Carnitas Burrito

This Carnitas Burrito recipe consists of crispy pork, gooey cheese, and your favorite fillings. It’s a clear winner with the perfect crunch.

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A Carnitas Burrito cut in half on a wooden board, filled with meat, avocado, lettuce, and onions. Salsa and a bowl of chopped onions are in the background. Fresh cilantro leaves are scattered nearby.

Carnitas Burritos 🌯 are filled with tender, slow-cooked pork, melted Monterey Jack Cheese, avocado, onion, cilantro, and salsa, all wrapped in a large flour tortilla. The pork is chopped and broiled until crispy, then the assembled burrito is toasted on a griddle.

I love making these with homemade carnitas or leftover pork from the freezer. They’re filling, easy to customize, and perfect for lunch or dinner.

Also try my Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas for another delicious meal.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe ❤️

Crispy carnitas: The cooked pork goes under the broiler until the edges are golden and crispy.
Easy to customize: Add your favorite fillings, from refried beans and rice to pickled jalapeños and guacamole.
Great for leftovers: Use leftover carnitas from the fridge or freezer to make a satisfying meal.
Make-ahead friendly: Cook the pork ahead of time, then assemble and toast the burritos when you’re ready to eat.

-Maggie

🐷 Ingredients

To Cook The Pork:

Pork shoulder roast
Garlic
Onion
Salt
Pepper
Whole oregano
Ground cumin
Oranges juiced
Water

To Make Burritos:

Burrito-sized tortillas
Monterey Jack Cheese
Onion
Cilantro
Avocado (sliced)
Oil (to grease the sheet pan)

I was lucky and found pork chopped up at the store, but a whole pork shoulder or pork butt works too. Cut it into chunks before cooking. Please remember to skim the scum or impurities of the pot.

Chunks of raw pork with chopped onions and spices sit in a black slow cooker, ready for cooking.

🥣 Instructions

Place the pork ingredients in the slow cooker.
Set the slow cooker on high for 4 hours, or LOW on 8 hours.

Split image showing a slow cooker: on the left, raw chunks of pork mixed with chopped onions and spices; on the right, the cooked pork stew with tender pieces in a flavorful broth.

When done, skim off any impurities or scum that formed at the top of the pot.
Remove the meat from the slow cooker.
Let cool slightly.

Instant Pot Instructions

CUT THE INGREDIENTS IN HALF. It’s easier to fit 2 pounds of pork in the pot.
Place the ingredients in the instant pot. Add the lid. Move the valve to sealing.
Press the STEW/ MEAT button or HIGH PRESSURE for 45 minutes.
Once it’s done, move the quick release valve. Open the pot and skim off the scum or impurities from the top, then remove the pork.

Stove Top Instructions

Place the ingredients in a large stock pot. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 1½ to 2 hours, or until the pork is fork-tender.
Check after an hour and a half to see if the pork is fork tender.
Once ready, remove the scum or impurities. Remove the meat from the pot and continue with the recipe.

Chopped cooked chicken pieces on a wooden cutting board with a large knife. More chicken pieces in a foil-lined tray are visible at the top, all placed on a wooden table.

Chop the meat into tiny pieces.
Spray oil on a lined sheet pan.
Spread meat evenly on the greased sheet pan.

This is why I was happy to see chopped pork at the grocery store – it made chopping up the meat so much easier!

If you are using a large piece of pork shoulder with a bone, you might need to use your hands to remove the meat around the bone.

Side-by-side images of taco meat on a foil-lined baking sheet. The left image shows uncooked meat evenly spread out, while the right image shows the meat browned and fully cooked.

Put under the broiler for 6-7 minutes, or until the meat is crispy.
Remove the sheet pan from the oven. With a spatula, carefully turn the meat over.
Return to the broiler for another 3- 4 minutes.

Be careful not to burn. As long as the meat is crispy, that’s all we’re looking for here.

Four-step process of making a burrito: 1. Plain tortilla on a cutting board. 2. Filling of meat and avocado placed in the center. 3. Hands folding sides over the filling. 4. Hands rolling the burrito, tucking in the filling.

How To Roll Up A Burrito

Heat up burrito-size flour tortillas. 1-2 minutes on each side.
Add 2 tablespoons of Monterey jack, 2 large heaping spoonfuls of the carnitas, 1 teaspoon onion and ½ teaspoon chopped cilantro, 2 avocado slices.
Tuck in the sides. Then fold and tightly roll up the burrito.

Look for the large burrito-size tortillas at the store. They are gigantic, but we need something that big to fit all the fillings.

Use your best judgment. If you can fit more meat in the tortilla, add more meat.

Two burritos are being heated on a black griddle. They are wrapped in flour tortillas and are lightly toasted on the outside. The griddle is placed on a kitchen stove.

Warm up a griddle and place the burrito to heat up.
Turn occasionally to toast up all sides.
The cheese will melt inside, and the outside will be nice and crispy. Delicious!

For the filling, I’m using cheese, carnitas, onion, cilantro, salsa, and avocado. Change it up and add your favorite fillings.

💡 Other Filling Ideas

Frijoles Refritos
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Sour cream
Pickled Jalapenos
Frijoles de la olla (pinto beans)
Mexican Pickled Carrots
Arroz Mexicano (Mexican rice)
Guacamole (instead of the avocado slices)

A hand holds a halved burrito filled with meat, lettuce, and other ingredients. In the background, there are bowls of red sauce and chopped vegetables on a wooden table.

🫙 Storing Instructions

Cover the burrito in plastic wrap. Store them in the fridge for up to 3 days. Or place the plastic wrapped burritos in a large freezable bag, remove as much air as possible. Store for up to 4 months. Reheat before consuming.

🔥 Reheating Instructions

Wet a paper towel and wrap the burrito in it. Then place on a microwavable plate. Heat on high for 2 ½ to 3 minutes. If you want to make it crispy, place on a hot griddle and turn every 2 minutes to crisp up the sides.

🙋🏻‍♀️ Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use leftover carnitas to make burritos?

Absolutely! Leftover carnitas work great in this recipe. Chop the pork into small pieces, spread it on a greased baking sheet, and broil until crispy. Then fill and roll your burritos as directed.

What cut of pork is best for carnitas burritos?

Pork shoulder or pork butt works best because the meat becomes tender after slow cooking. You can use boneless or bone-in pork, but remove the bones before chopping the meat.

What fillings go well in a carnitas burrito?

I use Monterey Jack Cheese, avocado, onion, cilantro, and salsa. You can also add refried beans, Mexican rice, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, pickled jalapeños, or guacamole.

Can I freeze carnitas burritos?

Yes! Wrap each burrito tightly in plastic wrap, place them in a freezer-safe bag, and freeze for up to 4 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating for more even warming.

A cut burrito on a wooden board, filled with grilled meat, avocado, and other ingredients. In the background, bowls of red sauce and chopped onions with cilantro are visible.

🌯 More Burrito Recipes

These Carnitas Burritos are packed with crispy pork, melted cheese, creamy avocado, and your favorite toppings. Serve them with extra salsa, and enjoy a hearty homemade Mexican meal. ¡Buen provecho!

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Carnitas Burrito Recipe

Why You’ll Love This Recipe ❤️