This carnitas seasoning is a simple blend of pantry spices that gives pork that bold, savory, slightly smoky flavor you expect from really good carnitas. It’s the exact mix I use when I want something that tastes slow-cooked and restaurant-level, without overthinking it.
You can mix it in 5 minutes and use it as a dry rub, stir it into shredded meat, or turn it into a quick marinade.
I use this on everything from pork shoulder to chicken tacos, and it’s one of those small things that makes dinner feel way easier and way more flavorful.
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.
How Much Seasoning Should You Use for Carnitas?
Use about 2 tablespoons of carnitas seasoning per pound of pork for the best flavor.
For the most flavorful carnitas:
- Rub the seasoning into the meat before cooking
- Cook it low and slow with orange or lime juice
- Broil it at the end for those crispy edges
If it tastes flat at the end, add a little more salt and a squeeze of citrus. That’s usually the missing piece.
Quick Tips and FAQs
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).
Yes, and I do this all the time. It works really well on chicken, ground turkey, steak, and even shrimp. I use it like taco seasoning for quick weeknight meals or sprinkle it over roasted veggies to add flavor fast.
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
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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.
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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
This is a great seasoning as a base for my family. You can add your own additional spice that your family really likes. I added chipotle powder as our family likes heat. It simply is a good base with well rounded flavor. I would use it again.
Perhaps I missed it, but it would be helpful to know how much of the seasoning mix you use per pound of carnitas.
Hi Jim! This covers a 3lb pork shoulder. I’ll make a note to make this more explicit in the instructions. Thanks!
Delicious! Perfect for pork, will try with beef! No fancy ingredients…just what I had!
Glad you loved it!
Great rub to use on any kind of meat
Great seasonings for pork not heat but flavor!!!
Thanks Nancy!
Tasty, I would recommend. I had between two and three pounds of pork butt roast cubes. I did about three quarter to four fifths of the recipe amount. I stirred it all together with chopped red onion since I don’t trouble to keep onion powder in the house anymore. I used lime juice and the Mexican oregano. After baking I removed the meat from the juice, shredded it, and added back in some of the juice to get desired moistness. I added this recipe to my recipe collection.
I don’t put paprika or garlic powder in my own version of Mexican seasoning (chili powder, anaheim chili powder, cumin, Mexican oregano, coriander, salt, some pepper), but this was good just how it was, was just right for the taste of pork on taco night. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for sharing, Stephanie!
I know you use some lime or orange juice how is that used
I put that in the recipe itself when I’m cooking the meat!
I omitted the salt and used this to fry some SPAM. Cubed it, fried it, then served it over some white rice. Delicious!!
How much meat would the seasoning cover?
Hey Ron! This covers a 3lb pork shoulder. Thanks!
7 lbs
Excellent recipe, makes amazing Carnitas!
I will be using this more often now that I have found it.
Thank you