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A burrito bowl filled with Chipotle copycat Carnitas, white rice, black beans, salsa, and fajita veggies.
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Chipotle Carnitas Copycat

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.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 20 minutes
Servings 16 servings
Calories 152kcal
Author Meggan Hill

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

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.

Video

Notes

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Yield: This Chipotle Carnitas recipe makes about 6 cups, enough for 12 servings, 1/2 cup each. Your exact yield depends on the piece of pork you buy (its weight and fat content).
  4. Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5 cup | Calories: 152kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 74mg | Potassium: 384mg | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg