chicken carnitas

Chicken carnitas made in the pressure cooker so they're quick and easy! We crisp them up in the broiler and they are perfect to meal prep and enjoy for the week!

Pressure Cooker Crispy Chicken Carnitas

chicken breasts (or thighs)

cumin

EACH chili powder AND dried oregano

salt and pepper

orange (about ¼ cup)

lime juice

chicken broth

garlic, pressed

yellow onion, quartered

chipotle pepper + 1-2 tablespoons adobo sauce

bay leaf

cilantro (stems included)

oil +

mayo

milk

chipotle peppers + 1 tablespoons adobo sauce

salt and garlic powder

Combine the cumin, chili powder, oregano, salt and...

Combine the cumin, chili powder, oregano, salt and pepper in a bowl. Sprinkle the seasons over the chicken breasts on both sides.

Heat the instant pot on the sauté setting....

Heat the instant pot on the sauté setting. Add a quick swish of oil and sear the chicken breasts on both sides for a minute on each side. Do this in batches so the chicken sears rather than steaming. Remove the chicken to a plate. Add the onions and pressed garlic, let cook 2 minutes flipping as needed to brown all sides evenly.

Add the chicken back into the pressure cooker...

Add the chicken back into the pressure cooker along with the orange zest, orange juice, lime juice, chicken broth, whole chipotle pepper(s), adobo sauce, bay leaf, and cilantro. Cover the instant pot and  let pressure cook on the 'chicken' setting for 8-10 minutes depending on the size of the chicken breast. Prepare the chipotle sauce while you wait for the chicken to cook. Allow the pressure to release naturally or turn to the 'vent' setting. Allow it to vent completely before removing the lid.

Position a rack in the center of the...

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to the 'broiler' setting. Remove the chicken breast to a clean surface and shred the chicken using 2 forks. Place in a large bowl and drizzle ¼ cup of  cooking liquid over the shredded chicken and toss to coat. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the oil over the surface of a baking sheet. Add the chicken and drizzle the second tablespoon of oil on top. Stir to coat evenly.

Broil the chicken for 10-12 minutes stopping half...

Broil the chicken for 10-12 minutes stopping half way to toss the chicken and drizzle another 1-2 tablespoons of cooking liquid. Rotate the pan for even broiling.

While the chicken is pressure cooking, add the...

While the chicken is pressure cooking, add the sauce ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.

Healthy Chicken Carnitas- cook these in an Instant Pot, on the stove top, or bake in a Dutch Oven with only 15 minutes of hands on time! Great for meal prepping -make ahead on Sunday then turn these into tacos, quesadillas, breakfast skillets, burrito bowls or nachos during the workweek!

 Chicken Carnitas Recipe (Instant Pot, Stove Top, Dutch Oven) 

onion- diced

garlic cloves- rough chopped

coriander

chili powder

salt

chipotle powder (optional-

water

soy sauce

apple cider vinegar (or lime juice)

oregano

green chilies (optional)

lbs chicken- boneless, skinless chicken breast

If baking, preheat oven to 400F (See notes for instant pot)

Heat oil in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, saute 2 minutes, stirring. Add garlic, turn heat to medium, saute 4-5 minutes until fragrant and golden and onions are tender. Add spices and salt, toasting for 1-2 minutes

Add water, soy and vinegar. Add oregano and optional green chilies. Stir.

Place chicken in the liquid. At this point, you could place all in your instant pot (see notes below).

Bring to a simmer. Cover and either simmer on the stove on med-low for 45 minutes or place in the hot oven.

 If cooking breasts, check at 35-40 minutes, they may be done depending on thickness and size. Thighs will need the whole 45 minutes, perhaps a little more, again, depending on size.

You&#8217;ll know if the meat is done when it&#8217;s 165-170F, or when it is tender and shreds easily with two forks. Shred the meat, then simmer gently on the stove until some of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 -10 more minutes.

