Carnitas Street Tacos
Mexican food is one of my eternal favorites. As much as I have a soft spot for American-style tacos, (crispy shells, ground beef, shredded lettuce; the kind you grow up with) there’s something deeper and more satisfying about traditional Mexican recipes that slow down and do things properly. These carnitas street tacos are exactly that kind of recipe.
Pork shoulder is gently braised until spoon-tender in Mexican Coca-Cola and garlic, then crisped just enough to give you those golden, caramelized edges that make carnitas irresistible. It’s the contrast that makes them special: rich but not heavy, tender but textured, deeply savory with just a hint of sweetness.
If you’ve tried my Vampiro Tacos, you’ll recognize the theme here—simple ingredients, thoughtful technique, and a result that tastes like it came from a street stand you wish you lived closer to. These tacos are unfussy, deeply flavorful, and meant to be eaten standing at the counter with lime juice dripping down your wrist.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Slow-braised pork that turns meltingly tender and crisps beautifully at the edges
- A classic street-taco approach that feels special without being complicated
- Mexican Coke adds subtle sweetness, acidity, and caramelization, not soda flavor
- Perfect for weeknight tacos or feeding a crowd without stress
What You’ll Walk Away Knowing
- How to braise pork so it stays juicy but never soggy
- The secret to crisping carnitas without drying them out
- Why using a little of the braising liquid matters more than you think
Ingredient List
Boneless Pork Shoulder: You can get a bone-in pork shoulder as well; you’ll just have to cut around the bone. You can also use a boston butt if you like a fattier cut.
Mexican Coca Cola: Mexican Coke is made with real cane sugar as opposed to high fructose corn syrup. It has a better flavor and is easy to find in most grocery stores.
How to Make Carnitas Street Tacos
How to Make Carnitas Meat
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Cut the pork shoulder into 2 inch cubes, season with salt and pepper on both sides, and place in a single layer in a baking pan or Dutch oven.
- Drop in whole garlic cloves around the pork then pour in the Mexican Coca Cola.
- Go up to the top of the pork with the coke without going over. If you need more liqud to come up to the top of the pork, add water
- Cover with a double layer of foil or Dutch oven lid and bake in the middle rack for 2 ½ -3 hours
- Once the meat has braised, we crisp it up. If you use a dutch oven, place it on a burner of medium heat. If you use a baking pan, preheat a skillet to medium heat. Break the chunks of meat a bit with tongs.
- Add ½ cup of braising liquid to the skillet, it will sizzle so be careful. Add carnitas meat and let it cook for about 5 minutes until the liquid reduces down and crisps the edges of the meat a bit
Make the Tomatillo Avocado Salsa
- Place 4 tomatillos, 1 Serrano pepper, 3 garlic cloves, ½ cup diced onion, 1 cup cilantro, and 1 ½ teaspoons salt into a blender or food processor.
- Blend for 2 minutes until liquified.
- Cut 1 avocado in half and scoop into the blender or food processor.
- Blend for one minute more to allow the avocado to incorporate into the sauce.
- Scrape down the sides if needed.
- Taste and check to see if it needs more salt.
- Pour tomatillo avocado salsa into a dish or squeeze bottle and serve.
Make the Diced Onion Topping
- Finely dice one white onion to yield about 1 cup and place it in a bowl.
- Add chopped cilantro, a pinch of salt, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
- Stir to combine and set aside.
Assemble the Tacos
- Warm the tortillas on a dry skillet until soft and lightly blistered.
- Top each tortilla with 2–3 tongfuls of carnitas.
- Finish with the diced onion mixture and tomatillo avocado salsa.
- Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side.
Expert Tips
- Don’t rush the braise. The low, covered oven time is what breaks down the connective tissue. If the pork isn’t fork-tender, it’s not ready—give it more time.
- Resist the urge to drain everything. The braising liquid is liquid gold. You don’t want the meat swimming, but you do want enough to reduce and glaze the pork when crisping.
- Crisp in batches if needed. Overcrowding the pan traps steam and prevents browning. Give the pork space to sizzle.
- Use two tortillas if you’re serving guests. Street tacos are small for a reason, and doubling up keeps them from falling apart once the meat and salsa go on.
Storage & Reheating
- Store leftover carnitas in an airtight container with some of the braising liquid for up to 4 days.
- Reheat in a skillet, not the microwave. Add a splash of the reserved liquid, let it bubble, then allow it to reduce so the meat heats through and re-crisps at the edges.
- Carnitas also freeze well. Freeze with a little liquid, thaw overnight, and reheat the same way.
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve Carnitas Street Tacos with refried beans and yellow rice—simple sides that soak up flavor and turn tacos into a relaxed, deeply satisfying meal.
If you want to change up the toppings, fermented pico de gallo adds brightness and depth, while guacamole brings a creamy contrast that plays beautifully against the crisp, caramelized pork.
