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Make this Chipotle Carnitas Copycat recipe at home to fill tacos, burritos, or a homemade Chipotle Burrito Bowl. All you need is one secret ingredient and a slow cooker or Instant Pot for delicious, authentic carnitas.
Making copycat Chipotle carnitas is as easy as checking their website. There, you can learn that their not-so-secret ingredient is juniper berries, a piney-tasting spice for the juniper tree.
Beyond the berries, you need just a bay leaf, thyme, water, and a piece of pork. Pork becomes meltingly tender in a slow cooker or instant pot, and I have both methods listed below. Once you know how to make Chipotle Carnitas, build out your bowl with the rest of the Chipotle Copycat menu.
Chipotle Carnitas are great in burritos and burrito bowls, tacos, salads, and your next batch of meal prep. Or, add an American twist with your favorite barbecue sauce and enjoy on grilled garlic bread. Tex-Mex, anyone?
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Pork: Look for a boneless pork roast or bone-in pork butt roast. Depending on where you live, it could be called pork butt, pork shoulder, Boston butt, or Boston shoulder. These heavy-duty cuts of pork have a high fat content which translates to more flavor. That’s why carnitas are so, so good.
- Juniper berries: While most Carnitas recipes use citrus juice, readers agree that piney juniper berries really make all the difference. Hunt these down to replicate the flavors you get at Chipotle. You can find them at many grocery stores or buy juniper berries on Amazon.
Step-by-step instructions
- Season all sides of pork liberally with salt and pepper and place in slow cooker. To the bottom of the slow cooker, add water, bay leaves, thyme, and juniper berries.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 to 6 hours, or LOW for 8 to 10 hours. The meat should be tender and fall apart easily. Transfer pork to a large bowl and shred with two forks.
- Skim fat off liquid in slow cooker if desired. Discard juniper berries and any thyme sprig stems. Serve shredded pork in tacos, burritos, salads, and burrito bowls.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This Chipotle Carnitas recipe makes about 6 cups, enough for 12 servings, ½ cup each. Your exact yield depends on the piece of pork you buy (its weight and fat content).
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: Feel free to get a head start; this recipe can be made entirely up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated until you’re ready to serve. Reheat the meat (more tips below) until an instant-read thermometer reads 165 degrees.
- Freezer: Pop leftover Chipotle Pork into an airtight, freezer-safe container and put it on ice for up to 6 to 8 months.
- Reheating: When reheating frozen or cold pulled pork, the easiest way is to use your slow cooker. Reheat pork on LOW until it reaches 165 degrees, using a little broth or water to thin out the sauce, if necessary. To reheat pulled pork in the oven, place it in an oven-safe baking dish and cover with foil. Bake at a low temperature of 250 degrees, until the meat registers 165 degrees. Or, microwave individual portions in 1-minute increments.
- Spices: Chipotle uses juniper berries, thyme, and a bay leaf for their pork. However, you can easily switch up the spices to use your favorites. Cumin and Mexican oregano are great on pork, or try my all-purpose pork spice blend made with garlic powder, coriander, paprika, and fennel.
- Instant pot carnitas: Add the ingredients to the pot and cook on high pressure for 45-55 minutes with a 15 minute natural release. Remove the juniper berries, bay leaves, and thyme with a slotted spoon. Follow the instructions for browning, using the SAUTÉ function in the pressure cooker, the broiler, or on the stove.
- Oven-baked carnitas: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a Dutch oven (or other large heavy-bottomed pot) over medium high heat, add a bit of olive oil and sear the seasoned meat on all sides. Add thyme, water, bay leaves, and juniper berries. Put the lid on the pot, place it in the oven, and cook for 4 hours – or until the meat comes apart easily. Remove the juniper berries, bay leaves, and thyme with a slotted spoon. Follow the instructions for browning, using the broiler, or a skillet on the stove.
- For carnitas with crispy edges:
- In a large skillet over high heat, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil until shimmering. Add pork in batches (3 to 4 batches), along with about 2 tablespoons juice from slow cooker (or chicken broth), and cook without moving until browned on one side.