If you like very crispy carnitas, simmer until all the liquid is gone, and/ or drain well, then pan sear in oil to crisp, or place on a sheet pan and broil in the oven.

This sounds amazing and  is so simple and easily will ibecome a new favorite! Thanj you very much for sharing this recipe :)

Super delicious. Loved the crispiness by searing with a bacon press.

Delicious and easy - high protein, low fat. The chicken is a great base for salads. I think it would make a good sandwich with spicy chipotle mayo.

Fabulous flavor. This is a new family favorite.   Can't wait to try it in a Dutch oven over the fire next time we go camping.

Made this tonight in an Instant Pot using pork shoulder cut in cubes. Doubled the green chilies. Served with cilantro lime rice, sliced spinach, tomatoes, black beans and grilled corn. Hubs went back for seconds! Such an adaptable recipe and so flavorful! Sylvia, your recipes are all fantastic!

These chicken carnitas were AMAZING! My family could not stop eating them, so there will only be enough for lunches tomorrow. Huge hit!!
I used boneless skinless thighs and made them in the IP in the morning, put the pot in the fridge and reheated in a DO on the stovetop.
This recipe is a keeper.

My family loved this recipe. I cooked it on our gas range in a Dutch oven and the chicken was perfect - juicy and just fell apart. I did short the salt by a half teaspoon and added the optional chilies. Delicious!

Quick and tasty dinner, with plenty of leftovers.  The chicken comes out very moist and tender, perfectly seasoned.   I made it on the stove top and served it as fajitas.  Avocados, bell peppers, cilantro, tomatoes, black beans, red onion and fire roasted salsa.

This was SO good! We made tacos paired with a simple slaw of cabbage, carrots, jalapeno, red onion, lots of lime juice and a wonderful dollop of guac! I'll definitely be making this in regular rotation. Your recipes are always so amazing. Thank you for having this site and sharing them with us.

I made this tonight using the Instant Pot; it was delicious.   The chicken had great flavor.  
I have tried a few of your other recipes as well and everything has been spot on, fresh and super tasty!

Easy and great tasting! I do mine in a slow cooker.

We made this in our new Morso Dutch oven yesterday. Very tasty and we will make it again. Looking forward to trying some of your other recipes.

loved it!!!!!
It was to perfection. Absolutely delicious. I used my Le Creuset, put it in the oven and the chicken was juicy and tender.
Thank you :)

We’re not huge lovers of pork in our home so I had a pork roast lingering in the freezer that I was avoiding.  I subbed it for the chicken in this recipe and it was delicious!  Definitely the best use for that dreaded pork roast.   We made tacos the first night (I did crisp up the carnitas with a few jalapeños in a pan) and we all ate a little too much. But we had enough leftover for some carnitas pizzas a few nights later.  I’m going to make this again with chicken just so I can do the breakfast idea above.  It really is such a versatile ingredient.  I’m having another baby soon and I plan to make a big batch to divide and put in the freezer for easy meals post baby.

Phenomenal. We have made this 4x already in my family in the last month. We omit the green chilis because we are in Switzerland and you cant find those here. The flavor is excellent and great for a Keto Family like us!

This recipe has the tasty flavor of pork carnitas, only they are a healthier option since the meat is replaced by chicken.

chicken

garlics, filleted

onion, filleted

herbs de provence

cola drink

orange juice

lard

corn tortillas

black pepper

These Chicken Carnitas are the perfect easy dinner for any night of the week. Seasoned with lime juice, cilantro, and spices, this is a healthy meal option for busy families! Instructions for making them in the slow cooker and the Instant Pot are included below!

Chicken Carnitas Recipe

chicken broth ()

lime juice, (divided (about 3 limes))

coarse kosher salt

garlic

cilantro, (for serving)

Add the chicken, chicken broth, 1 tablespoon lime juice, chili powder, ground cumin, salt, minced garlic and dried oregano to the slow cooker.

