Carnitas En Salsa Verde
These saucy carnitas simmer in a bright, homemade salsa verde made from charred tomatillos, serrano chiles, and fresh cilantro until every piece of pork is soaked in tangy, smoky flavor. It's a fast, satisfying way to transform store-bought carnitas into something that tastes completely homemade! Perfect for taco night with warm tortillas and all the fixings.
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Homemade Salsa Verde:
- 1 lb fresh tomatillos, husked and rinsed
- 1 serrano chile or 2 jalapeños, stems removed
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- ½ white onion, roughly chopped
- 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
- ½ tsp cumin
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
For the Carnitas:
- 2 lbs premade or store-bought carnitas
- 2 cups chicken broth
- Salt, to taste
For Serving:
- Warm corn tortillas
- Fresh cilantro
- Diced white onion
- Lime wedges
- Queso fresco, sliced
Instructions
- Heat a large dry skillet over high heat until screaming hot. Add the tomatillos, serranos, onion, and garlic cloves directly onto the dry skillet. Char everything, turning occasionally, until blistered and charred on all sides, about 8–12 minutes total.
- Transfer the charred tomatillos, serranos, onion, and garlic to a blender. Add the cilantro, lime juice, salt, and cumin and blend on high until completely smooth.
- Heat the oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Pour the blended salsa verde directly into the hot oil and cook for 5–6 minutes until the salsa darkens slightly. Pour in the chicken broth and stir to combine.
- Add the store-bought carnitas directly into the skillet and roughly break them apart with a cooking spoon. Stir to coat every piece in the salsa verde, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 8–10 minutes until the carnitas have absorbed the salsa and the sauce has thickened slightly. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
- Serve with warm corn tortillas, fresh cilantro, diced white onion, lime wedges, and sliced queso fresco on the side.
Notes
- Char the tomatillos until they’re deeply blistered on all sides, that charred flavor is the backbone of the salsa and what separates it from a raw blended version.
- Frying the blended salsa in hot oil before adding the broth concentrates the flavor and deepens the color, so don’t skip that step.
- Store-bought carnitas vary in salt levels, so taste the dish after simmering before adding more salt. It may already be perfectly seasoned from the pork alone.
- Simmer long enough for the carnitas to absorb the salsa rather than just sit in it. The pork should be saucy and glazed, not swimming in liquid.
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