice blend into the meat, taste, and add more salt and acid as needed.
Yes, rub the carnitas seasoning into the pork before cooking. I like to sear the pork to create a crispy crust and lock in the juices. If your carnitas need a little extra flavor, you can mix in more of the blend at the end before you crisp it up.
The combination of tender meat, bold seasonings, and caramelization makes for the best carnitas. The seasoning for carnitas is a great start for extra flavor. Cook it low and slow until it’s tender and falls apart, then crisp it under the broil to add the caramelization to the edges (the crispy bits are my favorite).
Traditional carnitas are made with pork, but you can use this blend on chicken, beef, or even turkey.
Ways to Use this Carnita Seasoning
As a Dry Rub
Infuse flavor into the meat by rubbing a generous amount of the seasoning the raw meat before cooking. Follow the recipe to cook the meat! You could use this as a dry rub in some of my favorite recipes:
- Pork tenderloin tacos
- Shredded Mexican beef
- Sheet pan chicken fajitas
- Instant Pot carnitas
- Steak nachos
In a Marinade
This recipe is created as a dry rub, but you can mix 2-3 Tablespoons of it with 1/4 cup of olive oil to marinate a main dish. Follow our marinade tips for best results. Here are some recipes you could marinate:
Mixed into Ground Meat
Use this blend like taco seasoning and stir it into ground chicken, pork, or beef. Here are some recipes I love:
How to Store
We like to make a double or triple batch of it just to keep it on hand. Store in an airtight container like a mason jar in a cool, dry place for up to a year.
Use 2-4 Tablespoons of seasoning in your recipe. I use 3 1/2 Tablespoons of seasoning mix in my carnitas.
If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a star rating ★ below. You can also tag me on Instagram so I can see it!
Carnitas Seasoning
Save this Recipe!
Ingredients
- 3 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a small bowl and stir well.
- Use immediately or store in an airtight jar or plastic bag. Use as needed.
Equipment
- Small bowl
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How much meat would the seasoning cover?
Hey Ron! This covers a 3lb pork shoulder. Thanks!
7 lbs