Mix together with a large spoon, cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Transfer chicken to a plate and shred with a fork. Transfer shredded chicken back to the slow cooker and add in remaining 4 tablespoons lime juice and chopped cilantro.

Mix everything together, taste and season with more salt as needed.

Serve in warm corn tortillas, flour tortillas, paleo tortillas or in lettuce cups with your favorite toppings.

Slow Cooker Instructions

Add the chicken, chicken broth, 1 tablespoon lime juice, chili powder, ground cumin, salt, minced garlic and dried oregano to the Instant Pot and secure the lid.

Turn pressure valve to sealing, select Manual (or Pressure Cook), and pressure cooker on high pressure for 10 minutes.

Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes and then open the pressure valve to release any left over pressure.

Transfer chicken to a plate and shred with a fork. Transfer shredded chicken back to the Instant Pot and add in remaining 4 tablespoons lime juice and chopped cilantro.

Instant Pot Instructions

A new weeknight dinner favorite: Sheet Pan Chicken Carnitas! Chicken thighs marinate in a fresh &amp; zippy carnitas-inspired sauce made with citrus, jalapeno, &amp; cumin, &amp; bake until completely juicy &amp; tender. Finish them under the broiler for the easiest crispy carnitas you'll ever make!

Easy Sheet Pan Chicken Carnitas

Kirkwood Fresh Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs (see Recipe Notes)

yellow onion, thinly sliced

large, juicy oranges, zested & juiced

large, juicy limes, zested & juiced

garlic,

jalapeno,

Simply Nature Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Stonemill Ground Cumin

Stonemill Oregano

Marinate the chicken: 

Add the orange zest &amp; juice, lime zest &amp; juice, garlic, jalapeno, olive oil, cumin, oregano &amp; kosher salt to a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Add in the chicken thighs &amp; yellow onion. Toss to combine. Set aside to marinate for at least 20 minutes or marinate in the refrigerator (covered) for up to 8 hours.

Preheat the oven

to 425 degrees F, arranging the oven racks such that one is in the center of the oven &amp; one is 4-6 inches under the broiler. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil for easy clean up, as desired, and set aside.

Bake the chicken

Transfer the marinated chicken &amp; onions to the prepared baking sheet, draining &amp; discarding any excess marinade. Bake on the center rack for 15-18 minutes, depending on the thickness of your chicken thighs. The chicken should be nearly cooked through. Remove the chicken from the oven to shred, and meanwhile preheat the broiler.

Shred the chicken carnitas: 

Carefully shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces &#8211; you can do so using 2 forks, or my favorite trick: pop the chicken thighs directly into in a stand mixer &amp; let the paddle attachment do the work for you (I swear this works!). Transfer the shredded chicken back onto the baking sheet.

Broil for crispy chicken carnitas: Place the baking sheet under the broiler. Broil 4-5 minutes, turning the pan halfway through, until the chicken carnitas are browned &amp; slightly crisp.

Serve

Place the crispy chicken carnitas in tortillas for tacos or a bowl with rice &amp; beans for burrito bowls, finishing with your favorite taco night toppings of choice: sour cream/Mexican crema, pickled red onions, cilantro, etc. Enjoy!

This sounds like a great recipe. Simple but delicious!

This was so good and will be added to the taco Tuesday rotation. It was such a wonderfully flavorful switch from the standard ground beef taco night. Super easy and fast to prep. I reserved some of the cooking juices to wake the leftovers back up for lunch tomorrow, can’t wait!

These carnitas are delicious! My grocery store was out of jalapeños (not really sure how that happens?) so I subbed a serrano. I marinated the chicken for 4-5 hours and it was so tasty. Will definitely be making this again!

This was super easy, fresh, and flavorful! The winter citrus salsa was a delicious topping, you must make it to go with this dish! My husband said it was one of the best meals I’ve made in a long time!

