Sous Vide Carnitas are so moist and tender on the inside and crispy on the edges! This recipe is a foolproof and no-fuss way to cook the Mexican pulled pork to the perfect texture, as you can set the temperature precisely to your desired doneness. There is no chance of overcooking. It’s completely a game-changer!

This delicious and comforting sous vide pork carnitas recipe can be made ahead of time. Serve them with tortillas, burritos, quesadillas, or even salad. So delicious!

Featured On Best Sous Vide Recipes

What is Sous Vide?

Also known as low-temperature-long-time cooking, Sous vide is a French cooking technique where the food is vacuum-sealed in a bag, and then cooked to a precise temperature in a warm water bath for a long time. 

Why Sous Vide Carnitas?

Compared to traditional methods using crock pot, instant pot, or oven, sous vide carnitas are much more tender and juicier with a completely melt-in-your-mouth texture. Yes, it takes longer to cook, but it’s TOTALLY worth the wait! 

It’s actually quite easy to make, and your sous vide machine will do most of the work. Try this once, and you will never go back to the old way!

Equipment For Sous Vide Pork Carnitas

• Sous Vide Immersion Circulator
• Vacuum Sealer and Sous Vide Bags: Or zip-loc bags
• A Large Pot or Container
• Kitchen Tongs
• Baking Sheet

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Pork: My favorite is pork shoulder (either bone-in or boneless); you can also use pork butt or Boston butt. Trim the excess fat off before seasoning.
• Beer: Beer gives this dish bolder and better flavors. You can substitute chicken stock, or use Coca Cola for a sweeter taste.
• Lime juice and orange juice: The acidity from the juices tenderizes the meat, producing an incredibly fall-apart texture. 
• Dry seasonings: The combination of cumin, paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper gives this dish a true Mexican flavor. 
• Garlic: Use smashed fresh garlic for the best results.
• Toppings: Fresh cilantro and chopped onions are classic toppings for tacos, and are also my favorite. 

How to Sous Vide Carnitas with Step-By-Step Photos

Step 1: Season the pork

Whisk together dry seasoning ingredients until combined. Season the pork with the seasoning on all sides. Add orange juice, lemon juice and beer in another bowl, mix well. Add the seasoned pork together with the juices into a zip-lock bag.

Step 2: Vacuum seal and sous vide cook

Vacuum seal the bag using the “water displacement” technique. Place the bag in sous vide warm water bath and cook at 160 °F (71°C) for about 18 hours.

Step 3: Shred the pork

Once the pork shoulder is cooked, remove it from the bag and shred it with two forks.

Step 4: Broil and serve

Spread the shredded pork on a large baking sheet, and spoon about 1 cup of juices from the bag on top of the meat evenly. Broil on high heat for 5-10 minutes until the edges are golden and crispy.

Add toppings such as cilantro and chopped onions. Serve warm on tacos, burritos or salad. 

Pro Tips

• You’ll need to season generously before sous vide cooking your pork. 
• Check the water level frequently during the cooking to make sure your meat is fully submerged at any given time. 
• Choose a well-marbled pork shoulder for this recipe, as it will produce the best pork carnitas.
• Be patient, as this recipe takes a long time to cook. But it’s totally worth the wait! 

Temperature And Time Chart

Sous vide allows you to cook your pork shoulder to your desired doneness, with a wide range of cooking time. You will get different textures with different temperature settings.

I have tested this recipe many times and my favorite setting is to cook at 160°F / 71°C for 18 hours. If you’d like to try other settings, you can follow the chart below:

Sous Vide Carnitas Temperature	Cooking Time	Texture
145°F / 63°C	24 to 36 hours	Super tender and moist, and cannot be easily shredded with forks.
160°F / 71°C	16 to 24 hours	Tender and moist, and shreddable with forks.
185°F / 85°C	12 to 16 hours	Close to traditional texture with meat easily fall off the bones (tastes slightly dry)

How To Shred The Meat

Simply use two forks to pull the meat apart. Pro tip: you can add a cup of juices from the bag on top of your shredded pork and toss to combine. This will make your carnitas extra juicy and tasty. 

Make It Ahead

Follow the instructions to sous vide the pork. After sous vide cooking, transfer the meat into ice water. Place them in an air-tight container or zip-lock bag and then store them in the refrigerator.

You can sear it quickly whenever you are ready to serve. 

Variations

This recipe is very versatile and you can easily customize your own carnitas tacos: 

• Taco shell: I used soft flour tortillas, but you can use hard corn shells for a crispy and crunchy carnitas taco. For a low-carb option, you can substitute lettuce leaves.
• Flavor: Feel free to add diced jalapeño or chili flakes into the bag to make it spicy, or add liquid smoke to make it smoky.
• Other topping ideas: You can also add sour cream, coleslaw, avocado, guacamole, and relish. Get creative!

Ways To Use Shredded Pulled Pork

There are so many delicious ways to use shredded pulled pork. You can add them to some of my favorite dishes below: 

• Tacos
• Burritos
• Quesadillas
• Sandwiches
• Soups
• Salads
• Nachos

FAQs

Can you overcook pork carnitas?

While you cannot overcook pork carnitas with sous vide, it’s best not to leave it in the sous vide water bath for too long, as it can become mushy.

How to reheat leftover carnitas with sous vide

I like to reheat my leftovers with sous vide, as it keeps my pork tender and juicy.

Simply vacuum seal the leftovers and place them into a preheated water bath at around 160°F ( 71°C) for about 30-45 minutes. 

More Sous Vide Recipes

• Sous Vide Boneless Pork Chops
• Sous Vide Pork Chops
• Sous Vide Pork Shoulder
• Sous Vide Pork Loin
• All Sous Vide Recipes

I hope you like this recipe. If you try it, please comment below and let me know how your Sous Vide Carnitas turn out!