FAQs
Mexican Coke has real cane sugar as opposed to regular Coke that has high fructose corn syrup. The acid breaks down and tenderizes the meat. The sugar imparts flavor and allows the meat to crisp when cooking in a skillet.
You can use regular Coke. I have in the past, but the meat doesn’t crisp up as much as when I use Mexican coke.
Do not drain the liquid. After braising, you can pour off some of the liquid, but save it to use to reheat leftovers. Cooking the pork in the juices allows the edges to be crisped up and reduces the braising liquid, which will make it more intensely flavored.
Use any leftover braising liquid to reheat the meat. Heat a skillet on medium heat and add the braising liquid to it. Add the meat and break it into bits. Allow it to bubble and reduce until the meat is heated through.
If recipes like this make you want to cook with a little more intention—and eat tacos standing at the counter because they’re too good to wait—I’d love to have you in my newsletter.
That’s where I share the things that don’t always fit neatly into a recipe card: small technique shifts, flavor ideas, and the kind of kitchen confidence that comes from doing things once, then doing them better the next time. You’ll also get first dibs on new recipes and a say in what I make next.
Pull up a chair. Or don’t… street tacos are meant to be eaten standing.
The Bluster and the Burrow
Carnitas Street Tacos
Equipment
- Dutch Oven optional
Ingredients
Carnitas
- 4 lb boneless pork shoulder
- 12 oz Mexican Coca Cola
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 7 fermented garlic cloves
Diced Onions
- 1 white onion diced
- 3 tablespoons cilantro chopped
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
Tomatillo Avocado Salsa
- 4 tomatillos cut into quarters
- 1 Serrano pepper rough chop
- 3 garlic cloves fermented
- ½ cup onion diced
- 1 cup cilantro rough chop
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 avocado
Assemble the Tacos
- 1/4 cup carnitas meat
- 1 tortillas
- 2 tablespoons tomatillo salsa
- 2 tablespoons diced onions
Instructions
Cook the Carnitas Meat
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Cut the pork shoulder into 2 inch cubes, season with salt and pepper on both sides, and place in a single layer in a baking pan or Dutch oven.
- Drop in whole garlic cloves around the pork then pour in the Mexican Coca Cola.
- Go up to the top of the pork with the coke without going over. If you need more liqud to come up to the top of the pork, add water
- Cover with a double layer of foil or Dutch oven lid and bake in the middle rack for 2 ½ -3 hours
- Once the meat has braised, we crisp it up. If you use a dutch oven, place it on a burner of medium heat. If you use a baking pan, preheat a skillet to medium heat. Break the chunks of meat a bit with tongs.
- Add ½ cup of braising liquid to the skillet, it will sizzle so be careful. Add carnitas meat and let it cook for about 5 minutes until the liquid reduces down and crisps the edges of the meat a bit
Make the Tomatillo Avocado Salsa
- Place 4 tomatillos, 1 Serrano pepper, 3 garlic cloves, ½ cup diced onion, 1 cup cilantro, and 1 ½ teaspoons salt into a blender or food processor.
- Blend for 2 minutes until liquified.
- Cut 1 avocado in half and scoop into the blender or food processor.
- Blend for one minute more to allow the avocado to incorporate into the sauce.
- Scrape down the sides if needed.
- Taste and check to see if it needs more salt.
- Pour into a dish or squeeze bottle and serve.
Make the Diced Onions
- Dice one white onion for 1 cup of onions and place in a bowl
- Chop cilantro and add it
- Add salt and lime juice
- Stir and serve
Assembling the Tacos
- Heat a tortilla on a dry skillet
- Place 2-3 tongs of carnitas meat onto the tortilla
- Add diced onions and tomatillo avocado salsa
- Serve with sliced limes on the side
Notes
- Don’t rush the braise. The low, covered oven time is what breaks down the connective tissue. If the pork isn’t fork-tender, it’s not ready—give it more time.
- Resist the urge to drain everything. The braising liquid is liquid gold. You don’t want the meat swimming, but you do want enough to reduce and glaze the pork when crisping.
- Crisp in batches if needed. Overcrowding the pan traps steam and prevents browning. Give the pork space to sizzle.
- Use two tortillas if you’re serving guests. Street tacos are small for a reason, and doubling up keeps them from falling apart once the meat and salsa go on.
Storage & Reheating
- Store leftover carnitas in an airtight container with some of the braising liquid for up to 4 days.
- Reheat in a skillet, not the microwave. Add a splash of the reserved liquid, let it bubble, then allow it to reduce so the meat heats through and re-crisps at the edges.
- Carnitas also freeze well—freeze with a little liquid, thaw overnight, and reheat the same way.
This recipe is a great stepping stone from white people tacos to the real thing. I hope you enjoy it!