This chicken is DIVINE and a huge family favorite now. The marinade was so easy to come together and the citrus flavors shine. I loved the hack of shredding the chicken with a stand mixer and with Aldi being a one stop shop for this meal, this is the PERFECT week day dinner. Ok, or perfect any time dinner. Love, love, love.

Stop it right now. These were so so good! We turned these into bowls with cilantro lime rice, guac, the winter pico and pickled onions. So much flavor, color and filled with good for you foods. Going in the rotation for sure!

Made these last night and it was incredible. The citrus pico was great. For sure will make on repeat!!!

Made this last night and it was delicious!! Served over cauliflower rice with pickled red onions, black olives, guac, shredded cheddar, Greek yogurt and hot sauce. Definitely a keeper!

We eat tons of chicken in our house so, always hunting for a new fun way to make it! This recipe... drool! Honestly, we made them extra crispy and added some extra red onion and it was a hit! And you can do so much with the left overs... we made nachos and empanadas! So good. So easy. And so versatile.

This recipe was so easy to make and tasted amazing! Whole family lives it!!

I love all Jess’s recipes. They are always delicious, and my 3 hungry sons who are big eaters loved this recipe. We had ours with black beans, cilantro rice and I made her citrus Pico de Gallo which was perfect with the citrus marinated chicken. Yum 😋

Both my husband and I loved this recipe! Will definitely be a new staple in our house!

So delicious &amp; so easy!!! Can’t wait to add this to our dinner rotation!

An instant favorite for burrito bowls or an alternate taco filling in this house!  I love a meal that takes very few dishes and I can throw in the oven while I'm wrangling the toddler and still has SO much flavor!

So easy and super flavorful! Will definitely make again!

These are fantastic! Just made for the first time tonight and they were everything I hoped they’d be. I have one kid who’s picky about dark meat and she loved! We made delicious make-your-own burrito bowls with the chicken. Will absolutely be adding this to the rotation. Thank you!

Made this for my family last night and it was a big hit! Soo delicious! And your trick to shred the chicken with the paddle attachment was awesome - worked so well!
Served it with your pickled red onions and cashew crema - both amazing and will be staples for all future taco nights in our house! 
Thank you for the great recipes!!

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/RgFW2QQt.mp4

A new weeknight dinner favorite: Sheet Pan Chicken Carnitas! Chicken thighs marinate in a fresh & zippy carnitas-inspired sauce made with citrus, jalapeno, & cumin, & bake on a sheet pan until completely juicy & tender. Finish them under the broiler to make the easiest crispy carnitas in under 30 minutes! Serve them up as chicken carnitas tacos or make a rice bowl with all of your favorite fixings. Easy, fast, flavorful & versatile!

Crispy Chicken Carnitas.mp4

Flavorful Chicken Carnitas are made with marinated chicken thighs that are cooked until tender and juicy. Then, they&#39;re shredded and can be served in a variety of ways, from tacos to bowls or nachos. The best family dinner that tastes better than what you would get at a restaurant!

Quick and Easy Chicken Carnitas

chicken thighs

sweet onion (thinly sliced)

kosher salt and pepper (to taste)

oranges

olive oil

red pepper flakes (or

smoked paprika

shredded lettuce, cooked rice, halved cherry tomatoes

Place the thighs and sliced onion in a deep dish. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.

In a jug, whisk the orange juice, zest, oil, garlic, pepper flakes, paprika and oregano. Pour this mixture over the chicken and move around to coat. Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 30 minutes (or refrigerate overnight).

Once you&#39;re ready to cook the chicken, preheat the oven to 425ºF. Remove the chicken from the marinade and transfer to a sheet pan. Bake for around 20 minutes, or until almost cooked through.

Remove the chicken from the oven and carefully shred it using 2 forks. Spread the shredded chicken around your sheet pan and broil for 4-6 minutes, stirring each 2 minutes, or until it start to get golden and slightly crisp.