- Toss the pork to flip and brown the other side briefly (you want both crispy and soft pieces), until all the juice has evaporated. Return to slow cooker and repeat with remaining pork. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to the Chipotle ingredient statement, their carnitas are made with pork, sunflower oil, bay leaves, thyme, juniper berries, salt, and black pepper.
Both corn tortillas and flour tortillas are perfect for enjoying carnitas. Soft corn tortillas are the more traditional choice for tacos in Mexico, but large burrito-sized flour tortillas are more appropriate for burritos.
The closest substitute for juniper berries is allspice berries. Add them whole to your slow cooker for different (yet delicious) flavor.
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Chipotle Carnitas Copycat
Ingredients
- 1 (3 ½ to 4 pound) pork butt roast fat cap trimmed to 1/8-inch (see note 1)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 large sprig fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoons whole juniper berries (see note 2)
Instructions
- Season all sides of pork liberally with salt and pepper and place in slow cooker. To the bottom of the slow cooker, add water, bay leaves, thyme, and juniper berries.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 to 6 hours, or LOW for 8 to 10 hours. The meat should fall apart easily.
- Transfer pork to a large bowl and shred with two forks. Skim fat off liquid in slow cooker if desired. Discard juniper berries and any thyme sprig stems. Serve shredded pork in tacos, burritos, salads, and burrito bowls.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Pork: Look for a boneless or bone-in pork butt roast. Depending on where you live, it could be called pork butt, pork shoulder, Boston butt, or Boston shoulder. These heavy-duty cuts of pork have a high fat content which translates to more flavor. That’s why carnitas are so, so good.
- Juniper berries: While most Carnitas recipes use citrus juice, readers agree that piney juniper berries really make all the difference. Hunt these down to replicate the flavors you get at Chipotle. You can find them at many grocery stores or buy juniper berries on Amazon.
- Yield: This Chipotle Carnitas recipe makes about 6 cups, enough for 12 servings, ½ cup each. Your exact yield depends on the piece of pork you buy (its weight and fat content).
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
We love this recipe. So simple and tasty.
I’m so happy you all love it, Jenny! Thank you for taking the time to write! Take care. – Meggan
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I love the way this pork is seasoned. Now, I can make it at home – I am not a hot spice lover this is so appreciated!!!!
You’re so welcome, MO! Take care! – Meggan
Fantastic as is! TY! TY! TY! Needs the creamy beans with the crispy meat. Making you beans tomorrow!
Hi Kathy, thank you so much for your comment. You’re welcome! – Meggan
I have been making this for a few years and always mean to comment. It is delicious, simple and tastes just like Chipotle! I would never have known to use juniper berries. Thank you so much for sharing!
Hi Tricia, you’re welcome! Glad you love it! – Meggan
Tastes just like Chipotle’s carnitas! Great job on this recipe – I am soooo happy I found this!! For me, I only had 2 lbs of pork defrosted, and used the Instant Pot, so I did high pressure at 34 minutes, with 15 minutes natural release, with a half cup of water. I added more juniper berries and thyme (like almost double) than the recipe called for, but it tasted right. The thicker piece of meat did not shred as easily, so I used a knife to slice it with the grain. It’s great, the meat stayed moist, and I skipped the browning step (as I haven’t seen them do browning at Chipotle). I had once tried the slow cooker method with someone else’s carnitas recipe, and it turned out too dry. For someone who was complaining about the outside being tasty, but the middle being bland – at the time of shredding, you can taste test the shredded meat, and just sprinkle more salt on. This was simple and delicious. Now I just need to get the rice to water ratio right for my rice cooker for your equally yummy cilantro lime rice. THANK YOU! (I found your recipe by typing ‘carnitas juniper berries’ because I noticed Chipotle uses juniper berries.)
Hi Ellen, thank you so much for your comment! I’m so happy that you were able to adjust it to your liking and adapt it as well! You’re so welcome! – Meggan
So simple and delicious!
Happy you loved it, Sarah! – Meggan
Delicious!!! I make this about once a month, and have for many years. So easy to throw together before leaving for work.
I’m so glad you love this! Take care! – Meggan