Serve the chicken carnitas in bowls or tacos.

Pressure cooker chicken carnitas is done in a little over half an hour. Use an Instant Pot, Crock Pot Express, or even a slow cooker.

Chicken Carnitas

chicken breasts (approx 1 large chicken breast)

onion

taco seasoning

lime

beer (25 cl)

salsa

Finely chop the onion and garlic. Put the...

Finely chop the onion and garlic. Put the chicken breast in the Crockpot Express. Sprinkle the taco seasoning on the chicken breast. Then add the onion and garlic on top of the chicken

Add the lime juice, orange juice, and beer....

Add the lime juice, orange juice, and beer. Top with the tomato salsa

Close the lid and put the Crockpot Express...

Close the lid and put the Crockpot Express on Meat/Stew and high pressure. Turn the Crockpot to 30 minutes

When done turn the oven to broil. Shred...

When done turn the oven to broil. Shred the chicken in the meantime. Put parchment paper on a baking tray and divide the shredded chicken on the baking tray.

Take 4 to 5 tablespoons of liquid from...

Take 4 to 5 tablespoons of liquid from the Crockpot and drizzle it on the chicken. Before you put the baking tray under the broiler. Leave in the oven for about 5 minutes or until the chicken is golden and crispy

Fresh corn tortillas are stuffed with shredded citrus marinated chicken &amp; cheese then baked to crispy perfection! These baked chicken carnitas tacos are so easy &amp; perfect for a weeknight family dinner! Serve them with creamy avocado sauce for the ultimate taco night experience!

Crispy Chicken Carnitas Tacos with Avocado Cilantro Lime Sauce

chicken thighs, boneless & skinless

oranges, juiced

limes, juiced

garlic cloves,

jalapeno, deseeded & finely chopped

Tbsp cilantro, chopped

tsp chili powder

tsp cumin

½ tsp pepper

red onion, chopped

grated cheese (cheddar, monterey jack, Mexican blend, etc.)

avocados

cilantro, chopped (leaves & stems are ok)

Tbsp lime juice

¼ tsp garlic salt

Add all of your ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth. Store the sauce in the fridge while you prepare your tacos.

To make the avocado cilantro lime sauce:

Clean your chicken thighs (if needed) and place them in a large bowl. Then mix your orange juice, lime juice, garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, olive oil, chili powder, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper together and pour it over your thighs. Let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes - 8 hours.

A few minutes before the chicken is done marinating, turn your oven on to 400 degrees. Then spray a large baking dish with cooking spray and place your chicken thighs in the dish. (Discard the marinade.) Then bake the chicken for 15-20 minutes or until it&#39;s cooked all the way through. (Internal temperature should be 165 degrees.) Shred your chicken once it&#39;s done.

To make the chicken carnitas:

Turn your oven up to 425 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Then lay your tortillas out on the pan and spray them with cooking spray. Flip them over and bake them for 2-3 minutes. (You just need them soft enough to fold over your filling.) Then take the pan out of the oven and layer each tortilla on one side with cheese, chicken carnitas, red onion and a little more cheese. Fold the other side of the tortilla over your filling and press down gently to make it &quot;stick.&quot;

Once all of your tacos are made, place the pan back in the oven and bake for 15-17 minutes or until the cheese has melted and your tortillas are crispy.

Serve immediately with your avocado cilantro lime sauce.

To make your tacos:

One, your photography is great!  We tried the crispy shrimp tacos first and they were incredible.  I needed to make a chicken dish for a family get together, so we gave these a try and WOW!  The marinade for the chicken thighs is money.  Everyone loved these tacos!

Made this last night and it did not disappoint. I had left overs so for lunch today put it in the toaster oven and it was just as good if not better the next day.

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Top 8 chicken carnitas recipes from across the web

The most viewed chicken carnitas recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

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The most viewed chicken carnitas recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine